As Africa strides into a future shaped by technology and rapid economic transformation, one question remains critical: Are we protecting the people building our future?
On April 28, the world marks World Day for Safety and Health at Work, a day to reaffirm the universal right to a safe, healthy, and dignified working environment. This year’s theme, “The Role of AI and Digitalisation at Work,” focuses on how innovation can enhance worker safety, but also warns of the new challenges technology can bring if we are not proactive.
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For Africa, where millions of workers, especially those in agriculture, mining, construction, and the informal sector, are exposed to unsafe conditions daily, the message is urgent.
Africa’s Workplace Safety Reality
Despite global progress, workplace safety remains a major concern across the continent.
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), occupational accidents cause approximately 175,000 deaths annually in sub-Saharan Africa. Alarmingly, about 80% of Africa’s workforce operates within the informal economy, where protections are weak or nonexistent.
The ILO World Employment and Social Outlook 2024 also highlights a troubling trend: Africa is seeing a 10% annual rise in work-related illnesses, driven by poor ventilation, exposure to toxic substances, outdated equipment, and unsafe structures.
In sectors like mining and agriculture, the fatal injury rates remain up to five times higher than global averages.
Without decisive action, technology risks deepening these inequalities, creating a divide between protected and unprotected workers in Africa’s economies.
The Double-Edged Sword of AI and Digitalisation
There is no doubt that technology holds transformative power for workplace safety. Smart systems can detect hazards early, predictive analytics can foresee dangers, and automation can remove workers from life-threatening environments. Wearable technology is already being used globally to monitor workers’ health in real time.
Yet, Africa must also guard against unintended consequences. Without careful regulation and ethical use, digitalisation could lead to job displacement, data privacy violations, and a new form of exclusion, where only privileged sectors benefit from safety innovations.
Technology must serve all workers, not just a few.
Barriers Africa Must Overcome
Several obstacles continue to hamper workplace safety efforts: weak or outdated regulatory frameworks, chronic underinvestment in occupational safety and health (OSH) systems, and limited training for both employers and workers.
Moreover, the dominance of informal work presents a structural challenge. In these sectors, workers often lack even basic protections, leaving them highly vulnerable to accidents and diseases.
If Africa is to capitalise on AI and digitalisation for safety, these foundational gaps must be urgently addressed.
We urge governments, businesses, labor unions, and civil society across the continent to take bold, coordinated action. Governments need to modernise OSH laws and ensure their enforcement, especially in rapidly digitising sectors. Businesses must invest in smart safety technologies and adopt ethical standards for data protection and inclusion. Unions and community leaders must educate and empower workers to demand and uphold their right to safety.
Workplace safety must become non-negotiable, seen not as an expense but as a fundamental driver of Africa’s economic and social transformation.
Safer Workplaces, Stronger Africa
As Africa embraces AI and innovation, the ultimate test will be whether these advances reach and protect the most vulnerable.
This World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2025, Africa must commit to building safer, smarter workplaces where every worker, whether in a Nairobi tech startup or a cocoa farm in Côte d’Ivoire, can work without fear, contribute with pride, and dream with dignity.
Because true progress leaves no worker behind.
