The autonomous enterprise – in which enterprise resource planning (ERP), business AI and clean data are integrated into core operations – will determine competitive advantage this year, according to executives at SAP.
The comments were made by Sunil Geness, director of global government affairs and CSR at SAP Africa, and Sergio Maccotta, senior VP and GM for SAP Middle East and Africa – South.
Geness and Maccotta said businesses that can sense change, make decisions and act with minimal human intervention are reshaping how companies operate and compete. According to SAP, autonomous operations – where nearly half of all business processes run independently and most operational work is automated or AI-augmented – are being deployed across finance, supply chain and human resources in industries including energy, retail and manufacturing.
“This is made possible through AI embedded within enterprise resource planning processes, from finance and procurement to supply chain and HR systems, that understand context and act autonomously,” said Maccotta. “Self-optimising systems that learn, improve and adapt in real-time are matched to clean-core ERP architecture to give organisations simplified, cloud-based systems that drive profitability, reduce risk and enhance decision-making.”
SAP cited data from Grand View Research indicating that the global autonomous enterprise market is projected to grow from about $49 billion in 2024 to more than $118 billion by 2030, with adoption accelerating across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
The company said while few surveys use “autonomous enterprise” as a formal category, data on AI, ERP and AI agents reflects technologies underpinning autonomous models.
Recent data for the Middle East and Africa region indicates a market size set to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 8.7%, reaching $10.2 billion by 2032.
“AI is enhancing efficiency and fostering innovation across industries, from automating routine tasks to enabling complex data analysis and providing predictive insights, while also improving decision-making and optimising business operations,” Geness said.
SAP added that some analysts estimate AI could contribute $1.5 trillion to Africa’s economy if the continent captures 10% of the global AI market by 2030.
Data sovereignty
SAP executives said Africa’s digital transformation continues, with data sovereignty emerging as a key factor.
“For multinational organisations and technology companies, success depends on the ability to localise without losing global efficiency, to build trust while maintaining innovation, and to invest strategically in infrastructure and partnerships that align with both regulatory demands and customer expectations,” Maccotta added.
The company said Africa’s data centre market is projected to exceed $9 billion by 2029, although it remains a small share of the global total.
Executives said autonomy does not eliminate human roles but changes them, shifting employees from managing repetitive processes to supervising systems and making strategic decisions.
Maccotta advises business leaders seeking to build autonomous enterprises to start by modernising the core and fixing the data foundation for AI-driven innovation.
“Remember that technology is only part of the story, and that the strategy, people and partners that businesses choose are as important to building a truly connected autonomous enterprise. Focus then on automating processes that protect revenue, improve cashflow or unlock capacity first, and take care to prepare people by prioritising reskilling and upskilling.
"Finally, collaborate with technology partners that act more as advisors than vendors, and can guide the process of redesigning core business processes for the AI era. True transformation happens when businesses combine intelligent systems with visionary leadership, skilled people and trusted partnerships.”
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