Public Economics Conference Day 3: Preparing Young South Africans for the Future of Work
Pretoria, 9 July 2026 – The final day of the Government Technical Advisory Centre’s (GTAC) 2026 Public Economics Conference shifted the conversation from today’s labour market challenges to tomorrow’s opportunities, exploring how artificial intelligence (AI), automation, digital platforms and technological innovation are reshaping work and what this means for South Africa’s youth.
Following two days focused on understanding youth unemployment and evaluating current interventions, delegates considered how policy, education systems and labour market institutions must evolve to prepare young people for a rapidly changing economy.
Opening the day, Professor Tania Ajam, Professor in the School of Public Leadership at Stellenbosch University, reflected on the importance of anticipating future labour market trends rather than responding only to current challenges.
AI, digital transformation and lifelong learning
The day’s keynote presentation was delivered by Dr Hannah Liepmann, Research Department, International Labour Organization (ILO), who explored the implications of digital transformation and artificial intelligence for skills development and lifelong learning based on the latest report from the ILO.
The discussion examined how AI is changing the nature of work globally, creating both opportunities and risks, while highlighting the growing importance of continuous learning and adaptable social-emotional skills throughout people’s careers.
She said: “Most jobs will be transformed by technology rather than made redundant. But the poorer the country the more difficult it becomes to benefit from the technology. Changing skills requirement are an important element of the AI transformation – skills impact who benefits and who will fall behind. So what are the skills that workers need to access quality jobs? Cognitive and socio-emotional skills are in high demand, things like customer service and computer skills. Employers seek rounded skills profiles.”
Technology is changing work in South Africa
The conference then turned to South Africa’s own labour market, with three expert presentations examining different aspects of technological change.
Professor Dr Ayad Al-Ani, Einstein Institute, explored international trends in artificial intelligence, civic engagement and public sector employment. He presented a very futuristic view of how public sector officials will work with AI agents to deliver services.
He said: “The economy of the future looks like a decentralised space and AI will support what is required in individual communities.”
Dr Brenda Mwale, Southern Centre for Inequality Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, examined how the gig economy and broader digital transformation are reshaping youth employment in South Africa in her presentation.
The session explored the opportunities digital platforms create while also considering the policy challenges associated with new forms of work.
She concluded: “There is no explicit law in South Africa that directly regulates the gig economy but there is hope. The Minister of Labour published a proposed amendment to The Employment Act, it extends the definition of an employee. And it provides a presumption of employment and it provides for sectoral determinations so that gig workers can organise and unionise within sectors.”
Automation and inequality
Dr Tim Köhler, Development Policy Research Unit (DPRU), University of Cape Town, presented research on automation, earnings inequality and employment dynamics within South Africa’s manufacturing sector.
The discussion highlighted how technological advances may affect different sectors and workers differently, reinforcing the need for evidence-based policy responses.
Dr Tim Köhler concluded: “Technology as always creates winners and losers. Automation does reinforce or increase income inequality and this is likely across the broader economy. New technology like generative AI will target non-routine, cognitive tasks which exposes higher wage workers who were previously protected from automation risks.”
Turning technological disruption into opportunity
The morning concluded with a panel discussion chaired by Professor Tania Ajam, bringing together Hanlie de Bod-Leaf, Chief Information Officer, Harambee; Professor Lauren Graham, Centre for Social Development in Africa, University of Johannesburg; Professor Ayad Al-Ani and Dr Tim Köhler.
Panellists debated how South Africa can harness technology to expand employment opportunities for young people while reducing the risks of exclusion and inequality.
The discussion explored the respective roles of government, business, education institutions and civil society in ensuring young South Africans are equipped with the skills needed to thrive in a digital economy.
Hanlie de Bod-Leaf, CIO at Harambee said: “I am really excited abut the future of work but there are risks and threats that we need to address. We aggressively need to skill – it’s really important that young people have access to digital skills, that we look at our curriculum and that young people can problem-solve along with AI augmented work. Communication and adaptability will be key. Second we need demand-led skilling, we often see that young people have skills but they are not appropriate for what the job market wants. Thirdly is infrastructure and access, it means that for us to be digitally competitive we can’t have skills alone, we need affordable accessibility.”
Prof Lauren Graham, SARChi Welfare and Social Development at the CSDA said: “I will come at this from a social policy point of view. Platform work is seen as completely new form of labour, and in some ways it is, but it is also a form of informal work and shares similar characteristics. We have two main perspectives on the gig economy, one is that it is the panacea to our youth unemployment problem and the other is that it is only a precarious form of work where platform companies devolve risk to workers and they make huge amounts of money while circumventing labour laws – so it should be discouraged completely. Both are true and we need solutions that allow for growth while protecting workers.”
Young economists take centre stage
The conference concluded with the Young Economists Debating Challenge, providing students with an opportunity to engage directly with the conference themes and present their perspectives on the future of youth employment. The teams provided compelling arguments backed up with historical perspectives and strong evidence to support their positions.
The debate reflected GTAC’s commitment to developing the next generation of economists and policy thinkers while ensuring young voices remain central to conversations about the future of work.
Looking ahead
Closing the conference, Ronette Engela, Acting Head of the Government Technical Advisory Centre (GTAC) reflected on the three-day journey from understanding the problem, to evaluating policy responses, to preparing for future labour market realities.
She said: “We have had a great diversity of views and insights, in this room. I think throughout the conference, we had very strong engagement. There were 185 people in the room, over 1000 people online, 1100 joined on YouTube – this says there is a significant interest in the youth unemployment and the employment problems. I hope that we continue to have these discussions outside the conference. Rather than seeking one solution, the conference reflected the complexity of the challenge and the value of bringing different disciplines, experiences and evidence into the conversation.”
Visit our YouTube page to watch the recordings of all the sessions.
Visit our 2026 Public Economics Conference page to view all the presentations, pre-reading resources and to see media coverage of the event.