Casablanca, Morocco — SAP has announced a significant partnership with Smart Africa, a key player in Africa’s digital integration efforts, at the GITEX Africa 2026 event in Marrakech. This collaboration aims to bolster digital transformation across the continent by leveraging artificial intelligence and data integration. SAP joins an alliance that spans over 40 African countries, international organizations, and private sector partners, with a shared vision of establishing a single digital market by 2030.
Launched in 2013, Smart Africa has been instrumental in fostering digital integration on the continent. Under the new agreement, SAP will focus on data governance, digital maturity, and the deployment of AI in transformation projects across both public and private sectors. Lacina Koné, CEO of Smart Africa, highlighted that the partnership marks a pivotal phase in their engagement with global technology players, emphasizing efficiency, governance, and AI-driven transformation.
SAP’s involvement in this alliance also extends its “All-in on AI “strategy in Africa, according to Emmanuel Lempert, Head of Advanced Engagements and MEA at SAP Global Government Affairs. Lempert emphasized the company’s commitment to connecting global cloud innovation with local sovereignty, empowering African institutions to shape digital trends rather than merely adopt them.
The partnership is expected to enhance operational efficiency for organizations, particularly in supply chain management, where reliable data is crucial. SAP also plans to prioritize sectors vital to Africa’s development, such as healthcare, infrastructure, and education, where it aims to implement solutions focused on traceability, operational visibility, and modernized management systems.
In addition to the technology partnership, SAP is expanding its talent development initiatives in Francophone Africa through its Young Professionals Program. This program aims to train young individuals in business processes, SAP certifications, data, and AI, fostering a pipeline of skilled professionals to support the evolving digital economy.
Hicham Iraqi Houssaini, Managing Director of SAP Francophone Africa, emphasized the company’s cooperative approach, which encompasses both public and private stakeholders across the continent. The 2026 GITEX Africa Morocco focused on Morocco’s ambition to utilize the event as a catalyst for digital integration, featuring major announcements in AI partnerships, 5G, data governance, and startup investments.
Source: moroccoworldnews
Original author: Oumaima Moho Amer
