Africa’s youths will have a significant portion of the potential global workforce by the turn of the century.
The Chief Technology and Solutions Officer at Microsoft Africa, Ravi Bhat stated this in a webinar on Tuesday.
The webinar was titled “AI and the Future of Work in Africa whitepaper”.
Bhat said AI has been playing an important role in transforming work environments and creating opportunities for youth to innovate, drive economic growth, and foster job creation.
“Approximately 12 million young Africans enter the job market annually and more than 20 per cent were neither employed, in education, nor trained according to the International Labour Organisation.
“McKinsey research suggests that GenAI could boost annual labour productivity growth by up to 0.6 per cent through 2040, contingent upon technology adoption rates and the reallocation of worker time to other tasks,” he added.
“However, policies and practices are to be put in place to ensure responsible deployment of GenAI and AI in general, with a focus on valuing AI-related labour and ensuring dignified employment.
“As access to GenAI tools expands across Africa through internet-enabled devices and more affordable data, barriers to access are diminishing, presenting increased opportunities for skills development,” O’Neill said.
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