Pretoria: Communications and Digital Technologies Deputy Minister Mondli Gungubele will this week deliver a keynote address at the 1st Annual Future of Work and Business Conference taking place at Freedom Park in Pretoria on Wednesday.
According to South African Government News Agency, the conference is organised by Enterprise Capital in association with the Tshwane University of Technology's Institute for the Future of Work (IFOW) and the Wholesale and Retail SETA. It aims to mobilise government, industry, funding, and innovation partners to unlock meaningful economic opportunities through prioritising and profiling future-fit skills and technology innovation. This aligns with labour and business demands amid rapid advances in technology reshaping industries.
The event will focus on creating a vibrant, diverse, and globally competitive business and labour environment that harnesses the full economic and human potential of South Africans, particularly young people. This initiative will help them capitalize on emergent opportunities brought about by various trends in the global business and labour markets.
The world of work and business is undergoing rapid changes driven by technology and artificial intelligence, as well as economic and geopolitical shifts, environmental, and demographic factors. These trends are significantly reshaping the future of work, transforming the global labour market by displacing certain jobs while simultaneously creating new ones, necessitating a re-evaluation of the future of work and business practices.
Siyabonga Magadla, the overall conference convener, states that innovation and technology are essential drivers of competitiveness, productivity, and long-term success. Magadla emphasizes the importance of Africans playing an active role in building and governing technology, acknowledging the moral dilemmas and obligations that come with accessing and using these technologies.
The conference will highlight opportunities in AI and technology innovation, digital skills and the digital economy, enterprise digital innovation, funding for innovation, and cybersecurity and cloud computing. Coinciding with Youth Month, the event will host youth from various categories, including those in and out of school, youth with disabilities, entrepreneurs, as well as workers.
Over two days, the conference is expected to attract more than 500 delegates, including government officials, representatives of business and labour, TVET colleges, and Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs). It aims to produce tangible and actionable strategies for the accelerated adoption of technology innovation and digital solutions to foster economic growth and job creation.
