Artefact Expands Its African and Global Presence with the Strategic Acquisition of AdvanceGuidance in South Africa

Founded in mid-2020 by Deon van Heerden—former Accenture executive and CFO at Clickatell—AdvanceGuidance has grown rapidly under his leadership. Holding a post-graduate degree in Computer Science and a MBA, Deon built the company on the principle that technology is an enabler for business solutions that must first align with customer needs. His approach, focused on bridging technology with business through long-term, trust-based client relationships, has driven the company’s success. In 2024, AdvanceGuidance tripled in size, reaching 70 employees and establishing itself as a trusted partner for enterprises seeking data and AI expertise, with a strong emphasis on generative AI applications. The company provides tailored solutions across various industries, including Retail (Foschini Group and Clicks), Energy (Shell), Telecommunications, and Financial Services like Capitec and Standard Bank, where AdvanceGuidance developed an AI-based credit scoring model utilizing alternative data sources to support merchants across multiple African countries.

“My passion for technology, people and growth was a perfect match with Artefact’s culture and vision. Sharing common values was a key reason for me to join Artefact, as its innovative and agile spirit, deep sense of partnership, and close client relationships strongly resonated with us. There is always a drive to progress and deliver the highest quality solutions. From a business perspective, this alliance provides our team with an unparalleled opportunity to scale our services and expand our reach, not only in South Africa but also in the U.S. and the U.K.”

commented Deon van Heerden, founder and CEO of AdvanceGuidance

Artefact’s expansion into Africa began in 2020 with the establishment of Adalyn, an independent firm operating under the Artefact Africa banner. Ghita Ammor, its founder, became Managing Partner of Artefact Morocco in September 2022. In 2023, Mederic Chomel—former Chief Data Officer for Orange France and a graduate of École Polytechnique—joined as Managing Partner for Africa, based in Cape Town. Under Mederic’s leadership, Artefact Africa has built a strong presence across key industries, including Financial Services, Retail, Energy, Utilities, and Telecommunications, in countries such as Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Ivory Coast, Egypt, and Madagascar to such clients (e.g., The Foschini Group (Retail), Clicks (Pharmacy Retail), Shell, Capitec (Banking), Standard Bank in South Africa, and PWC or Amgen in the U.S.). With AdvanceGuidance, Artefact aims to employ 200 data and AI experts on the continent in the course of 2025.

 

“Our shared ambition with Deon and Ghita is to build the leading data and AI consulting firm in Africa, with no limits to our potential. By integrating AdvanceGuidance’s talented team with our existing expertise, we are well-positioned to capitalize on the continent’s dynamic economic environment, where generative AI technologies are rapidly evolving and businesses need expert guidance for adoption and data transformation”

stated Mederic Chomel

 

“The acquisition of AdvanceGuidance strengthens Artefact’s international position and reinforces our commitment to partnering with regional firms looking to join a global leader in data and AI consulting. This marks Artefact’s third strategic acquisition in the past three quarters, following the additions of Swiss-based AI consultancy Effixis in August 2024 and Chile-based data and AI consultancy Brain Food Consulting in December 2024. By welcoming a multidisciplinary team of 70 skilled data scientists, engineers, and consultants, we continue to accelerate Artefact’s expansion and further solidify our presence in Africa, where AI-driven business transformation is gaining high momentum.”

added Vincent Luciani, CEO and co-founder of Artefact

About AdvanceGuidance:

Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Cape Town, AdvanceGuidance is a full-service AI and data consultancy, offering a broad range of services, such as data science, data analytics, data engineering, consulting, artificial intelligence, GenAI solutions, customer experience optimization, project management, big data, cloud computing, and advanced analytics. With a team of 70 professionals, AdvanceGuidance has proudly helped large organizations across South Africa, the U.S. and the UK, with their data and AI transformation.

About Artefact:

Artefact is a leading global consulting company dedicated to accelerating the adoption of data and AI to positively impact people and organizations. We specialize in data transformation and data marketing to drive tangible business results across the entire enterprise value chain.
Artefact offers the most comprehensive set of data-driven solutions per industry, built on deep data science and cutting-edge AI technologies, delivering AI projects at scale in all industry sectors. From strategy to operations, we offer an end-to-end approach and solutions: data strategy, data quality and governance, data platforms, AI Factory, data-driven customer experience and marketing ROI.
Our 1700+ employees operate in 23 countries (Europe, Asia, Americas, Middle East, Africa) and we partner with 1000 clients, including some of the world’s top 300 brands such as Samsung, L’Oréal and Sanofi.

Find out more at www.artefact.com