The International Data Corporation’s (IDC’s) yearly South Africa CIO Summit will take place on May 18 at the Sandton Convention Centre under the theme ‘Enabling the Digital Economy’s Leaders’.

The IDC South Africa CIO Summit 2023 will bring together South Africa’s information technology and telecommunications executives, digital government pioneers, regulators and industry thought leaders.

With top CTOs and CIOs in attendance, the event will examine the current state of the digital economy; its impact on citizens, customers, employees and operations; as well as the key challenges that need to be addressed.

“Across the region, we are increasingly seeing the growth of digitally enabled services, including remote healthcare, distance learning, mobile banking and remote work, among others,” says IDC Group VP and Middle East, Türkiye, and Africa MD Jyoti Lalchandani.

He adds that, as businesses navigate the digital landscape, it is critical to stay informed and prepared for the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.

“Digital-native companies have shaken up various industries through innovative business models and substantial venture capital funding. Their disruption has fuelled growth in areas like e-commerce, direct-to-consumer services, digital payments and cloud kitchens.

“The advent of the metaverse and Web3 paradigms is expected to drive further disruption, transforming individual, enterprise and industrial digital experiences,” says Lalchandani.

Lalchandani will expand on these themes as he presents the event’s opening keynote address at the summit during a session on strategies for the CIO and enterprise innovation. In this session, Lalchandani will outline what CIOs need to do now, and in the future, to create an enabling environment for long-term sustainable innovation.

This fast-paced keynote will highlight research on building a culture of trust, examine the move toward industry ecosystem innovation and highlight the impact of decentralisation.

Attendees can expect to gain insights into proven best practices and strategies for driving future success.

The event will host a series of dedicated technology sessions that will stimulate critical thinking around topics such as, ‘Cyber Protection for today and tomorrow: Dynamic Security Strategies to Minimize Risk’, ‘Connecting the Distributed Cloud: From the Edge to the Core, ‘Enabling the Data-Driven Enterprise’ and ‘Transitioning Through AI and Analytics: How to Win in the Intelligent Economy’.

In addition, the IDC reports that the summit will feature a special guest appearance by renowned artist Neil Harbisson – who the IDC says is the world’s first officially recognised human cyborg.

Harbisson’s work caught the attention of audiences worldwide, as he uses an implant to “hear” colours and experience the world in a new way. The antenna-like device enhances Harbisson’s perception of light, enhancing his senses.