Technology
Salesforce South Africa Accelerates Growth Plans
Salesforce, the global leader in AI CRM (Customer Relationship Management) has showcased the transformative power of its latest AI and cloud-based solutions to customers, partners and associates at Salesforce World Tour Essentials Johannesburg, held at the Kyalami Convention Centre in Midrand.
Over 2200 global and local leaders attended the event; demonstrating the massive interest in AI and digital transformation in South Africa, with organisations from across a range of sectors eager to learn more about new technologies that will enable them to fully leverage their data and grow their businesses.
According to the latest IDC InfoBrief, sponsored by Salesforce, The Salesforce Economy: South Africa, Salesforce and its partner ecosystem, fueled by AI-powered cloud solutions, will generate $5.8 billion in net new business between 2022 and 2028. The paper report estimates a net gain of 33,000 jobs are being generated through AI-powered cloud solutions in South Africa by 2028*
The Salesforce ecosystem of partners in the South African region has grown 34% YoY in FY24 but the most significant improvement is in the area of certifications, with an increase of 43% in total. These partners are helping organisations across all sectors to raise employee productivity and transform with real-time insights and new levels of customer experience.
“At Salesforce, we’re excited by the strides our customers and partners in South Africa are taking to succeed in the developing AI era. World Tour Essentials Johannesburg offers the perfect showcase of the region’s potential as a centre of innovation in Africa,” said Zuko Mdwaba, Area Vice President at Salesforce South Africa.
“Salesforce World Tour Essentials Johannesburg demonstrates how our customers can raise productivity, improve visibility, and transform their entire operations by smartly deploying AI and digital tools,” said Robin Fisher, senior area VP of Salesforce emerging markets.
“By embracing the power of AI, organisations in the public and private sector can seize growth opportunities and contribute to the wider project of economic diversification,” says Fisher.
Getting the right AI with the right data at World Tour Essentials Johannesburg
The keynotes, talks and presentations at Salesforce World Tour Essentials Johannesburg focused on how organisations can navigate challenges by embracing the latest AI, data and CRM solutions to build trust, drive efficiency, transform customer oversight, and grow their businesses.
Keynote speakers from Salesforce included Zuko Mdwaba, Area Vice President at Salesforce Africa, Linda Saunders, Salesforce Director, Solutions Engineering Africa, and Robin Fisher, Senior Area VP, Salesforce emerging markets.
The keynote unpacked not only Sales Forces’ vision but also the evolution of the platform and how clouds come together to open the path to trusted Enterprise AI with the Einstein 1 Platform.
Showcasing Data Cloud is a data platform that allows companies to unify disparate data points into a harmonised data model on Salesforce’s Einstein 1 Platform. As this data model lives on the Salesforce Einstein 1 Platform, it gives every team member the same 360-degree view of every customer. This allows employees to drive automation, analytics, and personalised engagements through the power of trusted AI.
“Conversational AI interactions are delivered through a single Einstein Copilot across all applications on the platform, with creation and tailoring capabilities supported within Einstein 1 Studio”, says Saunders. According to Saunders, Salesforce’s Einstein 1 Platform integrates the company’s suite of applications spanning sales, service, marketing, e-commerce, analytics, and industry solutions.
Salesforce customers operating in various sectors shared valuable insights into how they overcame their challenges, revealing how Salesforce solutions such as Data Cloud and the Einstein 1 Platform have helped them transform operations.
The keynotes, talks and presentations at Salesforce World Tour Essentials Johannesburg focused on how organisations can navigate challenges by embracing the latest AI, data and CRM solutions to build trust, drive efficiency, transform customer oversight, and grow their businesses.
Keynote speakers from Salesforce included Zuko Mdwaba, Area Vice President at Salesforce Africa, and Linda Saunders, Salesforce Director, Solutions Engineering Africa.
Salesforce customers operating in sectors including government, retail, real estate, energy, and banking offered valuable insights into how they overcame their challenges, revealing how Salesforce solutions such as Data Cloud and the Einstein 1 Platform have helped them transform operations.
Data Cloud is a data platform that unifies all of a company’s data on Salesforce’s Einstein 1 Platform, giving every team a 360-degree view of every customer to drive automation and analytics, personalize engagement, and power trusted AI. Salesforce’s Einstein 1 Platform integrates the company’s suite of applications spanning sales, service, marketing, e-commerce, analytics, and industry solutions.
85% of SA marketers have adopted AI, but mistrust persists
85% of marketers in South Africa are already experimenting with or have fully implemented AI into their workflows, according to the Salesforce State of Marketing Report announced at the World Tour Essentials conference.
According to the report, the three most popular AI use cases among marketers in South Africa are content generation, automation of customer interactions, programmatic advertising and media buying. Loyalty programmes are the most common AI tactic to collect data.
Businesses have long struggled to connect disparate data points to create consistent, personalised experiences across customer journeys. Yet as third-party cookies are depreciated and AI proliferates, that quest is only becoming more critical—and challenging.
The report found that while 64% of marketers in South Africa have access to real-time data to execute a campaign, 50% need the IT department’s help to do so.
Skills development partnerships for real economic impact
Salesforce remains steadfastly committed to helping solve one of South Africa’s key challenges – the digital skills gap and job creation. Ursula Fear, Senior Talent Programme Manager at Salesforce South Africa, announced the launch of its second cohort with ALX, after just having completed its first cohort of 1000 students across Africa over six months, creating job-ready professionals. It starts with ALX Foundations, which provides career development skills to help students thrive in the digital workforce. It then teaches students security, customising CRM dashboards, data management, and data analysis.
Collective X, an ambitious private sector-led initiative spearheaded by Salesforce has, since launching a year ago, been successful in building future-fit skills for the local economy. “Business is a platform for change and only by partnering together and building not only the digital skills needed but also equipping people with the necessary experience, can we address the unemployment crisis in the country,” adds Fear.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have introduced new rules that will ensure faster refunds for failed airtime and data purchases, following rising consumer complaints over debits without value.
Under the new rules, refunds are expected to be completed within 30 seconds, except where a transaction remains pending, in which case the resolution can take up to 24 hours.
The new framework, contained in a statement issued by NCC’s Head of Public Affairs, Ms Nnenna Ukoha, on Thursday, targets unsuccessful transactions linked to network downtime, system failures and human errors that affect subscribers nationwide.
According to the statement, the guideline was developed after months of joint engagements involving telecom operators, banks, value-added service providers and other industry stakeholders.
The NCC said the framework brings the financial and telecommunications sectors up to speed on how failed transactions are handled and resolved.
“These engagements were prompted by a rising incidence of failed airtime and data purchases, where subscribers were debited without receiving value and experienced delays in resolution.
“The framework represents a unified position by both the telecommunications and financial sectors on addressing such complaints.
“It identifies and tackles the root causes of failed airtime and data transactions, including instances where bank accounts are debited without successful delivery of services,” she said.
Under the framework, Ms Ukoha said mobile network operators and banks are bound by a service level agreement that clearly defines their roles in transaction processing and refunds.
She emphasised that operators are also required to notify customers by SMS on the status of every airtime or data transaction.
The rules also address erroneous recharges to ported lines, incorrect airtime or data purchases, and instances where transactions are made to the wrong phone number.
On her part, the Director of Consumer Affairs at the NCC, Mrs Freda Bruce-Bennett, said the framework also introduces a central monitoring system to improve oversight.
She said the dashboard will be jointly managed by the NCC and the CBN to track failed transactions, refunds and breaches of service timelines in real time.
“We are grateful to all stakeholders, particularly the CBN and its leadership, for their tireless commitment to resolving this issue and arriving at this framework,” she said.
The official said failed top-ups are among the top three complaints received by the commission, adding that implementation of the framework is expected to begin on March 1, subject to final approvals and completion of technical integration by all operators and banks.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian government is in advanced talks with Google for a new undersea cable to strengthen the country’s digital connectivity and resilience.
The country wants to augment existing undersea links with Europe, said the chief executive of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mr Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, as per Bloomberg on Tuesday.
Mr Inuwa said this was necessary at this time, calling Nigeria’s current reliance on cables that follow the same path “a single point of failure.”
Google earlier this year said it plans to expand its digital presence significantly in Africa with the development of four new strategic subsea cable connectivity hubs in the north, south, east, and west regions of the continent.
Already, Google is investing $2.1 million to accelerate Nigeria’s artificial intelligence (AI) growth, aiming to create one million digital jobs and bolster the country’s expanding technology economy.
This is aligned with Nigeria’s National AI Strategy, which is expected to play a meaningful role in the nation’s broader digital transformation. Projections indicate that AI could contribute up to $15 billion to Nigeria’s economy by 2030.
The fund will support partnerships with local organisations. To achieve these aims, the funding will support partnerships with local organisations working in digital skills development and cyber security.
The investment further signals global trust in Nigeria’s technology sector and underlines the nation’s role as a leader in Africa’s digital transformation. As new opportunities emerge, Google believes it support is set to help shape Nigeria’s economy and its place on the global technology stage.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
An agreement for a satellite-to-mobile service that will benefit millions of people in Africa has been entered into between Airtel Africa Plc and SpaceX.
This service is through the introduction of Starlink Direct-to-Cell satellite connectivity across all the 14 markets of Airtel Africa that serve 174 million customers.
Through this partnership, Airtel Africa customers with compatible smartphones in regions without terrestrial coverage can have network connectivity through Starlink, which is the world’s largest 4G connectivity provider (by geographic reach).
The satellite-to-mobile service will begin in 2026 with data for select applications and text messaging.
This agreement also includes support for Starlink’s first broadband Direct-to-Cell system, with next-generation satellites that will be capable of providing high-speed connectivity to smartphones with 20x improved data speed. The rollout will proceed in line with country-specific regulatory approvals.
Airtel Africa is the first mobile network operator in Africa to offer Starlink Direct-to-Cell service, powered by 650 satellites to provide seamless connectivity to its customers in remote areas.
The partnership reinforces Airtel Africa’s commitment to bridge digital divide and offer seamless connectivity to its customers.
Airtel Africa and Starlink will continue to explore additional collaboration opportunities to further advance digital inclusion across the continent.
“Airtel Africa remains committed to delivering great experience to our customers by improving access to reliable and contiguous mobile connectivity solutions.
“Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell technology complements the terrestrial infrastructure and even reaches areas where deploying terrestrial network solutions are challenging.
“We are very excited about the collaboration with Starlink, which will establish a new standard for service availability across all our 14 markets,” the chief executive of Airtel Africa, Mr Sunil Taldar, said.
Also commenting, the Vice President of Sales for Starlink, Ms Stephanie Bednarek, said, “For the first time, people across Africa will stay connected in remote areas where terrestrial coverage cannot reach, and we’re so thrilled that Starlink Direct-to-Cell can power this life-changing service.
“Through this agreement with Airtel Africa, we’ll also deliver our next-generation technology to offer high-speed broadband connectivity, which will offer faster access to many essential services.”
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