There is no denying that the Fourth Industrial Revolution is going to disrupt many industries with innovation an introduction of artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles/drones and biotechnology among others. The Revolution is heightening and gathering pace which has dire implications for everyone. The traditional production processing points will be radically affected by the imminent technological revolution. No country will be spared from the far-reaching effects of the looming revolution and South Africa is no exceptions.
South Africa has not exercised its expected leadership role in Africa in relation to the forthcoming revolution, unfortunately we are lagging behind to the detriment of the whole of Africa. We are going to be the biggest losers of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, same way Africa lost other equally important revolutions preceding Fourth Industrial Revolution. We have not learnt a lesson during the First, Second and Third Industrial Revolutions, hence our manufacturing sector benefited us marginally in terms of manufacturing of implements for the global community. If we don’t change our attitudes towards the revolution, we are going to be unwilling consumers of products produced by others beyond the continent.
The traditional employment relations are changing in accelerated manner, as employers are moving away from traditional employment structure. There is going to be a serious human suffering due to automation induced unemployment, and the rapid technological disruption will be severe in the labour markets.
All professions will not be cushioned from the harsh effects of automation including the ancient profession, which is already facing a cut a throat competitor (artificial sex doll or artificial female) that is said to have capacity to engage in sexual acts. Upon the doll introduction in the market males could not contain their excitement, at hearing about sex robots, and this suggest that all professions are endangered species.
Automation is going to take over jobs and the less skilled workers will be the most affected as they are the most vulnerable of workers. The displacement of lowest skilled workers is going to lead to excessive social inequalities of which we are battling at the present moment, the report released around march 2018 entitled “Inequality in South Africa: An Assessment of Drivers, Constraints and Opportunities” which was prepared jointly by the National Planning Commission Secretariat at the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME), Statistics South Africa, and the World Bank was a rub of salt in the wound as we already knew the horrendous effects of inequality in the country.
South Africa is going to suffer from technological unemployment and this shall lead to the need for social security benefits. However our country does not have the financial capacity to broaden the current social security benefits to the poor, our government has recently increased Value Added Tax as a result of the need to raise funds to meet other pressing but crucial priorities like Free Education.
Though the government seem not to be prepared for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the effects will be extremely negative for the downtrodden thus a compelling need for broadening of social safety net is unavoidable. The government cannot afford to idle whilst there is an army of desperate unemployed people who do not have means to fend for their families. At the same time the social security policy should not lull our people into thinking that we are building a nanny state.
The state has a responsibility to embark on a massive campaign to educate our people about the future technological disruption as our people have the right to be informed about the future challenges, workers should be re-skilled as the current skilled workforce will be rendered obsolete and the result will be what some have referred to as technological unemployment. The negative impact is already felt in the banking sector through automated retail system like ATM and restaurant kiosks and self-service checkpoints and in many other sectors.
The impending revolution requires government to heed the warning made in an article of Foreign Affairs Magazine, dated in 12 December 2015 by Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum Geneva that:
“We stand on the brink of a technological revolution that will fundamentally alter the way we live, work, and relate to one another. In its scale, scope, and complexity, the transformation will be unlike anything humankind has experienced before. We do not yet know just how it will unfold, but one thing is clear: the response to it must be integrated and comprehensive, involving all stakeholders of the global polity, from the public and private sectors to academia and civil society”
With a country confronting huge unemployment challenges like South Africa, it cannot be business as usual when there is impending progressive revolution yet is accompanied by a negative technological unemployment. Our government should not fail to create a conducive environment through policy and strategy for our people to rise to the occasion. We all have the responsibility to raise awareness about Fourth Industrial Revolution, we should not allow our people to know about the revolution at the door of its effects, they have the right to prepare and be ready for it. South Africa should not be a big loser of this revolution. Hence we need to hold our leaders accountable.
Chabana Chabana
