The impact of the 4th industrial revolution on quantity surveying education in South Africa: A qualitative overview on soft skill requirements

The 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) impacts all economic sectors and forces adaptation to the new reality. The construction sector is not shielded from these changes, thus requiring the quantity surveying industry to adapt its approach to education and professional competencies. The current higher education system in South Africa might not be equipped to address the changes and challenges related to the 4IR. The study aims to identify the specific soft skills required and the level of education needed to equip quantity surveying students to be successful and to be able to adapt to the workforce of the 4IR. Through a qualitative overview, the researcher investigated whether the current education received by quantity surveying students is equipping them with the necessary soft skills. The study's key findings showed that graduates might not be adequately equipped for adaptation to the 4IR workforce.