Challenges, prospects, and strategic directives for African countries to harness the disruptive capabilities of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR)

Abstract

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has been at the center of several economic and political debates in recent years. This is because of its capacity to significantly disrupt every life, economic sector, and industry. The problem is that when compared to the West, there has been limited literature on 4IR in Africa, and the continent has yet to embrace the revolution in full. The purpose of this article is to explore the challenges, prospects, and strategic directives for African countries to harness the disruptive capabilities of the 4IR. This qualitative study used a narrative literature review approach. Journal articles constituted the sample for the study. A manual thematic analysis approach was used to analyze data. Findings reveal that despite the social, institutional, economic, and environmental challenges, the 4IR comes with a myriad of social, institutional, economic, and environmental benefits for Africa. However, for Africa to overcome existing challenges and harness the opportunities of the 4IR, employers, educational institutions, and governments in the continent need to play a strategic role. This study contributes to the limited academic literature on the 4IR in Africa. Findings from this article can inform policies around the 4IR in African countries. Results also provide practical strategic directives for African employers, educational institutions, and governments to harness the disruptive capabilities of the 4IR.