Luka Jasionyte, from Snap Analytics’ marketing team, catches up with Paul Morgan, our Country Manager for South Africa, to talk about his journey, what inspired him to lead Snap’s expansion in this region, and his vision for building a world-class data consulting practice. We dive into the opportunities and challenges in South Africa’s data landscape, the trends shaping analytics adoption, and how Snap is creating impact through innovation and talent development.
What inspired you to take on the role of Country Manager for Snap Analytics in South Africa, and what unique opportunities do you see in this market?
What really excited me about this role is the opportunity to build and scale a new business unit in South Africa for a company that’s already proven its success and fast growth in the UK. Snap Analytics has carved out a great niche, helping SAP-centric enterprises modernise their data landscape. I believe this offering fits really well with the needs of the South African market.
I was also drawn to Snap’s track record of developing talent at pace across the UK and India. I see huge potential to do the same here. South Africa is full of bright young professionals who are capable of so much more than the opportunities they’re given. They just need a platform to grow, and I’m keen to help them reach their potential.
For me, that blend of strong business opportunity and real social impact is the sweet spot. In South Africa we have high youth unemployment on one side and incredible untapped ability on the other. Building a business that creates meaningful careers while delivering world-class data solutions locally and globally is exactly the kind of challenge I want to take on. It’s a chance to show that South Africa can be a centre of excellence for advanced data services as well as make a genuine difference to people’s lives and careers along the way.
Snap has a reputation for helping businesses optimise SAP data, leveraging Snowflake and Databricks. What makes these integrations critical for businesses today?
SAP is critical for enterprises with complex business processes, and the data that SAP generates is really valuable for understanding performance and driving improvement. The challenge is that SAP’s analytics platforms haven’t always kept up with today’s needs. Requirements like combining diverse data sources, working with unstructured data and enabling AI are not always easy, even in the latest SAP tools, such as BDC. Many organisations are unsure how to balance their SAP ecosystem with modern tools like Snowflake and Databricks, and that’s exactly where Snap can guide and deliver.
What are the key data trends you’re observing in South Africa, and how do they influence the way organisations approach analytics and cloud adoption?
I think the same trends as elsewhere around the world, organisations want to ensure they perform better, deliver better service for their customers, keep their employees motivated, reduce costs and then somehow grow at the same time! This is why data is so important to every organisation. Generally their approach to analytics adoption is value based, can they have a data solution that makes their business decisions better and faster, at a cost that makes sense.
Building and leading a team of data consultants is no small task. What’s your leadership philosophy, and how will you foster innovation and collaboration within your team?
In consulting, the real value lies in the people delivering the work. My role is to support them. I focus on keeping them motivated, technically sharp and able to collaborate effectively so they can deliver real impact for clients. On innovation, we focus on practical value. We experiment with new tools, including AI, to improve our own productivity and delivery first. Once we know what works, we take that proven thinking to clients.
Looking ahead, what are your top priorities for Snap Analytics in South Africa, and how do they align with the company’s global vision?
My top focus is building a high-calibre South African team that can deliver exceptional data services to our international clients. South Africa is uniquely placed for this. We have great technical talent, we share business and language alignment with the UK and EU, and our time zone makes international collaboration seamless. It sets us up perfectly to work as one team with Snap colleagues in the UK and India.
I’m also really excited about the 2026 graduate programme. Pairing talented graduates with senior mentors is a win–win: it supports business growth while creating meaningful employment and developing the next generation of data specialists in a country where youth unemployment is a real issue.
Alongside international delivery, we’re actively targeting the local South African market, helping organisations unlock the real value of their SAP data by moving to modern cloud data platforms. This aligns strongly with Snap’s global vision.
In short, my priorities are growing exceptional talent, delivering world-class services globally, and accelerating data transformation locally, but all powered by technical excellence.
What are your must hit spots for Cape Town?
I’m not a Cape Town local, so I’m still enjoying visiting a whole range of different spots for the first time. Highlights for me so far have been jogging through the Buitenverwachting wine estate in the early morning mist, watching the sunset from the top of Signal Hill and walking along the promenade at Sea Point, dodging the gangs of runners.
