Schneider Electric is launching its NExT programme in sub-Saharan Africa, aiming to accelerate its evolution as the region’s leading energy technology partner. The programme is designed to leverage Schneider Electric’s strengths in electrification, automation and digitalisation to guide customers and partners through a fast-changing energy and technology landscape.
Nontu Mkhize, offer marketing manager for power services and industry for sub-Saharan Africa, explains that NExT is the company’s response to the mega trends reshaping global and African markets, such as electrification, digitalisation, AI and the rising demand for resilient and efficient infrastructure. Through the localised programme, Schneider Electric will support partners, end-users and channel ecosystems in sub-Saharan Africa to prepare for what comes next in the energy and industrial technology landscapes.
“NExT is essentially our way of answering the question of what’s coming next for Schneider Electric, and what that means for our stakeholders? It is about reintroducing who we are as an energy technology partner, while showing customers and partners what they can expect from us as the market evolves, particularly with the rise of AI driven data centres, digital services and advanced automation,” says Mkhize.
Addressing Africa’s needs
She explains that the NExT programme aligns Schneider Electric’s global strategy with the specific needs of African markets that often face challenges related to ageing infrastructure, rising energy demand and the need for digital transformation. “We now have the capabilities to digitalise, automate and electrify across every major segment, namely homes, buildings, data centres, industry and infrastructure. These five segments talk to the three pillars, digitalise, automate and electrify, that underpin the NExT programme and translate directly into the services and solutions we provide,” she says.
She notes that NExT also emphasises Schneider Electric’s three strategic differentiators:
• Technology leadership: Delivering AI powered platforms, software defined architectures and next generation energy and industrial intelligence.
• Customer differentiation: Strengthening Schneider Electric’s ecosystem of partners, system integrators, distributors and end users through enhanced digital customer experiences and tailored services.
• Cost competitiveness: Improving efficiency, scalability and speed through simplified operating models and regionalised execution.
These strategic differentiators guide how Schneider Electric supports its customers, ensuring that the company remains competitive, innovative and deeply customer-centric in everything it does.
Key component of NExT
The Data Cube, Schneider Electric’s framework for unifying enterprise, operational, field and ecosystem data to deliver advanced energy and industrial intelligence, is a key component of the NExT programme. “This solution brings together AVEVA technology, digital twins and AI to optimise, operate and bring systems on board across the entire lifecycle. This means better insights, more resilient operations and smarter decision making for our customers,” says Mkhize.
NExT also marks the company’s shift from EcoStruxure as an open architecture to EcoStruxure Energy Intelligence, which is an AI-powered platform designed to create intelligent ecosystems and real-time operational visibility. Mkhize notes that EcoStruxure’s evolution into an AI-powered platform is a significant advancement, and positions Schneider Electric’s customers for the future of energy and industrial automation.
Creating tangible value
However, she points out that NExT is not only designed for Schneider Electric’s internal transformation, but also to create tangible value for its external stakeholders. “It is important to emphasise that NExT is for everyone in our ecosystem, including our partners, our end users, our distributors and our system integrators. It is about showing them how we are evolving and how that evolution benefits them directly.”
Mkhize explains that by aligning global innovation with local market needs, the company aims to support Africa’s transition to more sustainable, efficient and digitally enabled energy systems. “Our mission is advancing energy technology, and NExT gives us the framework to do this with clarity, purpose and impact, working together with our partners across the region,” she concludes.
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