AUTOMATION, WITH INCLUSION, COULD BRING OPPORTUNITY 

Just last week, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) finally offered the nation a glimmer of relief with news that our notorious unemployment rate had dipped. The report stated that the official unemployment rate has dropped to 31.9% in the third quarter of 2025 – with about 248 000 people gaining employment. 

This has been an uncommonly positive sign for our country, considering that the scourge of unemployment has haunted South Africa for decades now. Although this report indicates a good measure of progress with this challenge, it’s vital that we read beyond the figures and language. This report, in fact, is uncovering a significant challenge, all on its own. 

There have been contentious discourses about what this drop in unemployment means for our society. The fact is, there are millions in our nation who have been scouring for jobs for decades. Millions of others have abandoned their careers entirely, just to widen their chances of employment. 

Other debates about the type of jobs that are gaining employment have been highlighting if our employment statistics are accurately representing the state of the nation. Why do the youth (age 15-34) still face crippling unemployment, despite these new stats? Is this a deeper systemic issue? And more curiously, why did the unemployment rate of our most populated province – the Eastern Cape – rise, instead of drop alongside the rest of the country? How did this one province lose a whopping 53 000 jobs in a mere three months? 

Regardless of what the statistics are, and no matter their future trajectory, it is critical that we view them as a blueprint for preparing for our future. 

What is distinctly highlighted in this report is that the construction, community services, and trade sectors saw the highest influxes, employing a total of 354 000 people. On the flip side, manufacturing, finance and utilities saw the largest loss in employment, with 146 000 jobs lost. 

At first glance, these figures propose an upward trajectory for our employment crisis. But when you read between the lines, one notices that, across the nation, jobs aren’t simply disappearing, they’re being replaced, reshaped and redirected by technology at a pace we are failing to prepare for.

In our globalised, highly technological society, the impact of automation is not only deeply, but widely felt. We tend to think of technology as a tool of empowerment and streamlining, taking on tasks that would otherwise fall to humans. Today, technology has permeated our society. Across sectors, functions and systems are increasingly digitised. From tech-driven innovations in trade and construction, to the automation of jobs in finance and manufacturing, technology is oftentimes a double-edged sword. The onus is on us, as a society, to ensure that various technological developments are catering to the unique needs of our South African society. 

The fact is, technological developments are adversely impacting the lived realities of all South Africans. From Artificial Intelligence (AI) to automated delivery systems, our society is has become increasingly integrated into the digital world. But what does this mean for our employment environment? 

The fact is, jobs do not simply vanish into thin air. Rather, they shift, evolve, or become redefined entirely by technology. This latest report makes one thing unmistakably clear: not all jobs are created equal, and not all jobs disappear. They transform. From agriculture to retail to public services, the roles being lost are increasingly the ones being automated. Yet the roles being created — in digital maintenance, data processing, clean-tech industries, and community-centred innovation — demand a different kind of partnership between people and machines. 

This isn’t about technology taking jobs; it’s about the gaps that emerge when tech races ahead of public planning, skills development, and social inclusion. If we want technology to work for us rather than against us, we must integrate it deliberately, equitably, and sustainably — with those most affected at the centre of its design and deployment.

In the past, tech has been problematised for its lack of accessibility across our nation. In SA, infamously the most unequal society in the world, economic inequality is a sharp determinant of one’s access to tech tools and devices. We cannot simply overlook the digital divide between urban and rural areas, racial demographics, and economic conditions of various communities. Without bridging the infrastructural and skills development gap, we risk automation and AI deepening unemployment – particularly for underprivileged people. 

Additionally, we must consider that half of our entire population – women – remain disproportionately affected by unemployment, especially in youth and informal job sectors. We need to think about how tech will continue to impact jobs traditionally held by women – such as retail, admin and social services. How will this impact female-led households, which constitute almost 43% of all homes in SA? 

Our current problem is that the digital economy is extremely unequal. Rural areas, marginalised communities, women, youth, people with disabilities, and so many more are frequently left behind, even when new sectors emerge. When technology is truly people-centred, it doesn’t just churn out efficiency – it becomes a catalyst for real change. When it’s designed with the environment, communities, and everyday realities in mind, tech can build new industries, ignite innovation, and force collaboration where it’s needed most. 

Training, resources, and equitable access to digital technologies are critical, now more than ever. Imagine clean energy projects creating local jobs, digital platforms empowering small businesses, or data-driven solutions reshaping healthcare and education for underprivileged communities. This not only addresses unemployment, but also efficiency in energy sectors, entrepreneurship, skills development, and beyond. This is technology that works with people, not against them. It becomes a tool to empower people, connect communities, and drive inclusive, long-lasting societal transformation. 

It is the responsibility of our people, our society, in shaping the role of tech in our society. Digital technologies are abundantly available, but they will remain futile and exclusionary if they do not centre the needs of everyday South Africans, and their society. A powerful quote in the fiction universe says: “The machines we build must serve the dreams of humanity, not the other way around. Our creations must enlarge our lives, give us more time, more capacity … Otherwise, they are just obstacles.”