Made in Africa: manufacturing and the fourth industrial revolution

Can the fourth industrial revolution accelerate Africa’s economic transformation?

This report investigates Africa’s manufacturing future. It discusses and then models the potential impact of the fourth industrial revolution, with a time horizon to 2040. Africa has a large and fast-growing population. Because of this, the continent will only be able to grow fast enough to improve livelihoods by moving labour much more rapidly into more productive sectors, in particular manufacturing.

About the author

Dr Jakkie Cilliers is the founder of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), chairman of the ISS Board of Trustees and head of African Futures and Innovation at ISS Pretoria. He is an Extraordinary Professor in the Centre of Human Rights and the Department of Political Sciences, Faculty Humanities at the University of Pretoria and a well-known author and analyst.

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