Johannesburg

CEM Africa today announces that NiCE, in partnership with iNOVO, has been appointed Lead Sponsor for the CEM Africa Johannesburg Edition, and the 2025 Customer Experience Africa Awards (CXAs), both of which will take place on Thursday, 20 November 2025 at the NH Hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg.

NiCE's leadership in AI‑driven customer experience, coupled with iNOVO's deep contact centre expertise, will power a high‑impact programme in Johannesburg designed to convert CX ambition into measurable business outcomes across South Africa's economic hub.

A day built for ROI: practical AI, measurable outcomes

Anchored in CEM Africa's commitment to create enterprise value from CX, the Johannesburg agenda features:

• NiCE: AI Vision to Reality - The Why (09:00–10:00): A strategic session exploring the real business value of AI in customer experience, guided by NiCE and iNOVO CX/AI specialists.
• NiCE: AI Vision to Reality - The How (12:00–13:00): A practical workshop showing how to translate AI strategy into scalable execution with the right tools, workflows and delivery approach, guided by NiCE and iNOVO CX/AI specialists.

“We absolutely love attending CEM Africa and are proud to be the Lead Sponsor for the Johannesburg edition. CEM is such a brilliant place to connect with like-minded people who are thinking differently about how the market works. The level of engagement and the insights you gain from these conversations are incredible, and the team behind CEM always does a fantastic job bringing it all together.” - Keith Jackson, VP Partner Sales, NiCE International

Speakers from NiCE and iNOVO

Delegates will hear from a strong combined bench, including:

• Keith Jackson, VP Partner Sales, NiCE International
• Andre van Eeden, Portfolio Solution Engineer, NiCE
• Kerri Prissman, Head of Client Value Management, iNOVO;
• Parusha Naidoo, Head of Business Solutions, iNOVO
• Michael Ludeke, Regional Head: Business Development, iNOVO.

A day of high impact learning and connecting

The complete programme for the day spans a diverse set of workshops that will give attendees practical insights on measuring CX ROI, driving human‑centric digital transformation, and prioritising employee engagement.

Sessions explore keeping CX human in the age of AI, turning strategy into action with executive buy‑in, and leveraging smarter knowledge for better CX.

Featured contributors include Greg Jarvis (Connect SA), Tatiana Ndlovu (Nedbank Africa Regions), Palesa Nhlapo (FNB South Africa), Khwathelani Tshikovhi (Santam Insurance), and Grace Brown (JSE), to name just a few of the incredible CX leaders who will be sharing their insights in Johannesburg.

“CEM Africa has always been about more than great content, it is about cultivating a strong community of CX leaders who collaborate to raise the bar across the continent. Our partnership with NiCE reflects that spirit of collaboration, uniting innovation and expertise to drive measurable impact and elevate customer experience standards across Africa.” commented Terry Southam, Co-founder of CEM Africa

Event details - CEM Africa Johannesburg Edition

• Date: Thursday, 20 November 2025
• Venue: NH Hotel, Sandton, Johannesburg
• Format: One‑day roadshow with expert‑led workshops, networking, and the CXA Awards evening

Why attend

• Turn AI vision into operational reality with proven methods and live demonstrations.
• Benchmark CX ROI metrics and secure executive buy‑in with practical frameworks.
• Build peer connections across banking, retail, healthcare, and telecoms.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of VUKA Group.

Registration and media enquiries:
Delegate and sponsorship enquiries: Here (https://apo-opa.co/3Ligu79)

Media contact: 
steven.dennett@wearevuka.com

About CEM Africa:
CEM Africa is a brand built on the power of customer experience to drive meaningful change. Through market news, expert knowledge, and a series of digital offerings and in-person events across the continent, we bring together innovation, collaboration, and action to shape the future of CX. Guided by our commitment to “Excellence in Every Experience,” we are dedicated to advancing customer engagement and empowering organisations to deliver exceptional value to their customers.

CEM Johannesburg Edition Website - https://apo-opa.co/4hLfcO5
CEM Flagship edition website - https://apo-opa.co/47BrchP

About the CXAs:
The Customer Experience Africa Awards is an evening that recognises people, innovation, and transformation across the continent's CX community - from CX Leader of the Year to Best Use of AI, Best Enterprise Contact Centre Platform, and Best Customer Experience Team. The awards are proudly aligned with the CEM Africa Johannesburg Edition 2025.

CXA website - https://apo-opa.co/4hQBUo8

The multifaceted challenges of water management, governance and infrastructure financing were robustly addressed in a dynamic Turning risk into resilience – Spotlighting C&I Projects tackling SA's biggest water challenges session at the recent Water Security Africa Johannesburg conference (http://apo-opa.co/4hLpIoh), co-located with C&I Energy+Storage Summit, featuring leaders from mining, engineering and digital innovation sectors. Discussions covered visionary planning, on-the-ground implementation and transformative financing tools, yielding fresh perspectives on water security for both private and public operators.

Harmony Gold's roadmap: operational vision for water resiliency

Thigesh Vather, Senior Environment Officer-Water (Sustainable Development Department) Harmony Gold, opened the session by outlining the group's “water ambition roadmap”—a strategic framework designed to drive improved communication, accountability and performance measurement in water management. With operations across South Africa, Australia and Papua New Guinea, Harmony faces the universal mining challenge: water- and energy-intense production with heightened resource risk.

Their approach targets not only operational efficiency but also sustainability, emphasizing reduction in potable water dependency and elevated recycling rates. Critical investments include installing several reverse osmosis (RO) plants, collectively treating over 20 mega litres daily and offsetting considerable reliance on external supplies. A blend of clear metrics, such as tracking potable water dependency as a percent of total use and a focus on asset lifecycle risk (including mine closure and acquisition impacts) underline a forward-thinking strategy. Notably, from 2016 to 2024, Harmony achieved a substantial decrease in potable water dependency—primarily via recycling and sophisticated RO deployment.

Digital water governance: Innovation meets opportunity

Benoit Le Roux, co-founder of the South African Water Chamber, delivered a compelling presentation detailing the transformative potential of digital tools and market instruments for water governance. He highlighted two central threats: widespread water loss (non-revenue water) and persistent pollution—problems compounded by aging infrastructure and governance gaps.

Le Roux emphasized how digital transformation, using IoT sensors, big data analytics and distributed ledger (blockchain) systems, brings real-time transparency to both water systems and financing. Through tokenisation—the conversion of water savings or mitigation actions into secure, blockchain-based “digital assets”—water performance can be audited, traded and used to attract new investment. This model, proven in the US and Australia, holds promise for countries like South Africa where traditional municipal finances are constrained and require “de-risking” to attract pension funds and bond issuers.

The creation of ring-fenced, project-based entities (special purpose vehicles) ensures investments directly support tangible infrastructure, rather than vanishing into broader government coffers. Transparent digital markets and protocols allow for performance tracking, incentivizing both improved compliance and stakeholder trust.

Bridging Public-Private gaps: Stakeholder engagement and PPP models

The session also saw industry experts from mining and academia raise nuances around operational resilience, regulatory shifts and stakeholder engagement. Thiara Ratshibvumo, Environmental Manager, South Deep Gold Mine discussed the build-own-operate funding model for water plants—a contract structure where private operators build, finance and run assets, while the mine pays for actual water processed. This reduces up-front capital demands and operational risk for the mining company, providing flexibility and resilience in a volatile operating landscape.

Panellists underscored the importance of aligning water management with catchment requirements, climate resilience and community impact—factors that are drawing increasing investor scrutiny. The incorporation of digital performance measurement, contractual guarantees and transparent reporting is equipping the private sector and PPPs to better attract and manage blended infrastructure funding.

Towards a new water investment paradigm

The session's robust exchange distilled key lessons for water sector leaders: marry technology with transparent governance; build creative, risk-minimized funding models; and prioritize measurable outcomes over rhetoric. As digital tools proliferate, the potential to unlock both local and international capital for resilient water infrastructure is increasingly within reach. Public sector actors, industrial water users and financiers alike were called upon to harness these innovations to meet the evolving challenges of water security and sustainability.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of VUKA Group.

About the C&I Energy+Storage Summit:
In its second year, the C&I Summit is a platform to unlock investment and speed up localisation, helping South Africa's energy-intensive sectors build resilience through innovation and resource security. Water Security Africa is co-located with C&I Energy+ Storage Summit. https://Energy-StorageSummit.com/

About ESI Africa:
Africa's leading power and energy journal is positioned as an impartial industry mouthpiece, delivering the latest technical developments, breaking news and analysis in both print and digital formats, on the web portal http://www.ESI-Africa.com as well as YouTube channel @ ESIAfricaTV (https://apo-opa.co/47pS2cu). ESI Africa is the proud Host Media Partner of the C&I Energy+Storage Summit.

About the event organisers:
VUKA Group connects people and organisations to information and each other across Africa's energy, mining, infrastructure, mobility, green economy and technology sectors via events, content and networking. Venture partners to The Global Trust Project, founders of WomenIN empowerment platform and leaders of NPO Go Green Africa. Discover more at www.WeAreVUKA.com

The African Energy Chamber (AEC) (https://EnergyChamber.org/) is urging global financiers and policymakers to prioritize pragmatic, deal-ready investment over ideology. On November 21 in Johannesburg, the G20 Africa Energy Investment Forum, hosted by the AEC, will bring together G20 governments, institutional investors and African energy stakeholders to channel global capital toward Africa's most urgent energy and infrastructure priorities. 

Timed to follow the AEC's flagship African Energy Week and ahead of the G20 Leaders' Summit in South Africa, the Forum serves as a key platform to align financing mechanisms with Africa's development goals – driving industrialization, expanding power access and advancing the AEC's mission to make energy poverty history by 2030. 

Africa represents one of the world's most promising growth frontiers. With energy demand projected to quadruple by 2040, the continent holds over 620 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, 125 billion barrels of oil, and vast renewable potential. Yet roughly 600 million Africans remain without electricity and 900 million lack access to clean cooking, underscoring the need for investment in both household energy solutions and industrial-scale infrastructure. The G20 Forum aims to bridge this gap by connecting capital with opportunity, enabling investors, governments and private companies to develop bankable projects across the value chain – from upstream oil and gas to power generation, LPG distribution, transmission, renewables and regional manufacturing. 

Africa's position is clear: sustainable growth depends on affordable, reliable energy from diverse sources. Restrictive lending policies and transition-related conditionalities have slowed project development, limiting the continent's ability to leverage its natural resources for inclusive growth. The AEC advocates for a balanced approach – one that supports emissions reduction while recognizing Africa's right to industrialize and meet the energy needs of its people.  

“Africa needs policies that finance its development, not delay it. If the G20 is serious about sustainable development, it must fund energy that works for Africans – all forms of energy that power homes, industries and hospitals,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the AEC. “Every conversation about Africa's future must start with energy access. Without power, there is no growth, no education, no healthcare. The G20 Investment Forum is where we stop talking and start building.” 

The Forum also aligns with South Africa's G20 Presidency priorities, which emphasize inclusive growth, infrastructure financing, debt sustainability, a just energy transition and Africa-led development. Task forces under the presidency further highlight industrialization, youth employment, innovation, digital infrastructure and reduced inequality as key focus areas. In the energy sphere, South Africa has urged a balanced approach between development and environmental protection – a message that directly reflects Africa's realities. 

In this context, the AEC's G20 Forum complements the global agenda of inclusive growth and sustainable investment, viewed through an African lens. It will spotlight opportunities to mobilize blended finance, expand domestic gas and LPG utilization for power and cooking, strengthen infrastructure such as pipelines and LNG terminals, and scale renewable and low-carbon technologies to create a diversified, resilient energy mix. 

For Africa, the challenge is not one of potential but of alignment and ensuring financing frameworks reflect the continent's development priorities. By convening ahead of the G20 Summit, the G20 Africa Energy Investment Forum offers a platform for African leaders and G20 investors to engage directly, moving beyond discussion to structure bankable, high-impact projects that deliver energy access, industrial jobs and long-term value creation.  

Achieving global development and climate goals depends on sustained investment in Africa's energy future — not divestment. Through collaboration, innovation and pragmatic financing, the G20 and Africa can forge a new partnership that delivers affordable, reliable and sustainable energy for all. 

Click here (https://apo-opa.co/49BnVQE) to register for the Forum.   

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.