Digital Transformation Africa
How Close Are We to an Inclusive Internet in South Africa?
Sourced from Getty Images. The Internet has changed our lives, transforming the way we work, learn and have fun. During the pandemic, network traffic increased between 25% and 45%: 100 countries adopted confinement plans, 1.2 billion students switched to online learning and 60% of companies had more than half of the employees work remotely. Remote Work Leads to Better Productivity in Digitally Transformed Companies According to Remote Working in South Africa 2020, a study conducted among 400 enterprises by World Wide Worx for Cisco Systems, the shift to remote working led to improved productivity for only 29% of companies, in general. However, among companies that had already fully rolled out digital transformation strategies, productivity leapt by a massive 70%. Globally, the internet wen...
Digital Transformation Crucial for the Future of Mining in South Africa
Mining has played a crucial role in South Africa’s economy for the best part of two centuries. And while it may not play as big a role as it once did, it still contributed R400-billion to GDP in 2020 and employed more than 450 000 people. But if the sector is to remain competitive at a global level, it has to evolve particularly when it comes to embracing digital transformation. Digital Transformation in Mining Presents Unique Challenges While South Africa’s unique circumstances should be taken into account, especially when it comes to factors such as the orebody depth and labour intensity of the country’s mining operations, that doesn’t mean that mining companies should shy away from digital transformation. The application of digital technologies, both in their current form and in future ...
Adama Diouf of SYLVERSYS Talks Amazon Partnership, Cloud Computing and Digital Transformation in Africa
SYLVERSYS is a solutions integration company that currently provides its services for African countries, mainly in the West Africa region. With a speciality in providing secure computer and network products/solutions for businesses and organizations in the private and public sector, the UK-based company has moved from strength to strength. Now, as the pandemic begins to decline in many parts of the world, SYLVERSYS realigns its sights on expanding to more African markets, including those in sub-Saharan Africa. Recently, SYLVERSYS partnered with Amazon to bring its cloud solutions to Yup, a mobile payment platform based in Senegal. ITNA’s Luis Monzon had the opportunity to chat with Adama Diouf, VP of SYLVERSYS, and self-styled “Digital Transformation Evangelist” to discuss how the company ...
Huawei Pens Deal with African Telecom Union in Bid to Boost Digital Transformation in Africa
Left to right: Samuel Chen, Vice President at Huawei Southern Africa region, Mr. John OMO, Secretary-General of the ATU. The African Telecommunications Union (ATU) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Chinese tech giant Huawei that will see African countries and organizations build capacity for ICT transformation. Under the agreement, Huawei will provide training on skills development, including reskilling and upskilling for ATU members. The MoU will also see the two organizations collaborate to support local innovation, share information on the latest trends, challenges and solutions in Africa and globally, and expand the digital economy as well as rural connectivity, in the continent, through furthering research. Digital Transformation is Vital for Africa A 2019 report by ...
Take Control of Your Company’s Digital Transformation – Register for #DTF2021
Join the DTF 2021 as an attendee – https://itnewsafrica.com/events/event/digital-transformation-congress-webinar/ Change is Inevitable Digital transformation is as inevitable as the passage of time. The new will replace the old, as the axiom goes. Business leaders and company executives must evolve their organisations, or risk extinction in the future when attempting to transform too late proves too little. One doesn’t need to go far for practical examples of this. In 2020, companies either adapted to the new normal or contemplated filing bankruptcy. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic was an unprecedented and entirely unexpected event. Remember when “Remote Work” was just a novel idea? Time will continue to present these events – these unexpected drastic changes, and forward-minded l...
How COVID-19 Has Changed E-Learning Forever
Image sourced from Entrepreneur. E-learning has changed. Much of this change is due to COVID-19, and there’s no going back to the way we were before, however, many organisations may want to do so. “COVID arrived and new technology came to the fore – like Zoom, Meets, Teams and so on. How did you upskill your people on it? Were they ready for it? Are you teaching people to get the best out of things like LinkedIn?” says Michael Gullan, CEO of corporate e-learning consultancy G&G Advocacy. “Executives may not be as equipped to deal with online networking now that physical networking events aren’t as common anymore. Can your C-Suite execs use these tools? Can your sales team?” Companies can no longer afford to see their e-learning as a grudge purchase or an afterthought, says Gullan. “Tha...
How Digital Adoption Across Africa Supersedes the World
Sourced from Redbubble and iStock. Although Africa currently trails other regions in terms of digital adoption and maturity, the pace of adoption and infrastructure buildout is happening faster on the continent than any other region in the world. This creates the opportunity to unlock enormous economic potential, according to a new report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in partnership with Casablanca Finance City. “The COVID-19 crisis has also focused minds, accelerating digital adoption among consumers and digital transformation among companies,” says Jan Gildemeister, Managing Director at BCG. “For success going forward, we believe that companies and governments need to coordinate on three fronts: creating scale, nurturing and attracting digital talent, and building ecosystems and innov...
Energy Storage Technology Could Put an End to Africa’s Blackouts
Sourced from The Times UK. A shift from Africa’s traditional approach to power generation is needed to unleash the continent’s clean energy potential and secure an African future free from blackouts. A strategy centred around energy storage and flexible power systems will be the key to guaranteeing the reliability of a high-renewable grid, while also lowering the cost of electricity for Africans. As Africa’s economies and populations steadily grow, so too does the demand for reliable electricity. Simply put, new power plants need to be built, and the reliability of electrical systems needs to be vastly improved. But here is the challenge: How can African countries build an electrical system that can both integrate a large amount of inexpensive but intermittent renewable energy, while at th...
The Future of Work – Becoming a Digital Workforce
Sourced from HCAMag.com The future of work has always been a popular topic for discussion, especially among HR and payroll practitioners. However, the current COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdown many countries have experienced are fast-tracking discussions towards more practical interventions to prepare the workforce for what will be the new normal. “Even though many aspects of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and the digitalisation of workforces have been theoretical, the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic has forced management to rethink their approaches to employees and how they use technology to not only improve productivity but reinvent traditional processes,” says Ian McAlister, GM at CRS Technologies. More than just technology Consider artificial intelligence (AI)...
Is Your Business Ready for the New Pace of Digital Transformation?
Sourced from Syspro. While digital transformation has ostensibly been on top of the CIO’s agenda for years, the reality is that many businesses have been slow on the uptake. Recent events like the lockdown in South Africa and across the world have forced their hand, and those that were on the back foot are now scrambling to keep up. However, when it comes to accelerating digital transformation, businesses need speed, not haste. Now more than ever it is essential to understand that technology is an enabler, a means to an end and not the end itself. In order to succeed, it is critical to begin with a strategy, to understand what business benefits need to be achieved and how technology can assist. No more delaying the inevitable /* custom css */ .tdi_3_558.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.td...
