The importance of data in times of crisis
While the extension of the South African lockdown until the end of April might not have been unexpected, many are concerned about the long-term impact this will have on the country. This extends to more than the economic repercussions but the human component as well....
Embracing digitalised decision-making
On 11 March, the World Health Organisation declared the coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic. In response to the spread of the virus, at least half of the global population has been placed on lockdown to try and 'flatten the curve'. Unfortunately, the spread of the...
MDM goes beyond being a data management tool
The continued application explosion is creating a hot bed for customers looking to better manage the data that these apps are creating. While not new, the pervasive use of master data management (MDM) is on the rise, and South African businesses are according to...
Made-in-SA tech goes to space and the Antarctic
From collecting data in sub-zero Antarctica to rapid circuit prototyping on the International Space Station (ISS), XinaBox, a South African company with humble beginnings is reinventing the way we approach IoT while inspiring students to follow STEM careers. In 2008...
Data collection tool maps socio-economic impact of Covid-19
As communities across South Africa start settling into our new Covid-19 reality, collecting accurate relevant real-time data is critical to ensuring a collective, meaningful response. Beyond infection rates and spread, understanding the socio-economic impact of the...
In the age of AI, who owns what?
Artificial intelligence (AI) experimentation is now prolific across South African companies, with many businesses demonstrating enthusiasm for AI. by Herman van Schalkwyk, partner at Spoor & Fisher South Africa How much enthusiasm? According to Business Tech...
Academy targets 5 000 new data scientists by 2025
Explore Data Science Academy (EDSA) aims to have trained 5 000 data scientists and most placed into jobs in South Africa by 2025. The number is based on the Academy's current trajectory, which has trained and placed close to 500 young data scientists in just two years...
Towards an AI-led future
Even though the challenging economic environment is resulting in companies maintaining their focus on reducing costs, 2020 also brings with it many opportunities to grow the business. This can be attributed to developments happening in artificial intelligence (AI),...
Unlock a new wave of value by scaling AI
Companies are still finding it difficult today to make the transition from thinking about AI as a source of innovation to a critical source of business value. By Carmen Whateley, Africa MD for Accenture Applied Intelligence Many are overwhelmed by the volume, velocity...
How speech analytics can improve business performance
Even though the speech analytics market is expected to see a compound annual growth rate of more than 18% through 2022, confusion still remains around its benefits and use cases - especially for South African organisations operating contact centres. By Gerrit de...
Data management automation imperative in a skills-scarce environment
The days of trying to convince the C-suite of the imperative of a comprehensive digitalisation roadmap are well and truly over. By Kate Mollett, regional manager for Africa at Veeam There doesn't appear to be a CEO in the world who doesn't appreciate the immense...
Why your business needs intelligent process automation (IPA)
Intelligent process automation (IPA) is beginning to take its rightful place in businesses as a subset of and precursor to full blown artificial intelligence. By Ryan Falkenberg, co-CEO of Clevva IPA consists of a number of digital workers that together allow a...