Zoho is holding its Zoholics User conference in Johannesburg this week and has made several announcements. Next week (August 12-13), the company will also hold a Zoholics event in Cape Town. This will complete the African Zoholics events for 2024.
South Africa is a key market for the company. In 2023 it grew by 17%, and increased headcount by 86% across its offices in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Since 2021, it has also achieved an average growth of 29% CAGR.
Growth was seen across several industry sectors. These included IT hardware and IT-related services, financial services, professional services (non-IT), retail, and real estate and construction. The Zoho applications that driving the growth are Zoho CRM, Zoho Desk, Zoho Books, and Zoho CRM Plus. Zoho One, the operating system for business, which includes over 40 applications, is also popular.
The expansion is likely to continue, with Zoho also increasing its partner network in South Africa by 39%. The company now lists 15 local partners in the country, two of which are premier partners (Infolytics and DSL Telecom).
Premanand Velumani, Associate Director, Strategic Growth, Zoho MEA, commented. “As we expand our presence in the region, we are committed to ensuring that our growth contributes positively to the local economy, community, and business ecosystem. This commitment underpins our growth strategy called transnational localism, wherein we strive to remain locally rooted while being globally connected. To achieve this, we are hiring locally, expanding our partner network, and developing localised products. More importantly, we are investing in digital skills development initiatives for the youth to prepare them for future employment opportunities.”
New South African Upskilling Initiatives
BabesGotBytes
At the event, Zoho announced two initiatives to support upskilling. The first is with BabesGotBytes. Zoho will support the organisation to bring 40 girls and women through a one-year boot camp. The program will include modules on digital literacy, website and mobile app development, UI/UX design, and SQL. The program includes hands-on projects, mentorship from industry professionals and access to a network of resources. These will enhance their readiness for both traditional employment and freelance opportunities.
Phindiwe Nqanqaru, Co-Founder and Director Of Operations at BabesGotBytes, commented, “BabesGotBytes is excited to partner with Zoho to advance women’s empowerment through technology education. Our one-year boot camp is more than just a technical training program; it’s a comprehensive approach to nurturing creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
“By equipping women with both the technical expertise and the confidence to excel, we aim to address both the skills gap and the gender gap in the tech industry, paving the way for a more inclusive and innovative future.”
CodeTelligence Academy
The second initiative sees Zoho partnering with CodeTelligence Academy. This is a non-profit organisation that aims to provide high-quality coding and technology education to individuals from all walks of life. Zoho will sponsor a six-month boot camp for 36 students. Following completion, the initiative will offer six months of coaching to help the students to enter the workforce as skilled employees.
The curriculum will include lessons on Zoho Creator, for which Zoho has already trained the teachers at the firm. Zoho Creator will now become part of the curriculum. Zoho Creator is Zoho’s low-code platform with which students can create solutions to real-life business problems.
Keoikantse Tsholo Botlholo, Founder & CEO of CodeTelligence, commented, “We are excited to collaborate with Zoho to provide transformative educational opportunities for the South African youth. Through this partnership, we aim to equip students with the skills necessary to excel in the digital age and contribute meaningfully to the tech industry.”
Andrew Bourne, Regional Head, Zoho Africa, added, “We find synergy with the mission of both BabesGotBytes and CodeTelligence in serving the underserved and providing educational opportunities to the talented youth of South Africa.” said “Through upskilling initiatives such as these, technology can become a true driver of equality and opportunity. It can open doors for those who previously lacked access, effectively levelling the playing field.”
Enterprise Times: What does this mean
Zoho continues its successful expansion in Africa. These upskilling initiatives are not the only ones that Zoho has initiated across the wider continent. Earlier this year, it announced a partnership with green manufacturer MOMO Pencils in Kenya. It has also partnered with J-Hub Africa, the digital innovation hub at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. It will offer training to JKUAT technology students on how to leverage its cloud-based business applications.
In Nigeria, another country in which Zoho recently opened an office, the firm has collaborated with She Code Africa. Similar to the CodeTelligence initiative, it will train the trainers on Zoho Creator to enable students to learn how to use the low-code platform to build applications and begin their careers in technology.
Africa is a key target region for Zopho, and its price point in the region aims to be affordable for customers yet sustainable for Zoho. As a privately owned company it is able to price appropriately for the regions it operates in and offers a wide variety of applications to support African Businesses.
