Harnessing Smart Artificial Intelligence for Industrial 4.0: A South African Case Study of Manufacturing Industry

The global trend towards Industry 4.0 has raised demand to incorporate technology in the manufacturing industry. This new paradigm requires cyber-physical systems, the Internet of Things (IoT), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance the efficiency and competitiveness of traditional industrial methods. Industry 4.0 incorporates Smart Artificial Intelligence (SAI) to enhance efficiency, digitalise production, and automate the intelligent processing of commodities. Despite the benefits SAI technology carries, many South African industries struggle to realise its full potential due to resource and financial constraints. This chapter discusses the challenges of SAI adoption and how the manufacturing sector leverages SAI to enhance its productivity and competitiveness. A systematic literature review was conducted. ScienceDirect publications from 2022-2025 period were reviewed. Only the review and research papers, focusing on the SA manufacturing industry, were considered. The findings reveal how the use of SAI in South Africa (SA) is hindered, thereby constraining innovation and productivity. SAI promotes manufacturing in the country; inadequate infrastructure, a lack of funding are the biggest obstacles to implementing SAI in SA. A contribution about how SAI technology is leveraged in the SA manufacturing industry was established, advancing knowledge that may inform industry leaders.