Tunde Abagun, Sales Lead at Nutanix West, East, and Central Africa at Nutanix.

As we stand on the threshold of 2025, the pace of technological change is accelerating and reshaping the very foundations of how we do business. From the tools we use to the skills we value, the next year will challenge organisations to adapt, innovate, and rethink their strategies. What excites me most is the convergence of trends that promise to redefine not only technology but the relationship between businesses and the people they serve.

Here are my predictions for what lies ahead.

Human language: The new programming paradigm

Artificial intelligence is redefining how we interact with technology. By 2025, I believe human language will become the dominant programming language. Enterprise AI tools, such as co-piloting platforms, will allow employees to write instructions in plain language, turning these inputs into code or content. This shift will help businesses optimise their developer talent, focusing on high-value projects while automating routine tasks.

This isn’t just about efficiency—it’s about accessibility. With this transformation, technology becomes truly democratic, empowering more people to contribute meaningfully to innovation.

The rise of cloud spending and technology convergence

Cloud spending is set to soar in 2025, driven by the convergence of artificial intelligence, machine learning, augmented reality, and Web 3 technologies. This fusion will create a tailwind for business innovation, with the cloud serving as the foundation for these advancements.

As enterprises strive to capitalise on these opportunities, their reliance on cloud infrastructure will grow, setting the stage for a new wave of transformative projects.

Cloud native adoption in Africa

While cloud-native technologies are gaining traction globally, 2025 could mark a turning point for their adoption in Africa. Application modernisation is no longer a fringe effort—it’s becoming a business imperative.

We will see organisations transition from traditional client-server models to microservices and SaaS platforms. This will reshape the application landscape, encouraging agility, scalability, and cost efficiency. For Africa, this trend promises a more competitive and innovative tech ecosystem.

A fine balance: Proprietary and open source tools

The need to avoid vendor lock-in and mitigate risks will lead organisations to adopt a dual-vendor strategy or embrace open-source tools. Proprietary technologies will remain essential for many, but open-source solutions will provide the flexibility and innovation required for modern enterprise landscapes.

This balance isn’t just practical; it’s strategic. By diversifying their technology stack, businesses can enhance resilience and reduce dependency on any single provider.

Skills consolidation in the talent landscape

In 2025, we’ll see significant consolidation of IT skills, particularly in Africa. Traditional roles such as storage or server administrators will evolve into hybrid roles like DevSecOps engineers or cloud practitioners.

This shift is both necessary and inevitable. As organisations adopt more complex IT environments, they’ll need professionals with broader, more integrated skillsets to manage infrastructure, security, and operations effectively.

The blurring lines between IT and business

The distinction between IT and business functions will continue to fade. Lines of business will become more tech-savvy, experimenting with AI and open-source tools. This convergence will require IT to step up as a facilitator, ensuring these tools are integrated securely and effectively.

IT’s role will expand beyond traditional support functions, becoming a driver of business outcomes. For organisations, success will depend on fostering collaboration between these traditionally separate domains.

The growing complexity of data privacy

Data privacy and AI regulation will remain complex issues, especially across Africa. Many nations are still developing AI policies, often in isolation, which creates fragmented regulatory landscapes.

For businesses, this means navigating compliance across multiple jurisdictions—a challenging but necessary endeavour. It’s a reminder that agility and adaptability will be essential traits in the years ahead.

Energy efficiency over ESG goals

While environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals remain important, energy efficiency will take centre stage in 2025. Businesses will prioritise technologies that deliver measurable energy savings, not just as a nod to sustainability but as a pragmatic response to operational pressures.

Hybrid cloud’s enduring role

Hybrid cloud architectures will persist, largely driven by artificial intelligence. AI workflows—centralised training and decentralised inference—are perfectly suited to hybrid environments. This structure allows organisations to optimise resources and deliver applications closer to end users.

Hybrid cloud’s flexibility ensures it remains a cornerstone of enterprise IT strategies, particularly in data-driven industries.

The rise of AIOps

Artificial intelligence for IT operations (AIOps) will gain momentum, enabling smarter and more proactive infrastructure management. From resource optimisation to predictive maintenance, AIOps will transform how businesses manage their IT environments.

This is about more than efficiency—it’s about creating self-healing systems that reduce downtime and improve reliability.

2025 promises to be a year of transformation and challenge. Businesses that embrace these changes with agility and foresight will not only adapt but thrive. For me, the overarching message is clear: innovation isn’t just about adopting new technologies—it’s about creating meaningful outcomes for businesses and the communities they serve.