| Abstract: |
The rapid advancement of digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) is
transforming the global employment landscape, presenting both opportunities and
challenges for Africa's workforce. This paper explores how these technological
innovations are reshaping work patterns, job creation, skill demands, and labour
markets across the continent. While automation threatens to displace certain low
skilled jobs, AI and digital platforms also offer unprecedented opportunities for
entrepreneurship, remote work, digital inclusion, and the creation of new job
categories. Anchored on the Diffusion of Innovations Theory and the Technology
Acceptance Model, and employing a qualitative multiple-case study design, the
study critically examines the digital divide, governance frameworks, and policy
responses needed to ensure that Africa's transition into the AI-driven economy is
inclusive, equitable, and sustainable. Using documentary evidence and secondary
data from Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa, the paper presents a systematic data
analysis and interpretation of patterns of technology adoption, employment effects,
and policy responses. The findings underscore the urgent need for coordinated
investment in digital infrastructure, skills development, and progressive labour
regulation. |
