Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) participated in the 5th Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) Summit, held from 16 –17 April 2026 under the theme “Living and Working in a Changing World.” The Summit convened key stakeholders from government, business, labour, and civil society to align on South Africa’s human resource development priorities and strengthen collaboration in building a skilled, inclusive, and capable workforce for the future.
The keynote address was delivered by the Deputy President and Chairperson of the Human Resource Development Council, Mr Paul Mashatile, who formally launched the Reconceptualised Human Resource Development Strategy and the Master Skills Plan (MSP). These frameworks are designed to strengthen partnerships between the education sector and industry, and to expand opportunities for young people to actively participate in the economy.
BUSA’s contribution has been critical to the formulation of the strategy and MSP, shaping the discussions and reinforcing the importance of a responsive and future-fit skills development system. Our objectives are to support fundamental redesign and a systemic shift from a compliance-driven, administratively bloated framework to a responsive, outcomes-linked, digitally enabled skills ecosystem that serves growth, employment and social transformation. “One country, one plan” is supported by Business marking the need for efficient collaboration between social partners while improving the responsiveness of the Post School Education and Training systems to demand.
The summit highlighted that while we look towards the skills revolution, we need to mobilise all of our efforts to areas of priority, with strong governance controls. This is the sixth strategy in existence which is unique in nature because of its accompanying implementation plan. Unless this plan is socialised effectively at a provincial level, the workforce will remain misaligned to economy needs.
In his opening remarks, the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Mr Buti Manamela, emphasised the importance of integrating digital skills into all skills development initiatives to enhance South Africa’s global competitiveness.
“We must ensure that our skills development system is responsive to the demands of a rapidly evolving digital economy, equipping individuals with the capabilities required to compete globally,” said Minister Manamela.
BUSA CEO and HRDC member, Mr Khulekani Mathe, contributed to a panel discussion on “Living and Working in a Changing World: The Impact of Digital Technology Across Sectors,” where he highlighted the urgent need to confront and capitalise on the digital age with tenacity and collaboration in an effort to create new jobs.
