SAP has strengthened its enterprise cloud ecosystem through partnerships with major cloud hyperscalers including Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and recently Google Cloud.
Nazia Pillay, ad-interim MD of SAP Southern Africa, says African enterprises now have complete freedom to choose the best-fit cloud providers to run and scale their core business processes.
“Our partnerships with Amazon, Microsoft and Google enable customers across the continent to modernise their legacy ERP, innovate faster, and maximise their business resilience and performance.”
An existing cloud hyperscaler partnership with Google was recently enhanced with the launch of a new R2,5-billion Google Cloud region in Johannesburg in March, a first of its kind in Africa.
“South African organisations can now deploy SAP’s market-leading cloud ERP technologies to streamline their operations, enhance efficiency and accelerate digital transformation, all supported by the scalability and power of Google Cloud,” says Pillay.
“And, with RISE with SAP offering a standardised end-to-end methodology for cloud ERP migration using Google’s secure global network and resilient infrastructure, the path to transformative innovation and smarter decision-making has never been clearer for South African businesses.”
According to research house IDC, more than two thirds of large enterprises globally still use on-premise ERP systems. However, the same study found that 37% of organisations are modernising their legacy applications over the next three years. Nearly half (45%) also have firm plans to implement a managed cloud provider.
“Organisations are seeking long-term partners for their cloud strategies that can support their needs and enable continuous innovation,” says Pillay. “Such partners can play a vital role in improving security and ensuring uptime, supporting digital transformation, providing access to modern data centres, and enabling adoption of technologies such as artificial intelligence.”
IDC predicts that 70% of enterprises will form strategic ties with cloud providers for a range of use cases including Generative AI platforms, infrastructure, data controls and governance.
“African enterprises are understandably excited at the potential of business AI to transform their business models and achieve unprecedented efficiency and productivity,” says Pillay. “By drawing on verified business data in their ERP environments and deploying business AI tools such as SAP’s Joule, organisations can drive productivity, make more informed decisions, and improve cross-functional outcomes across every aspect of the business.”
Pillay highlights the role that initiatives such as RISE with SAP play in accelerating organisations’ cloud and innovation journeys. “RISE brings the entire ERP application stack into the cloud through proven methodologies, tools and expert guidance.
“Through our close partnerships with hyperscalers, companies can move with confidence knowing they are supported by a global network and resilient infrastructure. Companies also gain business AI capabilities, sustainability features, fully managed cloud services and the flexibility to leverage their choice of hyperscaler.”