The future of rural youth employment is a major issue in sub-Saharan Africa because structural transformation is slow. However, youth employment is rarely considered in terms of institutional economics or in a long-term perspective, both of which are essential for analysing structural change. Little research has focused on employment issues and how they are affected by the type of rural areas, and especially the farming potential. This paper seeks to identify the main institutional determinants of youth transitions. We examine the assets and opportunities, internal or external to the family, available to young people. Combining a theoretical framework based on institutional economics with a comparative and historical methodology can reveal structural change in rural areas. The research draws on original longitudinal data collected in four rural areas in Senegal and Zambia in order to analyse transitions to adulthood among three successive cohorts of youth. While the majority of youth employment policies focus on improving young people's skills, the long-term analysis reveals the institutional changes regarding access to land, capital and knowledge, as well as the redistribution of value and social protection. The analysis points to the importance of taking account of structural characteristics and related institutions when addressing the challenge of employment for future cohorts of youth.