Parliament is hosting a Round Table discussion on the Fourth Industrial Revolution which is aimed at affirming the centrality of Parliament in ensuring that the vast majority of people benefit from the fast-growing role of technological innovations and convergence in South Africa.

The roundtable discussions scheduled for tomorrow, 31 May 2017 in Parliament, is one of a series of high-level engagements of leading agencies and institutions with a key role to play in gearing South Africa to optimise the benefits of the Fourth Industrial Revolution while mitigating the inherent risks and challenges. The launch session of dialogue on the Fourth Industrial Revolution will be attended by various key stakeholders including four Ministers of the socio-economic development clusters, a number of industry giants, academic institutions as well as research and development agencies such as the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

In line with its mission and mandate of ensuring an enabling legislative and policy framework, executive oversight and citizen participation, Parliament has taken up the challenge of keeping the Fourth Industrial Revolution on the national agenda and track progress made by every societal player. South Africa, as one of the leading nations in the Continent, plans to optimise its strengths, leapfrog to technology convergence and enhance its manufacturing capacity, while mobilising every segment of society nationally, in the region, in the continent and across the world to spearhead human development.