Hosted by the African SAP User Group (AFSUG) and SAP | Powered by SAP Business Technology Platform
Executive Summary
The inaugural AFSUG SAP BTP Hackathon, held at SAPHILA 2025, brought together 18 dynamic teams across Africa to explore, design, and present real-world business solutions using SAP’s Business Technology Platform (BTP). Culminating in a live demo showcase at SAPHILA, the Hackathon demonstrated the value of collaboration, innovation, and technical enablement in solving real enterprise challenges. The winning solution, developed by PwC South Africa in partnership with Legal Aid, showcased how AI and SAP BTP can simplify legal services—underscoring the power of digital transformation across industries.
1. The Vision and Objectives
The Hackathon was conceptualised to: – Enable AFSUG members to explore SAP BTP services in practice – Promote cross-industry co-innovation – Recognise and reward real-world, scalable solutions – Build a bridge between SAP technical capabilities and customer business outcomes With support from SAP global and local teams, the initiative aligned with AFSUG’s vision of empowering the SAP community across Africa.
2. The Journey: From Nomination to SAPHILA Stage
Kick-Off & Nominations (Jan–Feb 2025): – Customers and partners were invited to nominate individuals or teams of up to 3. – 18 teams were selected based on innovation, relevance, and use of SAP BTP. Enablement & Build Phase (Feb–Apr 2025): – Participants engaged in a structured Enablement Series. – SAP BTP licenses and technical coaching were provided over an 8-week sprint.
Judging & Finalist Selection (May 2025): – Use case pitches were evaluated by SAP product managers and experts. – 3 finalists were selected to present live at SAPHILA 2025.
3. Finalists & Use Case Innovation
Winner: PwC South Africa & Legal Aid – LegalEase AI Platform
Solution: LegalEase, a SaaS platform that uses AI for legal document summarisation, translation, and Q&A. Impact: Better customer understanding, contract compliance, and policy awareness.
Runner-Up: Debswana – Overtime Risk Management
Solution: AI-powered assistant for overtime planning using historical data. Impact: Reduced cost, improved safety, and increased governance.
Third Place: Bell Equipment – Shipment Tracking Automation
Solution: Automated ETA updates using OCR and bots. Impact: Improved logistics, reduced risk, and proactive material planning.
4. The Power of Enablement
The Hackathon was not just a competition—it was a capacity-building journey. Over eight enablement sessions, teams received tailored guidance to: – Build AI use cases – Embrace secure application development – Leverage event-driven architecture – Apply SAP Build and Integration tools effectively SAP coaches provided 1-on-1 support, ensuring that all teams—regardless of experience—could succeed.
5. Community, Collaboration & Celebration
Finalists presented live to the SAPHILA audience during a Demo Jam. Audience voting added community involvement. All teams received recognition as AFSUG BTP Ambassadors. Quote from Amanda Gibbs, CEO of AFSUG: “It is inspiring to witness what can be achieved in just eight weeks using SAP BTP. We’ve seen incredible progress and innovation.”
6. What’s Next?
The AFSUG SAP BTP Hackathon is just the beginning. With continued support from SAP and the user community:
– Future hackathons will evolve to include more industries and regional teams – BTP Ambassadors will help educate and inspire others – SAPHILA will remain a platform for showcasing local innovation on a global stage.
Join the Movement
AFSUG invites all SAP customers and partners to get involved in our innovation programs.
Contact: Amanda Gibbs – [email protected]
Become a Member: https://afsug.com/membership-information/
Hackathon Highlights & Gallery: www.saphila2025.com
