CEOs in Africa target technological strides for 2014

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Technology will feature as a top three item in 87 percent of boardrooms in Africa as companies look to grow and mitigate risk in 2014.

A report issued by consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) details how CEOs believe that improved technology can help their companies to leapfrog stages and become more efficient enterprises.

Data analytics, which help to predict market trends, and automisation of back offices and frontline services are two of the major ways in which business leaders in Africa see technology boosting their performance.

Mobile technology was also cited in the report as a means to deliver services across a spectrum of industries, though connectivity issues remain prominent especially across rural parts of the continent.

The report shows that CEOs have recognized various solutions they can utilize using cloud technology though a number of companies are still having concerns with data privacy.

Another trend highlighted by the PwC report is outsourcing of business processes and functions, with 32 percent of CEOs planning to outsource this year.

It states: “Organizations that can deliver reliable, scalable outsourced services will be well placed to respond to increasing demand for both technology and business process outsourcing as a service in Africa.”

This service is likely to prove very useful given many organisations expect to grow inorganically, making outsourcing a route to reducing capital expenditure.

CEOs in Africa realise that they cannot afford to ignore the pace of technological change, so expect to see clear steps towards improvements in this field in the coming months.