The Fourth Industrial Revolution and Higher Education in Africa: A Systematic Review and Implications

The fourth industrial revolution is upon us with several countries being in the preliminary stages. It is said to change the way we live and the way we work. The fourth industrial revolution is about digitalisation and automation of work and is viewed by many as the most important societal and economic trend in the world. This is a trend that will change the nature of work, societies, and businesses in the coming decades. The fourth industrial revolution has a significant impact on education systems around the world which is why Africa needs to continuously research how best they can incorporate the fourth industrial revolution into their current education systems. The Covid-19 pandemic has led to a massive impact on people in all industries and sectors around the world including the education sector. Furthermore, the Covid-19 pandemic is forcing most universities to use online distance learning and e-learning as this has increasingly become important in maintaining prominent levels of adaptation in the future. This is one of the reasons why the fourth industrial revolution has become an important subject. This paper looked at the fourth industrial revolution and what it means for higher education in Africa. The methodology includes reviewing of 42 scholarly journal articles. The main purpose of this study was to get an understanding of the emerging technologies in industries and education and the threats and opportunities that are posed by the fourth industrial revolution in Africa. The paper concluded by reviewing journal articles on how best African universities can create capacity for the fourth industrial revolution.