# The Role of Renewable Energy Sources and Industry 4.0 Focus for Africa: A Review
## 1 Introduction  
The industrial revolution is the deployment of new techniques and processes for manufacturing and related activities, and it ushers in development, transformation, and inequalities among countries [1]. It brings about radical and abrupt changes that have long-lasting effects at all societal levels. It is a form of comprehensive innovation that phases out old technologies and sets in new ones in major economic sectors for modernization and long-term development. The first industrial revolution introduced the steam engine and coal [2]. This was followed by the second industrial revolution, characterized by the age of science and electricity [3, 4]. The third industrial revolution improved from the second in the early '90s and was marked by the dawn of the internet, microelectronics, renewable materials, cleaner technology, and recycling [1]. The precursor of industry 4.0 is the mass production era, renewable energy, and the Internet of Things [5]. This change saw a wide margin between developed and developing countries [6]. Despite having a population and abundant natural resources, Africa lagged due to the absence of stable electricity and energy needed for powering batch systems and other mass-production technology. The last decade has introduced the current industrial revolution called industry 4.0. Some countries, like China, have deployed and tapped into various features of this technology. Although a country like South Africa seems to be the champion deployment of technologies for industry 4.0, in Africa, other countries on the continent of Africa continue to lag [7].  
The energy was a necessity in the success of the third industrial revolution and seemed to be the same for the success of the current fourth industrial revolution [8]. Although,with the challenge of global warming, there is a shift towards clean and sustainable energy for the fourth industrial revolution. Notwithstanding, affordability, and ease of energy usage and development are other parameters in selecting an appropriate energy source in Africa [9]. Africa can tap the sun's energy, wind, ocean current, and human movement. The continent has sunshine for the entire year [10,11]. South Africa alone has a 220 W/m\({}^{2}\) 24 h global solar radiation average compared to 100 W/m\({}^{2}\) and 150 W/m\({}^{2}\) for Europe and America, respectively [12]. Africa is estimated to have about 1300 GW of wind energy potential, with South Africa estimated to reach 3 GW before 2023 [13].  
Similarly, with an average population of about 1.34 billion, the continent of Africa can benefit from energy obtained from human movement [14]. The continent is surrounded by a body of water that can generate electricity from tidal currents [15], in the south by the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean; in the east by the Red Sea; the west by the Atlantic Ocean; in the north by the Mediterranean Sea. This is in addition to other renewable energy sources that the continent can benefit from to help actualize the fourth industrial revolution. As far as could be ascertained, this needs to be adequately explored and exploited in Africa [16]. This paper is structured so that the fourth industrial revolution is discussed and reviewed, critical features highlighted, and opportunities of the technology examined. This is followed by checking some selected affordable, clean, sustainable renewable energy sources with minimal maintenance and research. These renewable energies are discussed with Africa's challenges, opportunities, implementation, and penetration level. The review presents the position of the African Union and some African countries in actualizing the 4 IR in the continent.  
The paper is organized in a way that the introduction is followed by a discussion on Industry 4.0 in Africa. After that, a detailed discussion on renewable energy is done in Section 3, followed by a section that discusses challenges facing industry 4.0 actualization in Africa and proposed remedies. The paper concluded with a recommendation (a way forward) and a conclusion.