South Africa’s AI divide is widening by age and education

An OECD report covering 14 countries including South Africa reveals a widening AI skills gap driven by age and education. Younger, tertiary-educated workers are far more likely to pursue AI training — 46% of 26-35 year olds vs. fewer than 20% of over-55s — while trust in AI also declines sharply with age. The piece argues that South African employers risk letting AI capability become a voluntary opt-in, deepening existing inequality. Three interventions are proposed: creating new entry-level AI-enabled roles, deploying AI in labour-heavy sectors like agriculture and healthcare, and investing in community-based and work-integrated learning programmes.