Higher Education Minister Buti Manamela says South Africa must urgently adapt its education and training system to artificial intelligence, automation and digital transformation as the country confronts a “workforce-transition capacity problem” Photo: Delwyn Verasamy
South Africa is not waiting for the digital revolution — it is living inside it. That is the message Minister of Higher Education and Training Buti Manamela will take to parliament on Tuesday when he tables his budget vote speech.
His address is built around a central idea: digitisation is no longer optional; it is the backbone of the country’s future workforce.
“The digital revolution is not approaching South Africa. It is already restructuring our economy, our workplaces and our labour markets,” Manamela said in an interview before the budget vote.
“Artificial intelligence, automation and digital platforms are not abstract threats or distant possibilities — they are already reshaping call centres, logistics, mining, banking, manufacturing, retail and even public administration.”
