Employment Policy, Technology, and South Africa’s Future of Work

Unemployment remains one of South Africa’s most pressing economic challenges. While job creation is a policy priority, the labour market is shaped by structural constraints, including weak infrastructure and a mismatch between skills and industry demand. Alongside these challenges, economic and technological shifts are reshaping employment patterns and raising critical questions about the future of work.

This SA-TIED and Econ3x3 policy dialogue, co-hosted with the University of Johannesburg’s DSI/NRF South African Research Chair in Industrial Development (SARChI-ID), will bring together policymakers, researchers, and industry experts to explore strategies for employment growth in a changing economy. The discussion will examine industrial policy, labour market reforms, and skills development, as well as the impact of automation and AI on workforce transitions. Drawing on recent research and policy insights, the dialogue will assess how policy can support job creation, economic inclusion, and long-term workforce resilience.

The event also marks the launch of the redesigned Econ3x3 website, a platform for accessible, policy-relevant economic research.

Discussion areas

• Employment policy and industrial strategy – Expanding employment through industrial policy, SME development, and sectoral support.
• Skills development and labour market reform – Aligning skills training with job-creating industries and improving workforce mobility.
• Job creation and economic inclusion – The role of government, business, and local stakeholders in unlocking employment opportunities.
• Technology and employment dynamics – The impact of automation and AI on workforce transitions and job creation.
• Policy strategies for a changing economy – Ensuring resilience in an evolving labour market through targeted reforms.

Register here.

This event is a hybrid gathering that offers both in-person and online attendance options. Participants who choose to join remotely will receive login details to access the virtual platform. For those attending in person, there will be networking opportunities before and after the event.

The panel for this event will feature a diverse group of experts including:

Gilad Isaacs – Executive Director, Institute for Economic Justice 

Dr Gilad Isaacs is the Executive Director at the IEJ. He is also an economist at Wits University, where he coordinates the National Minimum Wage Research Initiative, and lectures. Gilad has a Ph.D. and Masters in Economics from SOAS University of London, and a Masters in Political Economy from New York University. He has worked as a consultant for the United Nations’ International Labour Organization (ILO) and Global Labour University. He has a background in civil society activism working for the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) and founding the Social Justice Coalition (SJC). His research expertise are in financialisation, macroeconomics, and labour markets.

Gilad has recently also been appointed as an advisory council member of the T20 Brazil – one of the official engagement bodies of the 2024 G20 Summit to be held in Brazil. The T20 is an assembly of think tanks and research centres which aims to inform G20 policy processes. Gilad has also recently been appointed, through the Department for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, to government’s Medium-Term Development Plan (MTDP) Reference Group.

Neva Makgetla – Senior Economist, Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies

Neva Makgetla is a Senior Economist at TIPS. She has undertaken extensive research into South African economic issues, published widely, and contributed to a number of national economic policy processes and debates from 1994. Until 2015, she was Deputy Director General for economic policy in the Economic Development Department. Before that, she was Lead Economist for the Development Planning and Implementation Division at the Development Bank of Southern Africa. 

She has worked at a senior level in the Presidency and other government departments, and for seven years was head of the COSATU Policy Unit. She has a PhD in economics and before 1994 worked for over 10 years as an economics lecturer.

Renosi Mokate – Executive Chairperson, Concentric Alliance

Dr Renosi Mokate is the Executive Chairperson of Concentric Alliance and the Deputy Chairperson of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council. She formerly served as the Executive Dean of the Graduate School of Business Leadership at the University of South Africa (UNISA) and has been the Executive Director at the World Bank, representing South Africa, Angola, and Nigeria. Additionally, she is a former Deputy Governor of the South African Reserve Bank, where she was a member of the Monetary Policy Committee and represented the central bank at the G20 forum. Dr Mokate has held various roles in economic policy, including working as an independent consultant to the Ministry of Finance and National Treasury, as well as serving as CEO and Chairperson of the Financial and Fiscal Commission and Senior Policy Analyst at the Development Bank of Southern Africa. Dr Mokate has previously held positions in academia and the research sector. She has substantial experience in corporate governance across both the public and private sectors. 

Fiona Tregenna – SARChI Chair in Industrial Development, University of Johannesburg

Fiona Tregenna holds the DSI/NRF South African Research Chair in Industrial Development, heading this centre of research, capacity-building, and public and policy engagement. She is also a Professor of Economics at the University of Johannesburg. Fiona holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Cambridge. She has published widely in leading journals, received awards and grants for her research, led large research projects, co-edited several books, and serves on the editorial boards of various international journals and book series.

Fiona has been involved in economic policy issues for close to 30 years, and serves on many panels and councils. These include: the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Advisory Council, through which she advises on trade and industrial development across Africa; advising South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on economic policy as a member of his Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC); and serving on the International Commission of Experts on Financing for Development. She sits on a number of boards, such as UNU-WIDER, the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), and the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ). 

She served part-time on the Competition Tribunal (South Africa) for ten years, where she adjudicated competition cases. Fiona has advised international organisations such as UNIDO, UNCTAD, the United Nations University and the ILO, and has contributed to a number of flagship United Nations reports. She is an elected member of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), and sits on several ASSAf bodies. At SOAS, as well as being a Professorial Research Associate affiliated with the Centre for Sustainable Structural Transformation, she is also a Fellow of the Development Leadership Dialogue. 

Wandile Sihlobo – Chief Economist, Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa

Wandile Sihlobo is the Chief Economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz) and a member of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Economic Advisory Council. He is also a Senior Lecturer Extraordinary at Stellenbosch University and a Research Associate at Rhodes University. Sihlobo specializes in agricultural economics, land reform, and trade policy. He previously served on the Presidential Expert Advisory Panel on Land Reform and Agriculture and is a Commissioner at the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (ITAC). 

Mark Nasila – Chief Data and Analytics Officer, First National Bank (Risk)

Dr Mark Nasila is a luminary in artificial intelligence (AI) and data science and the Chief Data and Analytics Officer at First National Bank Risk. He also shares his expertise at the Singularity Group, specialising in AI and data strategies. He is a leading member of the National Institute for Theoretical Physics and Computational Sciences (NITheCS), and a Professor of Practice in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Johannesburg. Dr Nasila’s innovative approach at FNB has revolutionised risk management and forensic due diligence through advanced AI systems, setting new benchmarks in banking technology. 

He is a renowned speaker, gracing stages at the likes of the Business-Tech Digital Banking Conference, and the SingularityU South Africa Summit, sharing his insights into the future of AI and big data.He is a board member of Moody’s Analytics Europe and Africa advisory board, where he has been able to share his insights with a broader audience and establish himself as an expert in his field. He’s also the recipient of an Honorary Member award from the Golden Key International Honour Society.As a 2023 Technology Excellence Award winner at the IITPSA Annual President’s Awards, Dr. Nasila's work exemplifies the transformative power of emerging technology in finance and beyond, making him a distinguished figure in the global tech landscape. He holds a PhD in Mathematical Statistics from Nelson Mandela University.

MODERATOR

Ferial Haffajee  –  Associate Editor, Daily Maverick

Ferial Haffajee is a South African editor and journalist. She is currently associate editor at the Daily Maverick. Previously, Ferial was editor-in-chief at the Mail & Guardian and City Press, where teams working with her won numerous investigative journalism awards. She is a regular analyst and commentator on radio, television and elsewhere. Ferial is a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network and a member of the Africa Leadership Institute fellowship.

She is on the board of the Open Society’s Programme for Independent Journalism. She has won numerous awards for journalism and for her support of media freedom including a Committee for the Projection of Journalism’s International Press Freedom Hero award in 2015 and the Naspers Phil Weber award in 2013 – the global company’s highest internal honour.Previously, Ferial was chairperson of the South African National Editors Forum and chairperson of the CNN/Multichoice African Journalist of the Year Awards. She has served on the boards of the World Editors Forum and the Global Editors Network, where she published a best-selling book called “What if there were no whites in South Africa” and in 2017 was awarded an honourary doctorate from the University of Free State for her journalism.