Programme Director, Comrade Gerald Twala;

Deputy Ministers of Employment and Labour, Mr Jomo Sibiya and Ms Judith Nemadzinga-Tshabalala;

Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr Kgosientsho Ramakgopa

Mr Anisa khan, AI Business Solutions Lead, Microsoft SA

Prof Vukhosi Marivathe: Professor of Computer Science at University of Pretoria

Prof Michael Sachs: Special Advisor to the President Cyril Ramaphosa

Ms Thandile Zonke: Commissioner- Presidential Climate Commissioner

Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Employment and Labour, Honourable Makhosonke Maneli (online);

Honourable Members of the Portfolio Committee on Employment and Labour;

Leaders of Nedlac social partners:

Organised business: Mr Khulekani Mathe

Organised labour: Mr Mike Shingange

Community constituency: Mr Thembinkosi Josopu

Overall Convenor of government: Mr Sipho Ndebele

Executive Director of Nedlac in Absentia, Mr Makhukhu Mampuru;

Acting Executive Director of Nedlac, Ms Nobuntu Sibisi, and the leadership of Nedlac;

The United Nations Resident Coordinator in South Africa, Mr Nelson Muff;

ILO Director-Pretoria Office, Mr Alexio Musindo;

Representatives of organised business, organised labour, government, and the community constituency;

Department of Employment and Labour Entities present,

Representatives of the International Labour Organisation and other United Nations Agencies;

Other International Organisation represented:

Botswana National Productivity Centre (BNPC)

Pan African Productivity Association (PAPA)

African Union Commission (AUC-Ethiopia)

Management Development Productivity Institute (MDPI), Ghana

Zambia Cabinet Office and National Productivity and Competitiveness Council (NPCC)

Members of the media;

Distinguished guests;

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is an honour to address you today at the 31st Nedlac Annual Summit, a vital platform for social dialogue and collective leadership as we navigate the opportunities and challenges brought about by the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence and digital transformation.

I extend a warm welcome to all participating delegates joining us remotely via the digital platform, as well as to each of you gathered here in person at the CSIR International Convention Centre. Your collective presence, whether physical or virtual is a powerful testament to our shared commitment to inclusive social dialogue and underscores that the conversations we hold here transcend the boundaries of geography. This hybrid gathering reflects the very future we seek to shape: one that is connected, accessible and participatory for all.

I extend our profound gratitude to Nedlac for convening this important summit under the theme: “Advancing Inclusive Growth and Decent Work in the Age of AI." This theme resonates deeply with our national priorities of fostering inclusive economic development, job creation, protecting workers' rights and ensuring that technological progress benefits us all.

Prior to this Summit, Nedlac yesterday hosted a symposium themed Advancing Productivity and Social Dialogue through decent work in Southern Africa.  At the heart of this theme lies a fundamental truth: a sustainable future is woven from a single golden thread, the inseparable connection between productivity, decent work and social dialogue. Productivity sharpens our competitive edge; decent work anchors our talent by upholding human dignity. Yet neither can thrive without the deliberate, structured engagement of social dialogue, the vital mechanism that channels the voices of workers, communities and enterprises into shared, actionable strategy. These pillars do not stand in isolation; they lean upon one another, forming the very bedrock of economic resilience. Moreover, our collective journey is fortified by our enduring partnership with the International Labour Organisation, whose technical expertise and normative frameworks are indispensable to this endeavour. This cooperation extends beyond our borders—it is a cornerstone for the African continent. As we strive to shape a human-centred digital future, our success can illuminate a path for our sister nations, ensuring that the dividends of AI and the green transition are equitably distributed, advancing the objectives of the African Union's Agenda 2063 and securing a prosperous, inclusive future for all. In this regard, we move beyond silos, affirming that investing in people and their voices is not a cost, but the single most powerful and sustainable driver of long-term productivity.

Before we proceed, I wish to express our sincere wishes for the speedy recovery of our Deputy President, Hon. Paul Mashatile, who, regrettably, cannot be with us today. We wish him strength and good health as he recuperates. Similarly, I extend our best wishes for a swift recovery to the Nedlac Executive Director, Mr Makhukhu Mampuru, who is also currently on medical leave. We look forward to his full recovery and return.

As we take stock of Nedlac's achievements over the past year, I am pleased to report that Nedlac delivered an outstanding performance, achieving 94% in the 2025/26 financial year. This demonstrates our collective commitment and effectiveness in fulfilling our mandate of fostering social dialogue and consensus-building. Furthermore, Nedlac received an unqualified audit for the same period, underscoring sound governance, transparency, and accountability within our institution. These accomplishments are a testament to the dedication of all social partners and the strength of our collaborative efforts.

The past year has seen unprecedented technological change, driven largely by AI and digital innovation. While these advancements hold the promise of increased productivity, improved service delivery, and new economic opportunities, they also pose significant risks, including potential job displacement, widening inequalities, and social disruption. It is crucial that we, as social partners, harness the transformative power of AI in a manner that is inclusive, equitable, and sustainable. Social dialogue remains our most effective mechanism to achieve this, allowing us to build consensus, develop responsive policies, and ensure a just transition for all workers.

Today, we will explore several critical areas:

a)    Implications of AI and Digital Transformation: Understanding how these technologies are reshaping our economy and labour markets, and what should be the considerations for ethical use of AI and its governance. What would be the role of social dialogue towards realising a human-centred digital economy and responding to the changing nature of work?

b)    Skills Development and Workforce Readiness: Identifying practical actions to equip our workforce with the competencies needed for the future.

c)    Inclusive Growth and Job Creation: Exploring mechanisms to ensure economic participation benefits all segments of society, creates jobs, and allows for the meaningful participation of small, emerging, and informal enterprises.

d)    Just Transition in the Digital and Green Economy: Developing shared perspectives on protecting workers and communities during this transition—ensuring it is as fair and inclusive as possible, creating decent work opportunities, and leaving no one behind.

To realise the full potential of AI while safeguarding decent work, we must strengthen collaboration among all social partners—government, business, labour and community. This entails not only sharing insights but also committing to actionable strategies and policy recommendations that promote inclusive growth and social justice.

This event must therefore not be a conversation that ends when we leave this room. I challenge Nedlac and all social partners to turn the insights emerging from this Summit, and from yesterday's Symposium convened by Nedlac in partnership with the ILO and Productivity South Africa, into a practical programme of action.

Let us use Nedlac as the platform to build a shared social compact on AI and the future of work—one that sets out what we must do, who must do it, and by when. We must identify the skills we need to build, the policies we need to strengthen, the workers and enterprises we need to support, and the safeguards we need to put in place.

I therefore call on Nedlac to take this work forward with urgency, bringing social partners together to develop clear and measurable recommendations that can inform government policy, business practice, collective bargaining, and skills development. The test of our success will not be the quality of the conversations we have today, but whether those conversations result in tangible improvements in the lives of workers, opportunities for young people, stronger and more inclusive enterprises, and a more productive and competitive economy.

The National Dialogue is already demonstrating the power of taking social dialogue beyond institutions and into the lived realities of South Africans. Its pilot phase, continuing through September, is deliberately testing the process across different communities and sectors, while learning what enables meaningful participation, refining the methodology, facilitation and working arrangements, and strengthening the model before it moves to scale in the new year. Importantly, citizens are not only identifying the challenges they face; they are beginning to articulate practical solutions and shared priorities. This is the work of the pilot phase - to listen, test, learn and refine so that the National Dialogue can grow into a credible, inclusive and genuinely citizen-led national process. Indeed, as we meet here today, National Dialogue pilots are taking place in communities across the country.

In closing, I reaffirm our government's commitment to fostering a human-centred digital economy—one that prioritises social dialogue, boosts competitiveness and innovation, protects workers' rights, and promotes sustainable development.

Allow me, in these final moments, to underscore the enduring and strategic significance of our continued relationship with the International Labour Organisation. The ILO remains an indispensable ally—not merely a technical partner, but a moral compass and a repository of global best practice that grounds our national efforts in internationally recognised labour standards. As the world of work undergoes profound disruption, the ILO's normative instruments, research capacity and convening power provide us with the evidence-based guidance and solidarity we need to chart a just course. Our cooperation with the ILO is not a static arrangement; it is a living, evolving partnership that we are determined to deepen through technical cooperation, peer learning and joint advocacy. This relationship is all the more critical for our continent, as we work collectively to ensure that Africa's digital transformation is defined not by precariousness, but by prosperity; not by exclusion, but by empowerment. With the ILO walking alongside us, we are better equipped to translate our aspirations into tangible protections for workers, sustainable growth for enterprises, and enduring social justice for all.

Let us seize this opportunity to build a resilient, inclusive, and equitable South Africa for generations to come.

I thank you​

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