German multinational software giant SAP has announced the appointment of Nazia Pillay as its new managing director for Southern Africa. Pillay, who has been with the company for over 20 years, has held various roles, including consulting, support, customer success, and most recently, head of the regional partner ecosystem.
In her new position, Pillay will concentrate on three core areas: strengthening existing partnerships, cultivating new ones, and assisting clients in preparing for a digital-first, cloud-first world.
Sergio Maccotta, senior VP at SAP Middle East and Southern Africa, expressed confidence in Pillay’s ability to lead one of the company’s most critical regions. “Our purpose as a business is to help the world run better and improve people’s lives, reflected in our ongoing commitment to transformation and corporate responsibility throughout the continent,” he stated.
With companies in Southern Africa gearing up for an era of AI and cloud-led innovation, Maccotta noted the excitement surrounding Pillay’s leadership. She emphasized the importance of collaborating with SAP’s customer and partner ecosystem across the region, particularly in showcasing SAP’s latest capabilities as an AI-first, suite-first technology partner.
“As a people-focused leader, I have also made it my longer-term ambition to make our local office the best place to work in South Africa,” said Pillay.
According to a report from Further Africa, SAP highlighted that AI could potentially revolutionize the African economy, contributing as much as $2.9 trillion (R51 trillion) by the end of the decade. However, SAP’s own research indicated widespread challenges in accessing AI and tech skills across East, West, and Southern Africa.
The research found that six in ten African organizations consider AI skills “extremely important” to their success, but all surveyed companies expect to encounter an AI-related skills gap this year. Furthermore, nine in ten organizations reported that a lack of AI skills is already negatively impacting their operations.
Pillay believes SAP has a crucial role in helping both public and private sector companies across the continent achieve their AI and innovation goals. “Large cloud vendors such as SAP can help offset local skills shortages by providing access to advanced tools managed by global experts,” she stated. “Companies across the region benefit from global insights and best practices while enhancing their internal capacity to achieve greater efficiency, innovation, and growth.”