4IR to the Rescue?

Autonomous production and evolving technology are what brought about the term “Fourth Industrial Revolution” (4IR). South Africa (SA) and anyone with the vision to be on top of the fierce international market needs to consider how they can contribute towards the “Industry 4.0” today to benefit from it tomorrow.

What is the 4IR?

The 4IR is about the convergence of people and machines. It is an era where machines can understand our language and recognise our faces. Through digitisation and trends like IoT, VR and AR, the way we do things is changing. The role of big data in the 4IR is critical with some arguing that big data is the fourth industrial revolution.

Klaus Schwab, who coined the term "4IR", had this to say:

I believe that, if managed well, the Fourth Industrial Revolution can bring a new cultural renaissance, which will make us feel part of something much larger than ourselves: a true global civilization. I believe the changes that will sweep through society can provide a more inclusive, sustainable and harmonious society. But it will not come easily.

What are these changes to society?

Higher productivity, creation of new jobs and knowledge replacing manual work are listed as some of the benefits of 4IR.

Higher Productivity - 4IR offers people more efficient ways to do tasks and performs menial tasks for them. This can help declutter their task schedule and focus on the higher priority tasks, which boosts productivity.

New job creation – With innovative technologies, new jobs and faculties can be created. Professor Marwala said that there will be a focus on social skills because the 4IR needs people who understand people in order to create technology that helps everyone everywhere.
Knowledge replaces manual work - Big data can be used to gather much needed information. If there was no big data then data would have to be collected manually.

4IR powered technology is disrupting South African industries. Legal services have already seen the introduction of innovation to the litigation discovery process (e-discovery). During all three previous revolutions, SA was left behind. It seems that now SA does not want to be spectators.

How ready is South Africa?

Minister Sisulu mentions here (timestamp 2:58) that the Audit-General declared SA's technology as outdated. To overcome this, she mentioned her attempt to allow SA to be given preference when emerging technologies are rolled out.

We can see measures being taken like Rain and Huawei rolling out 5G in SA as early as next year. Cisco has got on board as well. Their CDA program has reached SA with an investment of R140 million to enhance SA’s digital future.

Challenges for South Africa

INTERNET

By January 2018, 54% of South Africans were connected to the internet. This is according to the Digital in 2018 report by global digital agency, We Are Social and social media management platform, HootSuite. Vino Govender from Dark Arts Fibre said that ubiquitous internet connectivity is vital in optimising 4IR technologies like the Internet of Things hence this challenge needs to be solved.

DISCRIMINATION

4IR, according to bizcommuniy writer Zollner, also contains many dangers such as unemployment, discrimination, monopolies and privacy infringement to name a few. With the high cost of technology, citizens would be discriminated as only those who can afford technology will use 4IR and those who cannot be will be left behind.

Opportunities for South Africa

IMPROVE SAFETY

Zollner explained that with 4IR technology, safety in a hazardous working environment such as mining and construction can be improved. Robotic technology can substantially reduce the risk of wounds deaths in these fields.

UNLOCK NEW PROCESSES

Zollner said that 4IR enables us to unlock new agricultural techniques, to enhance agricultural productivity and to open up new ways of producing food. 4IR can treat diseases and save lives in the medical industry and has the potential to bring South Africa on par with the rest of the world in the industrial and manufacturing sector.

4IR Technology recommendation

AI and IoT can be used to gain a smart city. With SA's ever-high crime rate, a smart city can promote a safer space.

Smart car detecting and avoiding roadblocks

Smart Cars can detect suspicious activities, take remedial action, notify authorities and other smart cars in the area, all before the driver knows about it! Through collecting and analysing data, CCTVs' can detect suspicious people and notify the relevant authorities.

4IR offers ease of use, higher productivity and efficiency which is why many firms are adopting its technologies. SA's technology is insufficient for the 4IR. All in all, the 4IR seems to offer a new and safe world for South Africans. But, there has been more cheerleading talk about the 4IR, rather than steps to implement it. Thus, it may be a long time for Industry 4.0 to be introduced in its glory.

WORD COUNT: 797