Students’ readiness for the posthuman workforce in a rurally located university in South Africa

The rapid advancement of digital tools, artificial intelligence, and global connectivity is reshaping workforce expectations, rendering it crucial to understand how students in rural and historically disadvantaged universities are preparing for such changes. These students often encounter compounded barriers, including inadequate digital infrastructure, outdated learning tools, limited exposure to emerging technologies, and scarce opportunities for practical collaboration, all of which impede their acquisition of the skills and competencies necessary to thrive in a posthuman environment. Guided by the Technological Acceptance Model and further interpreted through Van Dijk’s Digital Divide Model and Sen’s Capability Approach within a transformative paradigm employing participatory action research as a design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 fourth-year rural university students selected through convenience sampling, and the data were analysed thematically. The findings reveal that poor connectivity, limited access to modern learning tools, reduced exposure to advanced technologies, and inadequate opportunities for practical application collectively hinder students’ preparedness for technology-driven work environments. Despite these challenges, students exhibit resilience, adaptability, and problem-solving potential—qualities that are valuable for the evolving workforce. The study concludes that targeted interventions to improve infrastructure, enhance access to digital tools, provide structured exposure to emerging technologies, and strengthen digital literacy programmes are essential to bridging the preparedness gap and enabling rural students to thrive in the posthuman workforce. Consequently, this article contributes to the literature by elucidating the digital readiness gaps experienced by rural students and proposes interventions to bridge infrastructural, technological, and literacy barriers to facilitate equitable participation in the workforce.