By the time the World Economic Forum (WEF) has run its three-day course in Cape Town, thousands of pieces of data will have been collected from delegates’ hotel bookings, airport Wi-Fi traffic, online taxi services and bank transactions. Indeed, anyone conducting business in SA on any given day is feeding the voracious appetite of tech firms for big data.

Harnessing the economic benefits of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) has shaped the theme of the 2019 meeting of the top minds doing business in Africa. The possibilities seem boundless. President Cyril Ramaphosa, as chair of a presidential commission, has promised a national 4IR strategy by 2020 to position SA as a global competitive player in the fourth industrial revolution. ..

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