Generation Z: according to Agiltym by H&C, 64.5% of young managers plan to leave their company within the year

A study conducted with 1,500 young professionals from West and Central Africa was presented on September 18, 2026, in Dakar, to 230 executives gathered by the consulting firm Agiltym by H&C. Its results shift the issue of talent retention from the human resources department to the executive committee.

Two-thirds of young African executives have one foot outside the corporate world. This is, in a nutshell, what the Gen Z Talent Barometer in African companies, carried out in 2026 by DATATYM among 1,500 professionals in the WAEMU and CEMAC zones, and presented on September 18 at the Noom Hotel Dakar Sea Plaza during the third edition of The Strategic Breakfast, organized by Agiltym by H&C, says.

64.5% of the young talent surveyed said they were considering leaving their company within the next twelve months. Only one in ten envisions staying with their organization for five years. And 88% have already imagined a career path that doesn't include their current employer.

The third figure is the most disturbing of the three. It doesn't describe a desire to leave; it describes a departure that has already been planned. The employee who has envisioned the next stage of their career elsewhere isn't reacting to an incident: they're waiting for their moment.

Why is the issue being brought up by the management committee?

In Senegal, where the median age of the population is estimated at 19.6 years, the issue extends far beyond the realm of human resources. A turnover rate of this magnitude affects the continuity of operations, the cost of recruitment, skills transfer, and, in service sector jobs, the customer relationship itself.

“For organizations that want to remain competitive, attracting and integrating the right talent is no longer an HR issue. It’s a strategic issue,” said Hermann H. Cakpo, CEO of Agiltym by H&C and Chairman of the H&C Group, in his opening remarks.

The room brought together more than 200 CEOs, members of Executive Committees, and Human Resources Managers. The format, a morning of work rather than a conference, is the one that Agiltym by H&C has been rolling out from capital to capital since May 2026.

What Senegalese leaders are saying about it

The results were submitted to a panel of five executives: Abdoulaye SOCÉ, Managing Director of NSIA Assurances Senegal, Khadydiatou N'DIAYE, HR Lead of Wave Senegal, Omar KANE, Human Capital Director of the Orabank Group, Waly BAKHOUM, Managing Director of Witti Finances Senegal, and Soma NIANE, Human Resources Director of the CSE Group.

One point came up repeatedly in the discussions: employees who reported being satisfied with their situation were nevertheless considering leaving. Therefore, stated satisfaction does not measure actual engagement, and the annual internal survey is no longer sufficient to anticipate departures.

Measure rather than guess

This is the area where Agiltym by H&C positions its offering. The firm presented Targetym AI live, Agiltym by H&C's all-in-one HRIS, powered by artificial intelligence and data: a 26-module HR platform that manages the entire employee lifecycle, from hiring to departure, according to the company's specific rules and collective bargaining agreement. Ten functional pillars are integrated: management, finance and compensation, compliance and departures, attendance, services, HR administration, performance and OKRs, recruitment and onboarding, talent and career development, and an AI co-pilot available in French and English. This AI super-agent prepares and performs 95% of the work for HR directors and HR business partners.

By producing its own data on the continent rather than relying on imported references, the firm occupies a field that is still relatively unexplored in Francophone Africa: that of measuring human capital.

A regular meeting is taking place.

Launched in Abidjan on May 5, 2026, The Strategic Breakfast was held in Conakry on June 12, where the barometer was publicly unveiled for the first time, and then in Dakar on September 18. The fourth edition is scheduled for Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at the K Hotel in Douala, Cameroon.

Present in 14 countries in West and Central Africa, Agiltym by H&C supports local companies, multinationals, institutions and SMEs in transition on strategy, organizational transformation and technological integration.

Agiltym by H&C makes the complete results of the Gen Z Talent Barometer in African companies available to leaders.