AI Advocate Professor from Stellenbosch Promotes Technology to Empower Young Business Owners and Small-scale Enterprises
In South Africa, where youth unemployment stands critically high, a new solution is emerging: AI-powered coaching and career tools. These innovative technologies are bridging the gap for those not reached by traditional methods, providing personalized career guidance, skills assessments, and job matching based on real-time labor market data.
Professor Nicky Terblanche, Head of Leadership Coaching at Stellenbosch Business School, is at the forefront of this movement. Terblanche and his team have developed AI coaching tools, including "Coach Vici," an app that combines mentoring elements with scientifically grounded coaching principles.
One such platform, Tshepo 1Million, uses psychometric assessments combined with AI to guide unemployed youth towards suitable opportunities, tackling the mismatch between education and job market demands. Similarly, the Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator leverages Google Cloud and AI to build scalable, cost-effective job-matching platforms, identifying young people’s transferable skills and connecting them to available jobs, even in areas without internet access.
However, localizing AI-powered coaching tools in South Africa presents challenges. Infrastructure deficits, such as limited rural internet connectivity and high data costs, restrict widespread access. Digital literacy and skills gaps among youth and educators limit the effective use of AI tools. Additionally, a lack of local AI expertise is needed to develop and tailor AI solutions that fit South African socio-economic contexts. Policy and coordination gaps also hinder the integration of AI tools with education and employment frameworks.
To overcome these challenges, partnerships with governments and private sectors are crucial to improve infrastructure and enable zerorated access, as seen in the Harambee-Google collaboration. Embedding AI into general education and vocational training can produce AI-augmented skills demanded by employers, including creativity, data literacy, and critical thinking. Scaling AI coaching solutions that account for local languages, informal work skills, and cultural contexts can enhance relevance and uptake.
Moreover, AI coaching holds the potential to stimulate entrepreneurship among digitally proficient youth, thereby diversifying economic participation beyond traditional job markets. AI coaching, unlike traditional mentorship, focuses on empowering individuals through self-reflection and solution-oriented thinking, democratizing development at scale, particularly for those without access to experienced mentors or career coaches.
Recent research supports the effectiveness of AI coaching. A peer-reviewed study found the cognitive behavioral model of AI chatbot coaching to be the most effective in developing users' emotional intelligence. Feedback from pilot programs with young entrepreneurs and SME owners has been overwhelmingly positive, with participants reporting feeling more motivated, confident, and supported by the AI coaching.
Professor Terblanche calls for investment to localize AI coaching tools to make them more culturally relevant and scalable. He urges stakeholders, including the National Skills Fund and Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), to prioritize AI coaching in national development strategies. Terblanche also advocates for a national conversation about how AI can augment, not replace, human development.
In conclusion, AI-powered coaching offers a scalable solution to South Africa’s youth unemployment crisis by enhancing access to career guidance and skills development. Success depends on overcoming infrastructural, educational, and talent challenges to localize tools effectively and sustainably. Public-private partnerships and national funding support are needed to make AI coaching truly scalable and locally relevant.
- AI research in the field of education and self-development, such as Professor Nicky Terblanche's work at Stellenbosch Business School, is focusing on localizing AI-powered coaching tools to make them more culturally relevant and scalable.
- The effectiveness of AI coaching, as demonstrated by recent research, has shown promising results in developing users' emotional intelligence, with AI chatbot coaching based on cognitive behavioral models being particularly effective.
- To stimulate personal growth and entrepreneurship among digitally proficient youth in South Africa, it is crucial to prioritize investment in AI technology for education and self-development, and to make it available at no cost through partnerships with governments and private sectors.
