Yemisci shared his views during a panel discussion at the event, entitled \u2018Navigating Data, Cloud and AI in South Africa: Challenges, Choices, and Real Impact\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He advised delegates: \u201cStart with your data and invest in fast, reliable and future-proof software, because the world is changing even faster than we realise.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMany of our customers have relied on Qlik for over a decade, underscoring the importance of building strategies that stand the test of time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe believe that hybrid approaches, combining cloud and on-premises solutions, are especially important in markets like South Africa, where flexibility is key and organisations must be able to operate in a cloud-agnostic way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yemisci added: \u201cOn the topic of Agentic AI – artificial intelligence that can make decisions, plan actions, and learn from its experience – vendors must be transparent in their roadmap.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCustomers should never be locked into solutions that they are not comfortable with and must have a future-proof roadmap ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAt Qlik, we have also found that our long-term customers value stability, and our end-to-end offering resonates in the South African market.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Overall, a number of strong discussion points came to light during the panel, including the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Businesses must take time to look at and understand their data.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The foundations matter, with the premise \u2018Garbage in equals garbage out\u2019 still remaining relevant.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Fast, reliable, future-proof investments are essential in an era of constant change.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Partnerships power digital transformation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
During the discussion, participants explored how digital transformation can be accelerated through strong partnerships, effective cloud strategies and the responsible adoption of AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They agreed overall that digital transformation is not a solo effort, but instead requires collaboration and trust among partners, and a willingness to re-think established models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Supriya Das, Redington Vice President – Data & AI, Middle East and Africa, one of the primary responsibilities of ICT partners locally is to help businesses to tackle \u2018technology friction\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He explained: \u201cTechnology has had a profound impact on our lives in recent years, with massive innovation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHowever, on the ground we do see a gap between innovation and adoption, meaning a disconnection between technology strategy and execution.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEven with end-to-end offerings, if partners don\u2019t work together, customers don\u2019t see the full value,\u201d added Das.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe therefore offer support for both large and niche partners, including financial and operational assistance, as required, and we find that the use of cloud infrastructure adds measurable value.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AI-reality-tour-1-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nClosing the gap between strategy and execution<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ashlin Ramkhelawan, Accenture Decision Science Manager, agreed with Das regarding the dangers of a disconnect between visionary strategies and complex execution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cStrategies are naturally conceived at a very visionary level, and Proof-of-Concepts (POC) are generally not difficult to build,\u201d said Ramkhelawan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe complexity starts to emerge and intensify is when you start looking at the basics, including your data architecture and foundations, data quality and governance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cToo often, we see an over-investment in vision and an under-investment in the operating model that\u2019s required to finance and sustain these strategies, data foundations and talent. Vision and execution must advance together and not be seen as mutually exclusive entities,\u201d added Ramkhelawan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis therefore brings to light the importance of clear KPIs that are monitored consistently and updated regularly, feedback loops, and embedding intelligence in operational workflows at the point of decision making.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou want to ensure that your initiatives have measurable business value, and cloud and AI can assist in this regard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Edward Bothma, inTrade Africa Group Chief Product and Technology Officer, outlined that skills availability remains a key challenge in the digital transformation journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He believes that the adoption of data and AI has changed decision making by forcing a \u2018join between old and new wisdom\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He explains: \u201cMy personal preference is to drive innovation, but I understand the requirement for discipline and making data the starting point \u2013 meaning the \u2018old wisdom\u2019 \u2013 in order to get the foundations right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cInvestment must include a strong focus on skills and not just infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo, not only should supporting partners continue to develop themselves to ensure that they can keep up with the technology and specialise in the required software to be able to maximise their offering to their clients, but businesses in turn should also follow a disciplined approach to their data,\u201d said Bothma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThose that take advantage of the opportunity to rethink their models will be able to thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Qlik-AIRT-Audience-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nFinal thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe AI executives that are currently working with data and analytics within their organisations are looking for ways to implement real vision and real strategy,\u201d said Kyle Jourdan, Qlik Head of AI Practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is Qlik\u2019s aim to help these businesses to get from AI strategy to execution with the least amount of friction that’s possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe key take away from Qlik\u2019s AI Reality Tour in Johannesburg is that Qlik, and its partners in South Africa, are here to help local companies to go from vision to actual products in the hands of business users in as simple a process as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qlik’s latest innovations \u2013 from agentic experiences to open lakehouse \u2013 can transform data into powerful action and accelerated outcomes for your organisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n