Five Takeaways from Anaplan Connect Africa 2026
Anaplan Connect Africa 2026 landed in Johannesburg last week, and Venn Cubed was proud to be there as Premium Sponsor, alongside the wider Anaplan community. The day started early, with a friendly padel match at the Wanderers Club before doors even opened, a great way to network, get energised and set the tone for a day built around connection, both on and off the court.
From real-world transformation stories to candid conversations about AI, decision-making and the future of planning, one message came through clearly: the way organisations plan is changing, and so is what’s possible.
Here are five key takeaways from the day.
1. From connected planning to connected decision-making
The conversation is shifting. It’s no longer just about “what is the plan?” It’s about what an organisation should do next, who owns that decision, and whether it’s actually been carried out. That shift, from planning to action, is where real value gets unlocked, turning insight into outcomes across the enterprise.
2. Transformation happens when you connect the business
Across the customer stories shared on the day, industries and challenges varied widely, but a common thread ran through all of them: connecting data, plans and people breaks down silos and enables faster, better decisions. Whether it’s Finance and Supply Chain speaking the same language, or planning teams working from a single source of truth, connection is what turns good intentions into measurable transformation.
3. Agility is becoming a competitive advantage
The winning plan isn’t always the one an organisation started with. What matters is having the visibility and scenario-planning capability to respond with confidence when circumstances change. In a market as dynamic as South Africa’s, that agility isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s becoming a genuine differentiator.
4. AI is moving from experimentation to business advantage
AI’s opportunity goes far beyond productivity gains. With the right data, processes, governance and people in place, AI can augment human judgement, improve decision quality, and help organisations anticipate change, test possibilities and act with greater confidence. The organisations getting the most value aren’t just experimenting, they’re building the foundations to use AI as a genuine business advantage.
5. The future is intelligent, connected and proactive
The latest platform innovations on show demonstrated what’s possible when organisations can identify change sooner, explore scenarios faster and turn insight into action. Planning is moving from a reactive, periodic exercise to something continuous, intelligent and proactive.
The biggest takeaway: transformation is a people journey
Perhaps the most important theme of the day wasn’t a platform feature or a framework, it was people. The conversations, questions and experiences shared throughout Connect Africa reinforced why bringing this community together matters. Technology enables transformation, but it’s people, working together across organisations, partners and platforms, who make it happen.
It was a privilege to be part of another Anaplan Connect Africa, and we’re already looking forward to continuing these conversations with the community in the year ahead.