More than 2 900 government and industry leaders gathered for Huawei South Africa Connect 2026 to explore what it will take for South Africa to move artificial intelligence (AI) beyond isolated pilots and into adoption at scale.
Held under the theme Where Innovation Shapes the Future, the event opened with Solly Malatsi, Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, framing South Africa’s digital future as a question of participation.
“We have a responsibility to ensure that we don’t only view AI as a threat to be feared or as a trend to be followed lightly. Instead, we should see it as one of the greatest opportunities of our time to solve some of our most pressing developmental challenges,” said Malatsi.
Will Meng, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Huawei South Africa, reflected on the World AI Conference in Shanghai where South Africa joined as a founding member of the new World AI Cooperation Organisation. He outlined three stages of AI readiness:
- Informatisation builds connectivity
- Digitalisation puts data to work
- Intelligence creates new economic value
“Large-scale deployment of AI cannot be built without solid digital infrastructure. As proven by global practices, developing economies seeking to advance intelligence must gradually shore up foundations including networks, data and industry digitalisation,” said Meng.
Nicholas Ma, Huawei’s Corporate Vice President and President of Global Government and Enterprise Key Account, introduced Huawei’s ACT pathway: a framework for taking enterprises from pilot to full-scale AI adoption.
“South Africa is currently in a critical leapfrog development phase for AI integration. The AI market is over R50 billion and expected to triple by 2030,” said Ma. “By taking bold, decisive steps today, we don’t just secure our own success. We need to build an ecosystem where everyone thrives.”
Kui Zheng, Huawei South Africa’s Deputy General Manager, said AI could contribute between R1 trillion and R1,4 trillion to South Africa’s economy by 2030 and create up to 400 000 new jobs.
“The future of AI won’t be built by one company. It will be built by an open ecosystem of partners, developers and customers creating value together,” said Zheng.
The event also featured customer perspectives showing how intelligent infrastructure and AI are already delivering results at scale.
Len de Villiers, Group Chief Technology and Information Officer at Eskom, said the utility is building an AI-enabled intelligent grid, with 20 AI initiatives across eight business areas, including a first-of-its-kind microgrid in Limpopo that has connected over 700 households to reliable power.
Standard Bank has moved into large-scale deployment through its partnership with Huawei. Khomotso Molabe, Chief Information Officer (CIO) of Personal and Private Banking and Deputy Group CIO at Standard Bank, said the collaboration has consolidated infrastructure across 10 African countries while delivering meaningful operating efficiencies.
Huawei’s local partner ecosystem now includes more than 1 400 local companies accounting for 94,7% of its local revenue and over 90% of its delivery and service work. Lucas Xia, Director of Enterprise Partner Development and Management at Huawei Sub-Saharan Africa, said the network is delivering solutions across sectors including municipalities, retail, healthcare and digital government.
Huawei and its partners closed the event by jointly launching these solutions reinforcing their commitment to advancing South Africa’s digital ecosystem.
In South Africa for 27 years, Huawei will continue working with customers and partners to deliver industry-focused solutions and strengthen the country’s digital future.
About Huawei
Founded in 1987, Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology infrastructure and smart devices. With 213 000 employees operating in more than 170 countries, Huawei serves more than three billion people worldwide.
Huawei is committed to bringing digital to every person, home and organisation for a fully connected, intelligent world. In 2025, Huawei generated CNY880,9 billion in revenue, reinvesting 21,8% (CNY192,3 billion) in research and development (R&D), with about 53,7% of its employees working in R&D. As a private company wholly owned by its employees, Huawei focuses on customer-centric innovation and open collaboration to create lasting value and drive technological breakthroughs globally.
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Contact Vanashree Govender: vanashreegovender@huawei.com
