Six million South Africans risk job displacement as WEF predicts tech dominance

The Future of Jobs Report 2025 by the World Economic Forum (WEF) paints a challenging picture for South Africa’s workforce, with 36% of employees—equivalent to over 6 million of the country’s 16.7 million workers—facing potential skills disruptions by 2030.

The report identifies major global forces driving this transformation, including technological advancements, economic uncertainty, demographic shifts, and the green transition.

While these changes are expected to create 170 million new jobs globally, South Africa’s struggle with unemployment and education misalignment puts the country at a disadvantage in seizing these opportunities.

Roles such as big data specialists, AI and machine learning engineers, FinTech experts, and robotics engineers are among the fastest-growing professions globally.

The rise of generative AI (GenAI), with over 3.2 million enrolments in GenAI courses on platforms like Coursera in 2024, underlines the urgent need for South Africans to acquire Tech-related skills.

The demand for these roles is fuelled by rapid advancements in AI and robotics, with many companies globally planning to remove degree requirements to create accessible pathways to emerging jobs. Locally, this trend could help South African workers overcome barriers to entry in the tech industry.

South Africa’s unemployment rate, at 32.1% overall and 34.2% among youth aged 18-34, remains a critical concern. The lack of a matric qualification and tertiary education significantly limits job prospects, as evidenced by Statistics South Africa’s (Stats SA) latest data.

Adrian Schofield, an ICT industry veteran, attributes these challenges to two key issues: poor-quality basic education and a stagnant economy.

“For more than a century, South Africa has failed to provide a standard of education in government schools that is the fundamental human right for all children and the essential building block for a just society,” Schofield said.

Leanne Emery-Hunter, Chief Operations Officer at the Youth Employment Service (YES), highlighted a severe misalignment between employer demands and workforce skills. “Our education system is failing to equip our youth with the practical skills and industry knowledge needed to hit the ground running,” she said.

This mismatch, coupled with a declining GDP that contracted by 0.3% in consecutive quarters last year, creates a cycle of stagnation. Even if the economy grows, Emery-Hunter noted, many businesses will still face shortages of competitive skills.

While South Africa’s workforce is underprepared for the accelerating demands of the global job market, the country has opportunities to close the skills gap. Investments in IT and finance training, alongside partnerships between public and private sectors, could help more South Africans access tech-driven careers.

IOL