South African workers are eager to upskill in AI, yet a significant gap exists between executive ambitions and HR strategies. This article explores the implications of this disconnect and offers insights on bridging the gap for a more effective workforce strategy.
South African workers are prepared to forfeit a salary increase if it means they could upskill in AI. Their employers are not ready to make that happen.
Mercer’s 11th Global Talent Trends report, based on a survey of nearly 12,000 workplace respondents worldwide, found 71% of South African C-suite leaders have placed AI at the top of their return-on-investment agenda this year, while only 41% of HR teams are prioritising the work redesign to make it happen. That 30-percentage point gap between what the C-suite wants from AI and what HR is working on, is almost double the global disconnect between the executive and the people function on this issue.
When the people team is not in the room for these decisions, executives set the AI agenda and HR inherits the consequences.
The more striking finding is what employees are willing to do. About 65% of South African workers say they would trade a 10% pay increase for meaningful AI and digital skills training – higher than the 63% global average – despite the country’s economic realities and acute cost‑of‑living pressure. A further 83% say they are more productive with access to AI tools, while 78% trust their employer to teach them the skills that they need to do the job. This is not a workforce resisting change; it understands how fast skills are falling behind and wants to stay relevant in the job market.
