The fourth industrial revolution (4IR) is gaining national and global attention as the ‘new phase’ of development that will address a wide range of social and economic issues in societies. Like its predecessors, the 4IR is portrayed as the new era that offers opportunities to improve human lives, lead the world out of crises and toward a better future for humankind. The 4IR is associated with disruptive technologies including robotics, the internet, nanotechnologies, genomics artificial intelligence, virtual reality and many other technologies. Collectively, these technologies will combine as a transformative force that addresses a wide range of socio-economic problems. This is the thundering and dominant message about the 4IR that is echoed by those with power, global economic institutions, as well as the political leadership.