Conversation Starters.

Hosted by African SAP User Group

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Apr 2026

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About the show

Discover Conversation Starters, the African SAP User Group's groundbreaking podcast series, designed to spark innovation and collaboration among SAP professionals worldwide. Tune in for exclusive sessions with industry leaders, thought pioneers, and technology enthusiasts, exploring the latest trends, best practices, and emerging technologies shaping the SAP landscape. Join the movement and elevate your SAP knowledge with Conversation Starters. https://afsug.com/conversations/

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11 recent

April 7, 2026Episode 139 min

AI in Action - AFSUG Conversation Starters

A converstation hosted by Sphume Dlamini of AFSUG, Jesper Schleimann, AI Officer EAME at SAP and Jhani Coetzee, Epi-Use Labs

October 20, 2025Episode 939 min

Connecting with GenZ with Marko Stavrou | Episode 9

Rethinking the Future of Work, Volunteering and Community - Interview with Marko Stavrou - Enrepreneur | The Gen Z Guy | Founder and CEO of Genlink

July 21, 2025Episode 831 min

AFSUG Conversation Starters Episode 8

SAP and smallholder farming. The role of ERP and smallholder farmers in global agricultural suppy chains. Tanja Reith SAP, Carsten Friedland MSG Global and Sphume Dlamini AFSUG.

April 21, 2025Episode 725 min

Adoption Catalyst - Unlocking the shift to Cloud

Sphume Dlamini, our new AFSUG Podcast host interviews Anre Schmidthals, Business Delveopmetn Chief Expert at SAP.

October 1, 2024Episode 633 min

A Journey of Ambition, Humility, and Innovation with SAP Africa's Trailblazer

In this sixth episode of Conversation Starters, we’re joined by Kholiwe Makhohliso, Managing Director of SAP Southern Africa. Kholiwe takes us through her incredible career journey, from growing up in Mount Ayliff village to holding leadership positions at Accenture, Oracle, Software AG, and SAP. She shares her passion for mentorship, skills development, and the transformation of the African workforce through innovative SAP programs like the Young Professional Program and Educate to Employ. Throughout the conversation, Kholiwe emphasizes the importance of building a digital skills hub in Africa and SAP's commitment to empowering the next generation of professionals. The episode touches on Kholiwe’s personal interests, including her love for cycling and adventure, offering a holistic view of a leader who balances professional ambition with personal passion. Timestamps: 0:07 – Introduction and Sponsorship 0:24 – Guest Introduction and Career Overview 2:10 – Career Progression from Auditor to SAP 4:47 – Understanding Customer Needs and Value Selling 6:53 – Impact of Audit Background on Technology and Risk 8:01 – SAP's Role in Transformation and Skills Development 12:12 – Opportunities for Young Professionals and Entrepreneurship 14:22 – Mentorship and Coaching for Young Professionals 15:21 – Engagement with Gen Z and Millennials 16:47 – Upskilling Workforce for AI and Future Skills 17:47 – SAP Southern Africa’s Role in the EMEA Region 20:51 – Cloud Acceleration and Customer Engagement 23:38 – Skills Development and Digital Skills Hub 24:19 – Future Opportunities and Partnerships 27:52 – Personal Interests and Hobbies 31:16 – Conclusion and Future Engagement Follow Kholiwe Makhohliso - https://rb.gy/dw2vhe Follow Louise Steenekamp - https://rb.gy/53byr6 Sponsored by: AFSUG – Unifying Africa's SAP Community for a Digital Future

July 26, 2024Episode 546 min

Marco-Polo-ing the New World of Work: Charting the Course for Digital Transformation & Youth Empowerment

Join host Louise Steenekamp as she interviews Aveena Mothilall, CIO at Engen, in this insightful episode of Conversation Starters. They discuss digital transformation, the evolving role of CIOs, skills development in IT, and Engen's successful SAP implementation. The conversation also highlights women in tech leadership, the future of work with a focus on diversity, and the importance of collaboration between academia and industry. Key takeaways include the need for mentorship, support for women in tech, and the potential of hybrid working models. 00:07 - Introduction and Sponsorship 00:22 - Guest Introduction (Aveena Mothilall, CIO of Engen) 01:42 - Digital Transformation 06:57 - SAP Functional Consultant of the Future 10:22 - Data Conversation 14:54 - Community and Collaboration within the African SAPUser Group 17:19 - Innovation and Influence on Technology Roadmaps 18:05 - Skills Development and Education 27:18 - SAP Implementation Success Stories 33:24 - Challenges in Digital and Data Focus 35:01 - Role of Women in IT Leadership 41:06 - Diversity in the Workforce 45:26 - Conclusion and Closing Remarks --- Discover how programmes like the Data Analytics for Student Success (DASS) at the University of Cape Town (UCT) bring together academia and corporates to collaborate on real-life student learning projects. https://rb.gy/3hukde | https://rb.gy/6ro0s3 Follow Aveena Mothilall LinkedIn - https://rb.gy/fifzha Follow Louise Steenekamp: LinkedIn - https://rb.gy/kp7ewq Sponsored By: AFSUG – https://afsug.com/ ONE VOICE Unifying Africa's SAP Community for a Digital Future

June 14, 2024Episode 450 min

AI Magic and Myth. Beyond the Hype and Focussing on the Business Case

In the fourth episode of Conversation Starters, we welcome Nadine Hoffmann, Global AI Product Manager at SAP. She shares insights on her transition from banking to AI, the evolution of product management, and practical AI applications. The episode covers generative AI, large language models, and announces a collaboration between SAP’s Joule and Microsoft's Copilot. It concludes with updates on the German SAP user group and plans for further AI integration. 0:23 – Introduction to Guest (Nadine Hoffman)1:10 - Career Background and Evolution of Technology in Payments 2:09 - Role at SAP and Business AI 3:14 – Evolution of the role over time 4:07- Delivering Business Value and Real Business Value 5:01 - Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technology 5:20 - Hype Cycles and Technology Trends 6:58 – Idea to Improve the Process 8:05 - Multidimensional Aspects of Technology and Business Value 9:11 - Data Security and Ethical Aspects 10:37 – Future Tools and Inclusiveness in Tech 14:27 – Networks and Innovation 15:34 – Mindset Shift and Open-mindedness in Technology 17:26 – Agility and Customer/Partner Exchanges 19:37 – Experience Garage teams & Hackathons 20:50 – AI Technology and Large Language Models 23:42 – Chatbots and Digital Assistants 27:10 – Latest Announcements and Key Topics from Sapphire 32:30 – Partner Collaborations and Compliance Topics 34:33 - User Group Exchange and Learning Together 42:27 - Building Code with AI 44:53 - Skills and Learning in Technology 48:22 - Opportunities for Experienced Professionals 49:54 - Conclusion and Future Conversations Follow Nadine Hoffmann: LinkedIn - https://rb.gy/qt0zz0 Follow Louise Steenekamp: LinkedIn - https://rb.gy/kp7ewq Sponsored By: AFSUG – https://afsug.com/ ONE VOICE Unifying Africa's SAP Community for a Digital Future

June 4, 2024Episode 339 min

Untangling Cloud ERP (GROW & RISE)

In the third episode of AFSUG Conversation Starters, we are joined by David Yawalkar, product marketing leader at SAP in Waldorf. He discusses SAP Environments, maintenance timelines, and transitioning to the Cloud. Show Notes: 0:25 - Introduction to David Yawalkar and his role at SAP 1:12 – Timelines for ECC Customers 4:20 – GROW with SAP and RISE with SAP 9:22 – RISE with SAP and Business One Customers 11:38 – Ads 13:19 – ECC Customer Scenario 16:54 – Clean Core Strategy 20:31 – Enterprise Architecture 23:15 – SAP's Innovation Roadmap 27:03 – Ads 27:13 – Upcoming SAP Solutions 29:28 – Signavio’s Role 31:17 – Upgrade Cycles and New Releases 32:29 - BTP: What skills do I need? 34:29 – Customer Concerns, Privacy, and Cloud Offerings 37:36 – Closing Remarks RISE with SAP Resource Links: Announcement: Transform with confidence using RISE with SAP Methodology Blog #1: Jumpstart your cloud ERP journey with guided enablement in RISE with SAP Methodology Blog #2: ‘Clean core’ focused success plan, runbook, and quality checks Web content: Migration from SAP ERP AND Transition from SAP S/4HANA Partner Blog: Expert Insights for Partners: RISE with SAP Methodology Follow David: LinkedIn - https://rb.gy/fbhfpe Follow Louise: LinkedIn - https://rb.gy/kp7ewq Sponsored By: AFSUG – https://afsug.com/ ONE VOICE Unifying Africa's SAP Community for a Digital Future

May 24, 2024Episode 251 min

Pearls of Wisdom: from a life in IT, from then till AI

David Cohn is a seasoned CIO with over 30 years of experience in the retail industry, currently heading the technology development for Africa's largest food retailer, Shoprite. With a deep understanding of the role of technology and data in transforming organisations, David has driven large-scale projects and ensured stable services as CIO. His passion for innovation has kept Shoprite at the forefront of global technology trends. Under his leadership, the company has won prestigious awards, including the SAP Africa Business Transformation Award (2018) and the 2020 Africa PMO of the Year. 00:00 – Intro 01:20 – David's career journey 03:11 – The field of IT Then vs. Now 04:30 – The rise of the Internet, home computing, and high-speed telecom networks 06:45 – From Sci-Fi to real innovation 08:26 – LLMs built into ERP 10:25 – David's early career 12:30 – Word of advice to Young Professionals 17:05 – Ads 17:16 – Reflecting on behaviour in the workplace 19:06 – Doing what it takes (There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch) 22:05 – David’s speaks on his favourite tech 24:03 – An old story about old tech 25:04 – Serving the communities we operate in 27:21 – Impactful Tech: Checkers Sixty60 32:10 – What you know now and not then 34:30 – David's reflection on approaching retirement 39:10 – Ads 39:20 – Mentorships and humbling experiences 41:48 – AI's impact on us in the near future 43:30 – Article reference: https://www.ghostmail.co.za/what-tiny-pineapples-can-tell-us-about-our-future/ Follow David: LinkedIn - https://rb.gy/hq29cp Follow Louise: LinkedIn - https://rb.gy/kp7ewq Sponsored By: AFSUG – https://afsug.com/ ONE VOICE Unifying Africa's SAP Community for a Digital Future

April 18, 2024Episode 154 min

Transforming RES: Navigating SAP Implementation in the Cloud Era

Rob Coombe, Royal Eswatini Sugar's (RES) Group IT Manager, and host Louise Steenekamp unveil the secrets of RES's successful SAP implementation and flourishing in the Cloud Era.