CPUT-based Centre for Enterprise Research Partnership and Innovation in Africa (CERPIA) aims to train and certify women with the SAP digital business system and skills.

This women empowerment initiative strives to skill 100 female CPUT students and staff in SAP by August 2020, said CERPiA manager Jerry Ansen at the initiative’s launch recently. “The women will learn how the fundamental integrated business processes of procurement, production, planning, project management, sales, customer service, asset management, financial accounting, human resources and analytics interact on SAP ERP [Enterprise Resource Planning].”

Ansen added that all theoretical parts are complemented with hands-on sessions performed directly on SAP technologies during which real world challenges are tackled. “The SAP course will enhance and empower the CPUT-selected female students with understanding of integrated business systems and improve their productivity in the market place.”

He said there was a gender gap in the technology sector that must be addressed.

Guest speaker, Foschini Retail Group’s Yvette Greeff, said the key skills that employers look for from jobseekers are critical thinking, oral and written communication, collaboration, business acumen, time management, leadership, confidence and assertiveness, emotional intelligence and professionalism.

HoD: Human Resources Management (HRM), Dr Liiza Gie, said the 10 BTech students from her department who graduated from the SAP training in 2018 are all now employed in business organisations.

CPUT’s Advancement Director, Calvin Maseko, said he was happy all the HRM students are now employed and called funding their SAP training a worthy investment.

Students who successfully completed the SAP course were awarded their certificates. HRM graduates said that in the workplace the SAP training gave them a competitive edge over their counterparts who did not have it.

Written by Kwanele Butana

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Advancement Department Director, Calvin Maseko handed out certificates to 37 students who graduated from SAP S4 HANA in Sales and Distribution, Human Capital Management, Financial, Accounting and Project Management during the SAP graduation ceremony.

The event was hosted by the Centre for Enterprise, Research, Partnership and Innovation in Africa (CERPIA) at District Six campus.

CERPIA Manager, Jerry Ansen, said CERPIA is a multidisciplinary business design competency centre. It is built on the success of the ERP initiatives in the Faculty of Business and Management Science (FBMS).

Ansen said their goal was to educate and build next-generation talents with SAP skills for the intelligent enterprise and the experience economy, engage with SAP events, build industry partnerships, launch graduates into the SAP ecosystem, and “inspire young thinkers”. Ansen said the programmes purely depend on funding from the SETAs for the students and individual funding. He added that there were no selection criteria and “It all depends on funding and individual affordability”.

In this programme graduates get to learn the 21st century ICT digital skills, are empowered to take current job opportunities, and be competitive in the market space. “Since the launch of SAP at CPUT in 2009, it has been very successful,” Maseko observed. He said CPUT shared its expertise with nine other countries, including Kenya, Nigeria, Namibia, etc. This includes other universities in South Africa. Maseko said the programme had improved the employment opportunities of CPUT graduates. “In one group, for example, all the 10 graduates were hired by the Cape Metro and provincial government, shortly after graduation.

Over 5000 students have graduated from the programme since its launch in 2009. The programme cuts across every faculty and the Advancement Department provides about 50 pre-funded students to the programme per annum.

Maseko told the graduates that they have made a right choice and that an extra SAP certificate will improve their employability chances. “SAP skills are still at infancy stage in South Africa. The world is moving to digitalisation, technology and data driven decision making. “Therefore, academics who want to be SAP facilitators can be trained starting in 2023 to facilitate SAP skills program in their curriculum.”

Speaking to the graduates, Ansen said: “Congratulation!! And wish you all the best in your professional careers.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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In order to thrive in this era of ever-changing digital technology, business organisations require leaders who are independent thinkers, self-confident, innovative, creative and results-oriented.  

This kind of phenomenon is termed e-leadership.

This view was shared by Dr Michael Twum-Darko, Academic Head of Postgraduate Research at the Graduate Centre for Management, during the Digital Transformation Talk hosted recently by the CPUT-based Centre for Enterprise Resource Planning in Africa (CERPiA).

Dr Twum-Darko said that in addition to e-leadership technical infrastructure and enterprise architecture were also required.

He added that people need to appreciate that, while business content has not changed over the last couple of years, the context of doing business has evolved. He argued that digital technology and the internet of things are now being used to integrate business process and office automation with industrial processes and factory automation and that this is a convergence towards the establishment of cyber-production systems.

CERPiA manager Jerry Ansen said the Centre trains academics from Africa to train others in the SAP software programme. “Our task is to reach out to African universities so that they can skill and train their students.”

The Centre has since 2012 trained more than 6 000 graduates, 575 lecturers and professors in Africa.

Students in the Human Resources Management Department who recently completed the SAP training were awarded certificates during the event. Ansen added that the graduates, who were nominated to participate in the training by their department, all obtained distinctions during the assessment.

Aqeela Dawood, one of the graduates, said the SAP certificate has opened many doors in industry for them as they have been equipped to handle all the business processes pertaining to HR management.

Advancement director Calvin Maseko thanked Investec for funding the training of the graduates.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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In their effort to educate and build next-generation talents with SAP skills for the intelligent enterprise and the experience economy, the Centre for Enterprise Research Partnership and Innovation in Africa (CERPiA) recently hosted a graduation ceremony for 23 CPUT students, eight ShopRite learner, four Academic who graduated from SAP programmes.

In this ceremony, which was held at the Cape Town Hotel School, 23 certificates were awarded for the TS410 and SAP s/4 HANA Materials Management course, ShopRite graduates who completed the SAP S4 HANA Materials Management course and four Staff members who completed the SAP S4 HANA Project Management train the trainer course.

Assistant Dean for Research & Innovation in the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences (FBMS), Prof Renitha Rampersad, who welcomed the guests, said CERPIA at CPUT has been associated with FBMS and has been a member of the SAP University Alliance (UA) since 2009 and their goal has been to focus on transferring practical, scarce digital business systems skills to empower women. “This initiative is aligned with the broad national strategy to develop a knowledge-based, innovation-driven economy and the faculty’s strategic objective of staff skills development, to ensure development through knowledge mobilisation, knowledge exchange and knowledge management.

“The aim is to enhance the growth and development of staff towards a holistic approach to the deliverables of the University’s strategic vision.”

CERPIA SAP education manager and trainer, Jerry Ansen, said they also aim to build industry partnerships, launch graduates into the SAP ecosystem and to inspire young thinkers. CERPIA is solely a third-stream income source from individual candidates or funding from the SETAs. The SAP programmes were introduced to CPUT by Ansen, and he has been the pillar behind the skills development of staff and students since 2009. “The graduates get to learn 21st century ICT digital skills, be empowered to take current job opportunities and be competitive in the market space,” said Ansen. In his message to the graduates, he said: “Congratulation!! And [I}wish you all the best in your professional digital business skills careers.”

Rampersad said these courses enhance students’ digital skills and assist them to have the skills and knowledge of the following functions and their integration within complex business processes, such as: Logistics, Project Management, Financial Accounting, Controlling and Human Capital Management. Rampersad said the Train the Trainer course provides staff members with the essential tools and techniques to be able to effectively deliver skills development training courses to students and/or general participants. The course specifically looks at developing staff knowledge of digital business systems and enhancing teaching and learning.

“It is really important that we have more work in the soft skills area, including the development of effective training for adult workers. To our graduates, you certainly have done your families and the university proud. The future is your motivation, believe in yourself,” she continued.

“CERPIA, you are doing a wonderful job at working to assist educators become better aligned. Congratulations once again to all of you and thank you for your attention this evening.”

The event was also attended by Dr Lefaso Motsoeneng, from BANKSETA who delivered a keynote address, guest speaker, Estelle de Beer, Head of Pre-Sale, SAP Africa, industry partner Ian Zeeman from ShopRite Group Ltd, Deputy Registrar and Nonzuzo Zikalala who presented the certificates with Motsoeneng.

Advancement Department Director Mandla Maseko said the partnership started in 2018 when CERPIA came to the Advancement Department “wanting us” to fund top performers [students] especially in Project Management and Human Resource Management courses, for them to do SAP. The Advancement Department used to fund 10 top students per course per year. This was followed by the target of 100 women in Digital Transformation Project in 2019. “They have so far generated over R3.8 million from working with Advancement Department. Our approach is that we sell SAP to our current donors, and some allow their funded students to take SAP as an additional module to enhance their employment prospects. The Advancement and CERPIA partnership is about bringing opportunities to students.

“It [programme] has been a success because most of the students who did the programmes are employed quicker than others.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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The Dean of the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences (FBMS), Prof Paul Green, recently heaped praise on a celebration of academic achievement, innovation, and the relentless pursuit of excellence by the CPUT staff members and students who have completed the SAP S/4 HANA course as well as candidates from our industrial partner Shoprite.

Green was speaking at the SAP S/4 HANA graduation ceremony, recently organised by the Centre for Enterprise Research Partnership and Innovation in Africa (CERPiA) and the Advancement Department and held at the Cape Town Hotel School. “It is with great pleasure that we gather here today to honour the dedication and hard work of our graduating students who have successfully completed their SAP S/4 HANA certification under the auspices of the Centre for Enterprise Research, Partnership, and Innovation in Africa (CERPIA),” said Green.

CERPIA is an institutional centre established by Vice-Chancellor Prof Chris Nhlapo. CERPIA through CPUT is a member of the SAP University Alliance (UA) since 2009, which seeks to transfer theoretical and practical scarce digital business systems skills to university students in preparation of entering the job market. These digital business systems skills are driven by Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) principles using SAP Software as a tool. CERPIA education partners are SAP University Alliance, University Competent Centre (UCC) and the industry partners.

CERPIA SAP education manager and trainer, Jerry Ansen, said the purpose of these courses was to equip student and staff with the knowledge and skills required to effectively use SAP software for managing business operations and processes. Ansen added that the courses are for students and staff to master SAP ERP skills, and enhance their digital business skills and to enhance students employability.

He said BANKSETA sponsored 38 students of which 31 graduated and ETDPSETA sponsored 29 staff of which 23 graduated. The SAP programmes were introduced to CPUT by Ansen, and he has been the pillar behind the skills development of staff and students since 2009.

All students are welcome to attend the courses as there is no selection criteria, “We depend on funding for students from Advancement Department”. “Graduates get to learn 21st-century ICT digital skills, be empowered to take current job opportunities and be competitive in the market space.” Addressing the graduates, Ansen said: “Congratulations!! And I wish you all the best in your professional digital business skills careers.”

31 CPUT students graduated from SAP S4 HANA in:

• Human Capital Management
• Financial Accounting
• Materials Management
• Master Data Management
• Project Management

There were three staff members in SAP S/4 HANA – TS410 and eight candidates from Shoprite Group ltd and SAP S/4 HANA- Materials Management. CERPIA, as the driving force behind advancing digital business skills, plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of “our students and the broader community,” Green remarked. “As part of the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences… We are committed to equipping our students with the skills and knowledge necessary to excel in their chosen fields.”

He added that through the FBMS integration of SAP skills into their curricula and the provision of certifications, “we empower our students to stand out in a highly competitive industry”. “This strategic focus on SAP not only enhances graduate employability but also ensures that our students are well-equipped to meet the evolving demands of the digital economy. It is this emphasis on practical, industry-relevant skills that makes our graduates more marketable and sought after by employers.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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