Photo Gallery: 15 May 2024, CIO Day, The Leonardo Hotel, Sandton, Johannesburg

Across the continent, Africa’s digital economy is writing one of the most remarkable growth stories of the modern era. From Nairobi to Lagos, dynamic mobile-first ecosystems, rapid smartphone adoption, and thriving tech hubs are bypassing traditional Western legacy cycles entirely. Yet, this hyper-growth brings a complex mandate: as digital adoption accelerates, so do cyber threats, complex cross-border compliance demands, and the urgent need to balance ironclad security with seamless customer experiences.

DHL vice president of IT for sub-Saharan Africa Mahendra Beharie has been nominated for the 2026 CIO Awards.

In a recent CIO South Africa webinar exploring the foundations of an AI-ready enterprise, Jonathan Whitear, specialist sales: EMEA and APAC at Hyland, Justin Parry, CEO: Content services at Visions Group, and Andrew Griffith, MD at Information Genetics, unpacked why the success of any AI strategy depends less on the model chosen and more on whether an organisation's content is connected, governed and understandable.

Kaelo information technology executive Varun Rao has been nominated for the 2026 CIO Awards.

Vodacom's group chief information officer explains why the group runs its AI platforms in parallel – cloud-based and fully on-premise – to survive Africa's 40-plus regulatory regimes.

Vendors keep poaching mid-career technologists just as they hit their stride. Five IT leaders explain how they're closing the gap by growing talent from the inside out.