By David Monyae
On July 21, the prospects and potential of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) were central in a diverse and expert-driven virtual seminar organised by the University of Johannesburg (UJ) Centre for Africa-China Studies (CACS), co-hosted by the UJ Library.
Titled “Gearing Africa for the 4IR”, participation in the webinar drew from the UN, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Huawei Technologies and the Youth Bridge Trust (YBT).
Attendees spanned several countries throughout the African continent, as well as China, France and Switzerland. 4IR touches deeply on Africa, because, in terms of demographic distribution, the future belongs to Africa.
Sixty percent of Africa’s 1.25billion people are below the age of 25. This seminar is in line with the one that took place last September in Cape Town titled, “Shaping Inclusive Growth and Shared Futures in the Fourth Industrial Revolution”.
The programme provided collaborative platforms to think about and tackle the common challenges of our joint future. Technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and the internet of things (IoT), offer a new vision for economic growth, innovation, development and human well-being. 4IR potential is boundless in Africa. However, the continent suffers from an infrastructure deficit that significantly hampers technological progress.
To surmount this, the continent needs to note the trends of 4IR, learn from more advanced countries and identify partnerships that might be to the advantage of the continent.
There are certain conditions and trends that Africa could use to improve its lot. These things do not require the entire range of 4IR. Small-scale agriculture is a case in point. It accounts for about 80% of food production in Africa and 70% of jobs.
The use of data for precision in agricultural systems could be used to optimise farms, from anticipating natural disasters such as droughts and flooding, to predicting the best time to harvest crops, to anticipating outbreaks of pests and disease before they impact production.
In an era of ever-increasing challenges with respect to ensuring food security, the application of data and smart farming practices is vital. Africa will need important and well-meaning partnerships to close the gap that exists between its technological advancement and that of other regions.
This will be a trying task because the current international system is fraught with disagreement on technologies, with countries such as the US and the UK ranged against more ambitious countries in the field of technology, such as China.
Apart from noting the trends and looking for good partnerships, Africa should also avoid challenges such as environmental degradation by adopting smart ways of doing business and industrialising. There is hope for Africa, as small-scale businesses have shown resilience in the face of adversity.
4IR also gives us an opportunity to end male dominance. Africa is the only continent where women are more likely to be entrepreneurs than men. Increasing access to e-commerce could have a positive effect on gender justice.
* Monyae is the director of the Centre for Africa - China Studies at the University of Johannesburg
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of IOL.