by AKANI CHAUKE
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – ARTIFICIAL intelligence (AI) and data firm, SAS, is commemorating 30-years of playing a role in shaping how South African organisations use data.
Since its Johannesburg office opened in 1995, the American-headquartered company reveals it has trained 43 000 people, worked with universities to graduate thousands more, and built partnerships across sectors from banking and insurance to telecom and government.
That investment in skills and technology has helped customers use data to solve practical problems, from detecting fraud to improving customer service.
In 2012, SAS launched its Graduate Programme, designed to give disadvantaged graduates a pathway into the data and analytics profession.
This legacy was celebrated earlier this year when SAS hosted its first Alumni Connect, with over 130 graduates returning to share how the programme launched their careers, many now in senior roles.
To mark its 30th anniversary, SAS hosted an event to celebrate the customers, partners and employees.
“South Africa has been at the heart of SAS’s story for three decades,” said David Cosgrave, Country Manager for SAS South Africa.
He said the SAS footprint spanned every major industry, from financial services and telecommunications to retail and government.
“What makes me proudest is our investment in people,” Cosgrave said.
He said 43 000 individuals were trained through their Houghton Training Centre, more than 8 000 graduates certified through university partnerships and a graduate programme has launched the careers of some of the country’s top data professionals.
“That skills legacy is what makes SAS part of the DNA of South African business,” Cosgrave said.
In 2023, SAS committed US$1 billion over three years to accelerate innovation in AI and advanced analytics.
The company is already seeing the impact, said Alexander Tikhonov, Regional Director for the Middle East, Turkey and Africa at SAS.
He said from GenAI and digital twins to quantum AI, SAS solutions were evolving to meet the unique needs of the industries they serve.
“Five decades of global experience brings trust, expertise, and resilience. We proudly honour our legacy while relentlessly innovating for the future,” Tikhonov said.
– CAJ News