Illovo Sugar Africa

Illovo Sugar Africa (now ABF Sugar), based in KwaZulu-Natal, is Africa’s largest sugar producer with operations across several African countries.

ABF Sugar formerly (Illovo South Africa), based in KwaZulu-Natal, is Africa’s largest sugar producer with operations across several African countries. Elula Online partnered with Illovo Sugar Africa to tackle the challenges of integrating their diverse operational and Human Capital Management systems across multiple African countries. This collaboration focused on connecting key systems like SAP S4/HANA, SAP SuccessFactors, and various third-party applications using the Flowgear Integration Platform.

Elula Online aimed to streamline data exchange and automate critical business processes, reducing manual work and ensuring seamless operations across Illovo’s extensive network. Leveraging technologies such as Azure Document Intelligence to “read” documents and the ELK Stack for monitoring, Elula Online developed custom workflows tailored to Illovo’s needs.

These integrations improved data accuracy and operational efficiency, enabling Illovo to optimise its processes and maintain regulatory compliance. The result is a scalable, robust platform that supports Illovo’s growth and strengthens its leadership in the African sugar industry.

Efficient Data Integration: Automated over 1,000 unique flows using the Flowgear platform, reducing manual work and errors.

HR Optimisation: Streamlined payroll and HR processes by integrating SAP SuccessFactors with Payspace, CanePro, Kronos, and Saflec.

Custom OCR Solutions: Developed Azure AI-powered OCR models to automate invoice and statement processing.

Operational System Enhancements: Integrated solutions for transport, delivery, timecards, clocking, and asset management across multiple systems.

Revenue Compliance: Designed unique integrations for compliance with local revenue authorities in various African countries.

Real-Time Monitoring: Implemented the ELK Stack for comprehensive monitoring, logging, and error management.

Scalable Framework: Built a future-ready integration framework with rollouts in Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia, and planned implementations in South Africa and Eswatini.