Global software firm SAP has said it will invest US$500mn up until 2020 in Africa in order to accelerate its growth across the continent
In a statement, the company said that it had drawn up a seven-year plan to improve local talent and drive sustainable innovation in Africa – especially in Nigeria, Kenya, Angola and Morocco.
Robert Enslin, member of executive board of SAP SE, said, “The African market is unique in its growth potential and readiness to innovate. Now is the right time for us to take our engagement and commitment to expand in Africa to the next level. SAP’s additional investment in the continent reflects our vision to help the world run better by delivering leading-edge innovation.”
SAP plans to engage and invest in markets, build an appropriate talent base for the IT industry, support customers and partners by actively contributing toward crucial technology and business skills-sets, and generate new employment opportunities in Africa, added Enslin.
In particular, SAP has plans to accelerate growth in sectors like energy, financial services, telecommunications and utilities. By rolling out the memory platform called SAP HANA, the company is in a position to address the enormous number of resource challenges the continent faces.
Additionally, the IT major is keen to enhance the growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and to achieve the same, it has chosen Kenya as the next market for its Emerging Entrepreneur Initiative.
Experts believe that innovations like mobility and the cloud are among the fastest growing segments in IT, and have a significant impact on businesses, enhancing Africa’s ICT landscape and enable the country to compete with global counterparts.
