SAP sponsors Blockchain Africa Conference 2017

SAP– pioneers of new technology offerings using blockchain has officially sponsored the Blockchain Africa Conference 2017 which will take place in Johannesburg on 1-3 March 2017.

SAP is doing some exciting work with various blockchain technologies, including Ethereum and the Bitcoin blockchain. SAP’s Hana Cloud Platform allows its customers to connect blockchains to the platform, thereby providing an online database where its customers can add new functions to their SAP systems.

Lucy Channing from SAP said in a statement: “We see the Blockchain Africa Conference 2017 as an opportunity to collaborate and network with like-minded business people on a topic that is at the forefront of today’s technology changes. We want to help businesses and our customers to reenvision their business operating model and the potential impact of Blockchain. Blockchain is a great way to get them to rethink and reimagine how a business or industry operates. This means we need to think broadly about change. When it comes to simplifying platforms and connecting the dots on these new business models, SAP has the platforms to make this happen.”

Darrel Orsmond, Industry Head for Financial Services at SAP Africa will discuss how even though blockchain technology may only just be emerging, the potential is unlimited for reimagining business and industries.

The conference will be showcasing many blockchain and digital currency opportunities and use cases: in identity, payments, remittances, smart contracts, Blockchain-as-a-Service, and settlement and clearing.

In addition to the opportunities that exist, industry experts will discuss the challenges, such as regulation, security, scalability and tax compliance.

A diverse range of local and international speakers from various industries will attend the conference. They include Tanya Knowles, Executive Director of Fractal Solutions, a division of Strate (Pty) Ltd, which is a central security depository company doing the settlement and clearing for the Johannesburg Stock Exchange; Farzam Ehsani, the leader of Rand Merchant Bank’s Blockchain Initiative; Llew Claasen, the Executive Director of the US Bitcoin Foundation; and John Karanja, the Founder of BitHub Africa, a blockchain accelerator in Kenya that provides consultancy and incubation services for individuals and firms interested in Bitcoin and blockchain technology.

Workshop tickets: Bitcoin Events Pty Ltd will be hosting a Blockchain Workshop on 1 March 2017. The workshop will start at 09:00 and finish by 16:30. It will give delegates a good understanding of digital currencies such as bitcoin, its underlying technology the blockchain and why this technology is being referred to as the next Industrial Revolution.

The workshop will cover many Bitcoin 2.0 topics such as smart contracts, smart property, side chains, decentralised services, world computers, and other exciting and innovative services and opportunities currently being used around the world. It will also look at current regulation and compliance globally and in South Africa. Delegates will gain an insight into the future of this technology in terms of innovation and disruption of existing traditional systems and processes.