Spinnaker Support, a US-based provider of third-party software support services, has entered the South African market, launching a Johannesburg-based operation backed by African Rainbow Capital (ARC).
It will offer independent third-party software support for Oracle, SAP and VMware environments, positioning itself as an alternative to traditional lock-in vendor maintenance contracts.
Spinnaker tells ITWeb that SA was a natural expansion market given its large installed base of SAP and Oracle systems – one of the biggest globally.
The company had already secured local customers, prompting the need for an in-country presence.
Its Johannesburg office currently has five employees. Several senior executives within the broader group – including its CFO, CTO and heads of Oracle and SAP – are South African.
Spinnaker South Africa MD Teko Mojaki says the launch comes at a critical time for South African enterprises. Across sectors, core enterprise systems have become economic infrastructure.
ERP, database and virtualisation platforms no longer sit at the edge of the business; they run finance, supply chain, billing, HR and regulatory reporting, he states.
“We are delighted to introduce our services to the local market at a time when growth is regaining momentum, even as organisations remain under significant cost pressure,” Mojaki notes.
“Increased choice ultimately benefits end-users. Spinnaker Support represents an alternative the market has been calling for, and our presence will strengthen competition and support sustainable growth in the years ahead. In addition, local skill and the ability to transact in local currency are vital.”
ARC’s investment
ARC is a South African investment holding company with interests across financial services and diversified sectors, which says it is focused on building long-term value through strategic capital deployment.
South African billionaire businessman Patrice Motsepe owns ARC through his broader investment and holding structure.
ARC says it is a major investor in the joint venture, providing capital backing and local market expertise.
According to Spinnaker, ARC’s involvement signals institutional support for a model that offers services without vendor lock-in.
Spinnaker says its model replaces locked-in vendor maintenance contracts for Oracle, SAP and VMware platforms. Its model is structured to decouple support from the original software vendor, restoring customer control over the roadmap, upgrade timing and licensing commitments, it claims.
The company argues traditional vendor agreements have become costly and restrictive, particularly as vendors push cloud migrations, subscription licensing and defined upgrade cycles.
The third-party model allows firms to stabilise core ERP systems, while redirecting budgets toward transformation priorities, it says.
Mojaki says boards are under pressure to fund innovation, while absorbing complex and expensive platform upgrades.
“Enterprise platforms are long-dated strategic assets. Modernisation should happen because the business is ready and the value case is clear – not because a contract milestone forces it,” he comments.
Jon Gill, VP at Spinnaker Support EMEA, says the company’s ambition extends beyond the domestic market.
“By building South African capability together with ARC, we intend to position South Africa as a meaningful global delivery and engineering hub.
“The focus will include developing local enterprise software engineering and support expertise, integrating into complex, high-availability client environments and creating exportable service capabilities that support regional and global operations.”
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