With more than a thousand confirmed attendees, SAPHILA 2025 reaffirmed its position as the leading event for the African SAP ecosystem. Held at the iconic Sun City resort, the African SAP User Group (AFSUG) brought together technology leaders, innovators and partners for two days of insights, strategic dialogue and future-facing collaboration under the theme: “Transcend – Reimagine. Inspire. Transcend.”
Celebrating community and connection
AFSUG CEO Amanda Gibbs opened the conference with a heartfelt message about the power of community. SAPHILA, she noted, is not simply a conference but a movement – a living, breathing platform designed to enable knowledge-sharing and drive transformation across industries. Her words set the tone for a gathering built on purpose and progress.
Duke Mathebula, technology leader and AFSUG chairman, joined Gibbs in opening SAPHILA 2025 with a resonant message: “We are Africans.” That sentiment echoed throughout the event, capturing the essence of a proud, purposeful and visionary community committed to transcending the present and reimagining the future.
A special tribute was made to the late Reg Barry, a foundational figure in the SAP ecosystem and former SAPHILA chair. Barry’s enduring legacy was respectfully acknowledged throughout the event – a reminder of the power of collaboration and community that continues to shape AFSUG and its members.
A sporting start and an immersive experience
SAPHILA 2025 began with a relaxed networking day on Sunday, offering attendees the chance to connect over golf, Padel championships and other sporting activities. It set a friendly, collegial tone ahead of the more structured insight sessions on 2 and 3 June.
Morning plenary sessions were followed by dynamic workshops and demonstrations, while the expansive Expo Centre served as a major highlight, featuring 53 sponsors with visually impressive and engaging stands. The exhibition floor created invaluable opportunities for delegates to explore technologies, engage with vendors and experience first-hand the innovation driving SAP’s ecosystem forward.
The call for visionary leadership
Nazia Pillay, MD at SAP Southern Africa, delivered a powerful keynote exploring SAP’s 34-year journey with AFSUG. She highlighted the importance of togetherness as a unique strength within the African context.
“In Africa, success travels at the speed of connection,” Pillay stated. She called on leaders not to fall back during times of uncertainty but instead to embrace bold, visionary thinking. Reflecting on SAP’s recent Sapphire events in Madrid and Orlando, she emphasised the company’s AI-first and Business Suite strategies.
Pillay also introduced attendees to the evolution of Joule, SAP’s AI assistant, noting the roll-out of new Joule agents capable of orchestrating real-time business data across functions to drive autonomous, intelligent decision-making.
NTT DATA – building momentum through collaboration
Lauren Wortmann, vice president of applications and cloud at NTT DATA Middle East and Africa, praised SAPHILA 2025 as a critical platform for collaboration and insight.
“As Diamond Sponsor, we valued the opportunity to engage with clients, partners and industry leaders,” she said. “The event created opportunities to strengthen both new and longstanding relationships. We’re excited about the momentum coming out of SAPHILA and look forward to continuing the conversations.”
NTT DATA used the platform to explore enterprise transformation and share its strategic vision for the future, cementing its leadership role in SAP-managed services.
Deloitte – aligning purpose with technology
As Executive Suite and C-suite Sponsor, Deloitte Africa demonstrated how purpose-driven innovation can accelerate real business outcomes. Koosh Panday, senior manager and SAP project director at Deloitte and chair of SAPHILA 2025, reinforced the event’s role in shaping Africa’s technology journey.
“Digital transformation is not just about technology; it’s about people, collaboration and purpose,” said Panday. “That’s why SAPHILA is so impactful.”
Deloitte’s Executive Lounge offered an immersive space for attendees to explore solutions including SAP S/4HANA, Rise with SAP and the Business Technology Platform. Guests connected with Deloitte subject matter experts to explore the latest ERP trends and discuss shared challenges in a relaxed, focused setting.
From legacy to leadership: the City of Johannesburg journey
A standout session focused on the City of Johannesburg’s transformation journey, where public-private collaboration was explored in depth. Featuring a discussion between CoJ group CTO Aubrey Mochela and Sergio Maccotta, senior vice president for SAP Middle East and Africa (South), the panel detailed how the CoJ migrated from SAP 4.7 to S/4HANA in a bold, 21-day full shutdown.
The CoJ has been an SAP customer since 2007 and recently embraced AI and cloud innovation to modernise systems and improve service delivery. National treasury has expressed support for the CoJ’s transformation, validating the project’s strategic importance.
Maccotta reflected on the urgency and complexity of the shift, citing three priorities: urgency, vision and financial clarity. The team had to implement rapid change, agree on governance principles with SAP and innovate in a tightly bound timeframe.
Emerging insights and conversations
Across the event, recurring themes included legacy system modernisation, the growing importance of enterprise architecture and the power of AI to drive smarter decision-making. Joule was presented as a key enabler, reinforcing SAP’s position as a leader in contextual, embedded intelligence.
Delegates heard thought-provoking commentary about the future of smart cities, the importance of OEM relationships, and how technology can reshape revenue collection and operational resilience. As one speaker aptly said, “New Gen is conversations with the systems.”
A shared future
SAPHILA 2025 was more than a gathering; it was a collective commitment to Africa’s digital future. With support from the likes of Google, AWS, Microsoft and a strong SAP delegation from Germany, the event highlighted the depth of expertise and investment in the region.
That sentiment shared by Duke Mathebula in the opening session. “We are Africans” continued to resonate long after the final session, reminding all in attendance of the unique opportunity the continent holds to lead, collaborate and transcend.
