The PwC Africa Workforce Hopes and Fears study shows that 49 percent of jobs in Africa will be transformed by artificial intelligence (AI) within three years.
The study also found that while AI brings uncertainty, 64% of African workers are confident in their job security. The survey surveyed 49,843 workers in 28 sectors in 48 countries.
A presentation of key findings by David Tsei, Associate Director of Workforce Transformation at PwC Ghana, held at the Mövenpick Hotel in Accra, revealed that the use of AI is strong across the board. 64% of African workers have used AI in the workplace in the past year, which is higher than the global average of 54%. It also showed that only 17% of people use AI on a daily basis.
Mr Tsei suggested that there is great excitement and curiosity about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) across Africa.
He said many employees are optimistic about how AI will change the workplace. He explained that there is “huge excitement, great curiosity and positive emotions” about the impact AI will have on work.
Meanwhile, the CEO of the Fair Wages and Pay Commission, George Smith-Graham, stressed that Ghana has reached the stage of deploying AI to improve productivity in the public service.
He noted that unless productivity gains are achieved through AI, countries risk paying employees who are not working as efficiently as expected.
Dr. Smith-Graham also emphasized that pay increases are no longer automatic and should be tied directly to measurable productivity.
According to him, Ghana has gone beyond the stage where employees can simply ask for salary increases without showing improved performance. Rather, increased compensation should be tied to increased efficiency and output supported by AI implementation.
“But my take is that we’ve reached a point where we can’t just let people come on board and ask for a pay increase. But we need to make sure that that pay increase is tied to productivity.”
The study also found that while AI brings uncertainty, 64% of African workers are confident in their job security.
The forum discussed how employers can proactively manage employee anxiety by investing in reskilling and upskilling programs that enable workforce transformation without compromising trust.
Dr Dayalan Govender, Africa Leader for Workforce Transformation at PwC South Africa, advised leaders to understand their organizations.
“What’s motivating your employees? The next big thing is, are Millennials coming to your company or Gen Z coming to your company? You know what they like? They like flexibility in how they work. They’re more results-driven. But we want to see your results,” he said.
Winfred King, partner in consulting and risk services at PwC Ghana, said leaders must be ready to lead change.
He outlined how leaders can effectively integrate upskilling, technology-driven transformation, and human-centered approaches to build sustainable performance and ensure the well-being of Africa’s entire diverse workforce.
The PwC African Workforce Hopes and Fears Research Forum brings together leading voices from industry, academia, government and policy to explore how Africa can rewire its future of work in ways that deliver sustainable performance and build lasting trust, as artificial intelligence and rapid technology acceleration rewire workplaces across Africa.
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