Even though the uptake of the fourth industrial revolution is still behind in Africa, robots could take two-thirds of the jobs in the developing world.

A study conducted by the World Bank reveals that currently, the continent has a regional average of just two industrial robots per 100 000 manufacturing workers. Meanwhile, Africa only received 400 units in 2016 – compared to Asia and Australia’s combined 190 200 units – and is expected to double to 800 units by 2019.

According to a Quartz Africa report, Botswana is already using robots in its diamond mining sector to go into depths that humans cannot reach. In South Africa, the introduction of sewing industrial robots has resulted in thousands of textile jobs being shed, while the car manufacturing sector in the country’s Port Elizabeth area also needs fewer human workers.

The report further shows that in the future, more than half of the jobs in Angola could be replaced by robots, with Ethiopia and Mauritius standing to lose more than 40%.

8 August 2017
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