Opportunities and challenges of AI revealed at the CIO Smarter IT Summit, which explored how IT leaders could balance business value, operational efficiency and customer-centricity, cost and navigate the AI hype cycle.
On 18 February, South Africa’s top IT professionals gathered at 39 Melrose Boulevard in Melrose Arch for the CIO Smarter IT Summit. The event commenced with York Ning, director of enterprise marketing and solution at Huawei South Africa, announcing Huawei as CIO South Africa’s latest principal partner.
“Our partnership with CIO South Africa is a significant opportunity to expand the Huawei brand,” York noted. “Our mission is to bring digital solutions to everyone, from offices to homes, accelerating industry intelligence. We are on the cusp of a technological era that will profoundly reshape mindsets. Technology is a driving force behind sustainable economic growth.”
Futurist, trend analyst, and Flux Trends partner Bronwyn Williams delivered the keynote address, bringing a touch of humour. “I can tell this is a CIO event, everyone arrived on time,” she joked.
Bronwyn reflected on the evolving role of people in society and technology, emphasising how Gen Z, or as South Africans call them, the ‘Luh Twizzys’, will play a crucial role in shaping the future. “From Luh Twizzy to shadow boards and teenage politicians, Gen Z is actively involved in defining their path,” she noted, referencing young activists like Emma Theofelus, Mark McVeigh and Itumeleng Ntsube.
She highlighted research showing Africa has the world’s largest Gen Z concentration, with a median age of 19 in sub-Saharan Africa. This demographic shift has profound implications for businesses on the continent.
On the future of work, Bronwyn noted that Gen Z is redefining career paths, prioritising experiences over traditional prestige jobs. “For them, a prestigious job is one that enhances their personal growth,” she said.
Discussing AI’s impact, she explored its potential to bridge the skills gap and address structural employment challenges. However, she also warned of job displacement, particularly in coding. “Technology is doing what we don’t want it to, replacing jobs,” she commented.
She also outlined a five-year priority list for sustainable growth: high savings, healthcare access, education access, strong industries, policy stability, and favourable demographics.
Balancing efficiency and innovation
A lively panel discussion followed, featuring 2023 CIO of the Year and Standard Bank Group CIO Jörg Fischer, Justin Freeman, CIO at Telesure Investment Holdings, and Public Sector CIO of the Year and Transnet group CIO Pandelani Munyai. Nedbank portfolio executive Mmule Sapula moderated the discussion.
“AI is no longer a vision for the future but the imperative of the day. With these opportunities we do know that we have many challenges, like AI governance and risk, using AI for operational efficiency while fostering innovation and creativity.” These were Mmule’s sentiments to kick off the lively discussion.
Jörg highlighted Standard Bank’s structured approach. “With four massive business units, governance is key. We leverage hyperscalers, data, and computing power through our centres of excellence (COEs),” he explained. While acknowledging AI’s potential, he emphasised the need for structured experimentation. “We must ideate, execute, and fail fast. Otherwise, we risk taking three steps back for every step forward.”
Justin discussed AI’s role in customer experience, particularly in call centres. “We’re excited about AI-driven automatic speech recognition to enhance customer interactions,” he shared.
From a public sector perspective, Pandelani addressed AI’s impact on Transnet’s operations. “We use AI to enhance efficiency in ports, ensuring accurate data exchange for import and export processes,” he explained.
AI in action – insights from breakout sessions
Between the delicious canapes and networking over drinks, the attendees managed to slip away into four breakout rooms to offer insights on how they’ve employed AI in their respective organisation. While the key insights varied, the overarching theme was a focus on customer experience. The consensus from the community’s partners and IT leaders during the breakaway session debrief was clear: AI has a strong use case, but its true value lies in empowering both customers and employees while driving business value.
Douglas McNeilage, senior manager for sales at MakwaIT, summarised the discussions: “Each group had unique AI perspectives, but common priorities emerged, including business value, operational efficiency, and improving employee and customer experiences. AI isn’t a threat – it’s a tool for enhancement.”
For Adil Rampersadh, lead executive for Africa enterprise business, digital transformation, and sales at Liquid Intelligent Technologies, the key takeaway was collaborative governance. “Aligning business goals, IT adoption, and change management is critical,” he noted.
“What stood out to me was the extent of document collection on the customer side and the vast potential of AI. While AI has always been present, recent hype has brought it into the spotlight. The focus should be on empowering individuals rather than replacing their jobs,” added Daniel Manyemwe, chief customer officer at Entelect.
Mary-Lyn Raath, head of digital South Africa at iOCO highlighted the importance of measuring AI adoption. “Our group explored multiple use cases, but a key takeaway was that AI adoption is now more about actual usage than just measuring value,” she noted. She also highlighted the need for responsible AI deployment, cautioning against placing AI tools in the hands of inexperienced developers.
The evening concluded with high-level networking, drinks, and striking views of Johannesburg’s bustling CBD alongside the lush treescapes of Rosebank, Dunkeld, and Illovo.
The event was supported by CIO South Africa’s principal partners, Entelect, Huawei, iOCO, Liquid Intelligent Technologies, and MakwaIT, alongside executive partners Africa Data Centres, Deloitte, Equinix, HCLTech, and Hyland, and Workday as the community’s associate partner.
