University of Cape Town Takes the Lead in Enterprise Systems Education in Africa with SAP

SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) announced that the University of Cape Town (UCT) has become the first Academic Competence Center location in Africa, supporting the Enterprise Systems Education for Africa (ESEFA) community.

The announcement was made at the 21st SAP Academic Conference EMEA being held September 5–9, 2016, in Potsdam, Germany.

“The Academic Competence Center location will enable SAP and UCT to build on the success of the ESEFA project cofinanced by DEG — Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH over the past several years from public funds of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, addressing the IT skills gap in Africa and having a positive impact on local economies, competitiveness and integration in the global economy,” said Gerhard Oswald, head of the Product Quality & Enablement Board area and member of the Executive Board of SAP SE. “This partnership further strengthens the commitment of SAP University Alliances, which partners globally with academia including in developing and emerging-market countries, and which in Africa is building SAP next-generation talent who will seed innovation from universities into the SAP ecosystem.”

“We are pleased to know that UCT is partnering with SAP to continue the strong momentum of the ESEFA program, one of our most ambitious projects on the African continent,” said Ricarda Horst, senior investment manager, DEG —Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH. “Students are acquiring critical industry-relevant skills, thus becoming more employable and more successful when applying for graduate programs and internships.”

“The Academic Competence Center location at UCT, in a strong collaboration with the University Competence Center location at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany, will be the nucleus for building and expanding enterprise systems teaching and learning capacities in the sub-Saharan region promoting innovation, research and next-generation IT skills on the continent,” said Prof. Ingrid Woolard, dean of the Faculty of Commerce at UCT.

The SAP University Alliances program opens up the world of SAP to more than 2,800 educational institutions in 103 countries worldwide. It aims to develop critical skills for the digital enterprise among academics, university students and young thinkers, and to build the bridge to executives and professionals.