Here’s what matters.

The setup

Global growth is expected to tick along at 2.8–3.5% this year, modest but stable. That stability is political gold. When leaders aren’t in crisis mode, they actually invest in the future instead of just firefighting today.

This year’s agenda clusters around five challenges including cooperation in a contested world, unlocking new growth sources, investing in people, deploying AI responsibly, and building prosperity within planetary boundaries. Translation = the economy is shifting from post-crisis triage to long-term productivity and inclusion.

Three things to watch

1. Infrastructure & skills investment

Look for announcements on blended finance for green energy, regional supply chains, and large-scale reskilling programmes. If these materialise with real funding and timelines, expect more middle-skill jobs in construction, energy, logistics and digital services over the next 18–24 months.

2. AI beyond the hype

The wild card is artificial intelligence. If Davos produces credible commitments on AI skills, responsible deployment and public-interest applications (health, education, agriculture), we’ll see productivity gains filter into wages and services rather than just shareholder returns. If it doesn’t, expect growing anxiety and regulatory backlash.

3. Climate as economics, not just morality

Nature-positive business models could unlock $10 trillion annually by 2030. For ordinary people, this means stable food prices, affordable energy transitions, and jobs in green sectors, not guilt-driven messaging.

Why this matters to you?

At the end of the day, Davos outcomes ripple into:

1. Your job: new sectors opening up, skills programmes worth enrolling in, wage pressure easing if productivity rises.
2. Your cost of living: more stable energy and food prices, faster internet, better public services, if infrastructure deals follow through.
3. Your opportunity: a global economy pulling toward inclusive growth means your city and region have a better shot at plugging into value chains locally.

The honest take

Davos won’t fix the world in a week, but if leaders walk away with credible coalitions, real funding and metrics (not just press releases), the signal is clear = 2026 is about building, not just managing decline.

Sunil Geness is theĚýDirector of Global Government Affairs & CSR Africa, Global Sustainability Lead Africa at SAP.

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The timing could hardly have been more pointed. Across the world, executives are losing patience with AI experiments that overpromise and underdeliver. Boardrooms have heard enough about pilots and proofs of concept, and now want systems that improve margins and forecast outcomes.

TechEd took place in that atmosphere, amid assurances that performance could replace promise. 51ˇçÁ÷used the event to demonstrate how deeply AI now runs through its own operations before unveiling its next leap forward.

Rather than another round of hype about possibilities, 51ˇçÁ÷aimed to show a working example of AI at scale, handling everyday complexity inside one of the world’s largest software organisations.

51ˇçÁ÷chief technology officer and chief AI officer, Philipp Herzig, told Business Times at TechEd that the clearest evidence of maturity came from within 51ˇçÁ÷itself. The company’s AI assistant, Joule, acts as a conversational layer across its software stack, connecting data, applications, and agents to automate tasks and surface insights on demand.

“If you look at AI at scale, what is really real and what is working very well, just look at Joule,” he said. “It’s used by more than 30,000 employees every month, about a third of the 51ˇçÁ÷workforce. We have more than 100,000 policies and documents in different languages, and depending on where you work, in Brazil or South Africa, you get the correct HR or travel policy surfaced to you.”

Herzig said Joule had become the company’s single interface for daily tasks. “You can do your expense reports, indirect procurement, and financial tasks all in one place. It works, and it works at scale. We have a thumbs-down rate of only 1%, which is phenomenal when you think about the size of the company.”

Innovations across SAP’s unique flywheel of applications, data and AI put developers in the
driver’s seat — Muhammad Alam, 51ˇçÁ÷executive board member

That success set the stage for TechEd’s central announcement: an AI model called SAP-RPT-1, short for relational pre-trained transformer. The model introduces a new class of AI: the enterprise relational foundation model. It interprets structured business data and the relationships within it, mapping how orders, invoices, logistics, and payments interact to forecast what comes next.

51ˇçÁ÷described it as a model that “can make fast and accurate predictions for common business scenarios like delivery delays, payment risk or sales order completion”. Instead of producing text, it reads how data behaves across systems, turning business logic into predictive insight.

Herzig said SAP-RPT-1 marked the transition from incremental automation to full predictive architecture.

“We see a shift from what I call a cloud-native architecture to an AI-native architecture, as AI becomes an ever-increasing part of the software stack. “What we wanted to solve are the problems where we have a reason to solve them: because we have the data, the relational data, the structured business data and so on. We set out this research project two years ago, talked a little about it, but now it actually becomes a reality.

“It’s a shift that needs several things to come together: the knowledge graph, this predictive model now with RPT-1, and of course the large language models. So there are many elements in the software stack that change. Every day, each little piece adds to this picture and solves a particular challenge in the stack.”

Herzig said the greatest challenge lay in making this intelligence work at enterprise scale.

“Anyone can do a demo. Getting it enterprise-ready at scale — that’s the tough challenge. That’s why we’re solving one problem after another, each for a specific outcome in the overall stack.”

51ˇçÁ÷executive board member Muhammad Alam tied this philosophy to the developer community.

“SAP’s announcements give developers the tools they need to deliver at the speed of AI,” he said.

“Innovations across SAP’s unique flywheel of applications, data and AI put developers in the driver’s seat.”

That “flywheel” anchored the narrative of TechEd:
• applications generate data;
• data trains predictive models;
• models return intelligence to the applications.

Each loop strengthens the next, creating a flywheel effect of acceleration of innovation. 51ˇçÁ÷announced that it would equip 12-million individuals worldwide with AI-ready skills by 2030 through a partnership with Coursera that provides hands-on certification in SAP’s ecosystem. The goal is to align those skills with the AI-native architecture now taking shape inside the company. It also sends the message that people remain at the heart of the AI journey.

This article first appeared in the

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51ˇçÁ÷has taken artificial intelligence beyond the realm of language. At the 51ˇçÁ÷TechEd 2025 conference in Berlin this week, the company introduced a new class of AI designed to predict business outcomes rather than words. The result is what 51ˇçÁ÷claims to be the first enterprise relational foundation model, called SAP-RPT-1, or Relational Pre-trained Transformer.

It represents a shift in what a foundation model can be: rather than being a generator of sentences, it is a predictor of decisions.

51ˇçÁ÷describes SAP-RPT-1 as an AI that “can make fast and accurate predictions for common business scenarios like delivery delays, payment risk, or sales order completion”. It uses the relationships between business data rather than linguistic patterns to anticipate what happens next in an organisation’s operations. In simple terms, it reads the business, as opposed to mere text.

To encourage developers to explore what that means in practice, 51ˇçÁ÷has launched a free playground environment where they can test predictive scenarios, simulate business situations, and see how relational AI behaves when exposed to live data. For developers accustomed to fine-tuning language models, it represents a different kind of creativity, rooted in the mechanics of business itself.

“SAP’s announcements today give developers the tools they need to deliver at the speed of AI,” says Muhammad Alam, member of the executive board of SAP. “Innovations across SAP’s unique flywheel of applications, data and AI put developers in the driver’s seat – where they belong.”

That flywheel was clearly visible across the rest of TechEd’s announcements.

The company’s 51ˇçÁ÷Build platform, its centrepiece for enterprise application development and automation, has been re-engineered to give developers more freedom to use tools they already rely on.

Developers who prefer agentic development environments like Cursor, Claude Code, Cline and Windsurf can now use 51ˇçÁ÷development frameworks through new 51ˇçÁ÷Build local Model Context Protocol Servers. Visual Studio Code users can access 51ˇçÁ÷Build capabilities directly in their existing development environment via a new 51ˇçÁ÷Build extension, which will later also appear in the Open VSX Registry for use with other development environments.

51ˇçÁ÷revealed plans for integration with automation platform n8n, allowing its Joule Studio agents to work alongside n8n’s own agents. This kind of cross-agent collaboration reflects the company’s growing emphasis on orchestration: enabling multiple intelligent systems to coordinate tasks across applications and departments.

The data layer that feeds these systems is also evolving. Every intelligent application depends on trusted data, and 51ˇçÁ÷is extending its reach through 51ˇçÁ÷Business Data Cloud. A new 51ˇçÁ÷Snowflake solution extension brings Snowflake’s managed data and AI capabilities directly to 51ˇçÁ÷customers, giving them “the flexibility to choose the right compute and storage for each data and AI workload, while maintaining governance, interoperability and business context”.

The announcement was reinforced by a new 51ˇçÁ÷Business Data Cloud Connect partnership with Snowflake, adding to existing integrations with Databricks and Google Cloud. The result is a more open, federated data ecosystem that lets developers work with 51ˇçÁ÷data wherever it resides.

A new data product studio capability in 51ˇçÁ÷Business Data Cloud now allows developers to turn raw data into ready-to-use assets known as data products, designed for analytics, AI and application development. At the same time, the 51ˇçÁ÷HANA Cloud knowledge graph engine can automatically generate knowledge graphs. This means it maps relationships across 51ˇçÁ÷database tables, columns, and data models to reveal how data fits together. For developers, it is a new way of seeing how information connects across systems, turning structure into insight.

51ˇçÁ÷is also extending its Joule AI portfolio, which now includes new assistants that can coordinate multiple agents across workflows, departments and applications. These assistants are designed to “plan, initiate, and complete complex tasks spanning finance, supply chain, HR, and beyond.”

Among the new offerings is an agent for business process analysis, helping teams understand how processes actually run, identify inefficiencies, and uncover opportunities to optimise workflows and achieve measurable improvements.

51ˇçÁ÷pledged to equip 12-million people worldwide with AI-ready skills by 2030, through a partnership with Coursera that expands hands-on training and certification in practical AI tools. The goal, 51ˇçÁ÷says, is to make AI accessible to “people everywhere”.

*ĚýArthur Goldstuck is CEO of World Wide Worx, editor-in-chief ofĚý, and author ofĚýThe Hitchhiker’s Guide to AI – The African Edge.

This article first appeared in .

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BERLINĚý— At 51ˇçÁ÷TechEd in 2025,Ěý (NYSE: SAP) brings AI deep into the development process to level up how developers build.

New AI-driven capabilities in the 51ˇçÁ÷Build solution, an expanding data ecosystem and powerful Joule Agents empower developers to move from idea to impact with unprecedented speed and confidence. As AI transforms the nature of professional work, 51ˇçÁ÷also pledges to equip 12 million people worldwide with AI-ready skills by 2030.

“SAP’s announcements today give developers the tools they need to deliver at the speed of AI,” said Muhammad Alam, member of the Executive Board of 51ˇçÁ÷SE. “Innovations across SAP’s unique flywheel of applications, data and AI put developers in the driver’s seat — where they belong.”

Opening the Developer Ecosystem

51ˇçÁ÷Build, the company’s flagship solution for enterprise application development and automation, now gives developers more freedom to build, extend and automate using the tools they love most.

For instance, developers who prefer agentic development solutions like Cursor, Claude Code, Cline and Windsurf can now use 51ˇçÁ÷development frameworks with new 51ˇçÁ÷Build local Model Context Protocol Servers. Visual Studio Code users will be able to access 51ˇçÁ÷Build capabilities directly in their development environment with a new 51ˇçÁ÷Build extension. This extension will also be made available later on Open VSX Registry for other development environments. 51ˇçÁ÷and n8n also announced plans for an integration so Joule Studio agents and n8n agents can work together.

And with new agent building capabilities in Joule Studio, developers have the tools they need to extend SAP’s ready-to-use agents and build new agents grounded in 51ˇçÁ÷business data and context that can act autonomously based on changing business conditions.

Putting Data to Work

Every intelligent application starts with trusted data. 51ˇçÁ÷is giving developers more ways to put that data to work through 51ˇçÁ÷Business Data Cloud.

The solution now connects with more of the data and AI platforms developers use every day. A new 51ˇçÁ÷Snowflake solution extension for 51ˇçÁ÷Business Data Cloud brings Snowflake’s fully managed data and AI capabilities directly to 51ˇçÁ÷customers, giving them the flexibility to choose the right compute and storage for each data and AI workload, while maintaining governance, interoperability and business context. 51ˇçÁ÷also announced a new 51ˇçÁ÷Business Data Cloud Connect partnership with Snowflake. This complements existing integrations with Databricks and Google Cloud, giving developers more freedom to choose how they work with 51ˇçÁ÷data.

With a new data product studio capability in 51ˇçÁ÷Business Data Cloud, developers can turn raw data into ready-to-use assets known as data products that support analytics, AI and application development.

An expanded capability in the 51ˇçÁ÷HANA Cloud knowledge graph engine can automatically generate knowledge graphs. This capability maps relationships across 51ˇçÁ÷database tables, columns and data models, revealing how data fits together and why it matters. Developers will be able to see how their data connects across systems and uncover underlying business insights.

Bringing AI Autonomy to Life

51ˇçÁ÷is evolving its AI portfolio to give developers the intelligence and orchestration power they need to takeĚýAI from insight to action.

51ˇçÁ÷introduced its first enterprise relational foundation model, a new class of AI that predicts business outcomes rather than the next word in a sentence. SAP-RPT-1, or the first-generation Relational Pre-trained Transformer, can make fast and accurate predictions for common business scenarios like delivery delays, payment risk or sales order completion. 51ˇçÁ÷launched a free playground environment for developers today.

New AI assistants in Joule coordinate multiple agents across workflows, departments and applications, bringing automation and autonomy to life. These assistants plan, initiate and complete complex tasks spanning finance, supply chain, HR and beyond. Today, 51ˇçÁ÷introduces new agents built for technical users. For example, an agent for business process analysis will help teams understand how processes run, identify inefficiencies and uncover opportunities to optimize workflows and drive measurable improvements.

Lastly, as AI changes the nature of work for everyone, 51ˇçÁ÷is pledging to equip 12 million people worldwide with AI-ready skills by 2030. 51ˇçÁ÷will expand hands-on training and certification programs that integrate practical AI-ready tools, including through its partnership with online learning platform Coursera.

Visit theĚý. Get 51ˇçÁ÷news viaĚýĚýandĚý.

About SAP

As a global leader in enterprise applications and business AI, 51ˇçÁ÷(NYSE:SAP) stands at the nexus of business and technology. For over 50 years, organizations have trusted 51ˇçÁ÷to bring out their best by uniting business-critical operations spanning finance, procurement, HR, supply chain, and customer experience. For more information, visit .

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

For customers interested in learning more about 51ˇçÁ÷products:
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For more information, press only:
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51ˇçÁ÷Press Room;Ěýpress@sap.com

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’s 2024 Annual Report on Form 20-F.
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, Managing Director: Southern Africa at SAP, said South African organisations are facing a turning point. “The convergence of data, cloud, and AI technologies presents an extraordinary opportunity to rethink how we operate, innovate, and grow. By combining new thinking with AI-enabled skills the latest technologies, companies across the region can unlock a new era of accelerated growth and innovation.”

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. “This digital shift is empowering organisations to make faster, data-driven decisions, close the skills gap, and build more resilient, future-ready enterprises. We must equip our workforce with the right skills to fully harness the potential of these emerging technologies” added , 51ˇçÁ÷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’s success in the digital age depends on the country’s ability to lead with clarity and act with urgency. “Innovation is a necessity for national competitiveness. Collectively, we must ensure we’re not just adopting global technologies but adapting them to our unique context to create lasting value for our businesses, our people, and our economy.”

The comments were made at 51ˇçÁ÷Business Suite Innovation Day, part of a global event series that provide an exclusive introduction to SAP’s latest cloud applications and data-driven AI innovations, including 51ˇçÁ÷Business Data Cloud and 51ˇçÁ÷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 51ˇçÁ÷Business Data Cloud & 51ˇçÁ÷Business AI, EMEA at SAP, said new advances in how organisations collect, manage and empower data is unlocking vast opportunities for AI-enabled growth and innovation. “By breaking down data silos and allowing businesses to govern and connect all their data, Ěýour 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.”

According to , Group IT Manager: Solution Delivery & PMO (product management office) at ABF Sugar, “many 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.”

Pillay adds that companies globally are increasingly adopting a clean core strategy, which 51ˇçÁ÷sees as a critical enabler for long-term innovation, agility, and cost efficiency. “The clean core approach is key to simplifying the enterprise landscape and ensuring companies can rapidly adopt new innovations with minimal disruption. It’s the foundation that allows AI, cloud and data solutions to deliver full value across every line of business.”

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For the continent’s telecommunications industry, in particular, it is a chance to convert political momentum into the practical investments, policies, and partnerships needed to accelerate inclusive connectivity.

The unites the world’s leading economies, multilateral development banks (MDBs), and technology leaders. With South Africa in the chair, Africa can elevate wireless broadband – especially 4G and 5G – as a cornerstone of sustainable growth. By advocating for the expansion of the G20’s Digital Infrastructure Investment Initiative and embedding broadband priorities into MDB country platforms, African governments can channel global capital and technical expertise into both urban and rural deployments.

The urgency is clear. Mobile Internet penetration in sub-Saharan Africa stood at only 27% at the end of 2023, compared to a global average of 69%, leaving more than 800-million people without meaningful Internet access despite network availability. This represents one of the largest digital divides in the world and underscores why G20-level action is so critical.

ĚýCatalysing investment and innovation

International digital and wireless infrastructure investments, championed at the G20, can unlock precisely the kind of large-scale financing Africa needs. MDB reforms have already increased lending capacity and encouraged blended finance structures that spread risk across public and private partners. By presenting bankable, data-driven proposals – backed by case studies in education, healthcare, and commerce – African leaders can ensure that broadband projects rise to the top of G20 infrastructure finance discussions.

The investment case is compelling. The mobile industry contributed $140-billion to sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP in 2023 and is projected to reach $170-billion by 2030. At the same time, ITU modelling shows that a 10% increase in mobile broadband penetration can boost GDP per capita by 2,5%. These figures make wireless connectivity a growth engine as well as a development imperative.

Global partnerships can also speed technology transfer. Innovative models such as fixed wireless access, already accounting for about 62% of fixed broadband subscriptions in sub-Saharan Africa, and low-earth-orbit satellite links lower deployment costs, making it commercially viable to connect rural schools, community health clinics, and small businesses.

ĚýDriving fair, future-proof regulation

Connectivity alone is not enough. The policy environment must encourage competition and innovation while protecting sovereignty. Rising techno-nationalism threatens to fragment digital markets and raise costs. Africa can counter these risks at the G20 by championing transparent, competitive spectrum allocation and liberalised cross-border data flows.

A regionally unified spectrum policy is critical. Drawing on South Africa’s Next Generation Radio Frequency Spectrum Policy, African regulators can present a continent-wide approach to spectrum management that promotes open access, supports secondary markets, and ensures technology-neutral licensing. This would lower barriers for new entrants including community networks, and stimulate rural investment.

Of equal importance is the need to build a unified digital ecosystem that creates an enabling environment to close Africa’s digital divide. To deliver seamless, affordable connectivity across borders, Africa needs not only more towers and fibre, but also harmonised standards and interoperable digital public infrastructure. The G20’s Digital Economy Working Group, together with the International Telecommunication Union and 3GPP, provides the ideal forum for African nations to influence emerging global standards including those shaping 6G/IMT-2030.

By speaking with one voice through the African Union and regional blocs such as SADC and ECOWAS, Africa can embed its priorities – universal service, energy efficiency, multilingual support – into the technical and regulatory blueprints of next-generation networks. Pan-African technical bodies, supported by G20 knowledge-sharing and pilot funds, can further accelerate standardisation and cross-border interoperability.

ĚýBold action needed for the 5G and 6G eras

Africa is already on the move. As of 2024, 35 telecom operators across 21 African countries have launched commercial 5G networks serving some 26-million subscribers. This number is projected to rise to 400-million by 2030 when 5G will account for about 31% of all mobile subscriptions. At the same time, mobile data consumption is set to soar: average usage per smartphone is expected to nearly triple from 5GB a month in 2024 to 14GB by 2030, driving total regional data traffic from 2.3 exabytes to 11 exabytes per month.

G20 cooperation on research and development, spectrum harmonisation, and cybersecurity will help African countries test 6G technologies early, attract investment, and avoid the adoption lags that have historically left the continent behind new technology cycles.

However, Africa’s digital transformation will not happen by chance. It requires intentional policy advocacy, coordinated investment, and decisive leadership. As G20 host, South Africa can help the continent:

• Put wireless broadband at the heart of G20 infrastructure finance and sustainable development priorities.
• Secure commitments from MDBs and technology partners to fund large-scale rural and sector-specific projects.
• Promote spectrum and data-flow policies that encourage innovation and fair competition.
• Drive pan-African cooperation on standards and interoperability to create a single, vibrant digital market.

If Africa can achieve these goals, the G20 summit will be remembered not just as a diplomatic milestone, but as the moment the continent took a decisive leap toward universal connectivity and digital prosperity.

The opportunity is historic. With the right strategy and united action, Africa can transform a single year of G20 leadership into decades of inclusive digital growth.

This article first appeared on .

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“To thrive when volatility is the new normal, businesses need more than a patchwork of disparate best-of-breed applications,” says Muhammad Alam, member of the executive board of 51ˇçÁ÷SE, 51ˇçÁ÷Product & Engineering. “Our announcements today demonstrate the power of 51ˇçÁ÷Business Suite, where AI, data, and applications come together in an experience to propel smarter decisions, faster execution, and scalable transformation.”

51ˇçÁ÷unveiled Joule’s next stage as the AI force at the center of 51ˇçÁ÷Business Suite’s value creation. Drawing on the applications and data from across 51ˇçÁ÷Business Suite, 51ˇçÁ÷is introducing a new generation of role-aware assistants in Joule. Each assistant is designed to partner with a human being in their specific business role. Assistants in Joule tap into the right agents for the job, configuring, orchestrating and managing them so humans can focus on unlocking new levels of insight and productivity.

Supporting the assistants in Joule is a growing library of specialized Joule Agents, designed to help execute complex workflows within a specific function. For instance, a People Manager Assistant coordinates a team of specialized agents – including the new People Intelligence Agent, which helps spot and resolve issues like compensation anomalies – to support managers as they drive performance.

A new Financial Planning Assistant will be aided by a group of expert agents – including the new Cash Management Agent, which optimises cash flow and improves interest yields – to help finance professionals drive efficiencies.

This new roster of role-aware AI Assistants not only partner with people to elevate performance in their lines of business but also work together across business functions to solve complex enterprise-wide problems.

Data fuels AI’s transformative power but it’s often siloed in different systems. 51ˇçÁ÷has removed those barriers with 51ˇçÁ÷Business Data Cloud Connect. 51ˇçÁ÷BDC Connect securely links 51ˇçÁ÷BDC with partner platforms to enable a bidirectional flow of business-ready data products across organizational and technological boundaries.

With zero-copy sharing, data stays securely in 51ˇçÁ÷systems yet remains instantly accessible in customers’ existing data platforms, preserving business context without costly copies. The result: fewer silos, simpler pipelines, no duplication – just trusted data products where and when they’re needed.

51ˇçÁ÷also announced that Databricks and Google Cloud are the first partners enabled for 51ˇçÁ÷BDC Connect, with more to follow. As announced in February 2025, 51ˇçÁ÷Databricks remains a data service within 51ˇçÁ÷Business Data Cloud, and BDC Connect extends its benefits across an open data ecosystem. These partnerships give customers faster access to data products for analytics and AI, helping teams move from raw data to real-time business outcomes with greater speed and simplicity.

Data is created and AI driven insights are experienced in SAP’s enterprise applications. 51ˇçÁ÷Supply Chain Orchestration is a new AI-native solution that combines the power of Joule with a live knowledge graph to detect real-time risks several suppliers deep and orchestrate a coordinated response, helping customers cut costs and keep supply chains moving.

51ˇçÁ÷Engagement Cloud, a new customer experience solution, uses business-critical context to personalize interactions across customers, suppliers and other stakeholders. And our next-generation 51ˇçÁ÷Ariba procurement suite stands out as an AI-native solution, bringing intelligence to every stage of spendmanagement, from sourcing through supplier engagement.

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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.

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, Managing Director: Emerging Africa at SAP, said: “Organisations 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’s business community is gearing up to unleash their full potential powered by cloud, data and AI.”

The comments were made at 51ˇçÁ÷Business Suite Innovation Day on September 17th, a special event for 51ˇçÁ÷customers and partners to showcase how and come together to deliver exceptional value as part of the 51ˇçÁ÷Business Suite.

Experts from across the 51ˇçÁ÷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 51ˇçÁ÷technologies to accelerate growth and unlock new capabilities.

, Group Head: 51ˇçÁ÷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.

“Succeeding in today’s 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.”

, Country Managing Director for Nigeria at SAP, said: “Africa’s 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 51ˇçÁ÷found that half of Nigerian businesses expected a ‘significant’ increase in demand for AI skills this year. The SAPĚýĚýreport 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: “The 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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51ˇçÁ÷has joined the 2025 HR Indaba as a Platinum partner

Renowned for its innovative enterprise solutions, 51ˇçÁ÷is set to showcase their software solutions that empower organisations to unlock their people potential.

51ˇçÁ÷empowers organisations to navigate challenges in a digital world, fostering continuous innovation and customer-focused solutions and relationships. As a global leader in business transformation through technology, 51ˇçÁ÷provides the tools HR leaders need to create agile, people-centric organisations.

Don’t miss the opportunity to engage with 51ˇçÁ÷and other leading partners at the Indaba, where over 3,000 HR professionals and industry leaders will gather for a day of learning, networking and fresh ideas and conversations. With 10 power-packed sessions led by top speakers and a vibrant expo floor, this is where conversations become strategies and strategies become action.

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