Introduction

The fourth industrial revolution (the 4IR) is the current period in which countries around the
world are adopting game-changing technology such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, cloud
computing, and the Internet of Things (IoT). Most crucially, the 4IR does not treat any of these
technologies separately. Instead, it refers to the merging of these high-powered technological
tools with our physical and biological realities.

Consider omnipresent computers, interconnected digital devices, intelligent robotics, self-driving

vehicles, gene editing, organic matter printing, and even brain improvements.4IR causes a wide
range of changes in all aspects of life, including industry and education. 4IR is distinguished by
its extraordinary rate of technical innovation. Education has sought to keep up with these
changes; however, the usefulness and limitations of technology in this field are not extensively
documented.

Contents

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is a new era of technological innovation, one that is
improving human-machine relationships, opening new market opportunities, and propelling
growth throughout the global economy. Various groups in South Africa are supporting the 4IR
and taking initiatives to harness it. However, there is still a long way to go before South Africans
can reap the benefits of innovation-led prosperity.

First, there must be a sufficient supply of advanced engineering skills. Aside from that, people in
ordinary occupations must learn how to deal with the disruptive consequences of new
technology in their workplaces. The future of South Africa’s education system is critical in the
country’s journey toward the 4IR. Digital technologies can dramatically improve education, and
they have emerged as critical tools for reducing the learning disruption produced by COVID-19.

We are entering an era of technological empowerment, but to profit from the numerous solutions
provided by 4IR technologies, we must first address the growing professional skills gap.4IR
causes a wide range of changes in all aspects of life, including industry and education. 4IR is
distinguished by its extraordinary rate of technical innovation. Education has sought to keep up
with these changes; however, the usefulness and limitations of technology in this field are not
extensively documented.

AI in medical diagnostics, the Internet of Things (IoT) for consumer products, and mobile
applications for financial transactions, transportation, and utility vending were among the 4IR
technologies that witnessed the most growth in South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is the combination of technologies that are driving change
today. The revolution is attributed to the technologies that are being adopted daily and
becoming an integral part of life today.

The technological advances in this revolution are bringing about drastic changes in the lifestyle
of people as well as how they conduct business and communicate with each other. The Fourth
Industrial Revolution finds its foundations laid on the third industrial revolution. With the
changing technologies and innovations being made throughout the different revolutions, the
fourth revolution was bound to take place.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is the combination of technologies that are driving change
today. The revolution is attributed to the technologies that are being adopted daily and
becoming an integral part of life today. The technological advances in this revolution are
bringing about drastic changes in the lifestyle of people as well as how they conduct business
and communicate with each other. The Fourth Industrial Revolution finds its foundations laid on
the third industrial revolution.

With the changing technologies and innovations being made throughout the different
revolutions, the fourth revolution was bound to take place. The term Fourth Industrial Revolution
was coined by Klaus Schwab, the founder and executive chairman of the World Economic
Forum

Artificial Intelligence

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is the combination of technologies that are driving change in
todays. The revolution is attributed to the technologies that are being adopted daily and
becoming an integral part of life today. The technological advances in this revolution are
bringing about drastic changes in the lifestyle of people as well as how they conduct business
and communicate with each other.
Evolution of the Fourth Industrial Revolution

The Fourth Industrial Revolution finds its foundations laid on the third industrial revolution. With
the changing technologies and innovations being made throughout the different revolutions, the
fourth revolution was bound to take place. The term Fourth Industrial Revolution was coined by
Klaus Schwab, the founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum.

The 4th revolution was dominated by a myriad of technologies. These include:

Artificial Intelligence

AI is being used in many ways in different aspects of life. AI can recognize complex patterns,
reach voluminous information, and take decisions on a logical basis. The advent of AI has
reached a level wherein people can control appliances in their homes by just giving instructions.

Blockchain

blockchain is a secure and decentralized manner of recording and sharing data. With this
technology, it is possible to improve and track the supply chain, secure sensitive data, and
combat frauds. The best example of this technology being used these days is the use of
cryptocurrency.

Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality

These technologies enable people to experience anything digitally. The use of these
technologies has enabled people to overcome the boundaries between the virtual and physical
worlds. A good example is how many stores allow their customers to try and experiment with
products before making a purchasing decision.

Internet of Things

The Internet of Things has made it possible to connect devices used daily with the internet. With
the help of IoT, it has become easy to track different aspects of businesses and industries. An
example is the use of IoT by farmers to monitor the quality of fertilizers.

Robotics

The design and use of robots for personal and commercial purposes have become
commonplace these days. Robots are being used in several industries to enhance efficiency
and productivity and reduce human effort.

Biotechnology
Biotechnology has made it possible to develop new medicines and drugs to cure life-taking
illnesses. These have also made it possible to process and produce cleaner and greener
energy, thereby enhancing the chances of a sustainable world.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution has brought several advantages for society and businesses
including:

⦁ Increased productivity

⦁ Improved quality of life

⦁ Lower barriers to entrepreneurship

⦁ New markets for businesses

However, the industrial revolution propagated by technology also has some cons too. These
includes:

⦁ Inequality: The industrial revolution is beneficial for those who have access to the technologies
and can use it for their benefit in the right way. People, businesses, and societies that cannot
access technologies lag others and cannot benefit from the revolution in any manner.

⦁ Cybersecurity risk: With the increasing technological innovations, the threat of cybercrimes
has also increased. Gadgets, robots, computers, and every technology are prone to attacks by
unknown people.

⦁ Increased competition: The advent of technologies and their subsequent use in different
industries and businesses has increased competition and businesses have to do more to
survive the competition. Additionally, it also brings forth the issue of ethics as businesses make
use of any means to survive the competition.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution radically impacted the daily life of people. The era can be that
of knowledge, growth, and improvement in the way people, businesses, and societies work and
operate.

As we continue moving through the fourth industrial revolution, we see a shift to renewable
energy such as solar, wind and geothermal. However, the momentum comes not from the shift
in energy but from the acceleration of digital technology.

The internet and the digital world mean a real-time connection within more and more
components of a production line, both inside and outside facility walls. As the development of
the Industrial Internet of Things, cloud technology and artificial intelligence continue, a virtual
world will merge with the physical world. Predictive maintenance and real-time data will lead to
smarter business decisions and work order solutions for a myriad of companies around the
world.

Industry 4.0 is the origin of a new revolution — the much-hailed Fourth Industrial Revolution —
a fusion of leading-edge production techniques and smart systems that integrate with
organizations and people. Come with us on a journey through the technologies driving this
process and its accelerating advance. To analyze how we have reached the Fourth Industrial
Revolution it is a good idea to look back at the previous three industrial revolutions, how they
changed our lives and the world when they occurred. Let's take a quick look at:

First Industrial Revolution. It occurred at the end of the 18th century, in 1784, when steam was
harnessed for mechanical production. The invention of the first mechanized loom was a
watershed.

Second Industrial Revolution. In 1870, mass production powered by electricity was first
introduced. The assembly line was invented, and the industrial sector sped up exponentially.

Third Industrial Revolution. In 1969, advances in computing led to machine programming, which
opened the door to progressive automation.

The era of life-long employment is probably coming to an end for many people in South Africa
due to technological developments. This will affect the population which keeps on growing. The
4IR will affect the employed citizens through loss of jobs. The first, second, and third revolutions
cut jobs and created new jobs and new industries, especially in developed countries. The Fourth
Industrial Revolution reduced jobs due to the introduction of technological facilities in the work
environment.

Naturally, revolutions are disruptive, as the 4IR holds all the powers to create whole new
industries or sectors while destroying others. In destroying other sectors, people are being
retrenched because their services are no longer necessarily required. Individuals will always
need emotional and personified interactions with other humans, which robots can never replace.
Technology may be ready, but that does not mean all South African individuals are ready for
such developments.

This paper aims to highlight the impact of the 4IR in the private sector and its effect on
unemployment and retrenchment in South Africa. The paper is purely theoretical, as it relied
heavily on secondary data such as articles, books, and newspapers. Nevertheless, the
proposed recommendations were guided by the findings of the study.

History has recorded four paradigm shifts in the way industry is structured and in the way we
work. The first such shift, the First Industrial Revolution, was premised on scientific discoveries
which produced the steam engine and introduced the mechanization of production. The use of
steam power in South Africa increased efficiency in mining, agriculture and manufacturing, and
accelerated the transportation of goods from manufacturing plants and farms, as well as of
diamonds from the mines to the market. The First Industrial Revolution increased productivity in
manufacturing and accelerated transportation.

The Second Industrial Revolution integrated scientific knowledge into technological

developments, leading to electrification used to power equipment, machinery and tools, thereby
introducing the assembly line and mass production. Electricity in South Africa was first used to
light up mine tunnels to increase workers’ productivity. Mine workers could now work extended
hours and run more shifts. The use of electricity eventually spilled over into industry, cities and
private homes.

The Third Industrial Revolution was largely based on the discovery of the semiconductor chip,
making the digital revolution possible. IBM set up its first major office in South Africa in 1952,
signifying the advent of the Third Industrial Revolution in the country. The next industrial
revolution, also known as the ‘second wave of the internet’ was already on the country’s heels
by the time South Africa had finally caught up and could contribute to the development of Third
Industrial Revolution technologies.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is characterized by intelligent machines, enabling human-

machine interaction to achieve ever higher productivity. It is fueled by an increasing number of
digital connections between people and machines and has led to new technologies including
artificial intelligence, augmented reality, blockchain, drones, the Internet of Things, robotics,
virtual reality, 3D printing and simulations.

COVID-19, in turn, has accelerated these technology trends in South Africa and beyond, but
their use remains limited. It can be argued that South Africa is still stuck in the Second and Third
Industrial Revolutions.

According to South Africa’s 1996 and 2019 White Papers on Science and Technology, the
country follows a ‘linear model of innovation’ with a focus on increasing investment in research
and development (R&D) and on creating strong science and technology institutions with an
emphasis on linkages and interactions within the national innovation system. The COVID-19
pandemic has opened a unique opportunity for closer collaboration between the key actors of
South Africa’s innovation system.

Following the outbreak of the pandemic, the government, industry and universities rushed to
cooperate to mitigate the impacts of the crisis. South African universities collaborated with the
national and local governments and industry to produce personal protective equipment (PPE)
and ventilators. For instance, among others, the Cape Peninsula University of Technology
cooperated with the provincial government of the Western Cape and the Department of Trade
and Industry to develop and manufacture PPE for frontline workers and the public.

The Central University of Technology’s Centre for Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing
(CRPM), the Product Development Technology Station (PDTS), the Centre on Quality of Health
and Living (CQHL) and CUT Innovation Services (Cutis) have been working together with the
Free State Provincial Departments of Health and Education and the private sector to develop
hospital equipment and protective gear for public use.

An engineering team of the University of Johannesburg designed and developed portable 3D-
printed mechanical ventilators with a customizable base plate to simultaneously treat multiple
patients. Other tangible outcomes include the production of non-invasive ventilators, oxygen
connectors and splitters, mouthpieces/masks, ventilation helmets, shields and hand sanitizer.

Some of the intangible outcomes of this collaboration include insights into the socio-economic
consequences of COVID-19, technical advice for disease control, health policy advice and
healthcare training for local government officials.

South Africa’s national and local governments have played an essential role in creating an
enabling environment for knowledge development and innovation. This has been achieved by
providing tax and loan repayment holidays, cutting costs, increasing social security grants and
making funds available to build health infrastructure. However, the role of universities in
knowledge generation throughout the pandemic can also not be overemphasized enough.

While South African universities were already engaged in applied R&D before the outbreak of
the pandemic, with some of the universities’ research outputs being integrated into the country’s
manufacturing system, the accumulated research, knowledge and technology was not
adequately being incorporated into the country’s broader innovation system. Increased
integration of research outputs can only be achieved in cooperation with industry, which ensures
that research conducted at universities is demand-driven and problem-based.
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in changes in South Africa’s private sector as well. 4IR
technologies are being implemented to varying degrees depending on the firms’ capabilities.
Those that could not deploy these technologies have either shut down or had to close
temporarily. Although digitization and automation already began developing during the Third
Industrial Revolution, we are now witnessing an increasing integration of such technologies in
how we work and live.

Overall, the South African government, industry and universities have weathered the storm
unleashed by COVID-19 quite well. The responses to the pandemic’s disruptions are just the
beginning of South Africa’s experience with 4IR. Yet the interventions developed by universities
in collaboration with the government and industry might not be sustainable when looking at
South Africa’s current innovation and industrial policies.

The country’s research intensity (gross expenditure on R&D as a percentage of its gross
domestic product (GDP)) hovers at around 0.7 per cent. This figure is much lower compared to
countries that are already successfully deploying 4IR technologies, e.g. the UAE (1.3%), Brazil
(1.26%), China (2.19%), Japan (3.36%), the Republic of Korea (4.81%) and Israel (4.95%)
(UNTAD, 2020).

Conclusion

The Fourth Industrial Revolution could make products and services more easily accessible and
transmissible for businesses, consumers, and stakeholders all along the value chain.
Preliminary data indicate that successfully scaling 4IR technology makes supply chains more
efficient working hours more productive, reduces factory waste, and has countless other
benefits for employees, stakeholders, and consumers.

Implementing Industry 4.0 technology is also especially advantageous amid the challenges of
the pandemic. In fact, COVID-19 has accelerated the 4IR transition because physical distancing
and shifting consumer demands forced companies to embrace digitization and contactless
operations. Six months into the pandemic, 94 percent of the respondents to a McKinsey survey
said that Industry 4.0 had helped keep the operations of their companies running, and 56
percent considered these technologies critical to the crisis response.

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2 , https://law.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/3385454/Schwab- 2 ,
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3 , https://studiousguy.com/4th-industrial-revolution-essay-important

4 , https://www.iberdrola.com/innovation/fourth-industrial-revolution