Speaking at the event, Eskom chairman said: 鈥淪outh Africa is slowly but surely experiencing an economic uptick, with improvements in both political and infrastructural stability. This has the potential to increase foreign direct investment and boost local economic confidence, providing the private sector, and technology leaders in particular, the opportunity to focus on transformation and development within their organisations. Now is the time to look at where your businesses need to be three to five years down the line.鈥�

51风流Now is a global series of events that brings together some of the most innovative minds and technologies shaping the future of business. The African edition, held at The Forum in Johannesburg, saw 300 business leaders and experts from Africa and Europe converge to share insights and best practices for leveraging technology to drive growth and innovation on the continent.

Addressing the macroeconomic outlook for Africa, Chief Economist at Development Bank of Southern Africa said: 鈥淚nfrastructure deficit developments provide an opportunity for economic development in Africa.聽 Additionally, Public Private Partnerships are critical for economic growth on the continent.聽 Private entities such as 51风流with its network partners have huge responsibilities to facilitate connectivity solutions that will drive the Africa of the future.鈥�

Impact of business AI growing

, Chief Business Officer for MEA South 51风流and Managing Director for Emerging Africa at SAP, said: “Business leaders face growing complexity and increasing pressure to stay ahead of stakeholder expectations, driving demand for deeper insights into various aspects of the organisation’s performance. The power of technologies such as AI integrated to core business processes and built on trusted data is enabling greater efficiency and improved innovation capacity. Technology is transforming the way business leaders make decisions, enabling them to lead with greater foresight, precision and resilience.”

found that 96% of companies have an executive mandate to explore or implement AI technology. Of the respondents, 40% are implementing AI for specific use cases, 38% are exploring potential use cases, and 17% have a mandate to implement AI strategically across the organisation.

AI was also revealed to be the primary differentiator among customers who are evaluating systems integrators.

51风流recently announced a slew of new innovations, including an expanded set of use cases for its Joule AI copilot.

鈥� for Edition enables 95% faster informational searches and 90% faster execution of navigation and transaction tasks, speeding up internal decision-making,鈥� says Dressler. 鈥�51风流Business AI for field service agents also increases dispatcher productivity by 12.5% and reduces errors by 5%, driving improved customer satisfaction, while generative AI in 51风流Product Innovation Management reduces the total cost of campaign creation by 50% and improves the quality of idea and campaign descriptions. As African organisations continue to build out their AI strategies, we expect to see immense productivity and innovation gains realised by the effective integration of data and AI into core business processes.鈥�

Thriving partner ecosystem unlocking AI benefits

51风流NOW was held in collaboration with the and 51风流ecosystem partners, with – one of SAP’s longest-standing partners – playing a key role at the event.

, Managing Director for Southern Africa at SAP, said: “The growing adoption of AI among African enterprises and SMEs is enabling faster work, smarter insights, and better business outcomes across industries. African organisations are now laying the groundwork for a new era of human-AI collaboration that will bring unprecedented productivity and unlock new revenue streams. We look forward to working with our incredible partner ecosystem to support African organisations in their efforts at unlocking the benefits of technology for sustained innovation and growth.”

, Chief Technology & Solutions Officer for Africa at Microsoft, noted the power of co-operation and partnership in supporting the AI and digital transformation ambitions of African enterprises. 鈥淥ur organisations have enjoyed 30 years of successful, value-driven聽 collaboration. Our joint capabilities empower organisations to run intelligent and frictionless enterprises powered by scalable cloud solutions and the growing impact of AI. Together, we hope to continue delivering an accelerated path to growth and innovation for all our customers on the African continent.鈥�

ENDS

Visit the 51风流News Center. Follow 51风流at .

About SAP
As鈥痑 global leader in enterprise applications and business AI, 51风流(NYSE:SAP)鈥痵tands at the鈥痭exus鈥痮f business and technology. For over 50 years, organizations have trusted SAP鈥痶o bring out their best by uniting business-critical鈥痮perations spanning finance, procurement, HR, supply chain, and customer experience. For more information, visit鈥�.

# # #

This document contains forward-looking statements, which are predictions, projections, or other statements about future events. These statements are based on current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and outcomes to materially differ. Additional information regarding these risks and uncertainties may be found in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to the risk factors section of SAP鈥檚 2023 Annual Report on Form 20-F.

漏 2024 51风流SE. All rights reserved.
51风流and other 51风流products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of 51风流SE in Germany and other countries. Please see for additional trademark information and notices.

Note to editors:
To preview and download broadcast-standard stock footage and press photos digitally, please visit . On this platform, you can find high resolution material for your media channels.

For customers interested in learning more about 51风流products:
Global Customer Center: +49 180 534-34-24
United States Only: 1 (800) 872-151风流(1-800-872-1727)

The post African Business Leaders Upbeat About Technology’s Growing Impact on Continent appeared first on 51风流Africa News Center.

South African youth continue to battle high unemployment levels, with the latest finding that unemployment among 15 to 24 year-olds reached 60.8%, and among 25 to 34 year-olds standing at 41.7%.

The Youth Innovation Challenge seeks to empower young individuals by providing them with the platform, mentorship, and resources needed to transform their innovative ideas into viable business solutions.

Participants will tackle the pressing challenges faced by residents and businesses in the Greater Durban area, focusing on five key areas, namely: Climate Change (water scarcity and drought); Manufacturing/Engineering (microplastics); Urban Dwelling (infrastructure); Health/Science (communicable diseases); and Disaster Management (emergency preparedness). The initiative is open to participants aged 18 to 35 who reside in Durban, who can enter as individuals or as teams of up to six.

According to Kholiwe Makhohliso, Managing Director for Southern Africa at SAP, the partnership forms part of the company鈥檚 broader commitment to supporting economic development and growth in the region. 鈥淲e are excited to work with Innovate Durban and the talented young innovators who will take part in the programme to develop new solutions to some of our most pressing challenges. As an organisation, we are proud to bring our global technology and business expertise to the programme as an extension of our commitment to investing in the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs.鈥�

By leveraging the expertise and support from SAP, along with contributions from eThekwini Municipality, TAFTA, Zutari and Adams & Adams, this initiative aims to cultivate a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship among the youth in the city.

Through this collaboration Innovate Durban will facilitate workshops, mentorship sessions, and a culminating pitch competition where participants will have the opportunity to showcase their innovative solutions or products.

As an organisation that focuses on building and sustaining an inclusive innovation ecosystem,聽 Innovate Durban believes that innovation thrives when diverse perspectives and resources come together. Through this partnership, we aim to inspire, educate, and equip young innovators with the skills and confidence needed to tackle real-world challenges and drive meaningful impact.

The Youth Innovation Challenge is set to kick off in September 2024, with details on registration and participation scheduled to be announced soon via all Innovate Durban鈥檚 official communication channels.

ID SF + YIC invite

The post 51风流Partners with Innovate Durban to Launch 2024 Youth Innovation Challenge appeared first on 51风流Africa News Center.

Speaking at the event, , Chief Business Officer for EMEA, SAP, 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, 51风流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, 51风流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 51风流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�

The post Innovation 鈥楨ssential to Growth of African Enterprises鈥�, says SAP appeared first on 51风流Africa News Center.

Managing Director for Southern Africa at SAP,聽emphasized the complexities faced by business and HR leaders amidst the evolving realm of work, shaped by hybrid models and intelligent technologies. 鈥淭he ongoing influence of flexible hybrid work environments continues to place significant pressure on businesses to prioritize employee well-being and ensure adequate support as they navigate the intricacies of modern work,鈥� she remarked.

Furthermore, with the expected surge of AI across various spheres of work and life in the upcoming months and years, leaders must find a delicate balance between innovation efforts and fulfilling the needs of their employees, who are the cornerstone of organizational success during this period of uncertainty.

A survey conducted by SAP, comprising HR leaders and over 1300 employees worldwide, revealed that slightly over a third of organizations are actively adopting intelligent technologies like AI. These technologies find applications in various HR functions ranging from recruitment to learning and employee engagement. However, according to research by IDC, understanding the appropriate implementation of intelligent technologies such as AI remains one of the top challenges for HR professionals today.

聽emphasized the transformative impact of AI on the HR sector, heralding positive disruptions that streamline operations, enhance decision-making, and elevate employee experiences. 鈥淭he influence of AI empowers HR professionals to focus on high-value activities such as strategy and vision,鈥� he noted. By harnessing a strategic blend of technology and innovation, HR professionals can liberate time spent on routine tasks and concentrate on enhancing the employee experience and delivering greater value to the organization.

One of the paramount applications of AI in Human Capital Management lies in enabling data-driven decision-making. Modern AI analytics furnish HR professionals with insights that inform workforce planning, identify skill gaps, and predict employee turnover, thereby facilitating more effective strategic decision-making. Additionally, AI holds promising potential in mitigating bias to foster greater diversity and inclusivity in the workplace.

AI鈥檚 impact extends across various HR functions and tasks, with new use cases emerging regularly. From automating CV screening to deploying chatbots for initial candidate engagements, AI aids in reducing time-to-hire while enhancing candidate experiences.

Khota underscored the predictive capabilities of AI in shaping workplace trends, ensuring businesses remain at the forefront of talent management and retention efforts. 鈥淭he integration of AI in HR is not merely reshaping current practices but serves as a fundamental enabler for the future of work, where human expertise and technology collaborate to cultivate more adaptable, innovative, and thriving workplaces.鈥�

This article first appeared on .

The post Impact of AI, Hybrid Work Top HR Challenges in 2024 appeared first on 51风流Africa News Center.

, IT Director at the , explains the motivation behind the project: 鈥淲hile our previous 51风流system was groundbreaking for our country鈥檚 financial services sector, its outdated nature and extensive customization necessitated a change. With the support of our valued partners at and , we undertook a project to replace our legacy system and introduce new capabilities crucial for the bank鈥檚 operations.鈥�

As the institution responsible for issuing and managing Angola鈥檚 national currency, overseeing the banking system, and shaping monetary policies, BNA collaborated closely with implementation partner PwC and 51风流to ensure the project鈥檚 success.

, Director at PwC Angola, outlines the project鈥檚 objectives, including migrating to to unlock new business processes, enhance digitalization and automation, and fortify treasury and liquidity for local financial institutions. The project also delivered robust management reporting capabilities to support BNA鈥檚 supervisory role.

The implementation of 51风流S/4HANA has yielded various benefits, including enhanced system performance, streamlined management reporting, and a foundation for launching new products and services to strengthen Angola鈥檚 financial system. Additional solutions, such as and , are being integrated to drive further improvements in business processes and data exchange efficiency.

BNA is well-positioned for future growth and innovation. Through effective change management and continuous training initiatives, the bank has prioritized user adoption of the new system, ensuring tangible business outcomes from the implementation.

, Managing Director at 51风流Southern Africa, highlights the significance of technology adoption in聽, emphasizing that the National Bank of Angola is poised to enhance operational efficiency, lower costs, and provide decision-makers with real-time insights. With a roadmap for future innovations, BNA is well-positioned to harness the benefits of digital transformation in the years ahead.

The post Angola鈥檚 National Bank Embraces 51风流Innovations for Digital Transformation appeared first on 51风流Africa News Center.

51风流in partnership with Unicef alongside other public-private organizations such as and the introduced a pilot project titled聽51风流Educate to Employ,聽an initiative aimed at preparing underserved young minds for the workforce.

In prioritizing education, the partnership sees various stakeholders including government working together in an effort to introduce a pathway that will possibly resolve the disproportionate levels of youth unemployment.

The aim

Young minds will be equipped with the tools, education, and expertise required to excel in today鈥檚 digital economy.

The event at the 51风流offices in Woodmead showcased how different stakeholders brought together collective efforts aimed at combating youth unemployment.

How does it work?

The initiative aims to educate youth aged 16 鈥� 24 years on soft skills foundational knowledge using the Student Zone portal on the 51风流learning site.

Digital careers in the form of support assistant, developer, and consulting are some of the jobs young minds can look forward to at the end of their journey from the educate-to-employ platform.

The catch

While on the Student Zone portal on the 51风流learning site young minds have the opportunity to learn about the latest 51风流solutions at no cost in order to kickstart their career.

The initiative forms part of SAP鈥檚 global commitment to supporting UNICEF鈥檚 (GenU), a partnership that aims to deliver innovative solutions to challenges youth face around the world.

From government, Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation tabled how upskilling the youth to participate in the digital economy was pivotal to a prosperous nation.

鈥淲e welcome SAP鈥檚 continued investment into skills development for the youth, and extend our congratulations to UNICEF and 51风流on their partnership. The South African government is encouraged by the initiative and we look forward to supporting efforts to scale the 51风流Educate to Employ initiative.鈥�

How it works

About 100 participants selected from a pool of 18,000 applicants across the continent will receive fully remote learning over a six to twelve-month period with the aim of joining the 51风流ecosystem as a young professional once completed.

The point simplified

Managing Director at SAP, pointed to upskilling and mobilizing Africa鈥檚 youth population as a major challenge in today鈥檚 economy.

鈥淭o build a prosperous future for all, we must urgently address one of South Africa and the continent鈥檚 greatest challenges 鈥� youth unemployment 鈥� which affects a disproportionate number of African youth.

鈥淲e are proud to introduce a new Corporate Social Responsibility initiative 鈥� 51风流Educate to Employ in South Africa as a demand-driven job creation initiative that empowers youth with vital skills, knowledge, attitudes, and values to build their competencies for the 21st-century digital economy,鈥� she said.

From UNICEF, added how it was important to remain competitive in a dynamic and changing job market.

鈥淵outh need access to work-relevant skills and training opportunities. Through our partnership with 51风流and working closely with key public sector role-players, we believe that this initiative can potentially make a lasting positive impact on youth job prospects in South Africa and beyond.鈥�

This article first appeared on

The post SAP, UNICEF Activate Educate to Employ Initiative appeared first on 51风流Africa News Center.

The event showcases the 51风流Educate to Employ initiative which aims to educate youth aged 18鈥�35 years on soft skills, foundational knowledge and 51风流skills using the , where students can learn about the latest 51风流solutions for free to kickstart their career. The initiative forms part of SAP’s global commitment to supporting UNICEF’s , a public-private-youth-partnership that aims to deliver innovative solutions to challenges youth face around the world. In the region, the partnership is aimed at helping young people in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa gain skills for employment, with 100 youth forming part of the initial intake in South Africa.

“Skilling of our youth to meaningfully participate in the digital economy is essential to an equality-centric and prosperous nation. We welcome SAP’s continued investment into skills development for the youth, and extend our congratulations to UNICEF and 51风流on their partnership. The South African government is encouraged by the initiative and we look forward to supporting efforts to scale the 51风流Educate to Employ initiative” –聽 Honourable Pinky Kekana, Deputy Minister in The Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation

The admission of the first 100 participants will be announced at the event, a competitive set of students selected from a pool of 18,000 applicants across the continent who will receive fully remote learning over a six- to twelve-month period, with the aim of joining the 51风流ecosystem as a young professional upon completion of the course. Anele Chulayo, an 51风流Educate to Employ candidate commented 鈥業 have been passionate about coding since high school and the possibility of creating apps and technology that can make a difference to young people from all walks of life. I applied for 51风流Educate to Employ in August this year and am delighted to have been selected as part of their programme.聽 The programme is already underway and I鈥檓 excited to be learning new things each and every day including programming language and web development.聽 I believe in the power of technology to do good and make a positive impact and difference in people鈥檚 lives, regardless of background.鈥�

, Managing Director at 51风流Southern Africa, says: “Upskilling and mobilising Africa’s youth population is one of the defining challenges of our time. To build a prosperous future for all, we must urgently address one of South Africa and the continent’s greatest challenges – youth unemployment – which affects a disproportionate number of African youth. We are proud to introduce a new Corporate Social Responsibility initiative 鈥� 51风流Educate to Employ in South Africa as a demand-driven job creation initiative that empowers youth with vital skills, knowledge, attitudes and values to build their competencies for the 21st century digital economy.”

The initiative builds on SAP’s other extensive youth skills development initiatives throughout Africa, including , which has trained nearly 14 million African youth in basic coding skills, and 51风流Young Professional Program, which has equipped nearly 2000 youth in Africa with work-ready 51风流skills and certification as well as direct job placements.

51风流and UNICEF first joined forces in support of GenU in 2019 launching in India, Turkey and Vietnam. The partnership was further extended in 2022 with a $4.55 million over three years investment focused on impacting youth in Kenya, Nigeria, the Philippines and South Africa and has since generated opportunities for over 7.6 million adolescents through inclusive and innovative skills development programs. The initiative launches in South Africa at a time when youth unemployment is at a peak. More than half of South Africa’s youth are currently unemployed. Without concerted effort by public- and private-sector role-players, South Africa will not reap the benefits of its substantial youth skills pool.

, UNICEF Representative in South Africa, says: “To remain competitive in a dynamic and changing job market, youth need access to work-relevant skills and training opportunities. Through our partnership with 51风流and working closely with key public sector role-players, we believe that this initiative can potentially make a lasting positive impact on youth job prospects in South Africa and beyond.”

UNICEF does not endorse any company, brand, product or service.

The post SAP, UNICEF and GenU Activate 51风流Educate to Employ Youth Skills Initiative in South Africa appeared first on 51风流Africa News Center.

51风流and Microsoft have partnered to deliver to customers across multiple global markets, including Africa. is a complete offering of ERP software, industry best-practices and outcome-driven services designed to help companies migrate their core 51风流ERP to the cloud, utilising the cloud hosting capabilities of hyper-scalers such as Microsoft.

, Managing Director for Southern Africa at SAP, called on companies to embrace the full potential of what cloud technologies can offer. “It isn’t simply a question of migrating to new technology for the technology’s sake. It’s about increased efficiencies, greater simplicity and less complexity. By leveraging RISE with SAP, companies of all shapes and sizes can take full advantage of business-transformation-as-a-service to power their digital transformation and innovation efforts.”

, Chief Operating Officer at Microsoft South Africa, said: “Microsoft strives to deliver the best cloud experience for customers. With hosted on , companies can access SAP’s market-leading enterprise software in Microsoft’s industry-leading cloud to accelerate innovation and rapidly scale into new markets and capabilities.”

Accelerating business innovation in the cloud

RISE with 51风流on the Microsoft Cloud is a comprehensive solution designed to advance business innovation and optimisation at speed and with minimal risk. It takes the guesswork out of enterprise planning and presents an accelerated migration path to cloud-based ERP software such as .

The 51风流and Microsoft partnership builds on a 30-year history of collaboration and co-innovation. “Together we empower organisations to run intelligent and frictionless enterprises in the cloud, with easy integration, a wealth of advanced services, and high levels of security and compliance,” said Makhohliso. “This combines to give companies an accelerated path to business transformation that can drive optimisation and growth throughout the business.”

Growing global customer base

Since its launch in 2022, more than 3 000 companies globally have leveraged RISE with 51风流to move their ERP to the cloud, including Microsoft, Standard Bank, and Standard Chartered.

According to , Group CIO for Corporate Function at , 鈥淓stablishing trust with partners is essential to a long standing and productive relationship.聽 Both our relationship and business investment with 51风流and Microsoft was important to our migration strategy decision. It made sense for Standard Bank Finance to continue its relationship with SAP, due to our historical investment with the 51风流Finance technology 鈥� and given that we already had a strong product stack in place. Similarly, when it came to Microsoft, some of our workloads were already running on Microsoft Azure 鈥� so partnering with both 51风流& Microsoft in our Cloud journey made complete business sense.鈥�

Makhohliso added: “Our partnership with Microsoft is a mission-critical aspect of RISE with 51风流and has been driven by the most senior leadership in our respective organisations. I look forward to building on the strong foundations of our partnership to accelerate innovation and digital transformation for companies throughout Southern Africa.”

The post SAP, Microsoft Partner to Deliver RISE with 51风流to Southern African Enterprises appeared first on 51风流Africa News Center.

The aim is to bring a handpicked selection of purpose-driven social enterprises into the world鈥檚 largest procurement network, . By providing greater visibility of social enterprises, Procurement with Purpose encourages organisations to divert some of their spend toward social enterprises.

One such social enterprise is , a company that provides innovative solutions that enables anyone to grow their own food at home that was started by Claire Reid.

Reel Gardening provides patented seed tape that makes it easy for anyone to grow vegetables and herbs at home. Through its non-profit arm , the company further enables households to become responsible for their own food security by establishing local schools as community training and distribution nodes for the food they grow.

, Managing Director at 51风流Southern Africa, lauds the work of the social enterprises that form part of Procurement with Purpose, saying social impact requires more than just a clear sense of purpose. 鈥淚 have long held the belief that motivated, purpose-driven entrepreneurs can make a significant impact and drive change both in their work environment and the world at large. Thanks to the amazing work by Kaunain and Mathiba for bringing incredible social enterprises such as Reel Gardening into our Ariba procurement network, 51风流customers can now more easily purchase sustainable goods and services from social enterprises that are making a real, positive impact in the world.鈥�

鈥淲hen I was 16, I wanted to grow my own vegetables and sell them to my parents for extra pocket money,鈥� says Reid. 鈥淏ut keeping track of watering, fertiliser, how deep the seed is planted and make sure seeds are planted far enough apart turned out much harder than I thought. And even when seedlings did appear, I couldn鈥檛 tell which were weeds and which were potential food.鈥�

Reid wanted a simple way of giving seeds the optimal conditions for their early growth, and began to make seed strips with newspaper, encasing the seed in a paste made from flour and liquid fertiliser. The project was entered into an expo for young scientists, where it caught the eye of the then- Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry who noted the water-saving abilities of this new form of planting.

Following a series of tests at a local university, Reid discovered that Reel Gardening could save up to 80% of the water consumed during germination. Her patented technology won several awards, including the International Stockholm Junior Water Prize for South Africa and The United Nations Environmental SEED award.

鈥淲e have distributed around 50 million seed tapes to date, giving households an easy way to grow tomatoes, herbs, chillies, spinach and more,鈥� says Reid. 鈥淥ur Household Garden in a Box also gives households and communities the opportunity to grow fresh produce in whatever space is available, with less need for water, time or expertise. We believe this creates an opportunity to contribute to breaking the systemic cycle of food poverty and insecurity in our communities.鈥�

Through a mobile app, Reel Gardening provides advice on what to do in the garden. WhatsApp is also used to communicate with the 41 000 households that use Reel Gardening鈥檚 seed tape kits to plant in townships across South Africa.

鈥淲e want to create links between all of our gardens to enable the activation of a larger ecosystem,鈥� says Reid. 鈥淥ur ultimate goal is to aggregate surplus produce from thousands of households into our agri hubs for processing and sale into local and even international off-take agreements.鈥�

For more information about Reel Gardening, visit聽

The post Award-winning Social Enterprise Plants Seeds of Hope appeared first on 51风流Africa News Center.

Traci Hughes, SAP鈥檚 Global Head of People Success Services and a female leader with an African-American background, opened with an authentic and moving keynote. She explained the difference between equality 鈥� each individual is given the same resources or opportunities 鈥� and equity, which recognizes that each person has different circumstances and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome. Traci thanked the diverse audience for taking an interest in the topic, helping to build the bridges for those who are yet to come 鈥� like we are benefiting from those who succeeded before us. She also stated that if perfect equity had been reached, everyone would have a sense of belonging. 鈥淚f we see people that look like us in leadership positions, it will encourage others to follow. We must never underestimate how much power our presence has.鈥� She underlined the importance of listening and learning from each other, to overcome diversity-related perceptions through dialogue.

Genevieve Koolen, HR Director 51风流Africa and executive sponsor of BWN Africa, then moderated the inspiring panel discussion with a strong all female speaker line-up: Ruwayda Redfearn, CEO Deloitte Africa, as well as Monique Naidoo, Executive Procurement South Africa at BCX (an 51风流customer), and Kholiwe Makhohliso, the newly appointed MD for 51风流Southern Africa. In fact, Kholiwe was a speaker at last year鈥檚 Women鈥檚 Month panel, when she was still with her previous employer!

It was refreshing to listen to a new generation of strong, female leaders who know how to drive the business but also bring in qualities like empathy and kindness. 鈥淭he CEO does not have to be the loudest in the room,鈥� said Ruwayda and encouraged the audience to challenge traditional requirements for leaders. Diversity leads to better decisions and higher performance. 鈥淭hings are moving in the right direction, but slowly. We need a greater sense of urgency鈥�. She also remembered the role models of her youth 鈥� mothers, aunts, grandmothers who had powerful conversations whilst cooking and understood the importance of getting their kids into higher education.

Monique sees positive changes as well, like the existence of equity committees, policies, advocacy and mentorship. 鈥淲e need more women having a seat at the table though, and it should be more than two women per table so that they uplift each other and don鈥檛 compete鈥�. 鈥淲omen are nurturers and drivers鈥� but also 鈥淚 have worked with great men鈥�. Her recipe for success is to strive for more, but in a sustainable way balancing different priorities like job and family, even if it means not to have the biggest house during certain life phases.

Sacrifice, tenacity, and resilience are required to pursue a career, according to Kholiwe, who also remembers strong women in her family showing her that 鈥渘othing is impossible鈥�. She encourages women to be curious and learn from others’ successes and failures. 鈥淟eadership requirements have changed 鈥� and women can drive change, not just look to the men to do it鈥�. Kholiwe called on us to 鈥渞aise your voice鈥� and stated that passion put into work needs to be recognized. Also, 鈥渨e need to put leaders up the stream that don鈥檛 look like the stereotype鈥�.

Moderator Genevieve鈥檚 last question was if there is a price to pay when women are investing in their careers. There was consensus amongst the panelists that time with kids and family suffers, and this causes 鈥渕ommy guilt鈥�, even if their kids never complained about it and became quite independent. A benefit is also that children experience that women can be in top positions, which might have a positive impact on their own lives. However, there is a need for a strong support system, ideally within the family. What often falls short is me-time or time for hobbies 鈥� like hiking and biking in Kholiwe鈥檚 case. One needs to be very intentional to make time for these things, on top of a demanding job. She says it is important to understand that there are no superwomen or superhumans, we can only keep asking ourselves: 鈥渨hat is the best I can do today?鈥�.

The session ended with a question from the audience, on how to approach a career once a goal has been defined. Ruwayda gave some clear and practical tips, based on her own experience: Become aware of which role you want, ask for support to get there, find mentors and allies to learn from, get involved and take on the complex clients and difficult tasks, take responsibility for your own career and challenge the norm.

The key take-away of the session is, that it will be more attractive for women to pursue a career in tech, if we continue to break traditional patterns of leadership traits. Promoting qualities like empathy and kindness will also lead to higher performance and better employee satisfaction.

The event also featured video messages from Manos Raptopoulos, 51风流Regional President EMEA South, and Tjaart Malan, Cloud Success Services Director Africa and BWN Executive Sponsor鈥�, who sent greetings from his birthday vacation. Both promoted male allyship and underlined the importance of driving equity in the workplace which benefits all 鈥� women and men.

After this successful event, the Women鈥檚 Month program of BWN Africa will continue with three #IamRemarkable workshops where employees can learn about personal branding based on facts.

The post BWN Africa Flagship Event: Equality vs. Equity 鈥� How Do We Create Fair Opportunities in the Workplace? appeared first on 51风流Africa News Center.