Kathy Gibson reports – With the world economy faltering in the face of tariff uncertainty, and global supply chains under intense pressure, it’s important for us to become more resilient as a country.
This is the word from BCX CEO Jonas Bogoshi, speaking at last week’s Huawei South Africa Connect, who points out that the global trajectory having been fundamentally changed in the last few months – and individual economies need to ensure they are resilient.
“What that means is that every country, if it wants to be relevant or have influence, must create value – because economic power has just become the new diplomatic language.
“And you have to be independent, so you must be able to own your own digital infrastructure, and you must own your data.”
The third imperative, Bogoshi says, must be to develop local talent.
“In Africa, what we are we going to do? Are we going to remain passive and therefore be the consumers of the new world order? Or are we going to decide that we’re going to make a change and therefore be producers in this new world?
“So the question is: what do we need to do for us to create value at scale and make sure that we remain part of the new world?”
The good news, Bogoshi adds, is that technology can change the trajectory of African countries.
“We’re not talking about technology for its sake,” he stresses. “We are not talking about digital. We are talking about intelligence. Because technology alone is not enough: it is the intent behind the technology that will uplift societies.
“We are talking about a mother in the rural community able to access health specialists with telemedicine. We are talking about a young student who can code. We are talking about an AI system that can detect if there’s an issue on your crop and help you to stop it.”
To build an intelligent economy, Bogoshi points out that the infrastructure has to be in place, and nowadays that means artificial intelligence (AI).
“AI is not a technology; it’s an infrastructure. It’s an invisible network that touches everything from data to decisions and also to outcomes.”
The good news about the AI economy is its multiplier effect, Bogoshi says, and projections suggest South Africa could have a $1,5-trillion opportunity over the next five years.
“So if we in Africa or South Africa want to remain relevant, if we want to create value at scale, then we have no option but to invest in digital technology.”
And this requires leadership, he adds, proposing two models on how IT industry stakeholders could drive the AI agenda.
The first one is a three-tiered model on how we can have an impact from an enterprise or industry point of view; the second from a national or country point of view.
For enterprises, Bogoshi explains that investments are made in order to achieve efficiencies. “However, in the context of making Africa and South Africa relevant in the new world, you must remember that every investment that you make is not just a business decision – you are actually voting about the future that you want to see.
“So when you are there evaluating a tender, remember you are not just creating efficiencies, you are deciding on the future of this country. And, therefore, what we have to think about is more than just automation. Ask yourself how you can invest in a technology that will allow your enterprise to become a node in a more connected, more intelligent economy?
“That’s the only way that this country is going to move forward, when people at the enterprise level think that way.”
The next level of responsibility the industry, whether public sector, retail, manufacturing, mining, healthcare, financial services or any other. “You have to think about industry transformation, about how we are going to enable shared platforms, interoperability and open standards.
“Because, for us to have a dividend as a country, isolated innovations are not enough. We should be thinking more about ecosystems. We should be asking the questions: Are we digitising public services? Are we impacting people’s lives? Are we reducing inequality? Are we creating digital talent? Are we making sure that we are different as a country?”
On a country and continent level, Bogoshi believes we should rethink partnerships in order to remain relevant. “Who you partner with is your strategy, but how you partner is a value system.”
The first step in this change is changing the relationship with IT providers from a transactional one to one of co-creation, he says. “We want the OEMs to move from just selling hardware and software to enabling ecosystems and helping us create digital skills – because that’s how we’ll be relevant as a country, as a continent.”
When IT vendors like Huawei and others provide the infrastructure and skills development, Bogoshi says IT companies need to take it further than providing point solutions for customers.
“If we want to have an impact on Africa and South Africa, let’s think differently. Let’s design not for Africa’s consumption, let’s design for Africa’s context. Because Africa is not a marketplace, it’s a design challenge. And Africa’s problems are integrated, we must approach them that way.”
But customers also need to evaluate their role, Bogoshi says. “We all have to make decisions on who we buy from. I know that typically you have to look at price, and you have to look at whether there is business value and that the suppliers are adhering to your specs. I’m saying go beyond that, and also look at how the vendor impacts society?”