Johannesburg, 31 Aug 2012
According to a survey by the telecommunications development sector, ICT development and uptake across the African continent is growing at an astonishing rate, with cellular penetration at 52%, and 12.8% of the combined African population having access to the Internet.
“With Internet access improving and the increased use of mobile devices in Africa, companies need to be aware of how they should position themselves to benefit from this technological land grab,” says Martin Rennhackkamp, business intelligence (BI) specialist at PBT Group.
These developments have seen the adoption of technologies such as cloud computing, which, according to Gartner, has enjoyed a growth rate of 25%, representing over $56 billion in 2009.
Furthermore, this growth is expected to account for $150 billion in 2013, which is approximately 10% of worldwide investment in the IT sector.
A recent report by IDC suggests the worldwide business analytics software market will continue to grow at 9.8% year-on-year and is expected to reach $50.7 billion in 2016.
“These findings, coupled with [Gartner's reporting], only substantiates the opinion that BI is a large technology investment for companies operating and looking to operate in Africa.”
BI solutions offer businesses the ability to turn data and information into a useful, real-time asset, from identifying and reacting to problems, to anticipating opportunities within the organisation and on a project.
Rennhackkamp highlights significant economic, social and political influencers and daily limited financial resources as some of the challenges facing companies investing in Africa.
“The decision to invest in a technology, therefore, is one that must be carefully considered, however, it must create a sustainable mix between encouraging international investment and developing local talent and e-commerce,“ he concludes.
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