A new white paper by the Top Employers Institute (TEI) reveals that 68% of South African Gen Z employees are optimistic about AI's impact on the workplace, compared to only half in countries like Spain, the US and the UK.
TEI is a global organisation focused on skills development, job creation, and recognising excellence in employee conditions. Its research provides insights into how younger generations, like Gen Z, view AI integration in the workplace.
Its latest white paper shows that local Gen Z employees mostly view AI as a tool for career enhancement, with 82% believing it will help them acquire new skills, 70% seeing efficiency benefits, and 58.5% expecting new job opportunities.
Optimism varies by industry, with manufacturing professionals being more positive than those in human-centric sectors like hospitality.
Nathier Jappie, regional manager for Africa at TEI, says manufacturing is naturally suited to AI-driven efficiency improvements, “Manufacturing professionals view AI as a tool to improve efficiency and productivity, allowing workers to focus on more value-added tasks. On the other hand, hospitality professionals worry that AI will reduce the need for human involvement. In hospitality, AI has replaced certain hands-on guest experiences, such as automated check-ins and robotic guest relations.”
Jappie adds that despite the optimism in manufacturing, there are still concerns about AI’s threat to jobs – most notably job displacement in areas where automation could replace human tasks.
“AI is here to complement, streamline, and create efficiencies. We must ensure that its implementation is ethical and supports human-centered work improvements,” he says.
By integrating AI training across all job functions, businesses can better align with Gen Z's values and create a more human-centred, AI-enhanced workplace, Jappie notes. He urges companies to involve Gen Z in AI integration, and to align business objectives with this generation’s value system, which includes empowerment, skills development, and transparency.
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