During this talk, your speaker will take you through the economic indicators and projections, showcasing how far South Africa is from becoming a digital economy.

• Highlighting global examples of successful digital economies.
• What are the cornerstones of a digital economy and where does South Africa stand in comparison?
• What are the technologies that can enhance South Africa’s capability to become a digital economy?

Many companies are embarking on a digital transformation journey but not thinking of the financial returns they will be receiving once they have adopted these expensive technologies. During this session, we will discuss:

• How to ensure that your journey pays off;
• The overall digital change and its value, instead of individual projects;
• Adopting an agile approach to minimise risk and adjust quickly; and
• Tying your technology to a specific KPI or measurable business process.

• Utilising Omni channels to engage the digital customer
• How to deal with the new digital customer
• How to train and skill/upskill your staff for the adoption of technology enhanced interaction with the digital customer

The majority of executives would agree that being innovative is important to staying relevant in today’s business world. During this session, you will learn about:

• Aligning your innovation goals with your overall business goals;
• Communicating innovation goals across your strategic units;
• Adopting effective top-down communication to encourage innovation; and
• Knowing and understanding the evolving needs of your target market and competitors.

• The steps Uber has taken to enhance the safety of its passengers.
• How tech has enabled Uber’s safety features.
• How transparency and quality between driver and passengers have been improved.

As one of the driving forces behind digital transformation, conversational AI has changed the landscape of communication between businesses and their customers. This talk will help you grasp the value and importance of conversational AI as a fundamental component to their sales and customer service strategy. Antoine Paillusseau will present a case study consisting of two parts. Part one will explore the implementation, results and insights garnered from AI-powered chatbots to the insurance industry as a whole, taking a special look at engagement, conversion and completion rates. Part two will take a look at the first sales chatbot implemented without human intervention – at Investec, focusing on an insights- and results-driven approach to ensure ROI.

• An introduction to AI-powered chatbots
• Closing the loop: Chatbot sales optimisation using AI
• Case study – Investec 

• How digital adoption can improve competitiveness of business and the livelihood of citizens.
• The supporting infrastructure requirements for a digital economy.
• How the Western Cape government keeps up with the rapidly changing technology environment and can stay aligned with digital transformation trends.
• How the Western Cape government will create more jobs and business opportunities through its digital economy initiative.

This presentation looks at how digital transformation has improved efficiency and enhanced accuracy for the mining industry within SA. First, we look at the evolution of the mining industry, and the current challenges faced by the industry that have significant impact in the growth of the economy. Then we look at the technology designed to address these challenges and what steps should be taken to embrace this technology. Digital transformation cuts across all industries and the lessons from this session can be applied across other industries.

• Discussing the mining value chain and how technology can help integrate the handover process across the different business units.
• What does a digital mine look like from pit to port.
• How operational technology and IT can be used to empower executive decision-making.
• Demo of how progressive mines are leveraging technology beyond the borders of SA.