A GROWING number of local companies are investing in innovative technologies such as cloud, edge computing, artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G, according to new research from Accenture and Microsoft.
Eighty percent of South African companies were at various stages of adopting digital technologies, from wide adoption to partial implementation to piloting, and 78 percent planned to invest in 5G-enabled campus networks, the research showed.
Technology and network connectivity infrastructure have become critical for businesses driven by post-pandemic ways of working and the need to accelerate digital transformation and scaled innovation.
Accenture and Microsoft commissioned a study titled “Unfolding the next growth chapter in South Africa,” which included a survey of senior technology executives from 100 local enterprises.
The aim was to understand their perspectives on 5G impact, adoption, barriers to adoption, and 5G solution ecosystem and partners.
The study covered six key industries: manufacturing, retail, financial services, government, healthcare, and natural resources.
Sixty five percent of executives perceived big challenges in navigating the network and digital technology integration complexity, extracting return on investment, and choosing the right partner ecosystem and platform for solutions.
Amr Kamel, Global Partner Solutions Leader, Microsoft MEA, said: “Our study with Accenture finds that regional enterprises have a strong appetite to adopt and leverage 5G.
“It is promising to see how organisations perceive 5G as an accelerator to advance their digital transformation journey.”
Next-gen network technologies will have a significant impact on business outcomes, and leaders must plan ahead to make the most of them,” he added.
However, while South African enterprises showed a clear appetite for new technologies, the joint study showed that organisations may find it difficult to unlock value from their investments, said Nitesh Singh, Accenture’s MD Communications, Media & Technology practice in South Africa.
“Across different industries, we see three common barriers: navigating the complexity of new networks and associated technology integration, managing the investment of resources while extracting business value, and navigating the still-maturing partner and device ecosystem.”
The study showed that a small number of high-performing companies, or “Tech Leaders”, were on track to deliver more value than their peers in the next three years.
Tech Leaders expected revenue to grow 1.74 times faster, expand margins 2 times higher and are 84 percent more likely to see their 5G and network investments result in faster time to market for new products or services, Accenture and Microsoft said in a statement.
BUSINESS REPORT ONLINE