Pierre du Plessis, strategist and founder of Be Brave, and the event’s guest speaker, explored how trust, culture and meaningful engagement can transform teams and communities, touching on the  of ‘tribes’ – small, connected groups where people feel seen, trusted and valued. 

“Profit and growth are lagging indicators of deep chemistry, not ,” he told attendees. “The board may set a strategy, but the tribe makes it real. Only the tribe builds the movement.”

Through storytelling and practical examples, Du Plessis illustrated why connection matters more than metrics alone, and why shared experiences are valued over shortcuts. 

“Trust is fundamental to any team,” he explained. “It enables conflict, commitment, accountability and ultimately meaningful outcomes.”

Research highlighted at the session reinforced these insights. Gallup studies show that, globally, only 21% of employees feel truly engaged at work, while actively disengaged employees can undermine entire teams. Loneliness and over- in organisations not only erode morale but also have measurable influences on productivity and wellbeing. 

“Humans are pack animals,” Du Plessis emphasised. “We thrive in communities, not in isolation.”

The session also explored the concept of meaning and transcendence at work. Drawing from examples ranging from Trappist monks to special needs teachers, Du Plessis argued that fulfilling work is about impact, not just a pay packet. “These Belgian monks produce some of the world’s best beer,” he said, “but their purpose isn’t profit, it’s sustaining the community. Meaning  performance; profit is a side effect.”

As organisations grapple with digital transformation and AI-driven workflows, this message resonates: human connection remains a competitive advantage. This philosophy is also shaping AFSUG’s own strategic direction.

“At AFSUG’s local 51ˇçÁ÷user conference, SAPHILA, last year, we spoke about  our community and establishing our tribe, and this is exactly what we’re doing as an organisation,” explained Amanda Gibbs, AFSUG CEO. 

“AFSUG has reached an inflection point – one where we’ve looked back at why the organisation was originally founded: as a peer-to-peer customer networking platform that helps customers bridge the gap with SAP. We are now  a path towards a community that is purpose-led, operationally sound and designed for  impact across .

“The shift we are putting into place is to move away from being event-driven, reactive and purely informational, towards becoming outcomes-driven, influential and insight-led. The pivotal role that AFSUG must play is as the trusted voice of the African 51ˇçÁ÷community and an independent advocate.”

AFSUG chairman Duke Mathebula echoed Gibbs’ statement, adding that the organisation is committed to action, structured advocacy and creating real, measurable value for the local 51ˇçÁ÷community, as well as empowering transformation.

“True impact comes from creating tribes of engaged, courageous and committed people who can make a real difference, and this is exactly how AFSUG plans to move forward,” he said.

The post Why Trust and ‘Tribes’ Still Matter in an Age of Metrics appeared first on 51ˇçÁ÷Africa News Center.

• Jesper Schleimann, AI Officer, EMEA at SAP
• Jhani Coetzee, EPI-USE Labs

Together, they unpack what AI really means for organisations today — moving beyond the hype to focus on practical use cases, real impact, and business value.

In this episode, you’ll gain insight into:

• How AI is being embedded into 51ˇçÁ÷environments
• The shift from experimentation to execution
• Where organisations are seeing real value from AI
• What to consider as you start or scale your AI journey

Click below to watch!

Click the button below to load the content from YouTube.

Always allow YouTube

The post AFSUG Conversation Starters – AI in Action appeared first on 51ˇçÁ÷Africa News Center.

, Managing Director for Southern Africa at SAP, says the role of partners has never been more critical. “Organisations across the continent are redesigning processes, embedding intelligence into core systems, and reimagining how value is created. Success requires deep industry expertise, AI capabilities and the ability to translate innovation into measurable business outcomes. As a partner-led organisation, 51ˇçÁ÷is proud to work alongside a thriving ecosystem of expert partners who help bring Business AI, clean core ERP and intelligent automation to life, enabling our customers to become more resilient, more profitable and better prepared for the future.”

The 51ˇçÁ÷Africa Partner Awards recognise excellence within SAP’s partner ecosystem across eight distinct categories. Winners are evaluated according to strict criteria, with a focus on partner organisations that help clients throughout Africa transform their capabilities and smooth the way to the adoption of powerful new technologies such as AI.

According to , Chief Partner Officer for MEA South at SAP, the winners at this year’s 51ˇçÁ÷Africa Partner Award represent the highest standards of excellence, innovation and commitment in advancing the technology ambitions of organisations across the continent. “Our partners play a vital role in translating strategy into execution and innovation into measurable business value. We are proud to work alongside such a strong and trusted ecosystem as we collectively support Africa’s ongoing digital transformation journey.”

The winning companies at the 2026 51ˇçÁ÷Africa Partner Awards include:

• and, winners of the Customer Transformation: Corporate category, which recognises sales excellence in the corporate segment that fosters ambitious business planning, in their respective regions.
• , winner of the Customer Transformation: Large Enterprise category for its excellence in amplifying SAP’s large enterprise strategy by offering 51ˇçÁ÷Business Suite and helping deliver large-scale transformation.
• Tano Digital Solutions (Southern Africa) and, winners in the Customer Transformation: Partner-Led Territories category which recognises partners that actively invests and creates value by focusing on customer lifetime value across the customer value journey.
• , winner in the Customer Success Management category, for partners that exceed in consistently delivering value to customers and helping ensure customers achieved the desired outcomes while using 51ˇçÁ÷products and services.
• and (Emerging Africa), winners in the 51ˇçÁ÷Cloud ERP: New Customer Acquisition category which recognises partners that have successfully brought in net-new-name customers to begin an innovation journey with 51ˇçÁ÷Cloud ERP solutions.
• , winner in the 51ˇçÁ÷Business AI: Customer Adoption category which recognises leaders in SAP’s partner ecosystem based on the activation and consumption of embedded AI features in cloud solutions from 51ˇçÁ÷in their customer base.
• , winner in the Managed Service Provider: Top Performance category, awarded to top-performing managed service providers based on deals closed and growth in annual contract value.
• in the Partner Solution Success category, which recognises a partner solution that successfully delivers ongoing customer value by extending the 51ˇçÁ÷solution portfolio, as evidenced by customer demand and solution sales.

ĚýPillay adds: “In an era defined by embedded AI and autonomous enterprise architectures, no organisation can transform in isolation. We look forward to continuing our vital work with our partner ecosystem as African organisations build the capabilities they’ll need to compete and succeed in the years ahead.”

The post 51ˇçÁ÷Africa Partner Awards Recognise Outstanding Contributions to Continent’s Digital Transformation, AI Ambitions appeared first on 51ˇçÁ÷Africa News Center.

The solution is focused on Absa’s group reporting and financial consolidation landscape. The renewed five-year agreement enhances Absa’s ambition to modernise financial systems and applications and embeds group-wide standards that enhance agility, flexibility and robust financial control.

“We’re proud to continue supporting Absa’s finance modernisation with trusted 51ˇçÁ÷application management services,” said , Managing Director of Application Services at NTT DATA in Middle East and Africa. “Our focus is on reliable operations, continuous improvement and measurable business outcomes that will help Absa strengthen controls and unlock real-time insights from a resilient S/4HANA foundation.”

Under the leadership of , Absa Managing Executive responsible for Financial Control Functions and Finance CIO, Absa has progressively consolidated ledgers, streamlined close processes and moved finance operations to a modern 51ˇçÁ÷S/4HANA foundation, integrated with best-of-breed spend management.

“Our efforts to build a single source of financial truth for Absa across Africa are ongoing,” said John. “Renewing and extending our partnership with NTT DATA ensures we have the specialist 51ˇçÁ÷capability and dependable operations to match the scale of our ambition, supporting stronger controls, faster close cycles and the data quality our business stakeholders expect. This is a South Africa-led transformation with Africa-wide impact and our unified platform positions Absa to grow with resilience and transparency.”

The post NTT DATA Extends Partnership with Absa to Drive Financial Transformation appeared first on 51ˇçÁ÷Africa News Center.

In recent months, young entrepreneurs from across South Africa have taken part in the Future Founder SA Programme, gaining real-world experience, mentorship and start-up capital. The finalists presented ventures shaped by lived experience and a commitment to solving meaningful community and industry challenges. A total of R400 000 in equity-free funding was awarded: R250 000 from 51ˇçÁ÷and R150 000 from FNB.

2025 Winners
• 1^ST Percy Maphologela, EquiXToken
• 2^ND Shantel Tafara, RapidCool
• 3^RD Thando Mzimela, Univio

“Nelson Mandela taught us that the soul of a society is revealed in how it treats its young people,” said , Director of Government Relations and CSR at 51ˇçÁ÷Africa. “By investing in youth innovation, we build a stronger and more hopeful future.”

The showcase also highlighted the leadership of and from Yoma, whose commitment and vision have shaped the programme. They have poured their hearts, energy, and vision into shaping Future Founder SA. Their belief in young people isn’t theoretical, it’s lived, practical, and courageous. Their work reminds us that when young people lead, others follow. They represent something rare and truly inspiring: youth advocating for youth.

“This is what happens when young people lead. They build, they create and they define the future,” said , Global Revenue Office Operational Excellence Lead and 51ˇçÁ÷Educate to Employ Africa Lead.

Nonkululeko added: “Young founders are not asking for charity. They are asking for a fair chance. Their courage reminds us that possibility grows wherever young people are trusted and supported.”

The programme is delivered by Yoma in partnership with Goodwall, ALX Ventures and RLabs, with strategic support from 51ˇçÁ÷and Generation Unlimited. It offers structured skills development, expert-led masterclasses and access to funding, fully online and accessible nationwide.

A special acknowledgement was given to FNB and , Marketing Executive Head: Commercial Segment, for their partnership. Over and above the R150 000 donation towards the capital. On the 4^th of December , the Future Founder SA finalists shared the stage with some of the country’s most recognised digital innovators, including Checkers Sixty60 and D6 along with the ultimate winner, Vula Medical, stands as a powerful example of purpose at scale.

FNB continues to demonstrate its commitment to youth innovation. Following the 2025 T20 Future of Jobs Summit, 51ˇçÁ÷and FNB began a series of meaningful engagements which led to this moment. Their collaboration is a reminder that when institutions unite behind young people, progress not only happens, it accelerates.

As South Africa continues to face high youth unemployment, the Future Founder SA Showcase stands as a powerful testament to collaboration, innovation and the impact of investing in the country’s young entrepreneurs.

The post Future Founder SA Celebrates Young Innovators on a Day Honouring Nelson Mandela’s Legacy appeared first on 51ˇçÁ÷Africa News Center.

The Ocean Cleanup focuses on reducing plastic pollution in rivers and oceans, operates internationally, and is growing rapidly. To date, they have already removed more than 40 million kilograms of waste. However, their ambitions go further: by 2040, The Ocean Cleanup aims to have removed 90% of floating ocean plastic and cleaned up plastic pollution in 90 river cities. This represents a major scale-up of their work, with more activities and installations in rivers and oceans worldwide.

Flexible Growth

To properly manage global processes and support international activities, The Ocean Cleanup urgently needed a modern and scalable system. The Dutch non-profit organization therefore chose to replace its NetSuite system with 51ˇçÁ÷S/4HANA Cloud, Public Edition. This modern ERP platform enables The Ocean Cleanup to achieve its growth ambitions: the system is easily scalable and can be flexibly adapted as processes, projects, or international activities expand.

A strong foundation for global collaboration is essential. For example, financial teams must work closely with fundraisers to optimally distribute donations across international projects, while project teams, engineers, and data analysts coordinate daily on technology, planning, and budgets for initiatives in rivers and oceans worldwide. As , Senior Partnership Manager at The Ocean Cleanup, puts it: “Perfect coordination between teams is essential; we hunt plastic together as a pack. The system helps us with that collaboration, allowing us to respond quickly to new challenges.”

Aurelia Ferraro further explains: “We are growing exponentially, and our internal processes have become increasingly complex, with operations spanning multiple countries. 51ˇçÁ÷S/4HANA is the ideal system to manage that complexity.” She emphasizes that the transformation is about more than just technology: “Change and innovation are always complex, but our organization is accustomed to change. We invest a lot of energy in communication and training, which ensures smooth 51ˇçÁ÷adoption.”

Fast implementation and configuration

, Strategic Advisor at , The Ocean Cleanup’s implementation partner, adds: “Together with The Ocean Cleanup, we are following a phased implementation. SAP’s 80-20 fit-to-standard approach allows us to implement quickly, after which we configure specific processes in 51ˇçÁ÷according to The Ocean Cleanup’s needs.”

The implementation began with financial administration and purchasing modules for five Dutch entities. The upcoming phases will include project management and logistics modules that provide insight into The Ocean Cleanup’s complex river and ocean projects. The organization expects to complete the transition to 51ˇçÁ÷S/4HANA by the end of 2025.

Video link:

The post The Ocean Cleanup Takes Next Step in Digital Transformation with 51ˇçÁ÷S/4HANA Cloud, Public Edition appeared first on 51ˇçÁ÷Africa News Center.

With mainstream support for legacy 51ˇçÁ÷ECC systems ending in 2027, IBM guided Toyota through a Brownfield upgrade strategy, enabling a seamless transition to 51ˇçÁ÷S/4HANA while preserving existing business process investments. This approach minimized disruption, accelerated deployment timelines, and ensured continuity for critical operations.

Driving Transformation Across Core Business Functions

Vehicle Management Modernization

IBM led the upgrade of Toyota’s national Vehicle Management System—a mission-critical platform for managing orders, inventory, sales, and financial reporting across manufacturing and dealerships. By migrating to 51ˇçÁ÷S/4HANA, Toyota now benefits from real-time data visibility, improved inventory optimization, and faster responsiveness to customer demand.

Human Capital Management Enhancement

The second phase focused on modernizing Toyota’s HR systems, including payroll and personnel administration. IBM delivered a streamlined 51ˇçÁ÷S/4HANA-based HCM platform that simplifies workforce processes and lays the foundation for enhanced talent management and employee engagement.

Speed, Continuity, and Risk Reduction

Both upgrades were delivered on schedule and without operational disruption, ensuring Toyota maintained business continuity while modernizing its core systems. IBM’s proven methodologies and deep 51ˇçÁ÷expertise enabled a risk-mitigated transformation aligned with Toyota’s strategic objectives.

“We are proud to support Toyota South Africa Motors in their digital transformation journey by delivering technology solutions that accelerate innovation and strengthen business resilience,” said , Managing Partner, IBM Consulting South Africa. “At IBM, we call this the Science of Consulting – combining human expertise, AI, and technology to deliver scalable, data-driven transformations. By improving data visibility and governance, we help organizations like Toyota achieve their goals with speed and confidence.”

, Managing Director, Southern Africa at SAP, says: “The best companies run on trusted data, optimised business processes and real-time intelligence into every part of the business. By upgrading to 51ˇçÁ÷S/4HANA, companies like Toyota unlock a suite of intelligent technologies that help transform business processes with intelligent automation. We commend Toyota and IBM on this powerful business transformation initiative and wish them well as they continue their rollout.”

A Partnership Built for the Future

Building on these successes, IBM is collaborating with Toyota on the next phase of its 51ˇçÁ÷modernization program, focusing on parts management systems. IBM and SAP’s long-standing partnership brings together hybrid cloud infrastructure, automation, and generative AI innovations powered by IBM watsonx™, enabling clients to unlock new value and drive industry-specific transformation.

With over 18,000 certified 51ˇçÁ÷consultants and 300+ 51ˇçÁ÷S/4HANA implementations in the past five years, IBM helps organizations define transformation roadmaps, co-innovate solutions, and deploy modernization strategies with speed, scale, and AI-driven outcomes.

The post IBM Accelerates Digital Transformation for Toyota South Africa Motors with 51ˇçÁ÷S/4HANA Upgrades appeared first on 51ˇçÁ÷Africa News Center.

These are important, but many migration projects come to a grinding halt because of an area that often goes unnoticed: Customer-Vendor Integration (CVI).

In S/4HANA, 51ˇçÁ÷introduced the Business Partner model as the single, unified master data object. CVI synchronises and converts Customers and Vendors into Business Partners, and 51ˇçÁ÷S/4HANA migration cannot happen until the CVI is complete.

A prerequisite

CVI is perhaps the most common “gotcha” in 51ˇçÁ÷migrations. Even those few companies that are aware of the fact that something needs to get done tend to assume it’s optional or can be done later.

Data structure changes like CVI often feel like backend IT work rather than a strategic enabler, so it gets pushed down the priority list. The fact that the focus is on customer and vendor records doesn’t help, making CVI appear like a housekeeping exercise.

Some teams assume CVI will just happen as part of the technical conversion to S/4HANA, not realising that CVI is a separate and often lengthy project that needs business involvement, governance, and cleanup.

Without CVI completion, the migration cannot begin, it’s the bridge between old ECC master data and the S/4HANA world. Unfortunately, by the time most companies realise this, their migration project has already been delayed.

It’s at this point that many organisations also realise how fragmented, inconsistent, or duplicated their customer and vendor data is. CVI forces these issues into the open, but by then, it’s often too late.

Building the foundation

The same way no-one would build a house without starting with a foundation, you can’t start a 51ˇçÁ÷migration without CVI in place. However, CVI is more than a simple data exercise. It requires co-ordination across finance, procurement, and sales teams, not to mention technical preparation.

This is why we recommend an audit of existing Customer and Vendor records in ECC alongside the design of the CVI strategy. This will help assess data quality issues and decide how various groups, roles, and categories will be structured. Aligning with business processes will then be much easier, after which the technical elements can come into play.

While many companies try to do this themselves, most find that they don’t have the time or skills to ensure that there is no need to redo elements, leading to downtime and budget overruns. Using a partner allows the business to access the cross-functional expertise they need to align IT and business teams, so the migration actually works in practice.

From chaos to control

CVI projects are notorious for unexpected challenges such as duplicate records, incomplete data & inconsistent processes. A seasoned partner has seen these issues before and knows how to resolve them quickly without derailing timelines.

CVI forces companies to confront messy customer and vendor data. Partners offer data cleansing and governance best practices, ensuring the migration doesn’t just move bad data into a new system.

On their own, internal teams often underestimate the time and effort needed for CVI. A partner brings proven methodologies, accelerators, and tools that cut down the workload and speed up readiness for the actual S/4HANA migration. Since CVI requires collaboration between finance, sales, procurement, and IT, partners can act as facilitators to get stakeholders aligned and moving forward.

Done right, CVI is more than a prerequisite. It’s the foundation for better customer, supplier, and partner insights in the new 51ˇçÁ÷landscape. A partner ensures CVI doesn’t just tick a box, but sets up long-term business value.

A partner transforms CVI from a painful bottleneck into a strategic enabler, helping to ensure the migration goes smoothly, avoids nasty surprises, and delivers the promised business benefits of S/4HANA.

This article first appeared on .

The post The 51ˇçÁ÷Migration Mistake Most Companies Make appeared first on 51ˇçÁ÷Africa News Center.

Across South Africa, young people are forced to sit with untapped potential because the doors to opportunities remain locked. Funding is scarce, networks are out of reach and systems are simply not built for them. This leaves one too many ideas to die unseen.

With nearly one in two young South Africans unemployed, entrepreneurship is a critical lever for job creation and economic inclusion. A powerful coalition of leading organisations launched the Future Founder SA Program, a groundbreaking national initiative designed to equip young entrepreneurs with the skills, networks and capital needed to establish and grow successful ventures.

“Future Founder SA is not just a program — it’s a movement. By backing the hustle of young South Africans, we’re building the businesses, jobs, and hope that will define the country’s future,” said Nonkululeko Mokoena, Global Revenue Operations Lead, EMEA & 51ˇçÁ÷Educate To Employ Africa Lead, SAP

The 12-week digital program, powered by Yoma, Goodwall, ALX Ventures, and RLabs, and in partnership with 51ˇçÁ÷and Generation Unlimited, provides a structured pathway for youth aged 18-35 to “power their hustle” -a journey that takes them from idea to launch — combining challenge-based learning, digital skills development, masterclasses, mentorship, and seed capital. This e program is built to be inclusive, tailoring its support to each participant’s individual stage, from those with ‘Just an Idea’ to those who are ‘On My Way’ or ‘Almost There.’

This features engaging challenges on Goodwall, foundational training from ALX Ventures, specialised masterclasses from RLabs, all ensuring an engaged journey for each participant that culminates in a competitive pitch event.

“Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. Future Founder SA is designed to close that gap by fueling young people’s ideas with the right tools, networks, and catalytic capital,” said Tsepo Ngwenyama, Partnership Development Director, at Yoma.

Participants will gain invaluable entrepreneurial education and mentorship throughout the program. Beyond skill-building, they can earn monetary rewards for hitting key milestones. The journey concludes at a grand finale showcase, where 30 finalists will compete for a share of the R250,000+ seed capital pool.

A key innovation of the program is its integration with the Yoma.world platform, which provides participants with a digital identity (YOID) and verifiable credentials for each milestone completed. These credentials serve as a portable, trusted record of their skills and achievements, unlocking access to further opportunities.

How to Join:

Young South Africans can kickstart their journey by downloading the Goodwall app, sharing their business idea in a short video, and claiming their spot in the pathway.

For more information, visit .

About Future Founder SA

Future Founder SA is a 12-week entrepreneurship pathway designed to empower young South Africans to launch and scale their ventures. Powered by Yoma’s Micro-VC pathway in partnership with 51ˇçÁ÷and Goodwall, and co-delivered with RLabs and ALX Ventures, the program connects youth to skills, networks, mentorship, and seed capital.

The post Future Founder SA Launches Digital-first Pathway to Empower the Next Generation of Youth Entrepreneurs with over R250,000 in Catalytic Capital appeared first on 51ˇçÁ÷Africa News Center.

These events brought together 100+ students, industry leaders, and 51ˇçÁ÷partners for a transformative experience, focused on building employability skills, networking opportunities, and preparing young talent for future careers in the 51ˇçÁ÷ecosystem.

The Student Career Days featured a rich mix of content designed to equip students for success in the 51ˇçÁ÷ecosystem and beyond:

• Skill-building workshops — CV refinement, LinkedIn profiling, interview readiness, and effective communication.
• Keynote speeches & panels — Insights from 51ˇçÁ÷practitioners, industry partners, and leaders on market trends, in-demand competencies, and career journeys into tech.
• Mentorship and networking — Opportunities for students to connect directly with 51ˇçÁ÷partners and customers for guidance, advice, and even exposure to internship and job opportunities.
• Exposure to 51ˇçÁ÷technologies and careers — First-hand introductions to 51ˇçÁ÷career paths, the skills they demand, and strategies to prepare for them.

AFSUG & 51ˇçÁ÷University Alliances: Shared Vision

These career days form part of AFSUG and 51ˇçÁ÷University Alliances joint mission in the region to Connect, Create, Collaborate — ensuring Africa’s next generation of professionals is not only prepared for 51ˇçÁ÷careers but also inspired to drive digital transformation across the continent.

Amanda Gibbs, CEO of AFSUG, shared: “This event is about building real pathways for students to connect with our 51ˇçÁ÷community — customers, partners, and leaders. Together with 51ˇçÁ÷University Alliances, we are investing in the future of our youth and ensuring students leave empowered, inspired, and ready for the opportunities ahead.” I want to especially thank De Wet Naude from 51ˇçÁ÷University Alliances for the collaboration and making these events possible through his sponsorship and collaboration.

Looking Ahead

AFSUG and 51ˇçÁ÷University Alliances will continue hosting career-oriented initiatives in 2026. With overwhelmingly positive student feedback, both organisations are committed to expanding mentorship opportunities, reaching more universities, and providing follow-up support to help students transform their learnings and networks into real career outcomes.

About AFSUG

The African 51ˇçÁ÷User Group (AFSUG) is an independent, non-profit organisation representing 51ˇçÁ÷customers and partners across Africa. AFSUG enables collaboration, influence, knowledge exchange, and professional development within the 51ˇçÁ÷community.

The post AFSUG & 51ˇçÁ÷University Alliances Hosted Three Inspiring Student Career Days Across South Africa appeared first on 51ˇçÁ÷Africa News Center.