Johannesburg-based technology group Word Is Bond (WIB) has partnered with Stuttgart-headquartered enterprise content management company ELO, to enhance its public sector digitalisation project in Southern Africa.
WIB Group says the ELO alliance enables it to fulfil its objectives to digitise the public sector in SA and other countries in the region, as it seeks to find solutions to assist in solving perennial challenges in the healthcare, public transport and security sectors.
ELO, which has a presence in 16 countries, established its digital office in Johannesburg last year, and plans to extend its footprint on the continent through partnerships, specialising in digital solutions.
"ELO Africa looks forward to the partnership with WIB Group and believes the relationship will put in place a sound foundation, which will facilitate digital transformation in Africa,” says Kevin Nono, CEO of ELO Africa.
The ELO and WIB alliance on digitisation with a focus on the public sector comes as more government departments embark on digital transformation to help them deliver services instantaneously.
Participants in the recent ITWeb Public Sector ICT Forum event, heard that municipalities and state entities can’t delay digital transformation any longer, but have to look for support from the private sector and other entities.
Thandile Fikeni, WIB Group CEO, explains the significance of partnering with the German firm: “With this collaboration, we are aiming to digitise the African continent. For too long, Africans have been seen as merely consumers, and we are on the journey to show that we, too, are pioneers of technological innovation and advancements.
“We will be able to create an African database by mining data within the African setting and be able to create an African database, using this data to further our continent as a whole and end the expropriation of our resources.
“Right now is the time to get value out of our data. This collaboration will ensure skills and knowledge transfer to our own people by creating centres of excellence and training centres. By working directly with communities on the African continent, we hope to not only improve our community collective memories, but also ensure the development of future communities.”
WIB Group is currently working with the Department of Health to digitise patient records. It has also partnered with the Social Housing Regulatory Authority to assist with an electronic tenant on-boarding system.
In neighbouring Botswana, WIB Group is working on digitising financial management systems and revenue collection for power utilities.
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