Young South Africans are actively adopting artificial intelligence (AI), yet many express concerns about their career prospects as the technology transforms employer skill requirements.
Statistics show that the young generation in South Africa is becoming increasingly active online and utilizing new technologies, but they remain anxious about their place in a world being reshaped by artificial intelligence. This issue was raised during a recent dialogue, which asserted that South Africa has talked enough about AI, and now it is time to act.
According to the Q2 2026 Labour Force Survey from Statistics South Africa, youth unemployment among those aged 15 to 34 reached 47.4%, higher than the overall unemployment rate of 33.6%. The number of unemployed youth increased by 264,000 people, reaching five million.
Against the backdrop of AI beginning to change the skills demanded by employers, the fifth annual Future of Work Dialogue, organized by the Institute for the Future of Work (IFOW) at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) in Pretoria from September 30 to October 1, became a platform to discuss this problem.
Under the theme 'Turning Point of Development: Advancing a Sustainable Future for Africa through Innovative AI-based Pathways,' participants were urged to move from discussing the potential significance of AI to defining which institutions must act right now.
Tseliso Mohlomi, Senior Director at the TUT Vice-Chancellor's Office, stated: 'The future of work is no longer a conversation about the future. It is here.' He emphasized that a young South African job seeker today cannot wait another five years for institutions to perfect their strategies.
Young people are not waiting for permission. A study by OECD and Cisco showed that 45.4% of South Africans actively use generative AI, with over three-quarters of respondents finding it useful. Furthermore, a survey by the Top Employers Institute revealed that 68% of Gen Z employees in South Africa believe AI will positively impact work, and 82% expect it to help them acquire new skills.
However, sentiments differ among those outside the labor market. According to an African Leadership University survey from 2025, only 39% of South African school leavers felt confident about finding a job after graduation, and only 36% viewed AI as a career opportunity. The greatest concern was the fear, expressed by 62% of respondents, regarding insufficient job opportunities.
This contrast is evident: for someone who has a job, AI may look like a productivity boost, whereas for the unemployed, it may represent another obstacle.
Another issue was awareness. A study by the Global Center on AI Governance showed that over 70% of South Africans had little to no familiarity with the term 'artificial intelligence,' with their primary sources of information being social media, television, or radio, rather than formal education.
Using a chatbot is one thing, but having skills that employers demand is quite another.
South Africa has numerous strategies concerning the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), digital transformation, and skills development. IFOW argued that the problem lies in the coordinated implementation of these plans.
During the 2025 dialogue, participants proposed creating a National AI Implementation Council to coordinate the efforts of government, universities, and industry around a measurable action plan with set deadlines. This year, organizers returned to the questions underlying this idea:
- Who is responsible for what?
- By when?
- With what resources?
- How will progress be measured?
- Who reports if agreed commitments are not met?
Employers require rapidly changing skills, while universities and colleges may struggle to update curricula promptly. IFOW called on employers to signal emerging skills in advance, accelerate curriculum adaptation, increase internships and vocational training, and boost industry investment in recruitment channels.
Key in-demand skills identified include cybersecurity, cloud computing, AI literacy, and data engineering, with a need for deeper competence in microelectronics, advanced manufacturing, and embedded AI systems.
The dialogue also addressed Africa's place in the global technology economy. Organizers noted that African economies need to develop skills, enterprises, research potential, and intellectual property to participate in the entire chain of technological value creation, rather than just consuming technologies created elsewhere.
The economic contribution of tech platforms has already been significant. Data presented at the 2025 dialogue showed that one mobile platform valued its operations in South Africa at approximately 17 billion Rand in economic activity in 2023 and provided about 100,000 jobs, while a global search and cloud company estimated its local contribution at roughly 118 billion Rand in GDP.
Organizers stressed that the task is to transform this adoption into domestic capabilities, productive enterprises, and jobs.
No one claimed that AI alone would solve the unemployment problem. Mohlomi stated: 'South Africa's unemployment crisis will not be solved by AI, nor by any single council, conference, or policy document.' However, he rejected the 'false choice between an AI-driven economy and a job-rich and inclusive economy,' urging the country to organize 'sufficiently purposefully to shape this technological transition in South Africa's interest, expanding participation, building African potential, protecting workers, and equipping youth to compete.'
The goal was to create a common framework defining responsibilities, resources, timelines, and measurable actions.
Mohlomi concluded: 'Implementation is no less glamorous part of the strategy. For South Africa, implementation has become the strategy itself.'
For the generation already using these tools, the future of work with AI may look more efficient, while this future seems less attainable for those still seeking employment. The test for industry leaders is how quickly implementation occurs to help resolve the unemployment crisis.
