A critical part of this, says AFSUG general manager, Amanda Gibbs, is a look at the business and technology journeys of local SAP customers. "SAPHILA offers an excellent opportunity for African customers to give practical insights and real-world, actionable advice to their peers, discussing challenges faced, strategies implemented and positive outcomes achieved."

Stream speakers at SAPHILA 2023 will include Sasha Perhat, senior manager: HR systems at Toyota; Hanlie van der Berg, SAP architect at BMW; Robert Heneke, executive head: cloud, SAP development and technology and Anja Leonard, enterprise solution architect both from  Pick 'n Pay; Orscilla Haggard, group executive: finance business support and Bushy Thebehali, application services manager from Aspen Pharmacare; Ronel Pfotenhauer, business owner, SuccessFactors and People Analytics and Prinushlee Govender, data scientist, People Analytics at SANLAM; Innocent M. Dlamini, COO and sponsor of the SAP transformation project at Sincephethelo Motor Vehicles Fund; Aveena Mothilall, CIO at Engen Petroleum; Rob Coombe, group IT manager, Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation; and Werner Carstens, SAP solutions architect, Capitec Bank.

"Another drawcard speaker from outside the African region is Juan R. Carvallo Alarcon from the King Abdullah University of Technology (KAUST), a private research university located in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, who will be speaking on the transformation of KAUST into a living lab and smart city," she comments.

As an added bonus, Diamond SAPHILA sponsor Dimension Data will be holding a client panel discussion on Monday 9 July, where several local organisations will talk about how and why they have navigated their unique SAP journey to the cloud, across a range of deployment, subscription and licence options. AWS and SAP will also host a session with ABSA on the same day, looking at the company's success journey and lessons learned. The full SAPHILA 2023 agenda can be viewed here.

Gibbs expresses further great enthusiasm for the impressive line-up of speakers announced for SAPHILA 2023, the African SAP User Group's premier conference hosted in collaboration with SAP. "We are thrilled to bring together an exceptional group of industry leaders and experts who will share their invaluable insights and experiences with our attendees. The diverse range of topics, from Platform and Technology, Solutions, Transformation and AI, promises to provide attendees with the knowledge and inspiration they need to drive innovation and success in their organisations."

"In addition to excellent calibre content, we're also serving up spectacular evening events at SAPHILA this year," she continues, "with a boma dinner in the neighbouring Mankwe Game Reserve, which takes place on night one of the conference, and will feature a performance by Mzansi's much-loved Ndlovu Youth Choir."

Branded SAPHILA merchandise will be on sale prior to the conference and can be booked for collection at Sun City via the website www.saphila2023.com. For more information on SAPHILA 2023, please get in touch with info@SAPHILA2023.com.

ABOUT AFSUG:

The African SAP User Group (AFSUG) is an independent, non-profit organisation. Its primary focus is to create a platform where SAP customers and partners can connect within the SAP ecosystem, share information, and communicate with peers and experts. This platform enables members to access first-hand success stories and gain intelligence on new releases and features.

AFSUG serves as a forum for SAP customers to represent their industries, business processes, and technological requirements to share information and experiences. The goal is to accelerate the implementation of successful business solutions and influence the local and global directions of SAP Africa and SAP AG. AFSUG achieves this by promoting the needs and wishes of the user community through regular, focused, and highly professional contact between members, business partners, and SAP Africa at all levels.

The board of directors, which comprises CIO customers, executive partners, and an SAP representative, volunteer their time to manage AFSUG as an independent and non-profit organisation. By providing this platform, AFSUG aims to create a community where SAP users can access valuable resources, gain industry insights, and network with peers.