Vanashree Govender

As South Africa commemorates Human Rights Day, guided by the imperative to "deepen a culture of social justice and human rights," we are reminded that the pursuit of dignity, justice, and inclusion is a continuous endeavour. The fight for these fundamental rights does not end with democracy; it evolves with the challenges of each new era. Today, one of those challenges is Artificial Intelligence (AI), presenting a critical test: can we harness its potential to deepen social justice and human rights?

AI is reshaping industries, economies, and societies at an unprecedented pace. The real question for South Africa is: Will we shape AI, or will AI shape us? This is more than an economic debate; it is a social justice and human rights issue. The right to relevance, the right to compete, and the right to participate in an AI-driven world must be protected, ensuring that AI serves South Africans rather than leaving them behind.

South Africa has spent decades tackling the digital divide, expanding access to the internet, mobile connectivity, and digital services. However, a new divide has emerged, one that goes beyond mere connectivity. The challenge is ensuring that people have the skills and knowledge to engage with AI, automation, and digital transformation.

Arthur Goldstuck, the CEO of World Wide Worx, highlights this shift: “The next great divide won’t be between those who have access to the internet and those who don’t, it will be between those who can work with AI and those who cannot.”

Across Africa, Kenya and Nigeria are using AI to transform agriculture, financial services, and healthcare, driving efficiency, boosting productivity, and expanding financial inclusion. South Africa’s AI adoption, however, has been business-led rather than policy-driven, creating both opportunities and risks.

South African companies are already using AI to automate tasks, optimise supply chains, and improve decision-making across banking, mining, healthcare, and retail. While AI enhances efficiency and competitiveness, the danger lies in unequal access to AI skills.

To address this, the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) is working to ensure AI is not just a technology South Africa consumes, but a future it actively shapes. The National AI Policy Framework, set for evaluation in April 2025, marks a shift towards structured AI governance, investment, and skills development. This policy ensures AI aligns with South African values, economic priorities, and social realities. Dumisani Sondlo, acting director at the DCDT, stresses: “If you don’t work out how to govern AI today, you are then playing by other people’s rules. Africa’s voice cannot be ignored when it comes to AI.”

At its core, the framework takes a human-centric approach, ensuring AI is ethical, transparent, and free from bias. AI is also being integrated into economic growth strategies, ensuring it drives development rather than functioning in isolation.

Public sector adoption is a key priority, with AI being explored as a tool for governance, service delivery, and infrastructure planning. While countries like Mauritius, Rwanda, and Senegal have already published national AI strategies, South Africa is taking a consultative approach, engaging business, academia, and civil society to create a policy framework that is inclusive, adaptable, and built for long-term impact.

One of the most overlooked aspects of AI innovation in South Africa is the role of language in ensuring that AI serves the full diversity of its people. With 11 official languages, South Africa’s linguistic richness is a fundamental part of its identity and culture. Yet, many AI systems are developed in dominant global languages, creating barriers for those who express themselves in isiZulu, Afrikaans, Xhosa, Sepedi, and other indigenous languages.

If AI is to truly amplify inclusion rather than entrench inequality, then it must be designed with linguistic inclusivity at its core. AI-powered speech recognition, translation tools, and chatbots that fail to accommodate South Africa’s full linguistic landscape risk excluding millions from digital transformation. The nuances of each language, its idioms, context, and cultural weight, must be carefully considered to avoid the misinterpretations that occur when words are lost in translation.

Workforce readiness is also one of the most urgent AI policy challenges.

According to the Future of Jobs Report 2025, by 2030, 22% of jobs will be disrupted, with 170 million new roles created and 92 million displaced. The real issue is not AI itself, but whether South Africa is preparing its people for this shift.

South Africa has an opportunity to do more than adapt to AI; it can lead in its responsible development and deployment. The framework is being set; the talent exists. The challenge now is to act boldly, invest strategically, and ensure that AI serves the many, not the few.

For South Africa, ensuring that AI is a tool for growth, inclusion, and competitiveness is more than a strategic priority; it is a social justice and human rights obligation.

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The right to relevance: South Africa’s place in the AI-driven future