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<p>As the World Economic Forum on Africa focuses on shaping inclusive growth and shared futures in the Fourth Industrial Revolution – to explore ways the continent can mitigate headwinds like xenophobia to advance trade in its shared future, Commissioner for Trade and Industry at the African Union Commission (AUC), Albert Muchanga joins CNBC Africa&#8217;s Chris Bishop and Kenneth Igbomor for more.</p>


Albert Muchanga on how mutual tolerance is key in trade, xenophobia & Africa’s shared future

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<p>There have been numerous headlines coming out of the country this week. Rwanda will name 25 baby gorillas during the 15th edition of the annual naming ceremony; Kwita Izina. Moreover, 28th World Economic Forum on Africa will take place from the 4th to 6th September in Cape Town, with key conversations on inclusive growth in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Finally, Makutano Forum is set to happen in the DRC to boost growth and competitiveness. Arnold Kwizera joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


Rwanda to name 25 baby gorillas in 15th Kwita Izina ceremony

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<p>The World Economic Forum (WEF) held a pre-meeting press conference with South Africa&#8217;s Minister of Finance, Tito Mboweni. CNBC Africa’s Head of Programming Chris Bishop unpacks events that unfolded.</p>


Shaping inclusive growth and shared futures in 4IR: WEF Africa holds media briefing ahead of WEF 2019

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<p>Data, research and most importantly big data have become focal points for conversations on the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the future of work. As we look ahead to the World Economic Forum in Cape Town, Managing Director of Hepta Analytics, Victoria Munguti joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


The role of Big Data in Africa’s growth

By <span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rachel-adams-790073">Rachel Adams</a>, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/human-sciences-research-council-2144">Human Sciences Research Council</a></em></span>

<p>The Fourth Industrial Revolution is, ostensibly, upon us. The <a href="https://www.weforum.org/about/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-by-klaus-schwab">term was coined</a> in 2016 by Klaus Schwab, the founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Form. </p>

<p>Broadly, it refers to the collapsing of boundaries between the physical, digital and biological spheres. More specifically, it’s about the digitalisation of all kinds of systems and processes. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the forefront of this reality. This involves systems that, as the <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/definition-artificial-intelligence-main-capabilities-and-scientific-disciplines">European Commission puts it</a>, “display intelligent behaviour by analysing their environment and taking actions … to achieve specific goals”. </p>

<p>AI is used today in everything from face and speech recognition technologies to image analysis software. It’s also a cornerstone of self-driving cars and advanced robotics.</p>

<p>Part of this “revolution’s” promise is that AI and similar technologies <a href="https://www.dst.gov.za/images/2019/White_paper_web_copyv1.pdf">will be used</a> to drive economic growth, development and positive societal change. But critical inquiry is urgently needed to gauge what effects the fourth industrial revolution is having and will have on vulnerable, marginalised populations.</p>

<p>In South Africa, there has been some discussion around the <a href="https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/opinion/2019-07-04-4ir-in-sa-is-too-important-to-remain-the-domain-of-the-elite/">elitist discourse</a> in which conversations about the fourth industrial revolution are happening. Some have pointed out the need to ensure that policy linked to these changes address all stakeholders’ needs. Others have explored its potential effects <a href="https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2019-07-04-4ir-the-good-the-bad-and-the-inequality-gap/">on inequality in the country’s job market</a>. But there has been little discussion around how women specifically may be affected.</p>

<p>This is a worrying oversight. The world of the fourth industrial revolution looks set to be one dominated by forms of knowledge and industries – like science and technology – that have long been <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3281807">dominated by men</a>.</p>

<p>In addition, many of the opportunities the fourth industrial revolution is thought to offer are internet based. Yet, as a <a href="https://www.apc.org/en/news/african-women-face-widening-technology-gap">recent study</a> has shown, women tend to have less access to internet based technologies than men do in Africa. This means that the impact on women’s lives and work opportunities becomes a critical concern. </p>

<h2>The future of women’s work</h2>

<p>The future of work has been one of the key discussion points in the context of new technologies and the fourth industrial revolution. </p>

<p>With the increase in automaton, those working in <a href="https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf">“routine intensive occupations”</a> – such as secretarial or call centre work – are considered likely to be replaced in the workplace by computers, which are thought to be more efficient and less costly. Robots are being prepped to replace <a href="https://emerj.com/ai-sector-overviews/applications-of-ai-in-elderly-care-robotics/">care-worker jobs</a>. These types of professions, along with others that are particularly vulnerable to being replaced by robotics or computers, are <a href="https://ssir.org/articles/entry/women_and_the_future_of_work#">generally occupied by women</a>.</p>

<p>In South Africa, where the <a href="http://www.statssa.gov.za/?p=11375">labour market is already more favourable to men than women</a>, this presents a serious concern. </p>

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  <em>
    <strong>
      Read more:
      <a href="http://theconversation.com/south-africans-are-upbeat-about-new-technologies-but-worried-about-jobs-120358">South Africans are upbeat about new technologies, but worried about jobs</a>
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<p>There are other reasons to worry. The gender <a href="https://www.apc.org/en/news/african-women-face-widening-technology-gap">digital gap</a> in South Africa, and on the African continent more broadly, is only widening, with women having lower digital literacy, less access to internet based technologies, and less relevant online content to men. This suggests that women may be left out of increasingly digital work opportunities too.  </p>

<p>In addition, due to the burden of care and domestic duties women tend to carry on top of paid work, women <a href="http://globaldialogue.isa-sociology.org/emotional-labor-around-the-world-an-interview-with-arlie-hochschild/">have significantly</a> less time than men to undertake further education and training. That means they won’t easily be able to boost their digital skills.</p>

<p>These realities reveal some of the gaps in South Africa’s existing policy objectives around the fourth industrial revolution. For instance, the country’s <a href="https://www.dst.gov.za/images/2019/White_paper_web_copyv1.pdf">White Paper on Science, Technology and Innovation</a> is to provide information and communications technology training at all levels. But given the problems I’ve outlined, women are less likely than men to benefit from this.</p>

<p>So what can the country do differently?</p>

<h2>Lessons and research</h2>

<p>For starters, it could learn from other countries. In Ghana, an initiative called <a href="http://www.stembees.org/about-us/">STEMbees</a> not only promotes science, technology, engineering and maths training for women and girls; it also addresses social issues such as digital safety. There could be lessons here for South Africa.</p>

<p>The country should also consider how technology can be used to empower and help women rather than shutting them out. There are <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/careers/2017/mar/20/meet-the-women-using-tech-to-combat-sexual-assault">many examples</a> of this globally. </p>

<p>Along with this learning, South Africa needs to thoroughly research and understand the effects of the fourth industrial revolution on women and the barriers – whether educational, social or technological – to accessing and utilising internet based resources. </p>

<p>Policy responses to promoting women in STEM need to holistically address both the lack of women in STEM fields as well as the structural factors that have led to this situation.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/121216/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important" /></p>

<p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rachel-adams-790073">Rachel Adams</a>, Research Specialist, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/human-sciences-research-council-2144">Human Sciences Research Council</a></em></span></p>

<p>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-risks-leaving-women-behind-121216">original article</a>.</p>

Will the Fourth Industrial Revolution leave women behind ?

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<p>As the conversation on the fourth industrial revolution and it&#8217;s expected benefits and challenges continues to take shape, Africa is still trying to find it&#8217;s footing on how best it can take advantage of this wave. Chief Business Development Officer at Safaricom, Debra Mallowah joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


Safaricom’s Debra Mallowah on how the 4IR can bridge inequality gap

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<p>As it is very evident that Africa is rushing towards the fourth industrial revolution, the need to promote the growth of a vibrant AI ecosystem in Africa is very critical. Joining CNBC Africa to help understand why’ is Anu Shah, Founder and CEO of EFI Hub.</p>


Why Africa should bet on artificial intelligence

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<p>Following the World Economic Forum’s Globalisation 4.0 theme this year, the private and public sector was invited to a Fourth Industrial Revolution workshop on the 7th of March at the Industrial Development Cooperation in Sandton. CNBC Africa’s Chris Bishop caught up with Mark Nasila, Chief Analytics Officer of Consumer Banking and Chief Risk Office at FNB and asked him about the future of the digital economy and how the banking sector will be dealing with this.</p>


The impact of WEF’s Globalisation 4.0 on SA companies

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<p>Exponential technologies within business practices are rapidly changing the business landscape worldwide. But is Africa ready for this? A workshop themed “The Fourth Industrial Revolution” was held recently at the Industrial Development Cooperation in Sandton. The current impact of this revolution on South African businesses &#8211; in the context of financial inclusion, was discussed at this conference. CNBC Africa’s Chris Bishop asked Karabo Morule from Old Mutual how financial institutions will bring this to the mass population in South Africa’s smaller towns.</p>


How SA’s financial sector will implement inclusive 4IR development

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<p>Petrus DeKock, GM: Research, Brand South Africa discusses the impact of the fourth industrial revolution on everyday South Africans.</p>


Brand SA’s Petrus DeKock on the impact of 4IR on job security, economic development

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<p>Artificial intelligence is a central factor for South Africa&#8217;s move into the fourth industrial revolution. CNBC Africa is joined by smart technology entrepreneur and Artificial Intelligence expert, Jacques Ludik.</p>


Cortex Logic’s Jacques Ludik on the latest AI trends your business should know

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<p>Artificial intelligence, 5G and the Fourth Industrial Revolution is presenting some interesting views and challenges of how human nature will mature and adapt to these evolutions. CEO of TransUnion Africa, Lee Naik has penned his take on &#8216;Digital with a purpose&#8217;. He joins CNBC Africa to talk about his analysis of these trends for 2019.</p>


2019 TransUnion technology trends for Africa

<figure><img decoding="async" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/238442/original/file-20180928-48653-n3qtif.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="File 20180928 48653 n3qtif.jpg?ixlib=rb 1.1" /><figcaption>A humanities degree can open people’s minds in the fourth industrial revolution.<br />
<span class="attribution"><span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></span>&nbsp;</p>
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<p>By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ruksana-osman-170385">Ruksana Osman</a>, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-witwatersrand-894">University of the Witwatersrand</a></em></p>
<p>The term “<a href="https://www.weforum.org/about/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-by-klaus-schwab">fourth industrial revolution</a>” is understood in various ways. Some people are excited about it. Others are cautious. Some assume it means that technology and robots will take over every human activity. And still others imagine that this “revolution” will lead only to joblessness and automation.</p>
<p>There are also those who are sceptical and <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/there-s-no-such-thing-as-the-fourth-industrial-revolution-a7441966.html%20and%20insist%20that">insist</a> it’s no revolution at all. They argue that it’s just an improvement and fusion of various technologies – like artificial intelligence and 3D printing – and acceleration in productivity.</p>
<p>In all these instances, the interaction of technology with humans and humans with technology is underestimated. The emphasis on interaction is key to understanding the fourth industrial revolution. And this epoch will, like all times of change, require universities to push the boundaries of teaching and learning.</p>
<p>Universities will need to ensure that students are equipped with approaches to learning that involve agility, adaptability and curiosity. It will be a challenge for us all.</p>
<p>The fourth industrial revolution will also raise many questions for universities to consider. What needs to shift in how lecturers teach and how students learn and will be learning? What does the blurring of the lines between the physical, digital and technological mean for social relationships and for student learning? What do these shifts mean for different countries? Is learning in an environment with peers (virtually or in a class) better than learning online?</p>
<p>In seeking answers, societies must create the space to have conversations across social, academic, industry and community boundaries. The purpose of these conversations is to determine priority areas that need to be improved by the rapid technological changes we are currently experiencing as well as thinking about how we redefine the human condition.</p>
<p>Universities have a crucial role to play in these conversations. And a humanities education has a lot to offer when it comes to preparing students for the fourth industrial revolution.</p>
<h2>Harnessing the humanities</h2>
<p>A humanities education inculcates the importance of reflecting on the vast array of methodological and societal issues that arise from any practices. These include the technological and computational practices that underpin the fourth industrial revolution.</p>
<p>Critical thinking, debating and creative problem solving are taught in the humanities. This kind of critical orientation allows students to explore the complex human-to-human relations and the <a href="http://www.wits.ac.za/news/latest-news/research-news/2017/2017-09/human-vs-machine.html">human to robotic relations</a> that we are already encountering and that will become ever more common.</p>
<p>This isn’t to suggest that <em>only</em> the humanities are relevant. Cross-disciplinary communities of researchers and educators matter and will matter now more than ever.</p>
<p>This is particularly true in South Africa where the education system hasn’t provided for the breaking down of boundaries between the sciences, let alone between the disciplines in the humanities. Collectively we will need to do more when it comes to drawing on approaches from various disciplines, which will allow for quantitative reasoning, problem solving and systems thinking that are socially relevant.</p>
<p>Such partnerships are already happening in small pockets, and are yielding promising results.</p>
<h2>Collaborating and mutuality</h2>
<p>For instance, the Faculty of Humanities at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg collaborates with the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment to offer a <a href="https://www.wits.ac.za/wsoa/digital-arts/undergraduate/game-design-/">joint undergraduate programme</a> that meshes engineering with arts to make a programme in game design and digital arts.</p>
<p>Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Engineering students work alongside each other in courses that are team-taught to design innovative high tech games. It’s not all fun: games, after all, are a means of challenging ourselves, controlling outcomes, competing, and figuring out successful strategies of doing things.</p>
<p>Students from this programme draw on a variety of skills like problem solving, inferential thinking and visualisation. They have produced games that are frequently downloaded from various app stores.</p>
<p>Similarly, the university’s faculties of science and humanities offer a postgraduate programme on <a href="https://www.wits.ac.za/course-finder/postgraduate/humanities/e-science/">e-Science</a> or Data Science. The programme brings together science and humanities students and staff to work on complex, big data problems. They’re also taught to think of ways to visualise and communicate this information and to question the predictive powers of big data.</p>
<p>Students are exposed to various interdisciplinary approaches like statistical computing and modelling, data visualisation, text analysis, and geographical information systems. Master of Arts students take courses in data privacy and ethics alongside MSc students. This course is team-taught and students engage with complex problems from two or more science and humanities disciplines.</p>
<p>These and other examples of innovative teaching and learning help to disrupt the current techno talk that dominates conversations about the fourth industrial revolution. It’s essential that we bring our ideas to the fore and reshape the conversations in ways that resonate with who we are, where we are located and what this means for us and our futures.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/103925/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ruksana-osman-170385">Ruksana Osman</a>, Professor and Dean of Humanities, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-witwatersrand-894">University of the Witwatersrand</a></em></p>
<p>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-the-humanities-can-equip-students-for-the-fourth-industrial-revolution-103925">original article</a>.</p>

Can the humanities prepare African students for the fourth industrial revolution?

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<p>Cathy Smith was appointed managing director of SAP Africa in March shares her vision for the software corporation at the SAP Africa Now event.</p>


SAP Africa tackles Fourth Industrial Revolution head on

<p>Corporate South Africa is at a high-tech watershed moment in how it uses technology to gain a competitive edge. This is according to Arthur Goldstuck, Managing Director of World Wide Worx, who in partnership with enterprise software company Syspro compiled a new study into the readiness of corporates to embrace the Fourth Industrial Revolution called <em>The Mobile Corporation in South Africa 2018.</em></p>
<p>Telephonic interviews with 400 information technology decision-makers at large enterprises in South Africa were conducted for the report, which reveals that South Africa’s corporates are stuck in the third industrial revolution that took decades for new technologies to evolve but are ready to enter the fourth, where evolution is instant.</p>
<p><strong>READ: </strong><a href="http://cnbc.africa/news/special-report/2015/11/06/your-next-co-worker-could-be-a-robot/">Your next co-worker could be a robot </a></p>
<p>According to the research, many South Africa companies are ready to embrace emerging technologies like robotics, the internet of things, big data and machine learning.</p>
<p>“The reason is simple,” says Phil Duff, CEO of Syspro. “They are all seeing their counterparts globally being disrupted by small, nimble newcomers or large companies that are willing to disrupt themselves.</p>
<p>“If they don’t respond as part of their own strategic direction, someone will force them to respond. The result will be that these companies will find themselves performing crisis management instead of strategy management.”</p>
<p>The six charts below show how South African companies are embracing these technologies.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-315250" src="http://cnbc.africa/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Picture1.png" alt="" width="691" height="486" /></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-315251" src="http://cnbc.africa/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Picture2.png" alt="" width="696" height="481" /></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-315252" src="http://cnbc.africa/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Picture3.png" alt="" width="940" height="511" /></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-315253" src="http://cnbc.africa/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Picture4.png" alt="" width="707" height="490" /></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-315254" src="http://cnbc.africa/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Picture5.png" alt="" width="748" height="515" /></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-315255" src="http://cnbc.africa/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Picture6.png" alt="" width="804" height="486" /></p>


Six key charts that show how far SA is in embracing the Fourth Industrial Revolution

<p><em>By:</em> <em>Zoaib Hoosen,</em> <em>Microsoft Managing Director </em></p>
<p>It’s no longer news that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be a <a href="https://becominghuman.ai/why-africa-needs-to-prepare-now-for-the-future-of-work-1a132e1c9a77">driving force</a> behind the Fourth Industrial Revolution, with the global economic returns of this revolution expected to be in the region of about $16 trillion.</p>
<p>Along with these returns, AI is also expected to create 2.3 million new jobs by 2020, according to <a href="https://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/3837763">Gartner</a>.</p>
<p>However, if we look at previous revolutions, history shows us that these revolutions have always been accompanied by a brief transition of temporary job loss followed by a period of recovery where job creation moves into more positive territory.</p>
<p>This means that we all need to take steps now to prepare AI in the future.</p>
<p><strong>Leapfrogging aboard the AI train</strong></p>
<p>Currently, no African country is among the top 10 countries expected to benefit most from AI and automation. But, the continent has the potential to catch up with the rest of world if we act fast.</p>
<p>To play catch up, we must take advantage of our best and most powerful resource &#8211; our human capital. According to a <a href="http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs.pdf">report</a> by the World Economic Forum (WEF), more than 60 percent of the population in sub-Saharan Africa is under the age of 25.</p>
<p>These are the people who are poised to create a future where humans and AI can work together for the good of society. In fact, the most recent WEF Global Shapers survey found that <a href="https://mashable.com/2017/08/30/millennials-robots-jobs/?utm_cid=hp-n-3#6vl1hOIbfaq2">almost 80 percent of youth</a> believe technology like AI is creating jobs rather than destroying them.</p>
<p><strong>Staying ahead of the trends to stay employed</strong></p>
<p>AI developments are expected to <a href="http://www.itnewsafrica.com/2017/04/why-artificial-intelligence-is-the-future-of-economic-growth/">impact existing jobs</a>, as AI can replicate certain activities at greater speed and scale. In some areas, AI could learn faster than humans, if not yet as deeply.</p>
<p>According to Gartner, while AI will improve the productivity of many jobs and create millions more new positions, it could impact many others. The simpler and less creative the job, the earlier, <a href="https://blog.forecast.it/blog/how-to-prepare-yourself-and-your-career-for-an-ai-future">a bot for example</a>, could replace it.</p>
<p>It’s important to stay ahead of the trends and find opportunities to expand our knowledge and skills while learning how to work more closely and symbiotically with technology.</p>
<p>Another global study by <a href="https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/will-ai-create-as-many-jobs-as-it-eliminates/">Accenture</a>, found that the adoption of AI will create several new job categories requiring important and yet surprising skills. These include trainers, who are tasked with teaching AI systems how to perform; explainers, who bridge the gap between technologist and business leader; and sustainers, who ensure that AI systems are operating as designed.</p>
<p>It’s clear that successfully integrating human intelligence with AI, so they co-exist in a two-way learning relationship, will become more critical than ever.</p>
<p><strong>Combining STEM with the arts</strong></p>
<p>Young people have a leg up on those already in the working world because they can easily develop the necessary skills for these new roles. It’s therefore essential that our education system constantly evolves to equip youth with the right skills and way of thinking to be successful in jobs that may not even exist yet.</p>
<p>As the division of tasks between man and machine changes, we must re-evaluate the type of knowledge and skills imparted to future generations.</p>
<p>For example, technical skills will be required to design and implement AI systems, but interpersonal skills, creativity and emotional intelligence will also become crucial in giving humans an advantage over machines.</p>
<p>“At one level, AI will require that even more people specialise in digital skills and data science. But skilling-up for an AI-powered world involves more than science, technology, engineering and math. As computers behave more like humans, the social sciences and humanities will become even more important. Languages, art, history, economics, ethics, philosophy, psychology and human development courses can teach critical, philosophical and ethics-based skills that will be instrumental in the development and management of AI solutions.” This is according to Microsoft president, Brad Smith, and EVP of AI and research, Harry Shum, who recently authored the book <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-president-says-tech-needs-liberal-arts-majors-2018-1?IR=T">“The Future Computed”,</a> which primarily deals with AI and its role in society.</p>
<p>Interestingly, institutions like Stanford University are <a href="http://thecampustap.com/liberal-arts-degree-technical-skills/">already implementing this</a> forward-thinking approach. The university offers a programme called CS+X, which integrates its computer science degree with humanities degrees, resulting in a Bachelor of Arts and Science qualification.</p>
<p><strong>Revisiting laws and regulation</strong></p>
<p>For this type of evolution to happen, the onus is on policy makers to revisit current laws and even <a href="http://www.itnewsafrica.com/2017/04/why-artificial-intelligence-is-the-future-of-economic-growth/">bring in new regulation</a><u>s</u>. Policy makers need to identify the groups most at risk of losing their jobs and create strategies to reintegrate them into the economy.</p>
<p>Simultaneously, though AI could be hugely beneficial in areas such as curbing poor access to healthcare and improving diagnoses for example, physicians may avoid using this technology for fear of malpractice. To avoid this, we need regulation that closes the gap between the pace of technological change and that of regulatory response. It will also become essential to develop a code of ethics for this new ecosystem.</p>
<p><strong>Preparing for the future</strong></p>
<p>With the recent convergence of a transformative set of technologies, economies are entering a period in which AI has the potential overcome physical limitations and open up new sources of value and growth.</p>
<p>To avoid missing out on this opportunity, policy makers and business leaders must prepare for, and work toward, a future with AI. We must do so not with the idea that AI is simply another productivity enhancer. Rather, we must see AI as the tool that can transform our thinking about how growth is created.</p>
<p>It comes down to a choice of our people and economies being part of the technological disruption, or being left behind.</p>


Op-Ed: How Africa can embrace an artificial intelligence enabled future

<p><em>By the Ashburton Investments Africa fund management team</em></p>
<p>Talk of artificial intelligence (AI) and the advent of the fourth industrial revolution, has created fear in developed countries that many jobs will be lost to machines and robots, and that economic growth will be stifled by technological advances.</p>
<p>We, however, believe that the African continent may well be able to benefit from these technologies in ways that possibly aren’t envisaged in more developed economies. The continent should also be able to avoid the expensive roll out of outdated technologies and leapfrog to the latest innovations.  After all, as Naadiya Moosajee, a World Economic Forum Global Shaper said: &#8220;necessity is the mother of invention and in Africa it has been the mother of innovation.&#8221;</p>
<p>History shows us that people on the continent have been strong adopters of new technologies and that Africa has even bypassed existing developments. After skipping the roll out of land lines, mobile technology users were quick to see the benefits this could bring, especially mobile money. Sub-Saharan Africa, with just under half of all the mobile money platforms in the world, is leading the globe in rolling out financial products to masses of people who were previously excluded from this area of the formal economy. By the end of 2017, there were 122 million active mobile money accounts in the region, with users transacting $20 billion per month (63% of the value of all mobile money transactions in the world).</p>
<p>Even if changes are needed to localise software or technologies, there are enough expert hubs across the continent with strong information technology and engineering capabilities to do this.</p>
<p>Education will be key to making sure that the requisite skills levels are available so that Africa can benefit from new technologies. Although investment in education should be a driver for economic growth, and therefore an important focus for African governments, we have seen that the take up of services and the use of telecommunications has not been limited by current education levels. By way of example, almost 90% of Safaricom’s clients use its mobile money platform, M-Pesa, many of whom are rural and have not had much senior schooling.</p>
<p>Despite the concern that the relatively unskilled African workforce will be left out of the knowledge economy, advances in technology make it possible for niche businesses to access their clients efficiently.  The use of social media as a marketing tool for the myriad of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that Africa is well known for, can enhance sales without excessive costs. New applications also create new opportunities. Uber, as an example, has increased the number of people using taxi services and has also made it possible for entrepreneurs to start a small business, leading to more employment. Think of the increased marketing reach someone running a small bed and breakfast can achieve through a service like AirBnB, and with almost no capital outlay. We are already seeing mobile money platforms used to provide short term loans to SMEs to enable them to expand working capital. Support for and growth in SMEs will help to address Africa’s unemployment, promote inclusive growth and encourage gender equality. If SME’s are going to be the driver of jobs and economic growth in Africa, technology will be a key enabler in this part of the continent’s future.</p>
<p>But, it is not just at the level of mobile technology, mobile money and smartphone applications that the continent will benefit from new technologies. Some of the larger industrial parts of the economy are also being transformed. As advances in solar and other renewable energy reduce the capital costs of installing these systems and the storage of electricity (in batteries and the like) becomes cheaper, we will see the transformation of the electricity grid. In the past, low cost electricity meant building very large power stations (to get low unit costs for power) that used fossil fuels like coal;oil or alternatively very large nuclear power stations. These power stations were connected to a very large electricity grid that ultimately had to be rolled out across the country to connect individual households. A massive capital expense for a poor country before any benefit could be derived.</p>
<p>New and renewable electricity generating technologies will allow regional grids to be developed at a reasonable cost that don’t need to be connected to the national grid. New use of remote sensors will enable easy and remote management of these grids and smart meters will allow efficient and remote billing including prepayment for power to reduce bad debts.</p>
<p>These new technologies can even lead to the smallest grid, an individual home.  In east Africa, combining mobile payment technologies with solar power allows even the smallest home to be lit. The M-Kopa IV Solar Home System includes a solar panel, control unit, three low-energy LED light bulbs (one of which is a portable, rechargeable torch) and a rechargeable radio. The control unit also has a USB port for charging cellphones. Purchasers can make small daily payments using M-Pesa to pay it off over a year.</p>
<p>Although a stable, reliable and reasonably priced electricity supply is key to the industrialisation of Africa, rolling out regional grids into key hubs could avoid the capital cost of expensive country wide transmission networks. The benefits for agricultural processing in the continent with most of the world’s underutilised arable land would be immense. Electricity would also allow the implementation of a cold chain from farm to fork. Agriculture still employs and supports the largest percentage of Africa’s population and improving the productivity of rural farmers and providing a global market for their products. Bring on technology to the continent.</p>


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fourth industrial revolution

Albert Muchanga on how mutual tolerance is key in trade, xenophobia & Africa’s shared future

Rwanda to name 25 baby gorillas in 15th Kwita Izina ceremony

Shaping inclusive growth and shared futures in 4IR: WEF Africa holds media briefing ahead of WEF 2019

The role of Big Data in Africa’s growth

Will the Fourth Industrial Revolution leave women behind ?

Safaricom’s Debra Mallowah on how the 4IR can bridge inequality gap

Why Africa should bet on artificial intelligence

The impact of WEF’s Globalisation 4.0 on SA companies

How SA’s financial sector will implement inclusive 4IR development

Brand SA’s Petrus DeKock on the impact of 4IR on job security, economic development

Cortex Logic’s Jacques Ludik on the latest AI trends your business should know

2019 TransUnion technology trends for Africa

Can the humanities prepare African students for the fourth industrial revolution?

SAP Africa tackles Fourth Industrial Revolution head on

Six key charts that show how far SA is in embracing the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Op-Ed: How Africa can embrace an artificial intelligence enabled future

Op:Ed: Africa has the potential to benefit from 4th industrial revolution technologies in ways that aren’t envisaged, here’s how

News Tips

Advertise With Us

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