Industry 4.0: Big opportunities, big risks for Africa
Proactive investment in technology not only ensures our country and continent’s inclusion in the fourth industrial revolution, but to make it work for us
The theme for this year’s edition of the World Economic Forum (WEF), taking place in Davos between the January 22-25, is “Globalisation 4.0: Shaping a Global Architecture in the Age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution”. Myself and a delegation of SA ministers will work with other global participants on defining new models for building sustainable and inclusive societies in a plurilateral world. There is no question that the fourth industrial revolution is upon us. That it is taking place globally at unpredictably fast rates is common cause. The biggest unknown is the size of the seismic change ahead of us and its impact on the developing world, particularly the African continent. The disruptions that digital technology will bring are expected across industries and all economic sectors, impacting the job market of the future, skills development and education of the workplace and not least, the way we live. For Africa, the fourth industrialisation poses massive opportunities, but also...
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