South Africa, Jan. 19 -- Below are the macro, micro, and mega-trends shaping HR and management in 2026 and beyond - and what leaders must do to steer the future.

1. AI moves from experiment to enterprise

Artificial intelligence (AI) has shifted from being a novelty to becoming the backbone of HR operations. By 2026, one-third of organisations expect hiring to be fully AI-powered, while predictive analytics and AI-driven workforce planning will be mainstream. Yet, Gartner reports that up to 95% of AI pilots fail because adoption lacks strategy, governance, and trust.

Robert Walters Africa insight: Organisations using AI effectively see up to 30% lower hiring costs and faster time-to-hire, but bias and privacy risks remain top concerns f...