The 4IR is the contemporary unfolding environment in which evolving technologies and developments such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) are changing how private and public entity's function. While the benefits of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) abound in literature, there is scant evidence of risks and challenges in such literature. Drawing on secondary literature sources accessed in academic and grey literature databases using 4IR, innovation, and service delivery as key terms, the paper assesses of the risks and challenges of radical 4IR innovation in the context of the public sector in South Africa. The paper finds that innovation in the 4IR is associated with several challenges which include a lack of adequate resources, infrastructure and gaps in technical skills. It is important to ensure that these challenges are taken into consideration to avoid the African continent being left behin