THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION - ITS IMPACT ON THE SOUTH AFRICAN PUBLIC SECTOR Sanjay Balkaran Walter Sisulu University (047) 5022589 / 0711282104 sbalkaran@wsu.ac.za / sanjay.balkaran@gmail.com Abstract South Africa is at the precipice of the "Fourth Industrial Revolution” which it is perceived will fundamentally disrupt and transform the way we work. This new rubric of technological innovations is characterised by a fusion of technologies that blur the lines between the physical, digital, biological and neuro-technological spheres. The apprehension over human jobs being replaced with cobots, a robot intended to physically interact with humans in a shared workspace, is palpable. Skills instability is expected to impact all industries. There are fears that the poor and non-skilled would be plunged into even deeper deprivation with the rise of the digital era. The country has one of the most militant working classes in the world and the labour unions as members of the tripartite alliance, mitigate that South Africa needs to invest in human capital rather than technology. One of the challenges facing South Africa is that its leaders are stuck in a protectionist mode; yet embrace technology. Despite an unfavourable economic backdrop, President Jacob Zuma’s support for technology is that it must be tackled head-on; advocating South Africa’s use of this technological paradigm shift to be part of the advancement as opposed to mere late adopters. Policymakers may be required to intervene to tackle the widening inequality from the introduction of new technology as the richest stand to gain more than the poorer sections of society. Stakeholders as yet are divisive how it will unfold, but one thing is clear: the response to it must be integrated and comprehensive. This paper will adopt a socio-evolution theoretical framework to research the interrelatedness of the variables in this nascent technological system and its impact on the public sector, public administration and management. Key Words: Technology; revolution, adopters, inequality, paradigm