As AI adoption accelerates, organisations must ensure that they have the right data foundations in place to turn the technology’s potential into tangible results.
This is according to Shakeel Jhazbhay, General Manager: Digital Business Solutions at Datacentrix, OpenText's largest partner in Africa and the Titanium Experience Partner at the upcoming OpenText Summit Africa 2026 in Johannesburg.
Jhazbhay says: “Despite a growing focus around AI, many businesses are still struggling to translate their investment into real business value. In some cases, boards are driving AI solutions without fully assessing and understanding the risks and challenges, or the types of guardrails needed to succeed. This can result in companies rushing into proofs of concept (POCs) before they have clearly defined business outcomes or established how the technology’s return on investment (ROI) will be measured.”
A solid data foundation is therefore critical for AI success, he notes.
“One of the key pillars for a successful AI journey is to eliminate the ‘garbage in, hallucination out’ scenario resulting from too much inconsistent data. To deliver a successful AI project, consistent, quality data is a non-negotiable,” Jhazbhay says.
“It’s here that OpenText and Datacentrix can provide local businesses with a unique proposition. As an enterprise information management specialist, the organisation has a strong track record of transforming unstructured information into structured data. This means that customers with content management and customer communication platforms already in place are therefore able to build on an existing foundation of structured, quality data, putting them in a stronger position to leverage AI and extract greater business value from their investments,” he says.
Jhazbhay says Datacentrix is working with organisations to do just this; strengthening their data foundations and using historical information to gain new business insights through AI.
He says: “Organisations with a structured data environment can leverage their data immediately using Aviator from OpenText, which presents customers with the opportunity to identify trends and better understand the statistics at the click of a button. This can apply to all data sources, from HR data and financial records to ERP data. Because Aviator explores all functional areas of the business, companies can simply connect the dots using AI. Historical, cross-functional information can now be easily analysed, giving our teams greater insight and allowing us to work closely together with OpenText to unlock the real value of information for our customers.”
Datacentrix, which positions itself as a leading hybrid IT systems integrator and managed services provider, has been an OpenText partner for over 20 years.
Jhazbhay says: “OpenText is a key strategic partner that supports the delivery of digital transformation and AI solutions to our customers across our expanding footprint in Africa and the Middle East. From the 1990s to now, OpenText has made several key acquisitions and grown its data centres to add to its capabilities. As a result, our combined expertise and capabilities deliver intelligence and business value to joint customers.”
The OpenText Summit Africa 2026 will be held on Thursday, 3 September at The Canvas in Riversands, Johannesburg, where Jhazbhay will participate in a panel discussion entitled: ‘The AI Reality Check: From Experimentation to Enterprise Impact’, alongside Groote Schuur Hospital, a Datacentrix customer. The discussion will tap into the lessons learned from the hospital’s electronic patient record journey.
“OpenText’s Africa Summit is a highlight on the ICT sector’s calendar each year. We look forward to showcasing our solutions and customer successes, and urge customers to attend, explore and learn from the discussions. The summit is a world-class event and offers delegates excellent learnings and networking opportunities,” Jhazbhay concludes.
Register for this event here.
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