Discovering Young South Africans' Views on Service Robots in Nature Tourism

A groundbreaking study from the University of Johannesburg (UJ) reveals how South African millennials and Generation Z perceive service robots in nature-based tourism settings. Published in January 2026 in the Journal of Tourism Futures, the research uncovers a nuanced embrace of innovative robot designs alongside significant worries about job displacement.

Service robots, defined as autonomous or semi-autonomous machines that perform tasks traditionally handled by humans in service environments like hotels or tours, are gaining traction globally. In South Africa, where nature-based tourism—think Kruger National Park safaris or Cape Town coastal retreats—employs millions, these robots could transform operations. Yet, the UJ study highlights a tension: excitement for unique, animal-inspired robots versus fears they could worsen the nation's youth unemployment crisis, hovering around 44% officially and up to 57% in expanded measures as of late 2025.

Study Methodology: Voices from 40 Young South Africans

Lead researcher Professor Gijsbert Hoogendoorn from UJ's Department of Geography, Environmental Management and Energy Studies collaborated with Anneli Douglas from the University of Pretoria and Greg Richards from Tilburg University. They conducted semi-structured online interviews with 40 diverse participants: 20 millennials (born 1981-1996) and 20 Gen Zers (born 1997-2010), spanning genders and population groups.

Using purposive and snowball sampling, interviews averaged 20 minutes and explored human-robot interaction factors like attitudes, functionality, appearance, and impacts. Thematic analysis via Excel coding achieved data saturation, ensuring rigorous insights into this exploratory qualitative work.

• Diverse sample: Represented South Africa's multicultural fabric, from urban Johannesburg to rural areas.
• Focus: Hypothetical scenarios in nature reserves, like robots delivering room service.
• Ethics: Full informed consent and institutional clearance.

This approach provides a foundational snapshot, calling for larger quantitative follow-ups.

Embracing Unique Designs: Animal-Like Robots Fit Nature Perfectly

Young participants showed enthusiasm for 'zoomorphic' robots mimicking animals, with 21 of 40 favoring designs like a Labrador carrying luggage or a warthog as a guide. These 'unique service robots' blend seamlessly into wildlife settings, avoiding the 'uncanny valley' creepiness of human-like androids.

"If I see a robot that looks like a human, I’ll go the other way. It’s not natural," one respondent noted. Animal forms, influenced by Disney's The Lion King, evoke familiarity without real wildlife dangers. Nine preferred anthropomorphic (humanoid) bots for familiarity, while others wanted functional machines hidden in landscapes.

Gen Z, shaped by media, saw these as 'cool' enhancements, prioritizing novelty over authenticity in controlled tourism zones.

Ideal Roles: Efficiency Without Replacing Humans

Respondents envisioned robots handling repetitive tasks: 23 for information provision, 15 for check-ins, 8 for orders. Luggage handling, cleaning, and room service followed. Crucially, robots should assist staff, freeing humans for empathetic, cultural interactions—core to South African hospitality.

Benefits included 24/7 reliability (no 'bad days'), multilingual support, and reduced guest anxiety: "You’re never going to feel stupid asking a question to a robot." Yet, 28 preferred humans overall in nature escapes, valuing emotional connections.

Job Security Alarms: A Threat to Vulnerable Youth Employment

Amid South Africa's dire youth joblessness—43.8% in Q4 2025, affecting 10.3 million aged 15-24—alarms rang loud. Nature tourism, contributing 2.9% to GDP and jobs, risks automation-driven losses, unlike labor-short Asia.

Gen Z emphasized social justice: inequality exacerbation in the Global South. Prof. Hoogendoorn observed, “The Gen Zs were slightly more orientated towards the social justice aspect than the millennials." Participants urged: no job replacement implications.

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Photo by Mpho Mojapelo on Unsplash

Generational Nuances in Attitudes

Millennials, with more life experience, prioritized tech-free nature immersion. Gen Z, digitally native, balanced innovation with equity concerns.

Implications for South African Tourism and Economy

Tourism providers must design sensitively: animal bots, clear human augmentation messaging. Infrastructure upgrades (robot-friendly paths) could boost destinations but strain resources.Read the full UJ press release.

Globally first for nature tourism, it spotlights Global South perspectives versus Western/Asian studies.

UJ's Leadership in Robotics and Tourism Research

UJ pioneers via its UniPod with UNDP—Africa's 15th innovation hub featuring AI/robotics labs. Earlier works like student perceptions of autonomous robots reinforce themes: efficiency yes, jobs no.

Check UJ opportunities at South African university jobs.

Higher Education's Role: Upskilling for the Robotics Era

South African universities counter fears with AI/robotics training. UJ, Stellenbosch, and others partner for youth programs. ITU/Google initiatives train teachers in AI/robotics for schools, cascading to HE.

• Department of Higher Education's digital academies with private sector.
• AI for Youth Africa: contextualized tracks from beginner to advanced.
• STEM pushes at UJ, preparing graduates for hybrid roles.

Reskilling in programming, maintenance creates jobs. Explore higher ed jobs in tech.

Challenges: Infrastructure, Inequality, and Policy Needs

Load-shedding hampers adoption; skills gaps persist. Policymakers must incentivize augmentation, fund HE robotics curricula. Unlike Scandinavia's self-service, SA needs inclusive strategies.

Photo by Lilishia Gounder on Unsplash

Future Outlook: Opportunities Amid Cautious Optimism

With thoughtful integration, service robots enhance tourism competitiveness, creating maintenance/programming jobs. HE must lead: UJ's research signals readiness. Youth embracing unique bots signals openness, if jobs secured.

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