South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed members of the Presidential Commission on the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) to guide the development of this new scientific endeavour.
“The commission will assist government in taking advantage of the opportunities presented by the digital industrial revolution,” the presidency said on Tuesday.
The task of the commission, which Ramaphosa will chair, is to identify relevant policies, strategies and action plans that would position South Africa as a competitive global player in the 4IR.
University of Johannesburg vice chancellor Tshilidzi Marwala is the deputy chair of the body. He has expertise spanning from the theory and application of artificial intelligence to engineering, computer science, finance, social science and medicine.
In establishing the commission, a public consultation process was undertaken to attract eminent people, who possess the relevant skills and knowledge required to drive 4IR.
The 30-member commission comprises eminent persons from different sectors of society and reflects a balance in gender, youth, labour and business, including digital start-ups as well as digital entrepreneurships.
NM/jn/APA