STATEMENT BY THE RT HON PRIME MINISTER

AMBROSE MANDVULO DLAMINI

AT THE 4th INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION LEADERSHIP SEMINAR

ROYAL SWAZI CONVENTION CENTRE, EZULWINI

THURSDAY 21 FEBRUARY 2019

Your Royal Highnesses
Honourable Ministers
Dr Molapo, the President of I CAN Leadership Africa
Chairman of African Media Holdings, Mr Lenny Naidoo
Director of AMH, Attorney Reg Thomas
Distinguished Speakers
Captains of Industry
Senior Government officials
Sponsors
I CAN Leadership Eswatini staff
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

It is my honour, on behalf of His Majesty’s Government, to join you all this morning for the first day of the 4th industrial revolution leadership seminar.

May I take this opportunity to appreciate this initiative and opportunity presented by I CAN Leadership, Africa of opening a conversation about the role of leadership in the 4th Industrial Revolution, and for putting together a host of exciting and proficient speakers who will share invaluable knowledge over the two days.

This is an exciting yet challenging time not only for Eswatini but the world. The fourth industrial revolution marked by unparalleled technological advancement is bringing to the fore a lot of positives for human development and, in extension, opening up a plethora of options and opportunities for the future economic and social development of all nations.

This is a time when most businesses are revolving to be entirely technology driven and where data is king, allowing executives and managers to make smarter and faster choices than ever before. It is a time when business models are fast changing from simply selling products and services to creating relationships with customers by personalizing these products and services to suit individual consumers, a time when on-time service is no longer an option but a requirement to stay in business.

However, such technological innovation and creativity bring with it some ethical and moral concerns. It also brings anxiety about the future and security of jobs as several studies have indicated that millions of careers will be redundant by the year 2030 because of the advancing technology brought by, among others, artificial intelligence, robotics, drones and automation.
Finding the right balance is without doubt essential in ensuring that our people derive maximum benefit from the advent of the 4th industrial revolution.

The role of transformational leadership, therefore, cannot be over emphasized as we navigate the wave of technological evolution in the midst of a generation of tech savvy individuals. We need to develop the models of leadership that provide space for innovation and creativity to blossom in the work place, a leadership that can motivate and nurture others in a way that spurs business growth and creates new jobs and opportunities.

Consequentially, the 4th industrial revolution needs leaders that will promptly identify the trends that may disrupt their business models and processes, who will work in haste to exploit opportunities provided by emerging technologies to increase productivity and growth while not falling victim to lack of strategic planning in a highly paced environment of ever-changing technology.

This applies not only to business leaders but to Government as well. The 4th industrial revolution brings changes to national economies and social services such as health, education and training. Governments in collaboration with businesses have to be at the forefront of determining the new set of job skills needed in the current environment to avoid unnecessary job losses.

The seminar comes at a time when Government is re-strategizing and re-engineering its processes to help streamline the economy of Eswatini and place resources where they will offer maximum impact in changing the lives of Emaswati. We will soon launch a new strategic roadmap that provides the necessary guidelines to achieve higher economic growth and stability.

The pillars that will drive our strategy for the next five years include ICT, agri processing, manufacturing, mining and tourism. The aim is to provide a fertile environment for business start-ups, growth and sustainability, to increase our revenue base to avoid concentration risk, and to curb unnecessary expenditure by ensuring that resources are directed only to those areas with the potential to positively impact the economy.

Cabinet has mandated the Ministry of Information, Technology and Communication (ICT) to strengthen the National System of Innovation in the Kingdom. This includes the development and review of Science, Technology and Innovation policies and strategies to help create a conducive environment for Research & Development and fully operationalize the Royal Science and Technology Park.

Programme Director, ladies and gentlemen, I am happy to see the positive attendance to this leadership seminar. This forum provides sufficient ground for leaders in the different spheres of our society to learn, embrace and be pro active in addressing the needs of the next generation of leaders. My gratitude goes to the sponsors of this event who include EON, the Carson group, Sun International and Watermen. They have, indeed, presented themselves as true partners in the evolution and development of our people and society.

I take this time to wish all of you a productive two-days of deliberations, leadership and digital empowerment. I look forward to receiving a full report on the outcomes and recommendations of this seminar.

It gives me pleasure, on behalf of His Majesty’s Government, to declare the 4th Industrial Revolution Leadership Seminar for the Kingdom of Eswatini officially open.

Thank you. May God bless us all.

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