Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister, Dr Nomusa Dube-Ncube, has officially launched a new Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) Centre of Excellence alongside three Centres of Specialisation at the South Cape TVET College’s Mossel Bay Campus. The facilities were established through a combined investment of more than R24 million from the Education, Training and Development Practices SETA (ETDP SETA), the Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services SETA (MerSETA), the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), Intel, and HP.

The newly established infrastructure introduces specialized training paths designed for modern industrial demands. The 4IR Centre of Excellence brings robotics, automation, artificial intelligence, and smart manufacturing technologies directly into the TVET classrooms. Meanwhile, the three Centres of Specialisation target specific trade skills: electrical students will train in renewable energy systems; boilermaking students will cover fabrication, welding, and computer-aided design; and automotive motor mechanics students will learn to service hybrid and electric vehicles.

This launch marks the expansion of a growing national network of public 4IR training facilities, following previous rollouts at Eastcape Midlands TVET College, Flavius Mareka TVET College, and Letaba TVET College. By embedding advanced digital competencies like coding and AI alongside traditional vocational trades, the initiative signals a state-level effort to modernise South Africa's technical training sector and align graduate capabilities with emerging green energy and smart manufacturing industries.