South Africa’s business leaders, technology experts, and SAP partners gathered in Johannesburg on Thursday to examine how cloud, data, and artificial intelligence innovations are transforming enterprises and creating new growth opportunities.
Managing Director, Southern Africa at SAP, Nazia Pillay, said in a statement that South African organisations were at a turning point.
“The convergence of data, cloud, and AI technologies presents an extraordinary opportunity to rethink how we operate, innovate, and grow. By combining new thinking with AI-enabled skills and the latest technologies, companies across the region can unlock a new era of accelerated growth and innovation,” she said.
Tech skills development has gained renewed attention as companies compete for skilled workers capable of unlocking the potential of AI and other emerging technologies.
Research conducted by SAP found that nine in 10 African organisations are already suffering negative effects from a lack of AI skills, including failed innovation projects, delayed implementations, and the inability to take on new work.
“This digital shift is empowering organisations to make faster, data-driven decisions, close the skills gap, and build more resilient, future-ready enterprises. We must equip our workforce with the right skills to fully harness the potential of these emerging technologies,” said SAP Solution Architect at Nedbank, Genni Barnes.
Keynote speaker and Chancellor of the University of the Free State, Professor Bonang Mohale, stated that South Africa’s competitiveness in the digital age depends on decisive leadership.
“Innovation is a necessity for national competitiveness. Collectively, we must ensure we’re not just adopting global technologies but adapting them to our unique context to create lasting value for our businesses, our people, and our economy,” he said.
The discussions took place at the SAP Business Suite Innovation Day, part of a global event series introducing SAP’s latest cloud applications and AI-driven data innovations, including SAP Business Data Cloud and SAP Business AI.
It brought together customers, partners, and innovators to share best practices and insights on embedding AI across business operations through connected and contextual data.
Chief Revenue Officer for SAP Business Data Cloud and SAP Business AI, EMEA at SAP, Stef De Mulder, added that advances in how organisations collect and manage data are opening new opportunities for AI-enabled growth.
“By breaking down data silos and allowing businesses to govern and connect all their data, our new AI and data solutions provide real-time, context-rich insights to businesses where they need it most. With AI orchestration and seamless integration with platforms like Databricks, organisations can boost productivity, modernise their data landscape, and accelerate the development of intelligent applications that deliver measurable impact,” he stressed.
Group IT Manager, Solution Delivery and Product Management Office at ABF Sugar, Glazelle Pohl, said many enterprises are already adopting cloud computing, data analytics, and AI to reimagine their operations, saying, “These technologies assist in unlocking new levels of productivity and efficiency but also allow access to entirely new business models and sustainable practices in the long term.”
Pillay added that companies worldwide are increasingly adopting a clean core strategy, which SAP considers vital for innovation and agility.
“The clean core approach is key to simplifying the enterprise landscape and ensuring companies can rapidly adopt new innovations with minimal disruption. It’s the foundation that allows AI, cloud, and data solutions to deliver full value across every line of business,” she said.
