Business leaders, technology partners, and SAP experts recently convened for the SAP Innovation Day Kenya, underscoring the pivotal role of Artificial Intelligence in spurring economic development across East Africa.
The gathering centered on leveraging AI and cloud enterprise resource planning solutions to boost efficiency, resilience, and growth in regional businesses.
The Regional Sales Director for Emerging Africa at SAP, Hardeep Sound highlighted the growing trend of companies seeking to transform their operations and seize new growth opportunities through advanced technologies.
This event, part of a global series with prior sessions in South Africa and Nigeria, assembled key stakeholders from across East Africa to discuss strategies for technology-driven innovation and the significant impact of AI on the region’s future growth.
The Managing Director for Emerging Africa at SAP, Johannes Dressler, noted that every organisation seeks to understand how to leverage technologies such as AI “being that in today’s turbulent markets, connecting end-to-end processes and driving innovation is key to staying competitive.”
According to the statement, the increasing interest in AI aligns with Kenya’s National Innovation Agency’s Strategic Plan 2023-2027, which identifies AI as a critical tool for developing innovative solutions in biotech, urban planning, and climate change.
Vice President for Cloud and Innovation: EMEA at SAP, Evert-Jan Tromp
stressed the need for a robust foundation for companies to effectively adopt and benefit from emerging technologies like AI.
“Enterprises are transforming their capabilities to establish a clean core that drives success. Our partner ecosystem is essential in helping companies understand the processes and best practices that accelerate adoption and maximize value,” Tromp said.
The Group Chief Information Officer at the Kenya Tea Development Agency Martin Mwarangu, who spoke during a panel discussion, said KTDA, owned by 600,000 smallholder tea farmers across Kenya, has focused on achieving greater efficiencies and cost savings while centralizing data and standardizing financial reporting to improve decision-making.
“We are in the people business, and our transformation journey is about enhancing our capabilities to better serve our suppliers, farmers, and the broader value chain,” Mwarangu said.
He noted that KTDA plans to explore further innovations, particularly in human capital and supplier management, as part of its ongoing transformation efforts.
A significant announcement at the event was a major deal with Hewatele, a social enterprise providing medical oxygen to over 150 facilities in Kenya.
Hewatele will implement SAP’s next-generation Cloud ERP solution to streamline operations and improve the delivery of critical medical supplies.
The Marketing Director at SAP Africa, Dumisani Moyo, hailed Hewatele’s leadership for embracing innovation, underscoring the pivotal role technology plays in Africa’s future.
