SOUTH Africa’s manufacturing sector is facing mounting pressure to develop technical talent as automation and artificial intelligence accelerate globally. Industry estimates suggest that approximately 87% of companies are experiencing difficulties in recruiting workers with robotics and automation expertise, according to Marisa Jacobs, MD of Xpatweb, quoting the company’s latest critical skills survey.
By 2030, robotic and automation technologies could displace more than 500,000 manufacturing jobs. Within the next four years, nearly 58% of South African businesses are expected to require skills in programming, equipment maintenance and AI interaction.
Private sector partnerships are proving essential for schools and tertiary institutions working to meet these challenges, where the latest hardware, as well as teachers with the necessary expertise, are difficult to source.
In Durban, global automotive components manufacturer Motherson has strengthened its investment in South Africa’s future workforce by partnering with Durban High School (DHS) to fund a new three-storey education facility focused on robotics, electronics and mechatronics.
The company, alongside its sister company Vacuform 2000, joined education and business stakeholders to celebrate the official opening of the building, which will house three specialised programmes, including the Robotics, Electronics and Mechatronics (REM) initiative.
DHS’s new building also houses the Academic Support Centre and the Brave Generation Academy, expanding DHS’s multi-nodal education model designed to cater for learners with different academic strengths and developmental needs.
For Motherson, the project aligns closely with the growing demand for robotics and automation skills across the manufacturing sector, where companies are increasingly struggling to source qualified talent.
“The team at Motherson is proud to have partnered with the DHS Foundation Trust in the funding of the new building housing the REM programme,” said Raffik Sayyed, Motherson South Africa senior vice president.
“As a global organisation that is investing in South Africa, Motherson applauds the progressive approach DHS has to education in its mission to prepare boys for the future. We have been impressed with their legacy of success in academics, sport, culture and business.”
“Motherson has a developmental approach to business,” said Sayyed. “Wherever we operate in the world, we invest in developing local talent and skills. Through our head office in India, we recruit directly from the technical colleges and work with students and learners to develop the new generation in technical fields.”
Private-sector partnership
The project has also attracted support from other corporate donors, including Conlog, Witon Chemicals, Direct Insight Consulting, TMS 360 SA, Sabvest, and ZTS.
Conlog donated products for the learners to use in their practicals, with a long-term view of students participating in vacation work at the company based in Dube Trade Port.
Private partners worked with the school’s leadership, Lead HR and Kingsley Elliot Consulting to help turn the vision of a technical educational node into reality. The program has already attracted interest from the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Basic Education.
Winston Owen, managing director of Kingsley Elliot, said private-sector research played a critical role through its financial support and in identifying future scarce technical skills within the South African economy.
Teaching model
As part of the broader initiative, Lead HR partnered with the National Skills Fund to place graduate interns as teaching assistants for the programme’s practical training component.
“We picked up quite early that for the robotics programme to succeed, the staff member needed the practical support of a graduate intern with a background in Electronic Engineering,” said Raj Moodley, managing director of Lead HR. “The Department of Basic Education has given its support to the programme. Our intention is to convey the lessons from this project. The department is interested in the potential to replicate the programme in other schools.”
Education innovation
Speaking at the opening event on 22 April, DHS headmaster Tony Pinheiro said the school’s partnership with private-sector investors reflects a commitment to leading education innovation. This approach has resulted in a number of DHS boys being offered vacation work and internships with businesses such as Motherson, with a view towards employment post-school.
“We are not waiting for others to show us the way, but rather, we are committed to leading the way in shaping the future of education to prepare our boys to lead in the future world of work,” said Pinheiro.
Representatives from corporate partners, the DHS Foundation, FNB, Standard Bank, the Moses Kotane Research Institute, Durban University of Technology and the Department of Basic Education attended the launch event.
The first cohort of learners is already in class, with Grade 8 Learners currently enjoying Robotics lessons. This is the first intake and will thus continue into Grade 9. In 2028, these learners will have the option to choose Robotics as one of the subjects they will study to Matric.
Currently, Coding and Robotics has not been formally gazetted for the Matric phase in public schools. The Department of Basic Education is still focusing on the foundation and senior phases to build the necessary pipeline before making it a full Matric elective. This is despite the subject’s Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) being officially gazetted in June 2024.
Private schools have moved significantly faster, with the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) integrating these skills into existing frameworks and then spinning them into specialist subjects.
Global partners
Founded in India in 1975, Motherson operates in 41 countries and has steadily expanded its South African footprint. The company first invested in Rosslyn in 2009 before opening a second operation in Isipingo in 2013. It serves as a global Tier 1 supplier, providing full-system automotive solutions to major vehicle manufacturers.
Conlog holds more than 200 patents and trademarks. It is a proudly South African company using an array of local materials. Conlog has headquarters at the Dube Trade Port in Durban and a presence in over 58 countries across Africa, the Middle East and South America.
Its global footprint includes a base of over 17 million smart meters and prepaid solutions, servicing over 90 utilities and providing access to power for more than 50 million households.
