From “big” to “smart” data: a critical evolution for Africa

In our fast-paced digital society, the definition of “big data” is constantly changing. With interest in the term reaching its peak between 2011 and 2014, Andre van der Poll, Professor at UNISA’s Graduate School of Business Leadership (SBL), shares how the market is now shifting its attention towards “smart” data rather “big” data. This is a trend that Africa needs to note and take better advantage of.

When first introduced to the market, the term “big data” signaled new and exciting possibilities in terms of storing deep and complex information which could be analysed for insights into transactional patterns and behaviours. From business and banking to health, agriculture and even disaster management, the opportunities to exploit data to benefit business and societies alike came to be thought of as endless. 

“While traditional datasets previously consisted of rows and columns of particular information that were essentially sequential and ultimately fragmented like bits of a puzzle; big data including multimedia objects like pictures, voice, spatial patterns and so forth can now be stored using powerful data warehouses,” says André van der Poll, Professor at UNISA Graduate School of Business Leadership (SBL). “Techniques such as knowledge management and systems such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) allow for flexibility in terms of data analysis and the prediction of future trends. This information can be stored remotely in the ‘cloud’ so that it is widely accessible to different stakeholders who can use the same fragments of information for different purposes.”

The technological capabilities of big data should not distract companies from the fact that implementation is a business imperative, however. If insights and innovative thinking are not applied to a business challenge or social problem in order to make sense of it, the amount of data that you have access to or how fast you can access it, becomes irrelevant.

“The potential of big data in Africa cannot be underestimated. While it undoubtedly opens up opportunities, it isn’t a miraculous tool that will change the face of business or the development sector. Data has to be physically captured and stored before it can be analysed for meaning,” says Van der Poll. The need for accurate information gathering – from that at national level (in the form of population censuses for example) to ensuring sustainable technology or mobile-enabled data-collection models at the business level – is a key link in the chain that ultimately can produce big data sets.

Despite the many opportunities and benefits that big data is able to yield, Africa needs to focus on “smartening-up” its data. This has to do with building human and institutional capabilities in order to address recurring issues regarding quality, accuracy and uncertainty about data and data sources. “While big data is easily accessible, organisations on the continent have to learn how to realise its potential to enhance their business strategy. This is critical in terms of unpacking data so that it can be used to add value to long-term business imperatives,” he explains.

With Africa having one of the highest internet growth rates globally, local stakeholders who have a keen knowledge and understanding of the continent’s context are best placed to harness big data as a tool to innovate. “The correct analysis is critical to ensure this, however. As such, while big data has managed to reveal the rich possibilities of data, the human factor is, and will continue to remain a vital component: a component that smart data can unlock on the continent,” Van der Poll concludes.