, Managing Director: Southern Africa at 麻豆原创, said South African organisations are facing a turning point. 鈥淭he 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 the latest technologies, companies across the region can unlock a new era of accelerated growth and innovation.鈥�

Tech skills development has received renewed attention in recent times as companies rush to attract skilled workers that can unlock the potential of AI and other technologies in their businesses. found that nine in ten African organisations are already experiencing negative impacts from a lack of AI skills, with consequences ranging from failed innovation initiatives and delayed implementations to an inability to take on new work. 鈥淭his 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鈥� added , 麻豆原创 Solution Architect at Nedbank.

Keynote speaker , Chancellor of the University of the Free State and Chairperson of several large South African companies, believes South Africa鈥檚 success in the digital age depends on the country鈥檚 ability to lead with clarity and act with urgency. 鈥淚nnovation is a necessity for national competitiveness. Collectively, we must ensure we鈥檙e not just adopting global technologies but adapting them to our unique context to create lasting value for our businesses, our people, and our economy.鈥�

The comments were made at 麻豆原创 Business Suite Innovation Day, part of a global event series that provide an exclusive introduction to 麻豆原创鈥檚 latest cloud applications and data-driven AI innovations, including 麻豆原创 Business Data Cloud and 麻豆原创 Business AI. The event brought together customers, partners and innovators for wide-ranging discussions around best practices, learnings and insights for how AI can be embedded across businesses, powered by curated, contextual, and connected data.

, Chief Revenue Officer for 麻豆原创 Business Data Cloud & 麻豆原创 Business AI, EMEA at 麻豆原创, said new advances in how organisations collect, manage and empower data is unlocking vast opportunities for AI-enabled growth and innovation. 鈥淏y breaking down data silos and allowing businesses to govern and connect all their data, 聽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.鈥�

According to , Group IT Manager: Solution Delivery & PMO (product management office) at ABF Sugar, 鈥渕any enterprises are rapidly embracing cloud computing, data analytics, and AI to reimagine how they operate, innovate, and expand. 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.鈥�

Pillay adds that companies globally are increasingly adopting a clean core strategy, which 麻豆原创 sees as a critical enabler for long-term innovation, agility, and cost efficiency. 鈥淭he clean core approach is key to simplifying the enterprise landscape and ensuring companies can rapidly adopt new innovations with minimal disruption. It鈥檚 the foundation that allows AI, cloud and data solutions to deliver full value across every line of business.鈥�

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, Managing Director: Emerging Africa at 麻豆原创, said: 鈥淥rganisations across the region are leveraging the latest technologies to build a trusted foundation for AI and amplify their insights and processes to transform the way they work. From harnessing collaborative AI agents to solve complex problems and accelerate decision-making, to seamlessly connecting their entire business value chain, West Africa鈥檚 business community is gearing up to unleash their full potential powered by cloud, data and AI.鈥�

The comments were made at 麻豆原创 Business Suite Innovation Day on September 17th, a special event for 麻豆原创 customers and partners to showcase how and come together to deliver exceptional value as part of the 麻豆原创 Business Suite.

Experts from across the 麻豆原创 ecosystem provided behind-the-scenes insights into the power of business AI and cloud, and how these new innovations combine powerful cloud applications with the most contextual and reliable data to enable collaborative AI agents to tackle the most difficult business challenges with confidence.

The event also included presentations by regional business leaders who have successfully leveraged 麻豆原创 technologies to accelerate growth and unlock new capabilities.

, Group Head: 麻豆原创 Centre of Excellence at , shared some insight into how the company leverages cloud technologies to power growth and drive efficiency. Dangote Industries Limited is the largest conglomerate in West Africa and one of the largest on the African continent, employing more than 30 000 people.

鈥淪ucceeding in today鈥檚 fast-paced business landscape requires strong foundations built on the latest technologies. Critical to this is a modernised enterprise resource planning landscape that enables organisations to fully leverage the power of emerging technologies, all built on a clean-core strategy that ensures the business has access to real-time, accurate data for decision-making.鈥�

, Country Managing Director for Nigeria at 麻豆原创, said: 鈥淎frica鈥檚 greatest wealth lies in its people, including our fast-growing youth population. Our ability to cultivate the right mix of skills is critical to our digital transformation ambitions, especially as we rush to leverage the power of AI and cloud in our businesses.

Research conducted by 麻豆原创 found that half of Nigerian businesses expected a 鈥榮ignificant鈥� increase in demand for AI skills this year. The 麻豆原创聽聽report also found that 93% of Nigerian companies already experience a negative impact on their innovation capabilities due to a lack of access to AI skills. The same report revealed that West Africa was the region most likely to partner with expert third-party providers to fill the AI skills gap in their organisations.

Khota adds: 鈥淭he region stands at the edge of a new era of growth and innovation powered by data, cloud and AI, and supported by a workforce geared for our emerging technologies. To ensure this collective effort succeeds, organisations need access to the right skills. While efforts at developing AI-ready skills are underway, companies should also explore ways to augment their skills base in the short term by partnering with our thriving ecosystem of expert partners and collaborators powering business transformation in the region.

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East African business leaders, technology partners and 麻豆原创 experts met in Nairobi this week to discuss the growing impact of business AI and cloud technologies in the region.

, Managing Director: Emerging Africa at 麻豆原创, said: 鈥淥rganisations throughout East Africa are accelerating their business transformation and innovation efforts by leveraging the latest data and cloud capabilities to unlock the power of business AI in every line of business. With the recent expansion of AI assistant, organisations can now unleash unprecedented efficiency across their systems and processes to drive productivity gains of as much as 30%.鈥�

The comments were made at 麻豆原创 Innovation Day Kenya, part of a global series of events aimed at showcasing how technology can power growth, innovation and sustainability and support organisations as they meet emerging challenges.

The exclusive event also served as an introduction to how and help organisations unlock significant business value as part of the broader . Experts also provided behind-the-scenes insights into the power of business AI and cloud to future-proof companies鈥� enterprise application strategies and leverage data to enhance business insights and improve decision-making.

Research recently conducted by 麻豆原创 found a near-universal demand for AI skills among African organisations. The 麻豆原创聽聽report noted that nine in ten companies in Africa already experience negative impacts due to a lack of AI skills, including failed innovation initiatives, an inability to take on new work, and loss of clients. Forty-three percent of Kenyan organisations that took part in the study expected a 鈥榮ignificant鈥� increase in demand for AI skills this year.

鈥淭he rapid changes in workplace dynamics are transforming how companies develop, upskill and reskill their workforce to meet the long-term need for AI-related skills,鈥� said Khota. 鈥淚n the short term, organisations should seek ways to augment their skills base, for example by partnering with our rich ecosystem of implementation specialists that power business transformation in the region.鈥�

麻豆原创 Innovation Day Kenya also included presentations by regional business leaders who have successfully leveraged 麻豆原创 technologies to accelerate growth and unlock new capabilities.

Long-standing 麻豆原创 customer provided insight into its latest transformation initiative that is taking its legacy enterprise systems into the cloud and deploying AI across its business processes. Bidco Africa is a leading FMCG manufacturer that produces more than 800 SKU鈥檚 in multiple brands and products at eight factories in East Africa. The company has been using 麻豆原创 ECC since 2010, until a recent decision sparked a migration to .

, Chairman of Bidco Africa, said the shift to cloud underscores his company鈥檚 position as a regional innovation leader. 鈥淲e see incredible potential for AI to transform our business and deliver greater agility, innovation and customer experiences. Our skilled team will also benefit from AI鈥檚 power to enhance product development, allowing us to consolidate our market leadership well into the future.鈥�

The company plans further deployments in a second phase of the implementation, including procurement and manufacturing.

Khota added: 鈥淐ompanies that adopt a clean core strategy accelerate the pace of innovation and can more easily leverage business value through reliable data and AI innovations. As we enter a new era of AI-enabled innovation, organisations must ensure that business-critical systems remain agile, cost-effective, and ready to adopt innovation.鈥�

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Two customers, Boodai Corporation and Kuwait Hospital, signed agreements at the event to embark on digital transformation journeys powered by 麻豆原创

Senior Kuwaiti government officials, business leaders, and strategists gathered in the capital recently for 麻豆原创 Innovation Day, where discussions focused on the transformative role of AI and digital technologies in advancing Kuwait Vision 2035.

At the event, held under the patronage of the German Ambassador to Kuwait, HE Hans-Christian Freiherr von Reibnitz, the Walldorf-headquartered 麻豆原创 underscored its commitment to supporting Kuwait鈥檚 economic diversification and digital transformation agenda. With AI embedded into all 麻豆原创 business applications, the technology giant is empowering Kuwaiti organizations to enhance decision-making, drive efficiency, and uncover new growth opportunities across industries.

Recent trends demonstrate Kuwait鈥檚 growing commitment to technology. Within the next five years, the country鈥檚 ICT market is expected to grow to $39.83 billion, driven by sectors like healthcare, where AI is being used for predictive analytics and telemedicine, and education, where smart learning systems are improving student outcomes.

鈥淜uwait is at a pivotal moment of transformation,鈥� said Sundus Bushahri, Managing Director of 麻豆原创 Kuwait. 鈥淯nder Vision 2035, the nation is harnessing the potential of AI, not just to modernize industries but also to enrich lives. At 麻豆原创, we are honored to support this vision, collaborating with the public and private sectors to deliver innovative solutions tailored to Kuwait鈥檚 unique needs. From AI-driven predictive analytics in healthcare to machine learning applications in finance and supply chain management, 麻豆原创 solutions are enabling businesses to achieve significant innovation at scale.鈥�

Customer Signing Ceremonies

During the Innovation Day, two companies signed agreements to deploy solutions from 麻豆原创鈥檚 AI-infused portfolio, adopting either RISE or GROW with 麻豆原创 to boost their digital transformation and support their growth. As part of the implementation, both companies will leverage 麻豆原创 S/4HANA for enterprise resource planning and 麻豆原创 Success Factors for human resources management.

Commenting on the adoption of RISE with 麻豆原创, Marzouq Boodai of Boodai Corporation said, 鈥淲e are a diverse group of companies thriving in a rapidly changing region, and we require a reliable system that delivers both flexibility and innovation. 麻豆原创 S/4HANA聽聽and 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors provide exactly what we need. The 麻豆原创 platform, enhanced with AI capabilities, ensures businesses like Boodai can stay ahead by integrating advanced analytics and process automation into their operations.鈥�

Kuwait Hospital will adopt GROW with 麻豆原创 and Chief Executive Officer Alexander Jankuloski said, 鈥淲e believe that we have found a transformative partner with 麻豆原创 that understands our vision and supports our journey to modernize and optimize our operations. 麻豆原创 will accelerate our digital transformation, supporting us to achieve significant business outcomes.鈥�

Jankuloski said he expected 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors to be a game-changer, enabling Kuwait Hospital to attract, retain and develop talent with an agile, employee-centered approach.

This article first appeared on .

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Hardeep Sound, Regional Sales Director: Emerging Africa at 麻豆原创, noted that organisations throughout the region are investing in business transformation and technology for greater efficiency and resilience. “Interest in business AI and cloud ERP solutions are at an all-time high as companies seek to reimagine their business future by leveraging powerful technologies. Powered by the latest digital transformation capabilities and supported by a rich ecosystem of expert partners, companies throughout East Africa are accelerating their innovation efforts and unlocking new growth opportunities.”

The comments were made at 麻豆原创 Innovation Day Kenya, part of a series of global events held in key markets across the world. The Kenya event follows successful similar events held in South Africa and Nigeria in May and July respectively.

麻豆原创 Innovation Day Kenya brought together business and technology leaders from across the East Africa region to discuss the latest strategies and approaches to technology-led innovation. Key to the discussions was the role of business AI in powering the region’s next wave of innovation and growth.

Johannes Dressler, Managing Director for Emerging Africa at 麻豆原创, emphasised that East Africa is a strategic market for 麻豆原创, and is home to some of the fastest-growing economies in the world. He noted that East African organisations can leverage technology to achieve sustainable growth and market competitiveness. 鈥淓very organisation in the region and globally is striving to understand how to leverage technologies such as AI, which have become necessities instead of luxuries. To remain competitive and thrive in turbulent markets, companies today need to connect their end-to-end processes and drive greater efficiency, innovation, revenue and profitability.鈥�

Interest in artificial intelligence is growing amid the promise of greater efficiency and scale. AI has also been identified as a key thematic focus by the Kenya National Innovation Agency’s , especially its application in developing innovative solutions for use in biotech, urban planning and climate change efforts.

Evert-Jan Tromp, Vice President for Cloud and Innovation: EMEA at 麻豆原创, highlighted that the current focus is on laying the foundation for organisations to adopt and derive value from technologies like AI. “Enterprises are transforming their capabilities to establish a clean core that can drive their success with AI and other emerging technologies. Here, our partner ecosystem plays a crucial role by helping companies understand the processes and best practices that accelerate adoption and maximize value realization.”

At a panel discussion held during the event, Martin Mwarangu, Group Chief Information Officer at the Kenya Tea Development Agency shared insight into his company鈥檚 transformation journey. The Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) is a private company owned by 600 000 smallholder tea farmers spread across 16 tea-growing counties throughout Kenya.

鈥淭he business case for our transformation journey was to achieve greater efficiencies and cost-savings throughout our operations while centralising our data and establishing a solid foundation for our future transformation efforts,鈥� says Mwarangu. 鈥淥ne of our core objectives is the adoption of best practices, for example standardised financial reporting across our various business entities that would enable improved decision-making.鈥�

KTDA will continue to evaluate further innovations in their transformation journey. Mwarangu added: 鈥淲e are in the people business, with hundreds of thousands of suppliers and farmers and other players in our broader value chain, and intend to leverage 麻豆原创鈥檚 human capital management and supplier management solutions to enhance our capabilities.鈥�

The event also included the announcement of a significant deal signing with pioneering social enterprise Hewatele, which specialises in the supply of medical oxygen to over 150 facilities across Kenya. Hewatele made the strategic decision to adopt 麻豆原创’s next-gen Cloud ERP solution to streamline operations and enhance its ability to deliver critical medical supplies more efficiently.

Dumisani Moyo, Marketing Director at 麻豆原创 Africa, acknowledged Hewatele CEO聽Dr. Zulfiqar Wali and CFO Joan Andia, highlighting the pivotal role that technology plays in shaping Africa鈥檚 future. 鈥淭his event serves as a testament to the continent’s growing digital maturity and the opportunities available for businesses that are ready to embrace innovation. This is not just about adopting new tools; it’s about transforming how businesses operate, engage with customers and stakeholders, and, importantly, how they drive sustainable growth, innovate rapidly with AI, and gain valuable data insights that can fuel their future success. We are thrilled to be at the forefront of this journey, empowering African enterprises to lead in the global marketplace through cutting-edge solutions and forward-thinking strategies.”

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This was the key takeaway at 麻豆原创 Innovation Day Nigeria, held in Lagos today.

According to Titilayo Adewumi, Regional Sales Director for West Africa at 麻豆原创, organisations are increasingly engaging in digital transformation initiatives to unlock competitive advantages. 鈥淲est African organisations are leveraging powerful new technologies and best practices to bring greater stability and predictability to their business models. In light of the growing importance of cloud and AI solutions, organisations across the region are also seeking to future-proof their processes and drive innovation at speed and at scale.鈥�

麻豆原创 Innovation Day is a series of global events held in multiple countries around the world. A South African event concluded in May this year. The Nigeria event featured key 麻豆原创 partners and customers, who shared their journeys and insights into successful technology-led innovation efforts.

James Fabola Jr, Chief Information Officer at renewable energy leader Arnergy, notes the important role that innovation has played in enabling his company to scale its solutions to a growing customer base. 鈥淲ith our new 麻豆原创 system and the ongoing support of our implementation partners, our business can confidently look at a new phase of growth and scalability that could see us play a central role in West Africa鈥檚 transition to cleaner, more reliable energy.鈥�

Arnergy recently chose GROW with 麻豆原创 for Scaleups S/4HANA Cloud to bolster its technological capabilities and introduce greater efficiency and accuracy to core business processes. The company was supported by 麻豆原创 and regional implementation partner ACED Consulting.

Abiola Folawewo, Managing Partner at ACED Consulting, says companies are hungry for the efficiency gains enabled by digital transformation. 鈥淐ompanies are in a race to streamline their operations and improve decision-making with accurate, real-time data insights. By working with experienced vendors and partners, organisations in the region can fast-track their innovation efforts and unlock significant business benefits.鈥�

Dumisani Moyo, Marketing Director at 麻豆原创 Africa, adds that the modern business landscape is marked by volatility and uncertainty, raising the stakes for digital transformation and innovation initiatives.

鈥淲idespread unpredictability is putting immense pressure on supply chains, revenue streams and profit models, especially in Africa. The critical question for business leaders in the region is how they can lead their organisations to a competitive edge despite the economic headwinds. Today鈥檚 event aims to empower businesses of all sizes with insights into how technology can help them stay competitive, drive sustainable growth, innovate at speed with AI, optimize processes, and gain valuable data insights.鈥�

Adewumi adds: 鈥淲est African organisations have access to a vibrant ecosystem of experts, implementation partners and best-of-breed technologies to support their innovation efforts. We look forward to working with business leaders in the region to unlock the significant business benefits of digital transformation and establish a solid foundation for their future growth, likely to be powered by cloud and AI technologies.鈥�

The post Efficiency and Scale Driving Innovation Efforts in West Africa appeared first on 麻豆原创 Africa News Center.

鈥淭his why we say that businesses unusual is the new business as usual,鈥� says , chief business officer: EMEA at 麻豆原创. 鈥淎nd that is why we need to ensure our systems are future-proof.鈥�

Speaking at the 麻豆原创 Innovation Day in Johannesburg today, Fulle says technology should help the world to run better and improve people鈥檚 lives.

To do this, technology vendors like 麻豆原创 need to enable agility at scale, achieve more across the value chain, and ensure that sustainability is at the core of business.

Fulle points out that IDC research finds that 85% if enterprises will combine human expertise with AI to augment foresight across the organisation.

鈥淭his is becoming more important over time,鈥� he says. 鈥淎t 麻豆原创 we categories the three key requirement for I in business are being relevant, reliable and responsible.鈥�

He explains that this means 麻豆原创 is integrating AI in a way that is relevant for the 25 verticals that it operates across. Reliability is a function of data accuracy, and this has to be clean and reliable.

In terms of responsibility, 麻豆原创 works to deliver the highest levels of security and ethics across the suite.

is embedded across the portfolio, Fulle adds.

It starts with the copilot that understands the business. Beneath this are the embedded AI capabilities, in the applications including Cloud ERP , supply chain management, human capital management, spend management and business network, customer relationship management and the business technology platform. This is based on the AII Foundation that sits in the Business Technology Platform

The third level of the AI ecosystem partnership and investments with organisations such as , , , , , , and .

鈥淲e are developing more than 100 business capabilities every year,鈥� Fulle adds.

This article first appeared on .

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Speaking at the event, , Chief Business Officer for EMEA, 麻豆原创, said businesses today operate in an environment characterised by volatility and uncertainty, with unpredictability exerting significant pressure on revenue, profit margins and supply chains.

Hype for AI鈥檚 transformative potential

Interest in artificial intelligence (AI) is at an all-time high. The global AI market is expected to grow from $184-billion in 2024聽.

In her opening remarks, 麻豆原创 Southern Africa Managing Director, commented: 鈥淭he vital question for African enterprises is: how can we transition from merely keeping the lights on to building a competitive edge, despite economic headwinds? The answer: by investing in continuous innovation that leverages technologies such as AI and cloud, organisations can drive sustainable business growth, optimise and connect end-to-end processes, leverage data for valuable insights, and stay ahead of competitors.鈥�

Makhohliso says the excitement for AI among African enterprises stems from its potential transformative impact on all industries. 鈥淏usiness AI is gaining traction throughout the continent thanks to a growing list of practical applications that help companies solve challenges, accelerate innovation and drive greater efficiency. With the support of a vibrant ecosystem of expert partners and the growing maturity of cloud and business AI solutions, African enterprises can then supercharge their innovation efforts like never before.鈥�

Innovation key to survival & success

According to Bertrin Pekeur, 麻豆原创 Business Group Lead at , the challenging global economy, inflationary pressures, and depressed revenues have put African enterprises under significant pressure. 鈥淎s a result, enterprises are turning their focus to how technologies such as AI and cloud can help them overcome challenges and increase the rate of innovation. The rapid adoption of AI is creating unprecedented opportunities in digital literacy, the creation of new products, improvements to services and greater productivity. This is helping African organisations transform how they do business, how they interact with their employees, and how they engage with customers.鈥�

Innovation has become essential to the survival of businesses as the accelerating impact of disruptive forces such as technology, climate change, geopolitical upheaval and economic headwinds lead to constrained growth and uncertainty. According to Accenture Technology Vision, 93% of executives agree that, with rapid technological advancements, it is more important than ever for organisation to innovate with purpose.

, Senior Manager: Solution Consulting at , added that innovation unlocks a world of possibilities for African enterprises and allows them to compete on the global stage. 鈥淎frica typically doesn鈥檛 have access to the same resources as more developed markets and often lags in its adoption of new technologies. Enter innovation, which levels the playing field. From agriculture to healthcare, technology-driven innovation is not only solving challenges unique to Africa, but delivering solutions that can be exported to the rest of the world.鈥�

Cloud, clean core driving AI value

Makhohliso notes the vital role that digital transformation and cloud adoption plays to enable enterprises to unlock the full benefits of their AI investments. 鈥淥rganisations that improve and automate their business processes in the cloud and achieve a clean core can more easily draw on a single source of truth for their business data. This enhances the value they generate from their business AI deployments by ensuring all AI outcomes are based on accurate, real-time business data from across the enterprise, enabling organisations to drive limitless innovation, efficiency and growth.鈥�

She added that 麻豆原创 customers have an edge over their peers in their AI efforts. 鈥淐ompanies that leverage integrated with our have a strong foundation for AI-driven innovation. By following global best practices and drawing on the expertise and skills of our vibrant partner ecosystem, African enterprises can accelerate their AI-driven efficiency and automation gains while unlocking new capabilities that will support their success for years to come.鈥�

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