IAB SA Calls For Ongoing Skills Development As Technology Reshapes Digital Marketing

Chris Borain, executive director of IAB South Africa says continuous learning is digital marketing’s most powerful advantage (Image supplied)

We’ve reached a defining moment in human history, one that is shaped by the accelerating pace of technological change.

Never before has the full spectrum of human creativity, knowledge and achievement been so accessible.

What once took lifetimes to discover is now easily available in seconds with just a click of a mouse or a tap on a screen.

The question is no longer whether we have access to intelligence but how deliberately and responsibly we choose to use it.

History reminds us that moments like this reshape civilisation.

The Renaissance ignited a cultural and intellectual awakening that redefined humanity’s relationship with art, science and self-expression.

The Industrial Revolution transformed labour and productivity, while the Digital Revolution collapsed distance and democratised information on a global scale.

Today, we stand at another point of inflexion, one driven by artificial intelligence (AI), automation and data abundance.

Collective intelligence in a time of rapid change

For the digital media and marketing industry, the pace and scale of this shift are profound. Tools, platforms and channels are evolving faster than organisation structures can adapt.

Skills that were once considered advanced are quickly becoming baseline.

In this environment, no single organisation, agency or brand can navigate change in isolation.

The velocity of innovation demands shared intelligence, continuous learning and trusted spaces where insights can be tested, debated and applied.

This is where industry bodies play a critical role.

As an industry body, IAB South Africa exists to help the sector build the knowledge, capability and confidence required to operate in a fast-changing, AI-driven landscape.

Our role is not to chase trends but to provide clarity, connecting global developments to local realities and translating complexity into practical, actionable understanding.

Through initiatives, such as the IAB SA Insights Webinar Series, the organisation helps the industry move beyond hype and speculation toward grounded, actionable understanding.

These sessions unpack emerging technologies, platforms and behavioural shifts, helping practitioners understand not just what is changing but why it matters for South Africa’s unique market context.

In an environment defined by uncertainty, insight becomes a stabilising force.

Equally important is access to learning at a global level. Through its affiliation with the international IAB network, IAB South Africa provides members with access to global research, frameworks, standards, and learning and development opportunities across 47 markets worldwide.

This ensures South African practitioners are not operating in isolation but are learning alongside peers facing the same AI-driven disruptions while still applying those learnings to local challenges.

Continuous innovation also requires practical engagement with emerging technologies.

This is why innovation-focused platforms, such as the global IAB Tech Lab, are valuable as they provide exposure to evolving standards, experimentation and collaborative problem-solving.

As AI increasingly shapes media trading, data use and content ecosystems, understanding how these systems work becomes just as important as understanding what they produce.

Literacy in data, algorithms and interoperability is now as fundamental as creative or strategic capability.

A shift from technology to cognition

While technology is accelerating change, the most significant disruption is not technological; it’s cognitive.

AI is already influencing how content is created, distributed, targeted, optimised and measured.

Generative AI tools are reshaping creativity, personalisation and consumer engagement, while algorithmic systems increasingly inform media investment and decision-making.

Yet the real challenge lies in how professionals think, evaluate information and exercise judgment.

The risk is not that machines will replace marketers but that marketers who fail to evolve will be overtaken by those who do.

In an AI-driven world, learning is not about keeping up; it is about maintaining relevance, agency and strategic clarity.

The human advantage in an automated world

There is also a deeply human dimension to this shift.

As automation expands, human skills grow in value. Critical thinking, creativity, ethical reasoning, cultural intelligence and empathy cannot be automated in any meaningful way.

But they must be actively developed. These capabilities can only be cultivated through exposure, learning and continuous professional growth.For brands and agencies, this requires another shift, one that is deeply embedded in culture.

Learning can no longer be confined to annual training programmes or compliance exercises.

It must be integrated into daily practice where curiosity is encouraged, experimentation is supported, and failure is treated as insight rather than risk.

Organisations that invest in learning ecosystems adapt faster, attract stronger talent and make better decisions in moments of uncertainty.

To steer the future, rather than simply react to it, we must commit to continuous learning. Not as a trend, but as a mindset. Not individually, but together.