Minister Urges AI Skills Drive to Fill Tech Jobs
Deputy Labour Minister Judith Nemadzinga-Tshabalala called on government and the private sector to build workforce skills for artificial intelligence.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Job Search
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Deputy Labour Minister Judith Nemadzinga-Tshabalala urged government and the private sector to build workforce skills for AI. She spoke at the Huawei South Africa Core Supplier Convention 2026 in Sandton.
Why it matters
Thousands of vacancies in digital and technology-related occupations remain unfilled while unemployment in South Africa stays persistently high, especially among young people. Closing the skills gap is presented as central to using AI to boost productivity and growth.
The government's employment agenda targets creating or sustaining 3.8 million jobs and work opportunities during the current administration. The speech did not quantify the number of unfilled digital and technology vacancies or give a baseline for progress.
The players
Judith Nemadzinga-Tshabalala
Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour of South Africa, who made the call for AI-related workforce skills.
Huawei South Africa
The South African arm of the Chinese telecommunications company Huawei, which hosted its Core Supplier Convention 2026 in Sandton.
The details
Nemadzinga-Tshabalala said government and the private sector should collaborate on reskilling and upskilling workers, and that the Post-School Education and Training system should be aligned with industry demands. The call centres on employers being unable to find workers with the skills required for digital and technology-related roles.
Timeline
2026: Huawei South Africa Core Supplier Convention held in Sandton, where the speech was delivered.
Current administration: target to create or sustain 3.8 million jobs and work opportunities.
Vision 2030: National Development Plan employment agenda target year.
Roadmap
The call builds on the National Development Plan's Vision 2030 employment agenda, which sets job-creation goals for the country. It applies those goals to the emerging challenge of AI, where digital skills shortages could limit how many of the targeted jobs are realised.
Jobseekers in digital and technology fields may find more openings as reskilling programmes are developed with industry. Those without current digital skills should watch for training initiatives linked to the Post-School Education and Training system.
The takeaway
Building digital skills now is the practical step for workers who want to compete for the technology roles that remain unfilled. Employers and training providers that align courses with industry needs can help close the gap.
Further reading
For more on how the country is matching workers to openings, see Job Search in South Africa.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Citizen.
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