Nazia Pillay on how business AI is transforming enterprise in Southern Africa
What's Next with Aki Anastasiou · 2026-05-08 · 31 min
Episode notes
In this episode of What’s Next, Aki Anastasiou speaks to Nazia Pillay - Managing Director for SAP Southern Africa about her journey within SAP and her leadership during a pivotal era of cloud, AI and digital transformation. From starting as a graduate consultant during a major platform transition to now steering SAP’s regional strategy, Nazia reflects on how hands-on customer experience shaped her business mindset and why service-driven leadership remains central to her approach. The conversation explores SAP’s evolution into Business AI, the power of enterprise data, and how long-standing customer partnerships position the company at the forefront of innovation. Nazia also shares candid insights on resilience, embracing failure, leading through change, and the importance of staying grounded - both in business and in life.
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