SA is on a par with world standards in terms of Internet and e-mail usage by business, says a new study.
According to accounting and business advice firm Grant Thornton`s ICT 2005 International Business Survey (IBOS), 55% of South African business owners research information via the Internet, in line with international trends.
In the survey, 6 300 business owners in 24 countries were asked a series of questions relating to e-mail and e-commerce to ascertain the differing approaches to technology usage in different countries. In all categories, South African results closely track the global average, says Grant Thornton.
IBOS found that risk management for South African business owners balances with global figures. Eighty-five percent of local respondents revealed their e-mail and Internet security is carefully managed and that they minimise virus exposure and security breaches on information systems.
Only 1.6% of the South African businesses that responded to the survey said they do not have access to e-mail at work.
According to the report, 41% of South African respondents (in comparison to 45% globally) said e-mail and the Internet have helped them increase revenue in their business, while 78% said being in constant contact with their business and clients makes them more productive and efficient.
E-commerce is still not an essential part of business in SA or globally, the study says. Only 29% of respondents in SA said they make use of the Internet for advertising and marketing their products or services, while 28% order online from suppliers and 25% take orders from clients online. Internationally, the figures relating to these aspects of e-commerce are 30%, 31% and 29% respectively.
"With e-mail and the Internet being a way of life for business owners across the world, SA precedes many developed countries in applying this technology," says Leonard Brehm, national chairman of Grant Thornton in SA.
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