WINDHOEK – Nedbank Namibia will introduce Pepper, a humanoid robot, to learners at the Nedbank Career Expo which started Wednesday at the Windhoek Country Club and will end on Friday, 24 May 2019. Pepper is visiting Windhoek while taking a few days leave from his fulltime job as a client experience ambassador at Nedbank’s digital branch called the NZone in Sandton, Johannesburg.
“We are extremely excited about Pepper’s visit. It will bring something unique to the Career Expo and offer learners a peek into some of the technological advancements of the past 10 years,” says Gernot de Klerk, Head of Marketing and Communication at Nedbank Namibia.
Created by SoftBank, a Japanese company, the robot can be programmed to recognise voice, principal human emotions, chat with customers and answer questions, notes De Klerk. “The robot is interactive, progressive and autonomous, and will continue to evolve and grow with Nedbank,” says De Klerk. When Pepper was launched in March 2018, it was the first humanoid robot to have been deployed by any Southern African organisation.
Nedbank Namibia is sponsoring the Career Expo to the amount of N$250 000. Organisers are expecting approximately 4000 learners to attend the 2019 Nedbank Career Expo. Buses will transport learners from various schools in and around Windhoek to the expo. School learners will have an opportunity to view the different stands and speak to diverse companies and universities. The expo will also feature a Speakers’ Hall where industry leaders share their expertise about prospective careers and how the world of work might look like in the future.
“The banking industry is experiencing lightning fast digitisation and Nedbank is part of the current industrial revolution. We would like to encourage learners to attend the Career Expo and come and meet Pepper,” says De Klerk. He also encouraged schools to contact Executive Director of the Nedbank Namibia Careers Expo Abed Erastus to arrange for visitation slots.