Hosting its IDC Predictions 2017 event in Johannesburg this week, the global ICT research and consulting services firm predicted that innovation will continue to disrupt the traditional ICT mix and that there will be a much stronger focus on ensuring that technology enables business outcomes.

Mark Walker, IDC's associate vice president for sub-Saharan Africa, said 2016 had been a difficult year for economies, and the South African economy had not emerged unscathed.