Abstract:

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) organisations ability to transition into the fourth industrial revolution is becoming a requirement towards their capacity to maintain their competitive advantage and deal with ordeals and challenges that relate to data, data systems and knowledge management and other forms of technological based transformations, to help organisations improve their capacity to deliver value in the marketplace, thus ICT firms have a strong responsibility to drive some of the changes in the market. The study was focusing on the ways through which these firms can drive change in the market drawing from changes from the third industrial revolution, to enable private and public organisations to achieve their enhanced proficiency and development in the market, much of these developments include advancement in artificial intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), big data, nano-technology that are becoming critical pathways through which organisations improve the performance in the market.

The study aims was to evaluate eThekwini municipality’s ICT department’s capacity readiness to transition organisations towards the fourth industrial revolution in Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN), Durban. The research was conducted basing on the qualitative research method.

The Research objectives were to: Determine the nature and implication of the fourth industrial revolution to eThekwini municipality’s ICT department in Durban; Establish whether eThekwini municipality’s ICT department, have the capacity to transition organizations towards to the fourth industrial revolution; Establish the challenges experienced by eThekwini municipality’s ICT department pertaining to the fourth industrial revolution in Durban KZN; Determine the recommendations to eThekwini municipality’s ICT department on the implementation of the criterion to adapt to the fourth industrial revolution in Durban, KZN

The study followed a qualitative research strategy and also exploited a phenomenological philosophy. The research instrument was interviews that were administered by the interviewer. The target population was 100 employees in the eThekwini municipality’s ICT department in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), Durban form which a sample of Ten (10) individual from the department that had been in the industry for five years. The study garnered a 100% percent response rate. It was established that the emerging firms are technically ready and geared up for Fourth Industrial Revolution (FIR). However, they face challenges such as lack of knowledge, skills, finance and experience to fully book their positions in the FIR arena. Thus, the government is advised to subsidise these forms so that they will be ready for change towards the FIR.

The research study has also discovered and established some of the issues with regard to the use of ICT to adapt to the fourth industrial revolution interface. All the engaged respondents seemed to have the some basic ICT tools that could enhance change towards Fourth Industrial Revolution and agreed that technology plays an important part in their businesses. They also acknowledge that they have limited knowledge about ICT and the knowledge economy, such that ICT decision-making within their businesses will be greatly affected. This study has revealed the weakness within the organisations of a lack of strategic direction with regard to ICT.

Keywords:

Fourth Industrial Revolution, Information and Communications Technology, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data.