The incessant pace of technology has birthed powerful tools for self-education and enrichment. At the same time, the perilous pace of progress renders some skillsets outmoded. In a recent Oxford study entitled <a href="https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Future of Employment</a>, researchers found that 47% of jobs are at risk of becoming computerized, including formerly secure careers in transportation, administration, and law.
Securing employment will become an exceedingly arduous task as we move into the future. As automation looms before us, so does economic uncertainty. In order to weather both, a wide array of skills must be attained. Luckily, there are some skills you can acquire to steel yourself against the ups and downs of a changing society. There are evergreen skills that once learned, may shield you from robot and recession alike.
Here are four skills that may help you brace yourself for the next wave of automation:
<ol>
<li> Social intelligence</li>
</ol>
Over the past few decades, automation has claimed <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/03/30/were-so-unprepared-for-the-robot-apocalypse/?utm_term=.7b0f5668ae4b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">millions of jobs</a>. Advancements in artificial intelligence could claim many more, as machines gain the ability to perform a broader range of complex tasks. While we have endowed machines with the ability to perform a variety of tasks, we have been unsuccessful in passing down human perceptiveness. What composes human perception and social intuition is somewhat uncertain to us, and therefore, impossible for us to mimic in software.
Smart software is far from being able to replicate human emotion or interact with genuine warmth, caring, or consideration. In other words, <a href="https://hbr.org/2017/02/the-rise-of-ai-makes-emotional-intelligence-more-important" target="_blank" rel="noopener">robots can’t relate</a>. Therefore, to stay relevant in one’s profession in the coming decade, hone your persuasive speaking skills, speaking candidly with civility, empathy, and grace.
<ol start="2">
<li> Creative thinking</li>
</ol>
Creativity is at the core of innovation, and innovation is always in demand. Creative thinking is the process by which we connect seemingly disparate information and synthesize solutions. This sounds simple enough, but it remains a distinctly human activity. Machines are able to produce reports and predictions; these predictions aren’t of much use without humans creating plans and strategies based on them. Collaboration and creativity are intricate tasks that <a href="https://blogs.wsj.com/cio/2017/05/24/cios-hold-out-hope-for-humans-as-automation-powers-more-it-processes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">humans will still perform better than robots</a> in the near future.
<ol start="3">
<li> Software development</li>
</ol>
Instead of fighting automation, help usher it in. Machine and <a href="https://www.toptal.com/machine-learning" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deep learning software applications</a> are booming and, at the moment, the complex software that powers advanced machines needs to be created, tweaked, and maintained by humans. Assist in building the next application for creating smart machines, utilizing open courseware and learning everything you can about the latest in data analysis and artificial intelligence.
<ol start="4">
<li> Adaptability</li>
</ol>
Recessions, depressions, and waves of automations can all be survived if you are devoted to maximizing your adaptability. There’s no clear trajectory of the global economy or artificial intelligence, therefore the most useful skill to acquire is the ability to use the environment to your advantage, whatever that environment may be.
In order to adapt, you must be willing to be open to any and all things, pivoting when necessary. When a recession hits, you must search for the options available to you and pursue them as vigorously as you possibly can. The same can be said for automation. If your job is in danger of being absorbed by automation, you will do well to respond quickly to the threat.
<a href="http://www.forbesafrica.com/technology/2017/06/13/create-jobs-age-robots-low-growth/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">READ MORE: How To Create Jobs In The Age Of Robots And Low Growth</a>
Advancing in one’s career requires constant learning. In the digital age, keeping your skills sharp is both incredibly easy and unnervingly difficult. Social intelligence and creative problem solving are still very much in demand, and almost impossible, at the present moment for artificial intelligence to mimic. Skills that complement development in artificial intelligence, such as software engineering and machine learning, should continue to have a healthy job market as these jobs will help usher in the next wave of automation. More valuable than any of these skills is adaptability. Responding to change in a logical manner, using all the tools available to you, will ensure the highest chance of success, regardless of economic conditions.

Four Skills to Make Yourself Robot and Recession-Proof

Growing up in Ulundi, in KwaZulu-Natal, Pearl Khethiwe Thusi would watch her mother sew her own clothes at home.
“I was fascinated to comprehend how ideas could be translated into tangible products,” says Thusi.
Those were her first lessons in creativity. In 2007, she completed a three-year diploma in Clothing and Textile at the Durban University of Technology, and relocated to Cape Town, where she worked for a few years. Soon, she launched her label, Pearls for EL, in 2012, designing and manufacturing genuine leather bags and African apparel for men and women.
Starting with 100 leather bags, sold through direct marketing, the brand gained recognition in the first eight months of its inception. Thusi became known as the ‘Bag Lady’, and secured trading space at Durban’s high-end boutiques. She soon opened her own studio in Glenwood, Durban.
Although she often travels to London, Turkey, and the United Kingdom to exhibit and connect with potential customers and investors, Thusi says her customer is here in Africa.
Of late, she has been doing business in North Africa, where she sees potential. In 2014, she supplied 1,000 leather bags, each worth $68, to Air Zimbabwe stewardesses. She also bagged a R3.4 million ($240,000) deal with Zambia Police, and has a continuing partnership with them. Thusi tells us more:
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What challenges have you faced as a woman in the industry?
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I think not many challenges as a woman but just as a general South African. Issues of funding are still a challenge. Often entrepreneurs want to implement ideas now. It is wonderful to have ideas but implementation requires finance which is a long process for approval and response.
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How would you inspire others with your clothing?
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I would like to see women believe in themselves and their dreams. We can’t all be entrepreneurs but in whatever space we play in, let’s do our best with good intentions and motives. Walk away fulfilled after executing a project, give it your best, be genuine and authentic and make your presence felt by being you.
How can businesses or corporates invest in local designers?
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By looking for ‘ideas that can change the world’. It takes time and patience to develop solid leads for investors. I think designers need to start creating and solving problems for today and the future through sustainable production of raw materials to the end product. You can attract investors for a small business with preparation, planning, strategy and proper research. Finding an investor may be the key to launching a start-up business successfully.
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Where do you see African fashion going?
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It looks exciting. More and more designers are focusing on producing quality products, utilizing different and exciting materials. So this really gives a sense of individuality amongst the designers and quite frankly, consumers do want to look different from what’s been offered in the past. Social media also puts pressure for consumers to always look relevant, so designers score here.

IMG-20151103-WA0010

Bagging It!

Susan Napier’s sprawling office in Johannesburg is every inch the colorful and creative space it should be, with a large wooden desk, a collage of photographs, mostly of her two young daughters, and a balcony that boasts a panoramic view of the Wanderers Golf Club. In a white lace dress, this 41-year-old Marketing Director of Ireland/Davenport, one of South Africa’s biggest advertising agencies within the global WPP network, fits seamlessly into this setting. It’s easy to see she is in love: with her family and this job that is her world.
“I consider myself to be ridiculously fortunate,” says Napier. Growing up in Durban, she was taught the importance of values, ethics and hard work.
“Advertising is not for the faint-hearted. You need to have a tough skin…You have to have that ability to manage a million balls at the same time.” Ireland/Davenport works with high-profile brands such as BMW, Investec and Brand South Africa. Napier lets us peek into her world:
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-29910 alignleft" src="http://www.forbesafrica.com/app/uploads/2015/02/IMG_0953-227x300.jpg" alt="" width="227" height="300" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/IMG_0953-227x300.jpg 227w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/IMG_0953-300x397.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/IMG_0953-600x795.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/IMG_0953.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 227px) 100vw, 227px" />
What thoughts have occupied your mind today?
We are in a strategic phase at Ireland/Davenport at the moment – it’s our 10th year of a business and while we have been incredibly fortunate to enjoy some wonderful success over the past decade, we want the next 10 years to be even more successful. So my thoughts are currently occupied with defining goals and objectives for the business for the immediate year ahead which will feed into a long-term strategy for the company. One that I hope will ensure Ireland/Davenport remains relevant, fresh and insightful both to our current and future clients. It’s all about future-proofing the agency and continuing to build on the solid foundations that have been laid over the past decade.
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What would utopia be to you?
Finding the ever-elusive balance between my work and my personal life, where I am completely fulfilled as a working woman and in myself, while having the quality time with my beautiful daughters and husband.
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Are women more creative than men?
Not at all! Creativity is innate and it manifests in so many different ways. I do however think women are more intuitive in general though which I believe does contribute enormously to exploring the many facets of creativity.
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Your most lavish holiday?
Benguerra Island in Mozambique in 2008 [for my honeymoon]; total luxury and privacy, magnificent food and the man I love.
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What do you fear?
Dying young and not being able to watch and help bring up my children.
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If you were given only one day to live, what would you do?
Without doubt I would spend it with my husband and children. The day would be simple, but we would eat the best food, drink the perfect wine, truly talk to one another and we would love&#8230;a lot!

Lucky And In Love

Some may mistake Brett Murray’s self-titled book of art as a course in realpolitik, and The Spear – his work that depicts South African President Jacob Zuma standing like Lenin, from the Victor Ivanov poster, while his genitals dangle from the open zipper of his trousers. It triggered a defamation lawsuit by the ruling African National Congress and was defaced in May 2012, at the Goodman Gallery in Johannesburg. Yet the book that chronicles his artworks over a career of 30 years is more than that. It is an interesting study about Murray’s catalogue as satire and political comment, where political factions spark racial divide as the rule, not the exception. This beautifully put-together book treats The Spear debacle as one pinnacle in a prolific career that is, at times, touching and melancholic. It tells the story of a non-conformist, who has been creating controversy since the get go.
Murray’s pop art is elegant and austere: simple form, bold color, in steel, sculpture and mixed media. Each work is an attack on neo-tribalism, tokenism, apartheid, cronyism and pretentiousness. Over the years, some critics have thought his attacks somewhat simple-minded, but most agree his work is classic in its own way. Murray’s art is peculiar, it touches on the tragedy and absurdity of our past and present, but at its core it grapples with South Africa’s failure to communicate its humane emptiness.
A lot of art nowadays is incoherent and meaningless; audiences are not required to connect, and it leaves the observer contemptuous and superior, as though they were watching a television advert – with a sense that they are being sold to. Murray’s pieces are old-school, virtuoso triumphs that work on a primitive notion that his issues are all surface and physical – a la his 2000 sculpture titled Africa, with its African statuette and several Bart Simpson faces stuck to its body. Is it about tradition selling out to commercialism? Afrocentrism buckling to Westernism? A clash of cultures? The analysis goes on.
Many present day artworks do not make one think, instead it is decorative and beautiful to look at. Art is meant to challenge, to make one feel a part of something again, not just as though one is lost in another city. Good art makes one care about how the country is faring, and makes one believe in collective possibility once again. I guess Murray understands that. He creates exhibitions that speak to its audience. It is not that we want all his work to be high art, it can be low art too – like his Heritage Collection with its steel animals and African curio feel – and still feel like high art.
What makes Murray timeless are his themes – his art can access the modern youth because he knows what touches them. The recurrence of themes in Murray’s work illustrates that each generation wants satire, just addressed in newer ways. Murray fulfils this need, but with each new artwork, he pushes the boundaries a little further – have we become that desensitized? Was The Spear a step too far? When South Africa was a young democracy, it enjoyed any art that laid bare its diversity. As the country’s democracy has become more nuanced, complicated, and tricky, it is harder to be straightforward.
There was a lot of talk about The Spear this time last year that our tastes and habits had changed, moved on from Murray’s kind of art. But that is preposterous. Part of the purpose of art is to open up debate. The artist’s job is to give a glimpse of what is really going on below the surface. Murray does that with a simple angle: subversive gesture. His book reflects that modus operandi. It also makes it clear that his straight-shooting style will never go out of fashion, because it never loses sight of its primary reason: it is not intended to be solemn, but smart, inventive and deliberately absurd. That makes for good art.

Another Sharp Spear Point From Murray

As Cape Town basked in the glory of being named the World Design Capital 2014, the words ‘design, creativity and innovation’ rang loud at this year’s Design Indaba held in the popular Western Cape city. The annual conference focused on how these elements can positively impact the world.
<div id="attachment_6172" style="width: 210px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-6172" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-6172" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FWA-2014-Apr-May-060-063-FSH-Design-ind-001-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" />Shweta Wahi</div>
It was an early March weekend of fun and discovery for the creatives, artists, designers, hipsters – and ordinary folks – who made their way to the Cape Town International Conference Centre (CTICC). There were 500 exhibitors, from Mikhela Hawker, who makes lampshades from recycled plastic bottles to others, such as Galago, which designs and tailor-makes leather sandals on the spot, in less than 15 minutes.
Part of the event was a three-day conference on creativity, which included talks by some of the world’s top entrepreneurs, creative minds and trendsetters, such as computer scientist Juliana Rotich from non-profit tech company Ushahidi, Ivorian architect Issa Diabaté, and South African photographer David Goldblatt. Tickets sold out quickly and for those who could not attend, the conference was simultaneously broadcast across four South African cities.
<div id="attachment_6160" style="width: 210px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-6160" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-6160" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FWA-2014-Apr-May-060-063-FSH-Design-ind-007-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" />Kathrin Kidger</div>
The Design Indaba is a platform for exhibitors to showcase their products to consumers and industry buyers. Hearing the story behind the conceptualization, design and creation of a product directly from the people who make them, also helps drive sales.
One designer present at the event was Susan Slee, the owner of Maneki and creator of Mannetjie van Staal – meaning ‘little men of steel’ in Afrikaans. This former goldsmith and jewelry designer displayed an ethnic and animal-themed range of cutlery. Her fascination with the simplicity and quirkiness of children’s drawings led to the creation of the van Staal family. Her stainless steel cutlery range features six characters, each with a name and story. The range has since expanded to wood, carved by Zimbabwean artist Nathan Kenias.
<div id="attachment_6167" style="width: 210px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-6167" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-6167" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FWA-2014-Apr-May-060-063-FSH-Design-ind-014-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" />Kathrin Kidger</div>
Yet another participant was Palesa Litha, an emerging designer who studied music before moving on to jewelry design. Her 2014 range, manufactured at an incubator in Rustenburg in the North West province of South Africa, explores the parallels between music and design.
The showcased designers were required to have at least two years’ experience in retail and had to have attended various workshops throughout the year, encompassing everything from costing and retail management to media training. Ten of these designers will now  go on to be a part of the South African collective at international trade fairs in in 2014 and 2015.
The Cape Town Fashion Council (CTFC) booked a R1-million ($93,722) space – the largest at the expo – to showcase 40 emerging and established designers. The CTFC develops entrepreneurship among designers and wants to shift fashion away from being about aesthetics towards embracing a sustainable business model.
<div id="attachment_6170" style="width: 210px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-6170" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-6170" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FWA-2014-Apr-May-060-063-FSH-Design-ind-018-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" />Shweta Wahi</div>
Bryan Ramkilawan, Chief Executive Officer of the CTFC, is working on partnerships across Africa and wants to share intellectual property to get the local and African design industry to where it should be.
South African consumers are starting to pay more attention to local rather than international designs, says Ramkilawan. Three days of sales at the pop-up stores totaled R1.1 million ($103,116), this excluded buyer sales estimated at R2.5 million ($234,327). All the money from the sales went to the designers.
Whether it is fashion, décor, music or art, be sure to head to this year’s World Design Capital. In the words of Ramkilawan, “design is a way of life”.
What design means to them
<h6>Shweta Wahi,</h6>
<h6>Fashion Designer</h6>
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-6163" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FWA-2014-Apr-May-060-063-FSH-Design-ind-010-201x300.jpg" alt="" width="201" height="300" />
“Design to me, is all about exploring the creative tidbits from my childhood, what&#8217;s in front of me right now, the colors I see, the people I meet, the way a piece of fabric falls on the body, the way it feels &#8211; it’s a matter of perfecting how it feels and looks to express myself and tell my story.”
<h6>David Tlale, Fashion Designer</h6>
<div id="attachment_6164" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-6164" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-6164" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FWA-2014-Apr-May-060-063-FSH-Design-ind-011-300x214.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="214" />Fashion designer David Tlale at his Sandton store; Johannesburg, 1 November 2011 &#8211; Photo by Brett Eloff.</div>
“Design means innovation, it means evolving, it means moving forward, it means how you reinterpret what has already been done.”
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<h6>Jeanne van den Heever, Product Designer</h6>
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-6166" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FWA-2014-Apr-May-060-063-FSH-Design-ind-013-201x300.jpg" alt="" width="201" height="300" />
“It means coming up with something creative, especially if you can add function to that in styling.”
<h6>Palesa Litha, Designer</h6>
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-6165" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FWA-2014-Apr-May-060-063-FSH-Design-ind-012-201x300.jpg" alt="" width="201" height="300" />
“It is a different way of thinking. It’s science, it’s philosophy and it’s a way of living.”
<h6>Weaving Cultures</h6>
<h6>Elbé Coetsee brought rural appeal to urban folk at the Design Indaba</h6>
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-6162" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FWA-2014-Apr-May-060-063-FSH-Design-ind-009-201x300.jpg" alt="" width="201" height="300" />
In the late eighties, Elbé Coetsee and her husband moved to a game farm in rural Limpopo, South Africa. Based 15 kilometers from Botswana and 18 kilometers from Zimbabwe, Coetsee often encountered women who were looking for work even as their husbands toiled away on the roads and farms. Coetsee took up the role of mentor, teaching the women to weave, embroider, bead, make candles and paint. This provided a great platform to exchange cultures.
“It’s a wonderful experience to be able to learn from them and share some of my culture with them. I really think it’s about bridging gaps and having an understanding for another’s culture.”
Soon the orders came rolling in. In 1994, Coetsee registered the company under Mogalakwena Craft Art Development Foundation, named after one of the main rivers in Limpopo; Mogalakwena, meaning fierce crocodile.
Twenty years on, the company has grown to 20 employees who handcraft dainty table linen, placemats, table cloths, serviettes and scatter cushions, distributed and sold throughout South Africa. Although living rural comes with its challenges, such as being in remote areas away from the trappings of the city, not to mention traveling on dust roads, Coetsee says being surrounded and inspired by nature brings her a joy she cannot describe. Coetsee says the Design Indaba allowed her to showcase her work to an audience that would otherwise not have been able to see it. “It was our most successful Design Indaba,” she says.
<h6>Micro-mini</h6>
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-6161" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FWA-2014-Apr-May-060-063-FSH-Design-ind-008-300x201.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="201" />
The Design Indaba also got to the heart of objects, and how. The ‘color one’ installation for Mini, by Scholten &amp; Baijings from Amsterdam, dissected the design and composition of a Mini One car. The car manufacturer also displayed the Mini Connected system’s Dynamic Music function, a feature that adjusts the rhythm of music according to the drivers&#8217; driving style. The faster one drives, the louder the music. Attendees at the event could create their own remixes on the Mini dance floor, which was equipped with motion sensors.
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Tag: Creativity

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

Four Skills to Make Yourself Robot and Recession-Proof

Bagging It!

Lucky And In Love

Another Sharp Spear Point From Murray

Africa By Design