Tag: data science

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been comprehensively embraced in the private sector in South Africa in less than a year, but more must be done to ensure that the public sector – and especially students in public schools and universities – are also empowered and prepared for the future world of work.

Each industrial revolution has caused disruption, but it doesn't necessarily mean a net loss of jobs. While automation and artificial intelligence (AI) can eliminate jobs and industries, they also create new ones. AI has already improved our lives, especially in the service industry, by increasing efficiency and giving us more free time for tasks like booking flights or ordering food. However, these improvements are somewhat superficial.

It’s time for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to recognise that using data and analytics is not as scary or expensive as they may think - and that the benefits can be significant.

Over two years beyond the pandemic, the skills gap remains high, affecting productivity. Leaders now focus on leveraging the full potential of data, technology and people to speed transformation and growth. They've put it at the top of their agenda, and according to our research, it's the priority.

If you don’t believe you can change your life and your career in a year, then you haven’t tried learning a new skill in digital technology. Matriculants are eagerly awaiting their results, countless job seekers are looking to accelerate their careers and thousands of unemployed youths are desperate for new ways to upskill themselves this year, new and promising developments are being made in the tech and digital economy creating more career opportunities than ever before.

The total amount of data created and consumed globally is projected to grow to more than 180 zettabytes by 2025, almost three times the 64 zettabytes of 2020. This makes data the cornerstone of any successful business in a digitally-transformed world. Several trends will help guide organisations on their path to becoming more data-driven.

It is anticipated that Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology will grow Africa’s economy by $1.2 trillion by 2030. Fuelling this growth are South African tech start-ups, 357 of which have raised a combined $994 million and employed an estimated 11,000 people since 2015.

The fact that 57% of marketing executives admit they often don’t have the data to understand customers or anticipate their needs is an existential problem. No matter the industry, customer data and insights are vital to helping deliver meaningful experiences, create strong engagement and achieve customer satisfaction.

If a business wants to become truly data-driven, then its employees need to be equipped to understand and work with data as well as have meaningful conversations around that data. In short, they need to be data literate.

Business Intelligence (BI) has undergone significant transformation in recent years and certainly is not being superseded by artificial intelligence. In fact, it has become more efficient and user friendly since moving to the cloud, utilising AI and machine learning, and its embedded implementation.