McKinsey reports that, across the world, companies are integrating AI into at least one core function, and 92% are planning to increase their AI investment over the next three years. They also cite LinkedIn data indicating that global demand for AI‑related skills grew by around 70% between 2024 and 2025.
By Ravika Sookraj, executive director: student experience at Richfield
For South African graduates, this signals a clear shift: the workplaces they are entering have already been reshaped by digital tools and data‑driven decisions. AI is not coming to the workplace. It has arrived – and tertiary graduates must be equipped.
AI is already embedded in workflows, customer journeys, and recruitment processes across business, marketing, finance, education, and retail. Global organisations are also using AI‑driven tools to analyse data, automate customer service, personalise campaigns, and streamline operations. At the same time, AI is becoming far more capable almost by the day.
Yet, AI is not simply replacing manual tasks or making existing job functions redundant. It is creating new roles as it develops. In fact, the World Economic Forum projects that AI will create around 170 million new jobs by 2030. At the same time, it is augmenting human work, and changing what employers value in graduates. Employers are now looking for candidates who can interpret AI‑generated insights, ask better questions, and translate outputs into solutions, strategy, and revenue.
For graduates entering the labour market, this means that AI‑fluency is no longer a nice-to-have. It is a baseline expectation for even entry‑level roles.
The real advantage will go to graduates who combine digital literacy with the human‑centred skills machines cannot replicate: creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, communication, empathy, and ethical judgement.
This is where tertiary education institutions have a responsibility. As AI redefines job roles, universities and colleges must do more than add a single AI module. They must integrate AI thoughtfully into how students research, analyse, present, and problem‑solve.
At Richfield, AI has been woven into the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences curricula across core areas such as marketing, information systems, supply chain, entrepreneurship, and business management. In marketing, students use AI‑enabled digital tools to design campaigns, segment audiences, and generate content. In other modules, the focus is more conceptual, but equally important. Students learn to evaluate AI outputs, recognise bias or inaccuracy, and uphold ethical standards when they use generated content. The aim is not to teach AI as a subject in isolation, but to embed it into how students think, work, and make decisions.
For graduates, staying employable means cultivating a mindset of continuous learning. Technical skills will grow obsolete quickly, but the ability to learn updated tools, adapt to new workflows, and collaborate with AI systems can be developed over time.
Sitting at 12.2% as at Q1:2026, South Africa’s graduate unemployment rate remains a concern, but it is not a reflection of talent. It is largely a mismatch between skills and market expectations. As AI becomes part of the everyday workplace, graduates who treat it as a productivity tool, not a threat, will be best positioned to thrive.
Five practical steps can strengthen a graduate’s position:
Gain practical experience. Learnerships and structured internships combine classroom learning with real‑world exposure, allowing graduates to build a portfolio of evidence that they can contribute from day one.
Build and use your network. Many roles are found through referrals, career fairs, and professional online platforms such as LinkedIn.
Consider further study or targeted certifications in areas like data analytics, project management, or digital tools that align with market demand.
Invest in soft skills. Employers consistently highlight communication, teamwork, and problem‑solving as key differentiators.
Optimise your CV for both human and automated readers, using clear structure, relevant keywords, and quantifiable achievements.
Tertiary education institutions must respond by equipping students with both technical exposure to AI and future‑ready ‘soft skills’. For students, educators, employers, and policymakers, the message is clear: AI is not a distant disruption. It is already here. The task ahead is to ensure that graduates are equipped to lead industry in the age of human‑AI collaboration.