The technology world is no stranger to hype, especially when it comes to emergent technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and agentic AI solutions, but these solutions are only deserving of their praise if they deliver on one simple promise – value. Technology must make and keep its promises so companies can thrive. As Forrester points out, digital transformation is about creating nimble, digital-first business models that allow companies to change rapidly because the speed of change defines a company's ability to differentiate and survive in the digital era.
Speaking at Mint’s webinar, FY25 in Focus, Carel du Toit, CEO of Mint Group, said: “It’s key to focus less on throwing technology at problems and instead prioritise business outcomes that matter. Technology must always be an enabler, which partners integrating technology must always focus on value, return on investment and relevance.”
Held in partnership with Microsoft, the conversation included Shaun Reuben, Microsoft SA Chief Partnerships Officer, and unpacked the defining decisions and lessons from Mint’s year while offering a clear view on what digital transformation should look like at time of economic uncertainty.
“Companies want clarity into how they can improve business processes and cost-efficiencies,” said Du Toit. “What will drive margins? What will reduce risk? What can scale securely without adding complexity? These are the questions we are always working hard to answer.”
Mint’s answer lies in its expertise and in its full-stack Microsoft capability, which has become a deliberate differentiator. Where many partners still work in silos across licensing, integration and managed services, Mint has built cross-functional teams that treat platform alignment, governance, security and architecture as one cohesive conversation.
“The challenge in the past has been one person selling licences, another building the system, someone else supporting it,” said Du Toit. “That model doesn’t serve the customer. What matters now is how your integration partner understands the entire Microsoft stack and how they can align it with your data estate, your business goals and your regulatory requirements.”
It’s a methodology that also defines how Mint approaches AI – as a utility rather than a novelty.
“We don’t ask clients what their use case is, we ask how we can make AI useful. It’s a change in framing the AI narrative that has made all the difference to how AI is integrated and the value it delivers,” said Du Toit.
Mint’s mindset has delivered tangible, sector-level results. In healthcare, the company digitised more than 800 000 paper patient records at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, reducing queue times, restoring hours of productivity to practitioners and improving quality of patient care. In manufacturing, the company’s VisionAI computer platform has helped bakeries reduce thefts from 20 000 to 2 000 loaves a day while increasing floor productivity by 12%. In financial services, intelligent bots have been rolled out to improve customer service with an emphasis on brand consistency and data privacy.
“These deployments were designed with a strict four-week value window,” said Du Toit. “If we don’t show impact quickly, we lose momentum. This means we go deep into specific industries and micro-verticals to ensure that what we build is both relevant and scalable.”
With Microsoft ramping up its local data centre capacity and reaffirming its commitment to skills development, Du Toit said he sees even greater opportunity ahead. “The leapfrog moment is real. South African companies can skip legacy limitations and build clean, governed, AI-ready estates from the ground up. But they need the right strategic partners to do that.”
Mint will continue to invest in local talent, embedded sector IP and ecosystem-wide collaboration, but the north star, said Du Toit, will remain the same.
“We’re not here to win buzzword battles but to solve real problems for our clients.”
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