Many East African organisations still run SAP ECC 6.0, often heavily customised over a decade or more. SAP has set the end of 2027 as the end of mainstream maintenance for ECC, with longer, paid options available to some customers. That date turns S/4HANA from an "eventually" into a planning question for the next budget cycle.
For finance leaders the move is less a technology project than a chance to simplify how the business closes its books, manages cash and reports to the board. The organisations that benefit most treat it that way from the start.
Start with the decision, not the software
Before choosing a system integrator or a licence model, agree what the business needs to be true in three years. Typical goals are a faster month-end close, one version of the numbers across entities, real-time cash visibility and fewer manual reconciliations. These goals become the yardstick for every later choice.
Choose your path: new implementation, conversion or selective move
- A new implementation ("greenfield") redesigns processes on standard S/4HANA. It costs more effort up front but removes years of customisation.
- A system conversion ("brownfield") moves your existing system, data and custom code to S/4HANA. It is faster and keeps history, but carries old complexity forward.
- A selective approach moves some company codes, processes or years of data and redesigns others. It suits groups with very different units.
There is no universally right answer. The deciding factors are how much of your current customisation still adds value, how clean your master data is, and how much change your teams can absorb at once.
Decide on the operating model: RISE with SAP, private cloud or on-premise
RISE with SAP bundles software, cloud infrastructure and technical operations into one subscription. On-premise or self-managed private cloud keeps more control but puts infrastructure and upgrades on your team. Compare five-year total cost of ownership, not year-one price, and include internal staffing, hardware refreshes, disaster recovery and the cost of keeping skills in-house.
Do the groundwork that decides success
- Run a readiness assessment: scan custom code, interfaces and data quality so effort is estimated from facts.
- Clean master data early: customers, vendors, materials and the chart of accounts. Poor data is the most common cause of delays.
- Map local requirements: KRA eTIMS e-invoicing, statutory payroll, M-Pesa and bank integrations should be designed in, not bolted on.
- Plan the people side: key users, training and a realistic cutover window around your financial calendar.
Build a business case the board can approve
A credible business case shows costs by phase, the benefits you expect and how you will measure them, the risks and their mitigations, and a phased roadmap with clear decision points. Keep benefits specific and measurable, for example days to close, hours of manual reconciliation removed or audit findings reduced, rather than general efficiency claims.
