Global research firm Frost & Sullivan will host its annual Growth, Innovation and Leadership (GIL) 2016: Africa event in Cape Town on 18 August 2016, offering a platform for businesses to get to grips with the challenges and opportunities that underpin digitisation.

In an overview of the event, Frost & Sullivan says any organisation that fails to embrace digital transformation will succumb to the effects of 'Digital Darwinism' and be left behind in what the company describes as 'an increasingly fast changing digital super economy'.

According to Frost & Sullivan, over 70% of top fortune 500 companies have plans to offer their products as a digital service by 2020.

"Presently, the 10 most valuable start-ups globally are estimated to have a value of $172.7 billion - all embracing digital platform based business models. And around 90% of the business models in 2020 will be driven by the cloud," the company has stated.

To assist African business leaders, as well as entrepreneurs looking to trade with the continent, organisers will host GIL 2016 at the Table Bay Hotel in Cape Town, South Africa, in August.

"Many companies are attempting to create new digital business models which will eventually cannibalise their traditional business, rather than capitulating to new disruptive digital start-ups," states Wayne Houghton, Director of Growth Implementation Solutions for Africa at Frost & Sullivan.

"Digital transformation cannot be ignored without becoming irrelevant, and an adaptive digital strategy is imperative," reiterates Houghton. "A holistic digital transformation strategy, which considers the digital workforce along with the business model, process and customer channel dimensions, will be critical for organisations wishing to remain relevant in the next 10 years."

Dorman Followwill, Senior Partner at Frost & Sullivan, will give the opening keynote, "Digital Transformation - A New Strategic Imperative", followed by an interactive workshop on "Digital Transformation as a New Business Model."

The afternoon session will begin with an executive address from Birgitta Cederstrom, Global Commercial Director for GIL, followed by interactive Think Tanks titled "360 Degree Digital Disruption across Industries".

For more detail, click through to www.frost.com/GILAfrica