BY Fast Company 2 MINUTE READ

“Software is eating the world” as Marc Andreessen once said. This time around it’s eating the marketing world. In response to this development Vibe Martech Fest, the oldest and biggest marketing and technology event in the Middle East, has announced a special virtual edition for South Africa on the 3rd and 4th August, 2021.

Vibe Martech Fest (VMF) has been the flag-bearer of the evolution of marketing in the Middle East driven by technology. Bringing the successful franchise to South Africa aims to lead the discussion on MarTech and set the agenda for its future region.

VMF South Africa edition will present cutting-edge MarTech solutions with a practical approach. Addressing the needs and concerns of marketers at every stage of MarTech maturity. Over 300 top marketing and technology experts from South Africa are expected to attend this virtual event.

Speaking about the VMF South Africa, Ravi Raman, the editorial director had this to say “technology is changing marketing, marketers have data and they are able to turn it into insights and turn those insights into actions. These developments have inspired the martech event to close the information gap for marketers “

As in the rest of the world, the ongoing pandemic has also changed customer needs in the country, prompting new strategies of engaging with consumers. Rapid digital transformation, often led by global alignment and empowered by local consumer behaviour, has spurred on the desire to invest in MarTech.

According to media reports, in the last few years, South Africa’s investment in Artificial Intelligence has also been significant with $1.6 billion invested. Local businesses can gain significant financial benefits by using AI solutions to optimise their operations.

South Africa is the 37th largest market for eCommerce, with a revenue of $4 billion in 2020. With an increase of 24 per cent, the South African eCommerce market contributed to the worldwide growth rate of 26 per cent in 2020.

The increase in online shopping in South Africa also presents an exciting growth opportunity for retailers. To accelerate digital commerce, research indicates that it will become increasingly important to design offerings that solve specific consumer concerns and use consumer insights to strengthen differentiation. The scope for the South African Martech platform is growing, at least in the next few years, as a result the need to drive Martech transformation has never been greater.

The agenda includes:

Has the CMO’s role transformed forever?

Winning in the Experience Economy

Role of AI in accelerating recovery

Tealium, Salesforce, TalkWalker and Emakina are the Gold Sponsors, and Terragon is the Platinum Sponsor of VMF South Africa.

Click here to register https://za.vibemartechfest.com/