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VOL 30 | ISSUE 21 | DECEMBER-JANUARY 2023 EDITION
MOSES
OKUNDI MEET THE CIO OF THE
YEAR AFRICA 2022 ICYMI: CATCH UP ON dx100 DIANI, MOMBASA
dxNOVA: ELIZABETH MAGWALLA TALKS 5G
TAKING CHATGPT FOR A SPIN 1
10
Contents
10
GUEST EDITOR
08
the lead
18
the round-up
22 38 42 44
4
From Digital Transformation To Digital First
Meet The CIO Of The Year Africa 2022
12
The Latest News From The Continent
Digital Transformation (dx100) Symposium & Awards 2022 i.t leadership
42
Uber Prepares For The African Future
thinking alound Is AI The Predicted Future We Have Been Waiting For?
DX NOVA The Future Belong To The Youth
46
GADGET REVIEW
50
hard talk
Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
Will AI Be The End Of The CIO’s Role As We Know It Today!
www.cioafrica.co | DECEMBER-JANUARY 2023 | CIO Africa Magazine | by dx⁵
18
editor’s note
In The End, There Will Be AI… ? If I asked you to pick it out, would you be able to tell which articles, if any, in this issue are written by AI? Since every techie was doing it, ChapGPT and I had a lovely conversation about whether it was going to replace me as a human writer and it said:
It is possible that AI could eventually be able to generate text that is of similar quality to that produced by human writers, but it is not yet at the point where it can fully replace human writers. As mentioned earlier, AI models are currently better at generating simple, factual content, rather than more complex, creative writing. Furthermore, writing is not just about stringing words together in a grammatically correct way. It involves understanding the context in which the writing is being done, being able to convey complex ideas clearly and accurately, and being able to engage and connect with readers. These are all things that AI models are not yet able to do as well as human writers. Additionally, there are many other factors that contribute to the value of writing, such as the ability to research and gather information, the ability to critically evaluate sources, and the ability to write with a distinct voice and perspective. These are all things that AI models are not yet able to do to the same extent as human writers. Overall, while AI has the potential to assist with certain aspects of writing, it is unlikely to fully replace human writers in the near future.
“The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race. […] It would take off on its own, and re-design itself at an ever-increasing rate. Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, couldn’t compete, and would be superseded.” – Stephen Hawking @dx5ve
@dx5group
I’m glad AI appreciates the complexity of my mind and the nuances of my experiences making it possible to create and curate all 52 pages of this magazine! We keep on chatting about how to become a better writer and how to connect with our readers. I am happy to tell you these are things we are already doing and will continue to do more of. Of course, there is always room for improvement. That is where your feedback comes in. With the year ending (2022) and beginning (2023) on these pages, I cannot say that I share Hawking’s sci-fi-inspiring perspective. That, and I highly doubt AI will come to life in my lifetime. I still think there is much to understand about our humanity which makes us a mystery unto ourselves. There exists plenty of room for innovation nestled in the human psyche, allowing us to tap into our unknown. I doubt the CIO will be replaced by AI. (Find out what Robert Yawe thinks about that). AI can help make the CIO superhuman, yes, but it will not become the CIO. Again, not in this lifetime. The Digital Transformation (dx100) Symposium & Awards made it clear the CIO role is as individual as the respective CIO, ChatGPT has thoughts too. It thinks a relevant bachelor’s degree, IT experience, leadership skills, networking and philomathic tendencies doth make the CIO. I think it’s the X factor. The drive to build or connect things emerging from a never-drying fountain – the soul. www.cioafrica.co | DECEMBER-JANUARY 2023 | CIO Africa Magazine | by dx⁵
5
Meet the dx⁵ team Kelly Bentley
Harry Hare
Co-Founder & Group CEO
Co-Founder & Chairman
Andrew Karanja
Carol Odero
Co-Founder & Director
PETRONELLA GORRIE
dxContent Lead
Ellen Magembe
Head of Connect
dxGuest Engagement Lead
Njambi Waruhiu
Dan Agutu
dxConnect Lead
Teddy Mukabane Finance Manager
6
dxStudio Lead
Purity Kamau Finance Assistant
www.cioafrica.co | DECEMBER-JANUARY 2023 | CIO Africa Magazine | by dx⁵
Samuel Ndung’u
Ian Wagga
dxDesign & Creative Lead
dxSocial Media Lead
Sandra Mndebele
Stacy Wanjeri
Executive Assistant To the Group C.E.O.
Justin Maganga
Customer Success Manager
Melissa Dorsila
Customer Success Architect
dxConnect Creative Architect
Billy Omingo
Gerald Muchai
Customer Success Manager
Kevin Namunwa Tech Writer
dxStudio Sound & Line Producer
Steve Mbego Tech Writer
www.cioafrica.co | DECEMBER-JANUARY 2023 | CIO Africa Magazine | by dx⁵
7
Meet the dx⁵ team Michael Odongo
Victor Paul
IT & Technical Support
Full Stack Developer
Fidelis Kihobe
Tevin Muigai
dxStudio Assistant
Arthur Kuwashima
dxStudio Videographer
Shiru Waweru
Photographer
Guest Engagement Coordinator
EUNICE MACHYO
Ian Obukwa
Graphic Design Intern
Videlis Syovata
Office Manager & dxTraining Coordinator
8
Guest Engagement Coordinator
EVELYN MITHAYO Guest Engagement Coordinator
www.cioafrica.co | DECEMBER-JANUARY 2023 | CIO Africa Magazine | by dx⁵
catherine chepchirchir
Samuel ODUOR Guest Engagement Coordinator
janice biata
Guest Engagement Coordinator
arthur nyakundi
Guest Engagement Coordinatorr
Digital Intern
NANCY ZION
Priscillah Ominde
dxTraining - Customer Success Manager
Samuel Fanjo
Administration
Daniel Mwaha
Administration
Logistics
our mission
our vision
our values
To humanise digital transformation, build intelligent connections and deliver compelling experiences from Africa, for Africa.
To connect a vibrant community of change-makers and drive significant digital transformation across Africa.
• • • • • •
Honesty & Respect Value-centric Accountable Continuous improvement Diversity & Inclusion Creativity & Innovation
www.cioafrica.co | DECEMBER-JANUARY 2023 | CIO Africa Magazine | by dx⁵
9
ARTICLE by
By Phyllis Migwi, Country Manager, Microsoft Kenya
From Digital Transformation To Digital First The idea that African countries can leapfrog technologies is not new – experts have pointed to Africa’s potential for years. Africa is a digital first market, and mobile technology is a perfect example. We witnessed the dawn of digital payments platforms, the current darling of the fintech industry, right here in Kenya. M-Pesa revolutionised our economy by granting access to the unbanked. All you needed to participate was a phone. The M-Pesa wave spread to the rest of the continent and rippled out to the world, bringing financial inclusion to millions of underserved citizens in countries like India and Romania. With just a SIM card and an identification document, you could grow your small business into a social and financial upliftment tool. This technology that Africa delivered to the world is a testament to the ingenuity of its people. The GSMA State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money 2022 reveals that the continent makes up 70 percent of the $1 trillion mobile money market, spawning around 500 fintech companies. And it’s that level of innovation that makes Africa a target for funding. In 2022, Nigeria is already a billion-dollar start-up market, and Kenya is very close to that with investment cresting $900 million this year alone. As the continent increasingly adopts digital transformation, our attention must now turn to becoming digital first. Africa is adopting cloud technology A significant majority of those 10 www.cioafrica.co | DECEMBER-JANUARY 2023 | CIO Africa Magazine | by dx⁵
businesses that have attracted funding are digital, generating mountains of data about how the people of Africa live, where we shop, and how we spend our time. Cloud is an enabler of turning that data into actionable insights businesses can use to grow and thrive. According to Gartner, global cloud spend is forecast to reach $178 Billion in 2022, and although Africa may lag behind the rest of the world’s cloud adoption with only 15 per cent cloud penetration, the continent’s public cloud market has doubled in the past three years. To remain competitive in a digitally transformed business environment, agile enterprises around the world have also adopted cloud technology to enable new ways of working for their distributed-, remote- and hybrid workforces. Microsoft is committed to providing availability of cloud services delivered from African data centres, and is working with partners to deliver resilient cloud solutions that enable customers in markets across the continent to meet regulatory and data residency requirements, address low latency workloads, strengthen resilience and enable business continuity. Businesses can reap the benefits of their investments into cloud technology, with the ability to innovate and bring new solutions to life. Security is a top priority When digital transformation takes place, it is immediately a target for cyberattacks because of a need to store data on servers and a lack of
guest editor investment in data security. With the acceleration of digital transformation enabling cloud-first and hybrid work environments, it’s more important than ever to have a robust, end-to-end cybersecurity strategy in place. Remote and hybrid work models have increased the attack surface area and multiplied the number of entry points for these bad actors. Cybersecurity remains a significant concern for African enterprises, as according to the Club of Information Security Experts in Africa (CESIA), in 2022, more than half of the companies in Africa believe they are not prepared to handle a large-scale cyberattack. And Interpol’s Africa Cyberthreat Assessment report found that more than 90 per cent of businesses on the continent operate without the
necessary cybersecurity protocols.
business operations.
Adopting a digital-first approach to business and handing off business critical data to specialized cloud providers is fast becoming a mandatory step to ensure not only security, but consistent productivity. The other benefit is the cloud-based solutions that these businesses now have access to, like low- and no-code services that can solve complexity and bridge the skills gap.
The opportunities are limitless
Cloud computing also centralizes carbon emissions reporting with service providers that have the scale to roll out low carbon technologies across their tech stack, which is a prohibitively expensive exercise for small enterprises. Compliance with country carbon emissions targets is then baked into the very fabric of the
The potential for positive impact of digital first thinking is limitless. We have not yet imagined the future applications for cloud and digital services in the African context. Removing compliance and security burdens from African businesses, while unlocking unprecedented remote collaboration opportunities will create an environment for the youth to thrive. Exposure to realworld solutions to community problems will uncover career paths and, ultimately, give hope to what is currently a dire situation. Africa must have its head in the cloud to compete in the new global digital economy.
www.cioafrica.co | DECEMBER-JANUARY 2023 | CIO Africa Magazine | by dx⁵ 11
ARTICLE by
CAROL ODERO
the lead
Introducing The CIO Of The Year, Africa, 2022 Moses Okundi won the ultimate dx100 Award when he was crowned the top techie in Africa. It made headlines, and I just had to know how his mind works. Strobe lights bounced off Moses Okundi’s bald head as he danced his way to the stage. A thing he makes fun of during our shoot. He had just been named CIO of the Year - Africa, 2022. The crowd had surged to its feet with a roar of applause like there had been a rehearsal, and the introverted, tall, almost lanky Okundi had been stunned. He would later use words like “Surprised,” and “Unexpected.” For this one night, when he is the toast of Diani and yes, Africa, he literally actually beams. Manly hugs with pats on the back accompanying him the rest of the night. Not many experiences can live up to that moment your name is called to receive an award. The crowd loves you - happy for you in that moment, they share your success and for one brief shining moment, being on top of the world doesn’t feel lonely. This is apparently the number one question people ask before any interview on the planet so here goes. Tell us about yourself. I’ve been a techie for about 2 decades now. I’ve worked through various stages in my career right from being a shift technician to growing into senior management. Most of my career has been in Telco’s with my last stint at Vodafone Ghana as CIO before I made the transition to the banking sector Where I took up the CIO role here at Absa Kenya. That’s my career in brief. My lovely wife & I are blessed with 2 children, an 11-year-old boy and 9-yearold girl
Do any of them show signs of being techies? My son does. He is a gamer, he loves tech, and he really shines in his ICT class. My daughter is a bit more artsy. She loves the arts, and she’s asked me to help her sell some of her paintings. You won CIO of The Year Africa 2022. What was that like for you?
in-house solution that aggregates all mobile money transactions for the bank which resulted in significant savings for the business and added operational efficiency and delivery flexibility. The journey to get our colleagues skilled up and certified in the relevant technologies to enable them to operate new technology comfortably is really rewarding and satisfying.
It was mind blowing. In my career, I am used to hard work, long nights, and rallying the team through socialising with them the technological changes we need to make and how they can influence, support & power the business. It is usually about delivery; about making it happen. When we get awarded – it happens sometimes – it is not at that scale we saw in Diani. I am really humbled and honoured to have received the award.
When you won the Award, and even now, you talk about ‘we.’ Who is the ‘we?’
Aside from this Award, you must have other proud accomplishments and achievements that you are proud of. Please share.
You talked about your successes. What about your failures? How do you take ownership of those?
In my two-decade career, I have gone through a number of ups and downs – more ups. I have to be grateful to the leaders and colleagues I have worked with where together we have achieved some great things. I recall a solution that my team and I delivered to reduce international calling fraud that resulted in significant reputational and cost saving improvements for the organization I worked for then. Most recently we built and deployed an
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One of my philosophies is to always bring people up. You must create a team in order to be able to deliver sustainably. It’s not just individual effort. In my leadership I have always led a team, and I want to build a team to deliver for the business. When I say ‘we,’ ‘we’ in this instance is my colleagues, colleagues that I work with on a day-to-day basis.
Failures are a great thing especially in the technology space because no one can tell you for sure what the future outcome will look like. In any case, technology is evolving rapidly, and you must adopt new technology. At the same time, you need to understand the existing technology that is delivering the bread and butter. Sometimes when we are ambitious or creative and we try new things, we do encounter challenges and delays. Of course, as the leader, I take ownership. What is more important
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for me is to ensure the lessons are learned. What is it that we could have done differently in terms of stakeholder engagement, communication, delivery etc. Those lessons are critical for me. Are you comfortable sharing any of your failures along with some of the lessons you have learned? Definitely. As a technologist, sometimes you can be interested in the technology alone, and perhaps not spend enough time to bring the actual users on board. Earlier in my career there was a solution I was sure would help my front-line colleagues in the call centre. Technically, it was a very good solution that would have helped them serve customers better. But we looked at it from the back end only. There were some challenges with the usability. If we would have engaged the users and discussed the challenges with them earlier on in the process, it would have really helped us have the impact we were pursuing. The lesson here is to establish a co-creation environment where the end users are part of the process right from conceptualization. Do holistic stakeholder mapping and ensure that they are on board and have ownership of the target outcomes. This way, through iterations there will be continuous feedback and refinement of the delivery and a simpler transition into operations. You won two awards on the night of the Digital Transformation (dx100) Awards. The other was the Infrastructure Award for the SD-WAN project you collaborated on with Huawei. How did this partnership come about? SD-WAN is a very good solution in that it allows us to smartly, in a softwarebased manner, use our connectivity infrastructure across our national footprint. That level of seamless handover between the various connectivity infrastructure enables operational efficiency and positions us for a future-fit infrastructure management foundation. This is particularly useful for us as we
I’ll bring people on board so that we can work well together in delivering that value. adopt cloud, we can also deploy SD technologies to better manage service resilience and connectivity. We were looking for a future proof foundational solution. I refer to it as Lego blocks because at the very bottom, when you are doing your digital transformation, it is important to have a solid foundation (lego block) from which to build on and fit subsequent pieces. The connectivity & infrastructure is right down at that level. We were looking for a strategic partner to help us along this journey and through an evaluation criterion selected Huawei to work with. Who else did you partner with on this project? We worked with an array of other partners in different domains of the delivery, including in the rollout of the technology, network security and more. Respectively they are Sybyl and Forescout amongst others. In our IT organisation, we work with several partners. I purposely make it a partnership so that we benefit from each other’s insights and knowledge. We also share our strategy and vision
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to onboard them as stakeholders in achieving the vision. True partnership is coming to a sweet spot where you deliver business relevant solutions. If you are not deliberate about that then the engagement can be very transactional and consequently value is suboptimal. How do you solidify these relationships with your partners? We have an operational relationship defined by a service level agreement because we expect them to work with us and deliver at a certain agreed level. In so doing, we have quarterly engagements where we assess their delivery. Part of the agenda becomes sharing our strategy and vision and what we would like to achieve, and we get feedback from them about possibilities, what they have done in a similar manner elsewhere that perhaps we could benefit from. We also work with partners to organise trainings for knowledge-building and exchange. Outside of the relationships with your partners, let’s go in-house. How do you build relationships with the C-Suite and senior management especially when you are working on a project? That is very critical. Again, and the reason I re-emphasise this is because it is important to me. You can’t do technology for the sake of technology alone. Being a CIO, I kind of have to wear two hats. I must wear a business hat, as well as the techies’ hat. Whatever tech I get involved with, must serve a purpose & make sense for the business. It is not necessarily just about keeping the lights, on which is definitely critical, and we do as Business as Usual & strive to ensure the lights are bright and provide a good experience too Additionally, we invest in strategic tech that can power our business. Allowing the bank to access bigger and new markets. We also look at our wealth of data from our various touch points to harness the same and glean valuable insights. Knowing that value from a business perspective, when I engage
the lead with a C-Suite executive or colleague, I can tell them ‘Look, this ambition that you have and this target that you want to achieve, this is how it may be realised at scale through a technology platform or capability.’ I talk about the investment we need and the shift in how to do things to achieve it. Once you have their buy-in execution is easier because the idea is so clear and they can see how you are going to translate it into value and deliver on the same. This must mean you spend many hours trying to stay on top of things like technology trends and business trends. How do you do that? That dovetails with the partnerships and engagements conversation - through which we learn a lot. Through the colleague environment across different sectors, you get to learn a lot about what they are doing and what seems to be working. Through engagements with commercially oriented colleagues, we get to understand the importance of the organisation and their business. In so doing, we can curate technological solutions to deliver for those business ambitions for their respective organisations within the larger Absa. Additionally, it helps to be part of the many tech forums to gauge shifts in technology trends. The Internet is littered with horror stories about bad investments that many organisations have made that have almost bankrupted them. Care has to be taken not to follow a similar path. That foundational knowledge that you gain over the years and that experience helps you to make good judgement calls, really support the business, discover, and enable new business areas without ‘prematurely’ disrupting existing bread and butter businesses. Tell me something technological that you learnt this year which surprised you. Let me think. We spent a good amount of time trying to investigate a vulnerability called Log4Shell. I learned that this is a significant exposure that could potentially cripple an organisation. www.cioafrica.co | DECEMBER-JANUARY 2023 | CIO Africa Magazine | by dx⁵ 15
Before this interview, my team and I were discussing the idea as to why every bank wants to be a fintech and every fintech wants to be a bank. Is this even true, or is it just one of those statements that have been repeated so often they have become ubiquitous?
rapid adoption of mobile technology. Even those who could not read and write embraced mobile technology & learnt quickly to count from ‘0 to 9’. Connectivity access has grown substantially across Africa. People who have been in banking prior to the mobile revolution can benefit from training & development around newer technologies. This coupled with existing institutional knowledge makes for a potent workforce that is digitally switched on and simultaneously experienced in banking. Staff will adopt new ways of working while using their experience and expertise to unlock more value. Younger generation hires will come on board as well to bolster the digital awareness of the overall workforce.
I would say it is not necessarily true. That it depends on the fintech or on the bank. The sweet spot, for me, is the partnership. The fintech cannot do end-to-end banking but they can offer certain financial solutions that a bank may not be flexible or nimble enough to offer. Through partnerships, between the two the portfolio of solutions can be more holistic. Where the Fintech rides on the banks regulated traditional offerings whilst the bank benefits from the new market that the Fintech represents or whose value proposition it attracts.
Processes: Banking has been in existence for a long time and there are processes that perhaps worked well in the past but are not as relevant in the current. There are aspects of them that can be transformed, made more efficient, automated or done away with altogether – Process Automation requires a holistic evaluation of all processes. Assign ownership for the processes, create clear targets for the processes overhaul. Where there is a people impact it is critical to create opportunities for reskilling, upskilling & redeployment.
If you, as Moses, are looking at banking, how do you focus on future trends, stay current and learn from the past simultaneously?
With the 3 Ps’ approach I help position the organization to leverage on the existing Experience whilst sustainably & securely embracing new technology.
I usually focus on the 3 Ps. People. Processes. Platforms.
Would this be Moses the CTO or Moses the CIO speaking?
Platforms: How do you position yourselves to really benefit from future technological trends? You build platforms that can interface with external parties or adopt open standards while ensuring the bank remains secure. You create an ability to provide ease of partnerships.
I tend to play both roles and I’m not big on titles. I’m just driven by value and wherever there is value on the table, then I will look for a seat on that table and will work at delivering it. I’ll bring people on board so that we can collaborate together in delivering that value.
People: there has to be a cultural shift. Looking at the Kenyan space in the past two decades, there has been a
Part of delivering value means bringing in everyone, not just senior management, and the C-Suite. It is
We really deep dived into it, and it is almost exactly a year since it came about, and we worked expeditiously to eliminate the vulnerability from within our estate. In so doing, we were inspired to consume a lot of information about the vulnerability I joined the banking industry in September 2021 and was looking at the core banking platform. I’ve really gotten my hands dirty learning and engaging with Core Banking platforms since then.
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all part of the culture. How do you inspire people to understand the role technology plays in the organisation and the business? That it is part of every aspect of the organisation, and that it is not limited to the IT department. That falls squarely in the people space. You can’t use tech for the sake of it. One thing we are working on, is partnering with a local institution to help us build people capacity across the bank. We seek to upskill our workforce on cloud, cybersecurity, data science automation DevSecOps and agile ways of working. Look at Python for instance, you do not need to have an ICT degree to learn how to code. You just need to be interested. I really want to raise awareness and understanding through this programme. People will see the value of future technology and shift the interest of people who want to embrace it into other areas of the business. As we bring on the platform and the technology, I expect easier and faster adoption. With this amongst other strategic initiatives our digital capacity & capability will be significantly enhanced. What has your experience been like working across generation? I am a Millennial myself. It’s been interesting. One of my values is humility. Through that I can listen and empathise. I find it quite powerful. You learn from everyone. I really like the younger generation because they constantly challenge me with their thinking and approach. It is very nontraditional. The traditionalists also have value with regards to their expertise and experiences that they have had. Humility allows me to straddle and engage with anyone and everyone regardless of whatever generation they are part of. It is not a challenge for me. Let me put it that way. Part of my understanding of a CIO’s job is that they have to be switched on 24/7/365. Is this your life? I used to be like that, but you miss out. When you say you are switched on 24 by 7, really, you’re not. You are burning
the lead out. You are ineffective. You are not having the right conversations. You are becoming transactional. It also hampers your growth making yourself the key man – like the ‘ninja’ who addresses everything. It is critical as a leader, and that is one of my key priorities, to build and develop people. It gives me, personally, the opportunity to learn and experience new things and engage more strategically. Once you are a Chief of anything, it is important that you shape and deliver on the strategy. If you are just operational then it is a missed opportunity. My strategy is to build a really strong team that can share responsibilities and duties and I don’t have to put the phone underneath my pillow when I go to bed. A large part of your career was spent at Safaricom. What are some of the key lessons you picked up and how was your career shaped while in the telco space? I got to learn about radio engineering, core switching, mobile network technology. I also developed IT experience through my role in valueadded services. There are very good lessons that I can now bring to the bank as well to help people transact on - the - go digitally. Whilst at Vodafone, I got to
work directly in Ghana and got a West African flavour of Tech business. These experiences build up and put me in a great position to deliver in the work I am doing today. I did wonder how your pockets of knowledge come together and make a whole. The basics of technology remain the same right from infrastructure, application, and data. It’s all software and hardware That knowledge coming together puts me in a good position to see what the future could look like for the bank and what approaches we should take strategically to ensure we deliver sustainably into the future. The telco is a much younger industry, and it has been eye opening in contrast to an industry whose regulation has matured over a longer period. Bringing this together and introducing pace and more agility whilst maintaining detailed rigour around risk management and managing stakeholders has been an excellent experience for me. Earlier, you had talked about ‘we’ being your team. How big is it, how do you stay innovative and how do you stay agile? Our team is strewn across Africa,
parts of Asia and Europe. Absa is a Pan-African bank. In Kenya we are under 100 individuals. We have adopted, and continue to build on, agile ways of working. Additionally, I am working to get the entire team certified where it is relevant with regards to their respective disparate technology verticals, whether it is in cybersecurity or cloud, coding etc. With growing knowledge, we build the right capability and continuously develop it. We are also not fully insourced. We work with partners who augment our capacity & give critical expertise that help refine our solutions. That sounds like a lot of people. It is. But we work quite efficiently. Some of the team members also deliver for other African markets. What do you do for fun? We like to travel with the family. I recently took up kickboxing as well. I say for fitness, but sometimes it helps with just having a good mental mind frame. I also love cooking. I quite enjoy making dishes and experimenting. I am quite comfortable in the kitchen. It helps clear and detox my mind.
X
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ARTICLE by
STEVE MBEGO & KEVIN Namunwa
What’s Trending The Latest News From The Continent
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the round-up
Microsoft, Viasat Partner To Widen Internet Access
The best kind of threat management is the kind you don’t have to manage.
Microsoft and Viasat announced a new partnership to help deliver internet access to 10 million people around the globe, including 5 million across Africa. This global partnership for Microsoft’s Airband Initiative is an important step in reaching the initiative’s expanded goal of delivering internet access to a quarter of a billion people across the world, including 100 million people on the continent of Africa, by the end of 2025. Working together, the companies will combine expertise and assets to help enable telehealth, distance learning and education, precision agriculture, clean power, and other services to reach new areas through the transformational provision of power and connectivity. The companies will collaborate to provide and pilot technologies including, but not limited to, satellites (both Geostationary Orbit and Low Earth Orbit (LEO)) and fixed wireless. Nearly one-third of the world’s population is lacking online access to education, better medical care, business opportunities, connection with family, and more. And most of this population lives in just 20 countries across Africa and the Global South.
For more information, contact: salesmea@sophos.com
Launched in 2017, Microsoft’s Airband Initiative works through partnerships with local and regional internet and energy access providers, telecom equipment makers, nonprofits, as well as governmental and non-governmental organisations, to advance access to affordable internet and relevant digital skills around the world. www.cioafrica.co | DECEMBER-JANUARY 2023 | CIO Africa Magazine | by dx⁵ 19
ID Verification Startup Verified.Africa Launches In Kenya
Verified.Africa, provider of ID Verification, document verification, and digital KYC compliance solutions, has launched in Kenya. With this launch, businesses in Kenya that use Verified.Africa’s on-boarding platform would be able to verify identities in real time, thus preventing the risk associated with identity theft and fraud. It is going also help business build a trustworthy brand because they know who their customers are. Through the Verification Platform, businesses can easily verify the identity of customers, partners, and employees easily – helping them grow their
customer base faster, prevent fraud and operate with better turnover.
provided by people can be used for
To ensure data privacy, Verified.Africa will comply with the laws of the land, relating to data protection and privacy. The start-up launches at a time when the risk of data breach is very high. A lot of identity companies do not adhere to compliance rules governing digital identities. Hence, the information
Verified.Africa caters for the untapped
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fraudulent activities if not monitored. market and will work together with the identity enrollment agencies to ensure that these communities are not left out. Kenya becomes the fourth country of operation after initial launches in Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa.
Kenyan Govt Eyes Tech Firms To Create Job Opportunities The Kenyan government has committed to working with leading global tech companies to enable the country’s youth to leverage opportunities in the digital space. President William Ruto, who held a series of meetings with various leaders of international tech companies held at State House Nairobi on Monday 12, 2022 said the partnership will enable the youth to be competitive in the global market. In his address during the Jamhuri Day celebrations, President Ruto disclosed that the government had reached an agreement with some of the global technology firms to train the youth in digital skills.
“We have agreed on partnerships to support local organisations in providing opportunities for young Kenyans to acquire training and skills on the various aspects of digital productivity. We are also exploring ways of making
the benefits of monetisation of online activity available to Kenyan content creators on more platforms.” “I have spoken directly to Meta, the parent company of Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, to monetise content for our digital entrepreneurs that will exponentially multiply incomes and create employment opportunities for others. I am impressed and encouraged by the power of monetisation and remote jobs. This is the way to the future,” the President said. President Ruto also promised that, in six months, all government services will be available online to improve service delivery to the people.
Digital Transformation (dx100) Symposium & Awards 2022
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the dx100 symposium & awards
dx⁵’s biggest event of the year came to pass and it was not to be missed. But in case you missed it (ICYMI), here’s the lowdown. Billed as one of the biggest tech events in Africa, the 14th edition of the Digital Transformation (dx100) Symposium & Awards lived to its revered reputation. The C-Suite and the IT community drawn from across Africa gathered for three days (November 22-25) at Leisure Lodge Beach & Golf Resort for intense learning, networking, and fun. The event kicked off with golf followed by engaging sessions delivered through presentations, panel discussions, keynote speeches and case studies. In the evenings, cocktail parties were hosted by the beach for the delegates to network. On the last day of the event, 100 organisations and their leaders were recognised for implementing innovative projects.
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ARTICLE by
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KEVIN Namunwa
the dx100 symposium & awards
The Event That Was The Biggest Tech Gathering In Africa 2022 has had a plethora of big events in the technology sector held in various areas of the continent. What stood out for us was the Digital Transformation (dx100) Symposium and Awards which brought together the biggest players in the tech space in the continent. Held at the Leisure Lodge Beach & Golf Resort, Diani, Kwale County, the event involved various industry leaders discussing ideas on how to grow digital transformation in the continent. It was a fun, engaging experience for the attendees of the purely physical event, a you-had-to-be-there kind of experience. For those who couldn’t join us in Diani for the biggest tech event in Africa, I will try to give you a snippet of what it was all about. The three-day event we wished we could have been longer was a unique experience in all aspects: the food, the mood, the magical views, to, most importantly, the content. Digital transformation is evidently a wide topic that needs to be delved into deeper, with such forums and gathering. Various tech leaders from around the continent interacted and shared ideas about how we may use digital transformation to grow the continent. There were a lot of major highlights from the event but these stood out. The major highlight of the event was, of course, the Gala Dinner where the crème de la crème in the African technology space were feted for their efforts in growing digital transformation. Moses Okundi was the highlight of the Gala Dinner, hence the highlight of the event. The cover story focuses on him and how he got to scoop the biggest award of the night. Influencer Panel 1 Day 1 with Harry Hare, Chairman & Co-Founder, dx⁵, Prof Louis Fourie, Deputy Vice Chancellor,
Knowledge and Information Technology Services at Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Catherine Muraga, Managing Director, Microsoft Africa Development Centre, Steve Kamuya, Executive Director, Huawei, and Allan Kipsang’, Tribe Lead, Enterprise Solutions, Safaricom Plcs et standards for the rest of the event. The panel had all the delegates asking themselves and each other the questions they need to be asking. What is digital transformation? Is it all about technology? The official introduction of dxNova was also an engaging affair as the all-women panel dove into questions around diversity and inclusivity. This panel got a lot of engagement in the whole session as attendees were all intrigued by the conversations going on. Gratitude to Everline Kamau-Migwi, Senior Territory Manager, VMware East Africa, Phyllis Migwi, Country General Manager, Microsoft, Faith Nkatha, CEO, Cellulant Kenya, Michelle Kuria, Regional Head of Marketing, ESET, Damaris Mabeya, Aminia Dada, Executive Director & Founder for the experience. There was also experiences that allowed engagement amongst the delegates. They all had opportunities to network amongst each other in the breakout sessions. Delegates met in their multi-sector groups and discussed the specifics of our various fields of play. In the second day, panels were equally engaging making the whole event one to remember. Munyi Nthiga, CEO, Tala, Moses Okundi, CEO, ABSA Bank, Dan Kwach, Managing Director, African Data Centres, Valerie Angira, Cybersecurity Channel Manager for the Rest of Africa at Westcon-Comstor, and Kunle Ogunfalobi, Senior Systems Engineer, Nutanix, West Africa led the attendees into the conversations about BaU pressure. Lewis Miriti, Public Sector
Technology Specialist, MEA, Multi Cluster Countries, Microsoft also kept it short and sweet with the team of John Gichohi, Systems Engineer East Africa, Fortinet, Seyoum Damtew, Director of Information System Security (ISS) Commercial Bank of Ethiopia Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Ivy Kashero, Territory Manager, Emerging Africa, Secureworks, Florence Munene, Technical Manager, DTE. Lewis showed us that Zero Trust isn’t a difficult topic to discuss before lunch, after all. The last day was the best of all days as it was when technology leaders were feted for their efforts in the growth of digital transformation in the continent. However, before the awards were dished out in the evening, delegates were treated to more breakout sessions that allowed them to engage in their different multi-sectors. The last day also involved a panel discussion amongst various CEOs and MDs including Vincent Milewa, Managing Director, DTE, Andrew Mutua, CEO, PesaKit, Samson Ogada, Systems Engineer, Sophos, Bente Krogman, CEO & Director, mTek Services moderated by Rachel Njiru, Director OP, Africa at Infobip who sought to help delegates answer the question; What do CEOs expect from CIOs? There was also the illuminating dxNova Fireside Chat by dx⁵ Group CEO Kelly Bentley and the Standard Chartered CIO, Jaine Mwai. It was clearly an event to remember. Be sure to join us for the array of different events lined up for 2023. The Digital Transformation (dx100) Symposium and Awards for 2023 is also one you cannot afford to miss.
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ARTICLE by
STEVE MBEGO
the dx100 symposium & awards
What CEOs Expect From CIOs Communication challenges, lack of clearly defined roles and lack of organisational support are some of the challenges that affect the relationship between CEOs and CIOs. The revelations were divulged in a panel discussion on What CEOs Expect From CIOs at the Digital Transformation (dx100) Symposium & Awards (formerly CIO 100). The session was moderated by Rachel Njiru, Director OP, Africa at Infobip. The panellists were Vincent Milewa, Managing Director, Down To Earth (DTE) Technologies, Vincent Milewa, Managing Director, Down To Earth (DTE) Technologies, Andrew Mutua, CEO, PesaKit, Samson Ogada, Systems Engineer, Sophos, and Bente Krogmann, CEO & Director, mTek Services. The CEOs said that they face problems understanding their CIOs because the latter usually express themselves in IT jargon, advising CIOs to speak English when addressing the C-Suite and the board. “I work with both CEOs and CIOs. The CIOs are cut for the job from the technological point of view. But the language they speak with me is not the same language that they need to speak to CEOs. The CIOs need to reduce the use of jargon. It’s time they learn to use effective ways of communication,” Ogada said. The panellists were in unison that today’s CIOs should help their businesses leverage technology to grow revenue, engage customers, improve products and services, streamline operations, and even find new ways to exploit their data something they failed is still lacking among some. “CIOs should be well aligned with the profit and loss (PNL) because their activities have a huge impact on business revenues. They must look at ways of optimising their expenses,” Milewa stated. Mutua then said, “The CIO role is similar to that of the CEO in some ways. That makes life easier for the business. As we move forward, the CIO role will become the CEO role. I would want the CIO to be the smartest person in the room be it from the perspective of internal operations to understanding the customer. A situation where the CIO doesn’t understand a customer impedes the success of an organisation.” Bente Krogmann, CEO & Director, mTek Services defended CIOs saying that their roles are tasking and must often be carried out within a limited amount of time. “CIOs perform broad roles. CEOs should help CIOs succeed by giving them the right tools to succeed in their business.”
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E A S T A F R I C A | W E S T A F R I C A | S O U T H A F R I C A | MIDDLE EAST
JOIN US AS WE PREDICT...
February 2nd, 2023 @dx5ve
@dx5group
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LIST OF WINNERS 2022 Manufacturing Sector Award
BAT Kenya PLC
Hospitality Sector Award
JAVA House Africa
Public Sector Award Corporation
Agricultural Finance
Education Sector Award
Shule Pepe Ltd
Infrastructure Award
Absa Bank Kenya Plc
Banking Sector Award
Equity Bank, Kenya
Sacco Sector Award
Stima Sacco DT Society Ltd
Health Sector Award
Amref Health Africa
Retail Sector Award
Naivas Ltd
Insurance Sector Award
Jubilee Insurance
Green Edge Awards
Ministry of Water and Environment (Uganda)
Technology Partner Awards
Safaricom Plc
Overall Company of the Year
Diageo Plc – Africa
CISO of the Year
Thelma Kganakga, Group CISO, Equity Bank (K) Ltd
CXO of the Year
Hector Tamez, Head of Manufacturing East Africa, BAT
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the dx100 symposium & awards
dx voices Digital transformation is not an event. It is a process. It is a journey to transform either a business, a country, or an organisation. It, therefore, requires a lot of thinking and alignment within the business itself. You must understand why you are doing what you want to do.
Harry Hare,
dx5 Group Chairman
What next for the digital transformation leader? One must focus on inclusion. Diversity is having a seat at the table, inclusion is having a voice, belonging is having that voice heard.
George Njuguna, CIO, Safaricom.
A successful digital transformation story needs a digital imperative. This involves an organisation infusing technology in all areas of business and considering it’s five pillars
Sam Kariuki,
Azure Specialist, Microsoft
We need to share ideas and practical steps on how we can leverage technology to help grow the continent as a whole. dx100 is a platform for innovation leaders to connect and have discussions on how to work together for the benefit of Africa.
The generation we are selling to were born with phones in their hands. When it comes to technology solutions, they prioritise convenience and usability. Before coming up with technology solutions, businesses should understand their users’ culture and needs first. They should build solutions to meet where users are.
Kelly Bentley,
Phyllis Migwi,
Our employees are the new currency. We must innovate for our employees.
Let’s have a culture where we can accommodate a fail first approach in digital transformation.
Group CEO, dx⁵
Romeo Mabasa,
Business Development Manager, Africa PeopleCert
Digital transformation works when experimented; if you can’t find it, invent it.
Allan Kipsang,
Enterprise IT Lead Safaricom.
Country General Manager Kenya, Microsoft.
Dan Kwach,
Managing Director, Africa Data Centres
Let’s not try to re-invent already existing solutions but rather focus on collaboration to come up with new ideas away from the existing ones.
Martin Kimani,
Associate Director, Technology Transformation Unit, KPMG East Africa.
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ARTICLE by
STEVE MBEGO
Meet The CIO Of The Year Finalists The CIO of the Year Award is a CIO who has deployed technology transforming the business. This could be through creating a competitive advantage, optimising business processes, enabling growth, improving relationships with customers, or digitally transforming business.
Moses Okundi, Chief Technology Officer, Absa Bank Kenya emerged as the CIO of The Year 2022 from the over 350 submissions that were reviewed, evaluated, and scored by a panel of judges from across the continent. Here are the profiles and projects of the CIO’s who were nominated for the 2022 CIO of The Year Award.
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Kelvin Ebole
Samuel Weru
Ebole, who has been ICT and Business Innovations Manager at Safaricom SACCO for the last five years and four months, has initiated and successfully completed different projects at the company aimed at improving business processes and outcomes. He got shortlisted for this year’s CIO of The Year Award based on implementing a project CIRI which is based on the SACCO’s core values abbreviations Customer Focus, Integrity, Reliability, and Innovation.
Weru is an experienced manager and IT professional with over 10 years’ experience in senior management and supporting business operations and processes and especially in the NGO sector.
ICT and Business Innovations Manager, Safaricom Sacco LTD
According to Ebole, the focus was to leverage on technology and innovation to fully deliver on the SACCO core values. Purpose of the transformation was to cut down the operational expenses tied to service delivery. Bulk manual processes were an impact to turn around time required to address critical customer processes and affecting the company’s promise to reliability and integrity. “With streamlined processes and operational expenses at bay, there was a dire need to realise improved revenues that would be translated to members returns in form of rebates and dividends,” Ebole said. Ebole and his team achieved this by creating autonomous systems plugged in to the SACCO’s core system to control and operate processes with the desired accuracy levels and efficiency without human interventions. These autonomous systems in the project, according to Ebole were mobile money, internet banking, business intelligence (BI) as the main channels. The project entailed revamped core banking solution and Electronic Document and Records Management System (EDMS) for interpretation and management of the information. Integrating the system with primary banking institutions was also key in the project as it provided a bridge between banking institutions which have a higher customer outreach as compared to the SACCOs.
ICT Director, Amref Health Kenya
He got shortlisted for the CIO of The Year Award for overseeing the successful rolling out of an Africa-wide integrated solutions to run Amref’s operations across the eight countries it operates in Africa with the aim of providing efficiencies in time, accuracy, and controls. It involved rolling out one integrated Entreprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution running all operations in Africa offices, a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) to run all the fundraising and business developments; a business intelligence solution; an in-house developed programme management tool for monitoring and evaluation all housed in an on-premise data centre well equipped for business continuity and disaster recovery sites in remote location. The initiative was an end-to-end solution to provide a turnaround for the AmrefHealth Africa. With the digital transformation effort, operational efficiency and agility in operations and decision making at AmrefHealth Africa has been improved. Moreover, all financial reports at AmrefHealth Africa are visible and aggregated in the organisation’s headquarters. tendering has also been automated. Staff performance management is now fully automated, and all business development initiatives are centrally managed across the group, monitoring and evaluation data is aggregated at the headquarter for board reporting. Weru has a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA). He is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Management of Information Systems at The University of Nairobi.
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Dennis Volemi
Group CIO, Equity Group Dennis Volemi has over 20 years’ experience industry experience spanning telecommunications and financial services. He has demonstrated experience in applying technology in business transformation. Volemi oversaw the building of Equity’s Group Credit Scoring Model and Decision Engine that would allow customers to apply for financial services such as a loan through the digital channels. Customers, moreover, will no longer have to come into the bank’s branches to apply for a loan. They can simply use any of the digital channels accessible to them to apply and have the loan disbursed to their account. The loans are disbursed within 22 seconds of loan origination. The internally built Credit Scoring Model and Decision Engine was developed towards delivering solutions consistent with digitising customer engagement, improving operational efficiency, reducing cost, and managing credit risk by leveraging data and advanced analytics. According to the Group, the Credit Scoring Method has led to improved customer centricity, reducing costs, and managing credit risks. “In customercentricity, customers can apply for a loan through our e-channels, anytime and anywhere and have the loan disbursed within 22 seconds from the loan origination,” says Volem. The solution also ensures that Equity can manage risk efficiently through Machine Learning and ensure timely deployment of updates. By leveraging Machine Learning, Equity can improve the efficacy of credit risk assessments, which is currently within 2 per cent of the anticipated loss rate.
Sidney Shilako
Chief Manager, ICT & Operations, Stima SACCO
Sidney Louis Shilako has over 20 years of IT experience most of which is derived from the banking industry. He has sound expertise in systems design, application development, data centre and networks, software implementation and support. He is a change agent and problem solver with a passion for technology. He has worked on various projects in the banking sector to strategically and cost effectively utilise technology in alignment with corporate goals. He secured a spot for the CIO of The Year for overseeing Stima SACCO’s Salo Chap Chap. Salo Chap Chap is a payment solution for efficient, transparent, and seamless payments processing. The project helped improved the payments processing experience for Stima SACCO Paymasters in the process ensuring members’ salaries and allowances are processed efficiently and in real time thus enhancing their customer experience. “This solution is used for processing salaries, allowances, and pension payments. Benefits of Salo Chap Chap enable members to receive payments in a timely and efficient manner. It also allows for quick resolution of complaints hence improved customer experience. It has enhanced transparency for since it allows for easier tracking of transactions. Moreover, it led to increased number of paymasters processing their salaries through Stima SACCO,” said Shilako.
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Alex Karanja
Daniel Olilo
Alex Karanja has over 15 years of experience in design, operational and project management which has seen him lead successful business re-engineering processes across banking, manufacturing, and retail industry. As the Head of Department ICT at Naivas, he led his team in carrying out a successful business process automation.
Olilo is a highly proficient IT professional with more than 21 years of experience in the ICT field. He landed the chance to be shortlisted for the CIO of The Year Award for leading his team at AFC in implementing an automated agricultural credit scoring system. The system sought to minimise over reliance on individual’s appraiser’s opinion in determining the soundness of a loan application by automatically scoring the 5C’s of credit.
Head of Department ICT, Naivas
Head of IT, Agriculture Finance Corporation (AFC)
Naivas adopted an enterprise low-code application platform for digital process automation. The system allowed Karanja and his team to build process-centric applications for several business needs. It enabled the organisation to digitalise and automate business processes, introduce standardisation, and best practices, and optimise workflows across departments and borders. According to Karanja, a core reason to embark on this project was to reduce business mistakes. “There is rarely a more compelling reason to effect change than the pain felt from the costs and fall out from a highprofile mistake or at least one with a significant financial impact. It is obvious that we automate to save time and money, but it is quickly realised when we try and measure the efficiency of the process or the productivity of the actors it is skewed to the experience and historical judgement of the organisation.”
For a long time, the quantitative determination of which projects to finance led to a rapid reduction on non-performing loans. By implementing the project, AFC’s operations department has a healthier loan book focusing on diversifying their portfolio rather than recovery. The organisation’s research department now has a repository of all crop varieties, livestock breeds and zonal ecological data which aids in determining which value chains the company will focus on as variables defined inform constraints in availability, marketability, and production.
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ARTICLE by
STEVE MBEGO
Uber Prepares For The African Future Imran Manji is the leader of one of the world’s most successful and innovative companies, which has transformed the way we think about transportation and mobility. Founded in 2009, Uber has grown from a small start-up to a global brand with operations in more than 65 countries and millions of active users. In this interview, we will discuss Manji’s vision for Uber East Africa, the challenges and opportunities facing Uber, and his thoughts on the future of transportation.
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i.t leadership When Uber, the digital taxi sharing company, marked their 9th anniversary in Africa in September 2022, it announced it had topped a billion rides in the nine African countries where it operates, signalling the growth potential for the firm. It also revealed that it is expanding to more cities across Kenya, Nigeria, and Ghana. However, as Uber expands its footprint in Africa, it must deal with existing critical issues such as ensuring the safety of riders, striking drivers, and emerging ones such as new regulations, and competition from local tech start-ups offering similar services. Imran Manji, Head of East Africa shares how he manages to ensure the company operations remains seamless and meets the challenging demands of all its critical stakeholders as it eyes expansion into more East African towns. What strategy are you using to expand to new cities in East Africa? Are you prepared with manpower resources? Uber’s ambition is to be everywhere any progressive, forward-thinking city that has a need for safe, reliable, and efficient transportation, we want to be there. We are proud of the growth that we have seen in our business across the African continent, and we are so excited to announce that we recently completed our billionth trip in Africa since we started operating. While each country offers its own unique opportunities, we have found the region to be defined by agility, creativity, and adaptability. This provides Uber with the perfect conditions to launch and nurture our on-demand economy in partnership with the local government. What is the impact of the introduced percentage cap commission on Uber? We believe that the commission cap that has been imposed is not conducive to doing business in Kenya, and is not good for drivers and riders, especially because it contributes to deterring foreign investment in the country, limiting the role that private businesses can play in supporting and growing the Kenyan mobility sector. We however remain committed to engaging with the
regulator, as we have done over the past seven years of our operations in Kenya. We remain committed to Kenya and to providing a platform to help unlock economic opportunities for drivers and enhanced mobility for Kenyans. NB: Uber have since adjusted their service fee from 25 per cent to 18 per cent in Kenya. Other taxi-hailing apps are expanding to be super apps, is Uber following a similar path? Now you can go anywhere and get anything with Uber. Whatever it is you want to do, no matter how big or small, we’re here to help fuel your life. We continuously introduce new product features to adapt to the changing landscape in mobility and consumer needs such as Uber Connect Moto and Car, which allows customers and small businesses to send and receive packages locally via Uber. We’re about much more than rides, meals, and deliveries. We’re committed. And we’re making a stand for what we believe in—all the while helping to fuel your ambition and go-get-it spirit. Uber was recently hacked in the US. Did it have a trickle-down effect on East Africa? What is Uber doing to protect the data privacy of East Africans? Uber takes action to pursue our mission of being a trusted steward of our users’ personal data in every market where we operate. On Data Privacy Day 2021, we published our privacy principles externally. Our privacy team is constantly building new privacy features and tools for our users. Over the past few years, we’ve released features that explain how your data is used at different points in your trip experience, make your data available to view and download, and give you more control over your ads and marketing settings. Now, we’re bringing them all together in our privacy centre. As Uber continues to be an industry leader in privacy innovation, we plan to add new features and information to the privacy centre. How is Uber Eats performing in the food
delivery business? What edge do you have over other competitors? The delivery marketplace is a sunrise industry with the potential for massive development and expansion across the continent, with the potential to reach over 30 million people with Uber Eats’ unique technology-driven delivery services. It is our aspiration of building an app of the future by creating a virtual mall experience that goes beyond just food. Other categories we have ventured into include convenience stores, pharmacy outlets, alcohol, and retail and this shows us that the possibilities are endless. Uber Eats also continues to push beyond boundaries with the adoption of the growing trend of dark stores, which gives non-traditional merchants opportunities to tap into unchartered markets that they wouldn’t have easily accessed. With a 67 per cent year on year (YOY) growth of subscriptions on Eats, we are humbled and encouraged by the expansion that we have seen in South Africa and Kenya. Uber Eats has also rolled out new features across Sub-Saharan Africa such as item replacements, which allows consumers to choose the next best item if the original item is out of stock and Safety Age Verification for customers to scan their IDs to confirm they are of legal age to purchase alcohol and pharmacy items. How is the Kenyan market different from other EA markets? What is the future of Uber in EA? Does it involve drones and choppers? Ride-hailing as an industry has transformed how we explore and discover our cities, and since its launch in Kenya in 2016, Uber has been a partner to the city by providing improved mobility options, economic contribution through flexible earnings for drivers and contribution to government revenues. Since entering the market in Africa in 2013, we have created over 3 million economic opportunities across SSA. We pride ourselves in building locally using global expertise.
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Each country’s needs are unique so we take the time to understand each of the market needs so we can be responsive and adapt accordingly. This has allowed us to develop bespoke and localised solutions, to ensure that we act as part of a broader and responsible African community in the expansion of our business model in the region. After we spent time researching the market and listening to the public’s requests for more options, we decided to introduce products that resonate with local markets such as Uber Go, Uber Chapchap, UberPOA and Uber Boda. We have, however, made it easier for riders travelling across the city with an entire crew with the launch of UberXL in Nairobi, Kenya. This option provides seating for up to 6 people and extra luggage and is great for airport trips and even for groups who are making a business trip. While drones and choppers is something that Uber has launched in other cities, this isn’t something we are looking at for the East Africa market. Safety remains a key priority for Uber
and we continue to innovate to find new ways to promote safety, such as our GPS tracking and location sharing features, and our one-stop in-app safety centre with emergency assistance button, to name just a few. We recently launched new safety features. Based on research, most riders seem to be unaware of the safety features available to them. As a result, Uber has launched Safety Check-up which will encourage riders to complete their safety profile by turning on and utilising available features such as Trusted Contacts, PIN verification and RideCheck. What was your worst day as Uber Head of East Africa and how did you handle it? Unfortunately, the worst day so far has been when we had to make the decision to pause our operations in Tanzania. The regulator in Tanzania had published a new directive that directed ride hailing companies on where they should set prices and limited the service fee we could charge in the country. As we charge the same service fee in all
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our markets, it presented us with an impossible situation. It’s such a shame as Tanzania is an important country for Uber. As to how I handled it, I tried to be hopeful that not all is lost, and that the situation could be salvaged. We are currently in talks with the regulators, and we are hopeful that we will be able to resume operations in TZ soon! What kind of car do you drive and why? I have been driving a 4WD which is a legacy from my old role where I would often drive out into the country. I hadn’t changed my car yet as I was enjoying the extra space, but now that we have Uber XL, I sold my car last week! How do you maintain a great work-life balance? I am very lucky to work for a great company like Uber which embraces a hybrid work style. I am in the office every day, but I can leave before the traffic starts, saving 30 minutes on a commute allows for a few extra minutes with the family before the next work call starts!
Network Operations
Security Operations
Cloud Security Zero Trust Access FortiGuard Threat Intelligence
Secure Networking
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Open Ecosystem
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ARTICLE by
MICHAEL MICHIE
Is AI The Predicted Future We Have Been Waiting For? From its early beginnings as a theoretical concept to its current state as a transformative technology, AI has come a long way. Whether you are a seasoned expert or new to the field, we hope this article will provide a valuable and thought-provoking overview of the world of artificial intelligence. What does 2023 look like? It is said the best way to predict the future is to make it. Another school of thought says the best way to predict the future is to study the past. When it comes to looking at trends for 2023, AI is growing in popularity and use cases been tested over the last quarter of 2022 and will continue into 2023. The question is, how will it look in 2023? Artificial intelligence (AI) has made significant strides in recent years with many experts predicting that it will revolutionise various industries in the near future. One area that has seen a rapid rise in AI capabilities is the ability to write code, produce articles, and create stunning art pieces. One example of AI’s coding abilities is Google’s DeepMind, which has been able to write code that is more efficient and optimised than that of human programmers. This has the potential to significantly reduce the time and resources needed for software development, leading to faster and more efficient products. AI’s writing capabilities have also improved significantly, with algorithms able to generate articles and content that are virtually indistinguishable from those written by humans. This has led to concerns about the potential for AI to replace writers and journalists in the future. In terms of art, AI has been able to produce paintings and drawings that have been praised by art critics and sold for thousands of dollars. One notable
example is the AI-generated portrait titled Portrait of Edmond de Belamy, which sold at auction for over $432,000. The rise of AI’s coding, writing, and art capabilities raises significant questions about the future of work and the potential for AI to replace human jobs. According to a report by the World Economic Forum, up to 85 million jobs could be replaced by automation and AI by 2025. While this could lead to increased efficiency and productivity, it also raises concerns about job displacement and the need for retraining workers.
humans are. Others argue that AI’s ability to generate novel and original ideas is a form of creativity, and that the distinction between human and machine creativity is artificial. From a philosophical perspective, the rise of AI’s creative capabilities raises questions about the nature of creativity itself. For example, is creativity simply a matter of generating novel ideas, or does it also require a human consciousness and emotional experience? These questions are difficult to answer and are likely to be debated for some time.
Despite the potential for disruption, the use of AI in these fields also has the potential to enhance and augment human capabilities. For example, AI could assist in the creation of more complex and sophisticated code, or help writers and artists generate new ideas and concepts.
It’s worth noting that AI’s creative capabilities also have the potential to enhance human creativity. For example, AI could assist in the generation of new ideas or provide inspiration for creative projects. In this sense, AI could be seen as a tool for human creativity rather than a replacement for it.
Overall, the rapid rise of AI’s coding, writing, and art capabilities is a significant development that will likely have a significant impact on society and the future of work. It is important for businesses and individuals to consider the potential implications and adapt to these changes to stay competitive in the future.
Overall, the impact of AI on creativity is complex and multifaceted and will likely continue to be a topic of philosophical debate in the coming years.
One of the main debates surrounding AI’s creative capabilities is whether it can truly be considered “creative.” Some argue that AI’s creations are simply the result of algorithms and programming, and therefore cannot be considered truly creative in the same way that
42 www.cioafrica.co | DECEMBER-JANUARY 2023 | CIO Africa Magazine | by dx⁵
There have been numerous studies and reports on the impact of AI on creativity and employment. Here are a few statistics that may be of interest: • According to a report by the World Economic Forum, up to 85 million jobs could be replaced by automation and AI by 2025. • A survey by the McKinsey Global Institute found that about half of all work activities could be automated
thinking aloud using current technologies, including those that involve creativity and decision-making. • A study by the Creative Industries Federation found that AI could create up to 3.5 million new jobs in the creative industries by 2030, potentially doubling the size of the sector. • In terms of the impact on creative industries specifically, a report by Deloitte found that AI has the potential to increase productivity in the creative sector by up to 40 per cent. It’s worth noting that these figures are estimates and predictions, and the actual impact of AI on creativity and employment will depend on a variety of factors. However, these statistics provide a sense of the potential magnitude of the impact of AI on these areas. In conclusion, the rapid rise of AI’s coding, writing, and art capabilities is a significant development that will likely have a significant impact on society and the future of work. While there are concerns about the potential for AI to replace human jobs, there is also the potential for AI to augment and enhance human capabilities in these areas. The impact of AI on creativity and employment is complex and multifaceted and will continue to be a topic of debate and discussion in the coming years. It is important for businesses and individuals to stay informed about the capabilities and potential impacts of AI to adapt and stay competitive in the future. The above article was AI generated. While I feel it is accurate and human-like, a part of me feels that it lacked a sense of creativity that I would normally see in articles I would write. Now, some of the big questions for 2023 is how many more articles in CIO Africa will be AI driven? Will we be able to tell if it is AI or human? Regardless of the answers, I know I will be making extensive use of AI and that most of us are using AI to aid in our decisions and most times, it is unknown to us. www.cioafrica.co | DECEMBER-JANUARY 2023 | CIO Africa Magazine | by dx⁵ 43
The Future Belong To The Youth This year, there has been a lot of talk about digital transformation and technology penetration in Africa. One of the things that have greatly supported the technology penetration, is the reach smartphones have had in the continent. In 2022, the big talk around smartphone penetration has been the launch of 5G network among other mobile innovations. Qualcomm, is a leading wireless tech innovator that pushes the boundaries of what’s possible to enable next-gen experiences and drive digital transformation to help create a smarter, connected future for all. 44 www.cioafrica.co | DECEMBER-JANUARY 2023 | CIO Africa Magazine | by dx⁵
dx nova
Qualcomm has had a roadmap of breakthrough technologies with mobile innovations and solutions to support virtually every connected device, including the smartphone. With its leadership in wireless connectivity, highperformance, low-power computing, and on-device AI, powering the connected intelligent edge. I caught up with Elizabeth Migwalla, the Vice President, International Regulatory Affairs at Qualcomm as she discussed how their wireless connectivity technology can be leveraged to grow smartphone penetration and in turn grow digital transformation in the continent. Elizabeth believes that for Africa to truly achieve digital transformation, the continent needs to use technology to create solutions that will help the continent’s specific needs. 60 per cent of Africa’s population is below 30 years old and these are the group of people that Elizabeth believes holds the key to help the continent truly achieve digital transformation. “In Africa we have had a good beginning with digital transformation and it’s important that we acknowledge that. However, not everybody is convinced that we had a good year in the growth of technology because the technology needs to get to everyone in the continent,” she said in an exclusive interview. “60 per cent of the population in Africa is below 30 years old. What does that tell you about the next 10-15 years? This population is a group that is data-hungry, and they are the data. I think this is a resource that is rare to the extent that you can convert that population into innovators and creators of technology. Remember they are also the consumers,” she adds. She gives examples of sectors that Africa need to use technology to innovate on. Elizabeth believes that
ARTICLE by
KEVIN Namunwa
Africa needs to use technology to develop the sectors that have been the highest rewarding for the continent and those that will help the continent grow. For instance, applications in health, public safety, agriculture, fishing, etc. “It’s not time for Africans to adopt whatever anybody else is adopting and try and make it fit. This is the time that Africa needs to use technology to innovate applications that are relevant,” she shares. She believes that as Africa, the main conversation needs to be on how we can fully achieve digital transformation. 5G is also an important innovation that plays a key role in growing technology penetration in Africa. Speaking on the youth population that has grown with technology, she points out the role that they can play in growing technology in Africa. “This is the opportunity that 5G technology offers. The youth population’s ability to innovate and create new systems, new services, and new users of technology that can be designed and manufactured on the continent,” she notes. “We have conducted similar initiatives of creating innovators and mentoring them and getting them to produce meaningful technology that has gone on to be sold in the world. We’ve done it in India, Taiwan, and Vietnam. So we believe that this is the beginning of 5G and there’s an opportunity to replicate those successes with the same tools because we believe that there are individuals in that age group that will turn into the next Samsungs or the next Nokias.” Agriculture and food production have long been the backbone of African economies. But it is now becoming evident that also need to technological assets presented to us. “If you’re using your phone, and you are accessing services either 3G or 4G or even using Wi-Fi. You are communicating using
GPS and that means that you are using Qualcomm technology. We put this technology out there and we always want to bring the latest technologies that will make smartphones convenient to the needs of the continent. We want to make it easy for people to operate wirelessly, transact data, and innovate to create relevant solutions,” she further said. When it comes to 5G, Elizabeth believes spectrum planning is key to the successful rollout of mobile services. It relates to the radio frequencies allocated to the mobile industry and other sectors for communication over the airwaves. She notes that the spectrum exists and governments just need to release them to operators. One thing is clear, though, there is a need for certainty over spectrum roadmaps and regulatory rules on issues such as license renewal, taxation, and coverage obligations. Mobile telecommunication continues to grow rapidly with over 477 million unique subscribers across Sub-Saharan Africa and 272 million using mobile internet. This number is estimated to grow to 614 million unique subscribers and 475 million mobile internet subscribers by 2025 according to the GSMA Roadmaps for 5G spectrum report. Some countries have progressed with 5G network trials and deployments, even though spectrum awards have not taken place. 5G can help Africa leapfrog to 4IR with the automation of traditional manufacturing and industrial practices using smart technologies. While 5G is inevitable, the adoption is not imminent in most African markets as the current technologies deployed can serve customers’ current use cases and mobile connectivity demand. With the burden of innovation falling on the young population of Africa, it is a case of the sooner they start leveraging on technology to grow the continent, the earlier Africa will digitally transform fully.
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DECEMBER-JANUARY - JANUARY 2023 20232 | CIO | CIO Africa Africa Magazine Magazine | by | by dx⁵ dx⁵ 46 www.cioafrica.co | DECEMBER
gadget review
ARTICLE by
KEVIN Namunwa
Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
Big Player In The Midrange Space Smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi has been busy in 2022 with its numerous releases of different midrange smartphones. One of its famous releases this year has been the various models of the Redmi Note 11. I got a chance to review the Note 11S on our blog, cioafrica.co, and looked at both its pros and cons to inspire you to make the best decision when looking for a midrange smartphone. Today, I look at the almost similar Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G. From a glance, the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G boasts a lot of equipment. The Snapdragon 695 5G confers decent performance on the 6.67-incher, and its 120 Hz AMOLED display manages over 1000 nits of brightness. Not to mention the 108 MP camera and 67-watt fast charging. Our review reveals whether the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G has the potential to become a mid-range champion.
www.cioafrica.co | DECEMBER-JANUARY 2023| | CIO CIOAfrica AfricaMagazine Magazine| |by bydx⁵ dx⁵ 47 www.cioafrica.co | DECEMBER - JANUARY 20232
At A Glance The Redmi Note 11 Pro brings a ton of fan-favorite features. Like most of the Notes, this one is also powered by a large 5,000mAh battery, and its charging has been improved from 33W on the Note 10 Pro to 67W on this new Note 11 Pro. Design & Handling This phone’s dark gray flat panel, cool flat frame, and the rectangular camera setup on the back looks like other Redmi Note 11 models. The company has opted for a shared design across the Redmi Note 11 series. You just get the phone with the most relevant specs for you and keep the stylish looks no matter what. This has also made it difficult to tell the Notes apart as they all feature 1080p screens with tiny punch holes. The Redmi Note 11 Pro has a flat Gorilla Glass 5 panel at the front and a flat tempered glass on its back. The rear glass has an eye-catchy matte finish, which is quite pleasant on touch and makes for a far less smudgy experience. The frame is also flat, with a matte finish, made of sturdy plastic. It has the same paint as the rear panel and makes for some strong grip when handling the Redmi Note 11 Pro. It’s also IP53-rated for dust and splash protection. The 6.67-inch Samsung-made AMOLED panel occupies most of the front. It seems quite bright and contrasty, while its perforation is one of the smallest we’ve seen lately. The 16MP selfie camera is within the punch hole. Meanwhile, above the screen, there is this barely noticeable grille that hides the earpiece. Xiaomi has put a proper speaker on top of the Redmi Note 11 Pro, and it has two outlets for the sound one on top of the phone and one at the front, just above the screen. This means that the grille above
the display hides a proper speaker underneath, symmetrical to the one at the bottom. Software and Performance Similarly, like the rest of the Note 11 quartet, the Note 11 Pro boots Android 11 with the most current MIUI 13 version. Most of the new MIUI features are under the hood, though they have room to be smoother, smarter, and more secure experience. There is no advanced Privacy Dashboard either with options like a protected clipboard, approximate location, updated Face Unlock algorithm. The updated File Manager and Clock app with Bedtime mode are nowhere to be found either. Other notable missing features on Android 11 + MIUI 13 combo are the improved one-handed mode (iOS-style), and the improved camera app with zero shutter lag and motion photos. Still, Xiaomi claims that MIUI has been reworked completely, even if you cannot tell that by the interface and its design alone - it looks and feels just like MIUI 12. But the new version reportedly focuses on much better resource distribution and should handle processor, RAM and storage usage better and smarter. On performance, the Redmi Note 11 Pro employs the Helio G96 chipset by MediaTek, a baffling step back from the Snapdragon 732G within the Redmi Note 10 Pro. The Helio G96 chip features a dual-core Mali-G57 GPU. Unlike the previous G9x chips, here we have a dualcore configuration instead of quad-core, which is somewhat disappointing. It does support a 120Hz refresh rate, but it’s another thing if it will be able to reach 120fps in games (spoiler alert, you cannot). The smartphone is available in three configurations, both with LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 2.2 storage - 6GB RAM + 64GB, 6GB RAM + 128GB, and 8GB RAM + 128GB (our review unit).
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Camera, Photo, and Video Quality The Redmi Note 11 Pro has your typical mid-range four-camera setup on the back. There is a high-res 108MP primary, an 8MP ultrawide, a 2MP macro, and a 2MP depth camera. A single LED flash is also around this quarter, while a single 16MP sits within the screen’s perforation and takes care of your selfies. The Redmi Note 11 Pro camera arrangement is a mixture of the Redmi Note 10 Pro and the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G. The camera app is a rather straightforward implementation, though it does have its quirks. First, basic operation for changing modes works with side swipes (on the black bezel!), and you can also tap on the modes you can see to switch to those directly. Up and down swipes don’t work for switching between the front and rear cameras; only the toggle next to the shutter release does that. You can add, remove, and rearrange modes in the main rolodex by going to the More tab and navigating to the edit button, and you can access that from the settings menu as well. The unused modes will still be in that More tab, but you can switch to a (less intuitive) pullout pane that’s summoned from a line next to the shutter release. The 12MP default photos from the main camera are good for this class. They offer plenty of resolved detail, the white balance is spot-on, and the colors are accurate. The noise is kept nicely low, while the dynamic range is high but not over the top, and that’s why the contrast across the photos is just right. The images are noticeably oversharpened, though. On the video quality, The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro supports up to 1080p@30fps video capturing with its primary, ultrawide and selfie cameras. The 2MP macro camera is limited to 720p@30fps.
gadget review The Redmi Note 10 Pro and its Snapdragon 732G chipset offered 4K video capturing, while the Helio G96 has no support for such resolution and the new model sure feels like a big downgrade. Pricing This phone varies in pricing based on the different specifications in terms of storage space and RAM. The version with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage space retails at $272.80 while the better version with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage (our review unit) goes for $374.58.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro specs at a glance: •
Body: 164.2x76.1x8.1mm, 202g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back; IP53, dust and splash protection.
•
Display: 6.67” Super AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10, 700 nits, 1200 nits (peak), 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 395ppi.
•
Chipset: Mediatek Helio G96 (12 nm): Octa-core (2x2.05 xMemory: 64GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM; UFS 2.2; microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot).
•
OS/Software: Android 11, MIUI 13.
•
Rear camera: Wide (main): 108 MP, f/1.9, 26mm, 1/1.52”, 0.7µm, PDAF; Ultra-wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 118˚; Macro: 2 MP, f/2.4; Depth: 2 MP, f/2.4.
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Front camera: 16 MP, f/2.4, (wide).
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Video capture: Rear camera: 1080p@30fps; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
•
Battery: 5000mAh; Fast charging 67W, 51% in 15 min (advertised), Power Delivery 3.0, Quick Charge 3+.
•
Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); Infrared port; 3.5mm jack.
Control costs. Defy expectations. Get up to 3x the ROI for 1/3 the total cost of ownership with Freshworks CRM and ITSM software. www.freshworks.com
ARTICLE by
ROBERT YAWE
hard hardtalk talk
Will AI Be The End Of The CIO’s Role As We Know It Today? Is it possible that in the future CIOs will be replaced by AI? Or is this just another urban legend? Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming many industries, and the information and communications technology (ICT) sector is no exception. In fact, the adoption of AI in the ICT sector has the potential to significantly impact the role of chief information officers (CIOs) within organisations. One way that AI will affect CIOs is through the automation of certain tasks. As AI algorithms become more advanced, they will be able to take on tasks that were previously performed by humans, such as data entry and analysis. This automation will free up time for CIOs and other IT professionals to focus on more strategic initiatives, rather than being bogged down by routine tasks. However, the adoption of AI also brings with it the need for new skills and expertise. CIOs will need to become proficient in areas such as machine learning and data science to effectively implement and manage AI systems. They will also need to understand the ethical implications of AI and ensure that the organisation’s AI systems are designed and used in a responsible manner. Another way that AI will impact CIOs is through the creation of new opportunities for innovation. As AI algorithms become more sophisticated, they will be able to process and analyse large amounts of data in a way that is simply not possible for humans. This will open new possibilities for organisations to gain insights and make better informed decisions. CIOs will
need to be proactive in identifying and implementing these opportunities to stay competitive. At the same time, the adoption of AI will also bring with it new challenges for CIOs to manage. One of these challenges is the potential for job displacement as AI takes on tasks that were previously performed by humans. CIOs will need to work closely with HR departments to ensure that affected employees are retrained for new roles, and that the organisation is prepared for any potential disruptions to its workforce. Another challenge is the need to ensure the security and privacy of AI systems. As AI becomes more prevalent, it will be increasingly important for CIOs to protect the organisation’s data and ensure that it is not accessed by unauthorised parties. This will require a strong focus on cybersecurity and data governance. Overall, the adoption of AI in the ICT sector will bring both opportunities
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and challenges for CIOs. While it will automate certain tasks and create new opportunities for innovation, it will also require the development of new skills and the management of potential disruptions to the workforce. CIOs who can effectively navigate these changes will be well-positioned to lead their organisations into the future. For anyone who has been reading my articles over the years, this one must have sounded confusing; and that is actually true as I did not actually write the article but instead had the OpenAI ChatGPT to do it for me. Below, I have shared the prompt I used to generate the article to give you a feel of what is the current reality. “Write a 600-word article on how AI will affect those in the ICT sector specifically the CIOs in organisations. Language can be technical.” For good measure, I also had another AI called DALL.E 2 create the article illustration.
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