Infrastructure is the starting line, not the finish line, says Kgomotso Lebele, Country Managing Director for Accenture, South Africa. For him, the next chapter in South Africa’s AI journey is not only about building more data centres or sovereign clouds, but about the impact AI delivers for people, industries and the economy.

After decades of seeing how businesses invest heavily in capacity without unlocking real and sustainable value, his message for leaders is clear:  South Africa must move beyond infrastructure-first thinking and focus on outcomes that matter; service delivery that works, industries that thrive and opportunities that reach more South Africans.

South Africa’s market is primed for digital acceleration. A large majority (close to 80%) of the country’s businesses say they are ready to adopt AI immediately, and 93% are already integrating AI into daily operations. Unfortunately, readiness does not mean results, and this surge masks a critical gap: most organisations are still focused on building infrastructure and gathering tools rather than applying AI to solve real problems.

What does this mean? Without an urgent shift from capacity-building to impact delivery, South Africa risks falling into a cycle of building technical capability without the rewards of real progress.

Why impact is crucial now

While infrastructure drives efficiency, impact is about resilience and trust. When the impact of AI visibly strengthens infrastructure and improves citizen services, confidence in technology, and the leadership behind it, becomes unshakeable. And that confidence becomes the currency of transformation.

Consider public services. AI-driven analytics can predict maintenance needs for water systems and optimise the output of energy grids. In healthcare, AI can mean shorter waiting times at clinics because predictive systems anticipate patient flow and allocate resources more effectively. In mining and utilities, AI can enhance safety, reduce downtime and improve sustainability. These are real world examples, not abstract possibilities, of practical applications that deliver measurable outcomes for industries, and, more importantly, the communities they serve.

The leadership imperative

AI isn’t just a tool IT installs – it’s a transformation leaders must steer.. With the power to shape competitiveness, trust and future growth, AI strategy must be owned at the highest level, yet the Accenture’s Sovereign AI research shows that only 15% of organisations have made AI sovereignty a CEO or board-level priority. This is a critical gap.

Leadership matters because impact requires considered orchestration across the full enterprise. It demands alignment between technology, talent, governance and culture. It calls for bold choices about where to invest, which partnerships to pursue and how to embed ethical principles into every layer of the AI stack. All decisions that shape business performance and inherently define the country’s progress.

Moving from simple compliance to creating lasting value

Too often, the adoption of AI is framed as a compliance exercise, a way to meet regulations or avoid risk. That mindset limits potential. AI should be treated as a catalyst for value creation. When organisations build AI that speaks their market’s language, literally and figuratively, they unlock partnerships built on trust and collaboration that drive innovation and growth.

Sovereign AI is a powerful example. More than isolationism or building everything locally it must be about creating fit-for-purpose ecosystems that blend global scale with local oversight. This approach ensures security and compliance while still enabling innovation turning sovereignty from a defensive posture into real competitive advantage.

For South Africa, this means leveraging local data and talent to create solutions that reflect our context and priorities. It means using AI to empower industries, accelerate inclusion and strengthen resilience. It means moving beyond infrastructure to outcomes that matter.

The human factor

It’s important to remember that technology alone can never deliver real impact. We need people. As AI adoption accelerates, talent transformation becomes a strategic imperative. South Africa’s youth unemployment rate stands at 46.1%, while 84% of large companies struggle to find highly skilled talent. This paradox must be addressed.

Building inclusive pipelines from technical roles to leadership positions is key to ensuring that AI-driven transformation reflects the diversity and untapped potential of our society. It also creates pathways for growth in an economy that is in urgent need of new engines of opportunity.

What will success look like?

Success will certainly not be measured by building more data centres or deploying terabytes of storage. It will be measured by outcomes: improved service delivery, consistently better industry performance, the creation of new jobs and a restored sense of collective trust. If we can turn technology into real progress for people and businesses, only then can we tout success.

Our country has the foundations in place. The next step demands leadership, vision, collaboration, and commitment to go beyond optimising processes to solving real problems. It calls for courage to lead, not follow.

Organisations that act today will shape tomorrow. They will define what AI means for South Africa – not as a buzzword but as a tool for transformation. It’s time to move beyond infrastructure and use what we’ve built to deliver the progress our country needs.