Commercial Capability, Not AI, is Africa’s Next Competitive Advantage: Strategic Analysis by Dr Helena van Wyk
Across Africa, companies are investing heavily in AI, but many risk falling into the trap of assuming new technologies are plug-and-play solutions to bolster profitability.
Dr Helena van Wyk, Dean of Postgraduate Studies at the IMM Graduate School, explores the limitations of viewing AI as an immediate fix for business profitability. Her piece – published in both the African Marketing Confederation’s Strategic Marketing for Africa and IT-Online, highlights how true long-term value stems from sharp commercial acumen, customer insight, and adaptive business models rather than technology adoption alone.
Dr van Wyk highlights recent McKinsey research showing that only 39% of organisations worldwide report enterprise-wide bottom-line impact from AI. She explains that the real issue lies in treating AI like a software upgrade rather than using it strategically to rethink decision-making, customer service, and market strategies.
Using real-world African case studies – including Shoprite’s Checkers Sixty60, Safaricom’s M-Pesa, Jubilee Holdings, and MTN – Dr van Wyk demonstrates how market leaders combine technology with customer insight, operational redesign, and strategic judgment to drive measurable growth. Algorithms can anticipate demand or detect fraud, but they cannot redesign an operating model or make strategic trade-offs.
Her article advocates for viewing marketing as a central commercial function, rather than just a promotional tool, that interprets customer data to inform business strategy.
As AI automates routine execution, postgraduate education plays a crucial role in developing non-automatable skills such as systems thinking, commercial reasoning, and strategic judgment.
Read Dr Helena van Wyk’s full article on IT-Online here.
Aligning Academic Excellence with Industry Realities at the IMM Graduate School
This analysis reflects the IMM Graduate School’s commitment to integrating real-world, current market dynamics directly into its postgraduate curriculum.
By focusing on commercial capability alongside digital transformation, the institution equips future business leaders with the strategic judgment needed to navigate complex market environments.
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Find out more about the IMM Graduate School’s industry-aligned Marketing qualifications.