Microsoft today unveiled its latest initiative to stimulate small and medium business growth in SA.
At an event at its local headquarters in Johannesburg, global COO Kevin Turner unveiled the Biz4Afrika hub, an initiative that will allow SMEs to get their businesses online for a year for free. This includes a .co.za domain, a Web site, an e-mail account and categories of assistance.
Speaking at the launch, Turner said the opening of the Biz4Afrika hub was a strategic component of Microsoft's 4Afrika Initiative announced earlier this year, when the company committed to bringing one million African SMEs online in three years' time. "This is an exciting time in business and a really exciting time in technology," says Turner. "At Microsoft, we truly believe in Africa and in Africa's future. We really believe this is a continent that can be transformational and drive a lot of innovation."
The nine categories where SMEs can find assistance are finance and insurance, accounting, legal, marketing, administration, business services, business opportunities, technology and people. The hub also allows SMEs to connect with existing online commercial marketplaces through which they can sell their own products or services.
Turner says the Biz4Afrika initiative focuses on three key aspects, namely innovation, world-class skills development and affordable Internet access through the use of smart devices. He explained that the initiative is not just stimulating economic growth but will also, in a chain-reaction manner, address vital problems such as unemployment, job creation and crime. "This is the beginning of something very transformational that is happening in small and medium business."
Turner also mentioned recent research done by Boston Consulting Group, which showed that tech-savvy SMEs created twice as many new jobs and grew revenue 15% faster over the past three years than SMEs using little technology.
"Across the world, many SMEs, and their customers, don't have access to modern broadband networks, and many lack the skills to get the most out of IT. Many SMEs are also still using large amounts of old and less efficient hardware and software," he says. "What we are seeing is that technology can help level the playing field for groups with historical disadvantages in business, and we would like to see more SMEs benefit from technology to help them become strong, local business leaders."
In response to a question as to what makes this initiative different from other similar projects, Turner said Microsoft has trained and placed one IT intern in 43 Small Enterprise Development Agency centres across the country who will assist businesses to implement the offering in an optimal way. "We will be freshening up the offers as we go along and continue to be relevant and provide relevant assistance. If we don't get the uptake we want, we'll change it, tune it or use new strategies. But we know the offering and the core is right."
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