City savvy, country strong: Urban youth to power rural revival?

Imagine young urban dwellers, whether born in cities or migrated from rural hometowns, armed with the latest tech-savvy skills and boundless creativity, venturing into rural landscapes to spark change and foster development. It's more than just a dream—it's a blueprint to bridge the urban-rural divide for a more inclusive future in Malaysia. 

Youths¹ with urban exposure hold the key to unlocking the full potential of our rural areas and uplifting the communities, given vast untapped resources and promising development prospects in the countryside. Advances in technology and markets are creating new avenues for these young visionaries to pursue rural opportunities. While physical involvement in rural areas remains relevant, remote contributions from cities are now equally feasible. In doing so, they can carve out new opportunities for themselves, while creating a legacy of sustainable development and social equity over the longer term.

The good news is there are highly driven youths that can be empowered to lead and drive change in Malaysia, as they aspire to earn and live well earlier in life, value unique opportunities and prefer career flexibility (Diagram 1).

In the context of this article, this raises two key questions: 

• How can urban-savvy youth (youth with urban exposure) achieve their aspirations while addressing broader socioeconomic needs through rural opportunities?
• What approach can we take to harness the potential of young people with urban exposure to revitalise rural areas? Must this necessarily be driven by the government?

Note

¹Globally, the definition of youth varies widely (For example, Member States of ASEAN: 15-35 years old; Malaysian Youth Policy: 15-30 years old; Department of Statistics Malaysia: 15-24 years old). Given data availability and coverage, youth refer to those between the age of 15-34 years old for the purpose of this analysis.

In Malaysia, a significant trend amongst the youth is the migration to urban centres in pursuit of their ambitions. Constituting approximately 60% of internal migration, these young individuals are primarily drawn to cities for job opportunities and better living conditions². However, as preferences shift towards flexibility and engaging job roles, the rural economy emerges as a compelling alternative. It offers urban youth the chance to embark on exciting career ventures while providing a respite from the frenetic pace of city life. Moreover, by embracing this pathway, they can serve a broader purpose in society as a driver of change by revitalising rural areas and championing sustainable development goals.

Urban-savvy youth can forge an alternative career path by exploring a wealth of untapped rural opportunities that align with their interests and passion

In rural areas, there are often underutilised resources with abundant tracts of land, unused spaces and local skills ready to be harnessed (Diagram 2). Concurrently, many ageing rural business owners face the challenge of finding willing successors. These scenarios present a prime opportunity for urban-savvy youth with keen business instincts and innovative mindsets to bring fresh perspectives to the table. This shift allows them to unleash their creativity and explore new ventures, breaking free from the traditional nine-to-five grind of a standard employment.

Several sectors stand out for urban-savvy youth to build a career of their own, while driving rural advancement: 

• Sectors that leverage unique rural resources, such as agriculture, ecotourism and renewable energy. By leveraging the natural endowment, culture and heritage of rural areas, urban youth can establish differentiated business value propositions to meet emerging demand both within and beyond these areas. For example, consider the case studies of leveraging natural endowment for celestial ecotourism in the UK and rural electrification using renewable energy in India.

• Sectors that are technology-enabled such as agtech, food processing, telehealth and e-education for rural communities offer significant potential. Case studies such as those in Malaysia, Japan and the Philippines illustrate that various technologies, including digital tools, applications and platforms, can be introduced to improve efficiency, productivity, as well as accessibility for the underserved population. 

With plenty of greenfield opportunities across diverse sectors, urban youth can test innovative business models that are adaptable for rural rejuvenation. These can improve service accessibility and economic viability by expanding service offerings and maximising resource use in rural areas, which in turn reduces costs. Examples of business models include, but are not limited to:

To maximise these opportunities, young people with urban experience can actively engage in rural areas through various modes, whether physically or remotely (Diagram 3). Although some may view rural life as dull and lacking modern amenities, relocation need not be a permanent commitment. Improved mobility between urban and rural areas in Malaysia allows urban youth to explore business opportunities in rural settings while still enjoying city life. This dual-location approach lets them balance the tranquillity of rural living with the vibrancy of urban environments. Additionally, remote contribution is also a viable option with the right infrastructure and community support in place. Urban-savvy youth could reside in cities and provide a variety of services through technology to meet the needs of rural industries and communities. The flexibility to choose from various modes of contribution would make rural opportunities more appealing and feasible, allowing young people to get involved based on their preferences.

Making a broader impact in society as a driver of change

At the recent 2024 Youth Economic Forum in Malaysia, youth were called on to take ownership in shaping the future of the nation³. Young Malaysians have voiced that urban-rural disparity and unequal access to resources are contributing factors to social inequality⁴. They believe they have a role to play in addressing this issue. By exploring rural opportunities, this is the chance for youth in Malaysia, particularly those with urban exposure to build on their strengths and passion to reduce social inequality and make a difference for future generations.  

Take China and Indonesia, for instance, where young urban-savvy people have used their advanced business knowledge and innovative thinking to boost agriculture, tourism and healthcare in rural areas. Some have returned to their hometowns, while others have utilised technology to make an impact from afar. Their initiatives have not only increased their personal incomes, but also spurred broader rural modernisation, productivity and well-being.

At the community level, the presence of urban-savvy youth in the countryside can also foster synergies with rural youth and the local culture. Rural youth stand to benefit through direct peer collaboration in these business ventures by infusing local insights and acquiring new skills from their urban counterparts in a gradual and practical manner. As a result, they can become better equipped and empowered to create opportunities for themselves and support their livelihoods. Culturally, diversification of arts, architecture and thinking may also occur to some extent within the rural society. Close engagements with local communities and authorities would enable some level of societal harmonisation, while ensuring the preservation of unique rural culture and characteristics.

Notes

²Migration Survey Report 2015 & 2020, DOSM. Survey periods are 1 July 2014 - 30 June 2015 and 1 July 2019 - 30 June 2020, respectively and are used in the analysis as they better reflect the “normal” period. While 3 months are affected by COVID-19 for the 2020 data, the shares remained fairly stable over the years. 2022 data is available but is not used, as it is heavily skewed by the COVID-19 lockdowns during the survey period.

³‘Youth Economic Forum serves as a platform for youths in nation-building’, Bernama (October 2024)

⁴‘Youth in Malaysia can end poverty’, World Bank (2017)

To effectively harness the strengths and competencies of urban-savvy youth for rural advancement, a targeted, integrated and collaborative approach is essential. 

In Malaysia, this can be driven through four key strategies: Targeting, Catalysing, Imaging and Piloting & scaling (Diagram 4). Implementing these strategies within a cohesive programme ensures that the desired outcomes are not only achieved, but also carefully monitored for ongoing success.

To bring this programme to life, the government, investors and urban-savvy youth each have a unique and vital role to play (Diagram 5). This serves as a refreshing departure from the usual government-driven youth development programmes.

In this transformative journey, the government plays the role of the ‘facilitator,’ creating the right conditions to enable rural exploration and deploying measures to protect rural interests where required. The recently tabled Budget reflects a strong commitment to nurturing youth, with increased funding for education financing, skills enhancement, entrepreneurial courses and youth community programmes. These initiatives, often standalone, can be integrated and tailored to support urban-savvy youth as they venture into rural landscapes. 

Meanwhile, investors such as corporations, venture capitalists and impact funders are invited to act as the ‘strategic partner,’ collaborating with young entrepreneurs whose ventures resonate with their business ethos and strategic objectives, and are commercially viable. These strategic partnerships and investments go beyond just financial support and can include providing digital tools, mentorship and networking opportunities. Through such multifaceted engagement, the investors not only foster innovation and entrepreneurial growth, but also reinforce their commitment to sustainable and socially responsible business practices.

Urban-savvy youth, stepping into the role of the ‘driver,’ will be responsible for developing actionable business plans that unlock market opportunities in rural areas in a sustainable and inclusive manner. They must also ensure accountability in delivering the desired outcomes. 

Together, they can drive broader and more impactful outcomes, creating a powerful synergy that transforms possibilities into reality. 

The degree of involvement of these three stakeholders is expected to vary and evolve depending on the implementation phase. The programme can begin with a small-scale ‘pilot’ phase, then move to a broader ‘scaling’ phase, and finally ensure long-term success in the ‘sustaining’ phase (see Diagram 5). Over the long run, this programme is expected to be driven mainly by the private sector, with some support from the government.

Pilot: Both the government and urban-savvy youth assume crucial roles to kickstart the programme, with some support from investors. During this foundational phase, the government should formalise the overarching approach, establish a system to identify target groups and reshape perception to entice participation for the programme. It is also key to provide critical infrastructure and incentives. The direct participation of interested urban-savvy youth is required to establish viable business plans (e.g., target market, selected rural location and industry, business model) based on their own ideas for pilot testing and delivering the intended outcomes. Investors can support as a business sponsor by providing minimum seed funding and challenging the proposed business plans. 

Scaling: Contingent on the viability of pilot implementation, investors can take on a larger role as strategic partners to the urban-savvy youth, such as provision of higher funding and technology, as well as access to larger supply chain networks to support the business ventures in a greater number of rural areas and industries. They can also integrate this programme as part of their business strategy to achieve broader organisational goals and maximise stakeholder value. This would represent a gradual transition towards greater private sector participation. 

Sustaining: The focus shifts towards ensuring long-term sustainability and broader impact, where both urban-savvy youth and investors are able to collaboratively maintain the momentum of their ventures, with minimal government support. The government will continue to act as a facilitator, but focusing primarily on maintaining the programme's structure and administrative efficiency, reducing redtapes for exploration and innovation, as well as implementing policies to safeguard rural welfare where necessary.

The future of Malaysia lies in the seamless integration of urban ingenuity with rural potential. By encouraging young talents with urban exposure to venture beyond city borders, we can ignite a wave of sustainable development that revitalises our rural landscapes, fosters social cohesion and drives economic growth. This strategic approach not only alleviates the pressures of urbanisation, but also taps into the rich resources and unique cultural heritage of our rural communities. With concerted efforts from the government, investors and the urban-savvy youth themselves, we can create a legacy of balanced progress and inclusivity. Now is the time to act—to bridge the urban-rural divide and to build a more equitable future for all Malaysians. So, are you ready to embark on this journey?

Did you find this blog helpful? Yes | No