We used to discuss the future of work as if it were something distant. This is something our children would have to worry about. But let us be honest – it is already here. 

The jobpocalypse is not a distant storm on the horizon, but it is happening right now, quietly reshaping the way we live, work and survive. 

Jobs are disappearing – not because people are not trying hard enough, but because the world is changing faster than we ever imagined. 

Machines are performing tasks that we thought only humans could accomplish. Algorithms are making decisions, writing reports and even handling customer service. While that sounds like progress, it is also deeply unsettling. 

In Namibia, we are feeling the pressure. Young people are graduating into a job market that is shrinking. 

Many are stuck in roles that may not exist in five years. Others are watching their industries change overnight, with no clear roadmap for what comes next. It is not just about unemployment anymore – it is about irrelevance. 

That is the real danger. Being left behind is not because you did not work hard, but because the rules changed and no one told you. We need to stop waiting for things to go back to normal. That version of normal is gone. The old way of thinking – study hard, get a job and stay there until retirement – is fading fast. 

We need to start asking different questions – not ‘What job can I get?’ but ‘What value can I bring?’ That shift in mindset is everything. The people who will thrive are not necessarily the smartest or the most qualified. 

They are the ones who stay curious – those who learn new things, and who are not afraid to start over. Relevance is the new job security. If you can adapt, you can survive. 

If you can solve problems, you will always be needed. For companies, this means hiring differently, training differently, and looking beyond CVs and degrees. 

It means building teams that can grow, not just perform. The truth is, the best person for the job might not exist yet. You may have to help them become that person. For each of us, it means taking charge of our own growth. 

No one’s coming to save us – not our employers, not the government, and not even our qualifications. We have to be our own rescue plan: learn, unlearn, relearn and repeat. 

This is not the end of work. 

It is the start of something new – something more flexible and more creative – maybe even more fulfilling. However, it is possible only if we are willing to evolve. The jobpocalypse does not have to be a disaster. 

It can be a wake-up call – a chance to build a workforce that is ready for whatever comes next. We need to stop thinking of jobs as fixed destinations because they are not. They are evolving ecosystems, and we need to evolve with them. 

That means embracing both digital and human skills, empathy, creativity and collaboration. These are the things machines cannot replicate. 

These are the things that will keep us relevant. So, let us stop waiting for the future. 

It is already here, and the only way through it is forward. 

*Celeste Nangolo is the Human Capital Manager at Old Mutual Namibia.