The software and IT industry is growing rapidly in Africa, and Softline ACCPAC is taking a lion's share of the market with its expanding portfolio of clients.
In 2006, Softline ACCPAC products were sold in 15 African countries and boasted overwhelming growth when compared to 2005. In 2006, Softline ACCPAC's new businesses comprised the likes of Vic Falls in Zimbabwe, MCEL Mozambique, Plascon Zambia, Blantyre Waterboard in Malawi, Kenya Anti Corruption, the University of Tumaini in Tanzania, Gold Fields in Ghana, National Tobacco in Ethiopia, National Maritime in Nigeria, Super U in Mauritius as well as several others.
Opportunity International also standardised on Accpac for their Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Malawi operations. On top of this, the first three months of 2007 have also shown a massive growth over and above that of the same period in 2006.
Aruna Ware, Softline's ACCPAC regional director for Africa, explains that ACCPAC's recipe for success in Africa lies in a well-balanced mix that always considers and takes into account the unique traits of each country. She identifies three key factors in Softline ACCPAC's successful expansion on the continent.
1. Building trust with good partners
We recognise the success of our products lies largely in their service and support, so our solution providers play a vital role in representing Softline ACCPAC in the various markets. We have multiple ACCPAC-accredited solution partners in each country, as we do not offer exclusive distribution rights to anyone. We do, however, only invite companies that have the correct infrastructure to partner with us. Our requirements are stringent, as this protects the credibility of our software.
It's been a long road to gain trust in each and every market. Trust comes from a combination of work ethics, flexibility and mutual respect. Each country is unique and should be respected as such. For instance, in countries that are not English-speaking, partners should not be bombarded with complicated IT jargon. The relationship should be based on mutual respect, and our approach needs to be extremely supportive. We have to facilitate their success and ensure they never feel lonely. Their success is our success.
2. Being there for clients and partners People do business with people.
A face-to-face meeting remains the best way to do business. Physical presence is important to maintain the relationship with our partners and to secure new business.
Partners need to feel we are here for them when they face the inevitable challenges that come with the implementation of new products. We try to help by putting their problems into perspective and sharing our previous experience from other countries. Our partners and clients know that we are always available, and can be contacted by telephone, e-mail or Skype.
As far as we know, we are the only software house hosting user conferences as regularly, consequently enjoying such a level of local awareness. We get more attendees at our conferences every year, making them a huge success. Softline ACCPAC is thus the only company with a physical presence in each African country. Our communication plan includes a minimum of 12 annual user conferences, which we then support using billboards strategically placed in each country. In addition, we also help local partners to advertise their services.
3. A solid product with minimal costs involved
We identified software stability, ease of use and integration with existing packages as key competitive factors in Africa.
As budgets are often more limited than in comparatively wealthier countries, integration of products plays a key role in Africa. We benefit from all other third party products on the market that are designed to integrate with the ACCPAC range. Because the products have been developed in countries with strong currencies such as the US or Canada, this often creates a handicap in Africa in terms of pricing. Softline ACCPAC's strength is to save companies money, not forcing them to replace their incompatible applications but rather providing them with products that integrate easily, thereby reducing integration costs.
Partners want products that they can support locally. The more complicated the product, the more expensive the support becomes. With our product's integration capability we make it simpler for our clients and partners. ACCPAC is also multilingual, giving us a distinct advantage in non-English speaking countries.
We are very proud to have established such a firm base of reputable partners throughout Africa. Our expansion plan includes recruiting solution partners in three new countries in 2007 and two more in 2008.
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Softline ACCPAC is a global provider of business management applications, including accounting, CRM, warehouse management and HR to the mid-range market. Its solutions are delivered to 130 countries exclusively through its network of over 5 500 solution providers worldwide and 130 throughout Africa. Softline ACCPAC's product line includes: Accpac CRM, ACCPAC ERP, Accpac Business Analysis Suite, ACCPAC Warehouse Management System, Accpac RMS and ACCPAC Insight.
Softline
Softline is a leading provider of accounting, payroll and CRM software solutions to small, medium and large sized companies. Founded in 1988 by Ivan Epstein, Alan Osrin and Steven Cohen, Softline was established during the formative years of the software industry and listed on the JSE Securities Exchange South Africa in February 1997. Softline expanded to establish a strong position within its area of focus in South Africa and Australia.
Focused on the development of accounting, payroll and CRM software solutions, Softline has a 16-year track-record as a market leader. The group has a broad range of products offering users a variety of software solutions to run their businesses efficiently. Softline's leading brands include Softline Accpac, Softline Enterprise, Softline Pastel (Accounting and Payroll) and Softline VIP. The combination of the group's product offerings, provide Softline customers with comprehensive, well-branded accounting, payroll and CRM software solutions.
In November 2003, Softline was acquired by Sage Group, an established FTSE 100 company. The group includes market-leading businesses throughout the United Kingdom, Europe, North America, South Africa and Australia, supplying business software to the small, medium and large sized business community.
Softline has a solid track-record of profitability and cash generation. The group delivers quality accounting, payroll and CRM software solutions that improve the efficiencies of businesses around the world.
Sage
The Sage Group, an established FTSE 100 company, is a leading supplier of accounting and business management software solutions and services to 5.2 million small and medium-sized clients worldwide. With over 13 000 employees, the Sage Group comprises market-leading businesses throughout Europe, United Kingdom, North America, South Africa and Australia. Its products and services are sold through a global network of 23 000 reseller partners, 40 000 accountants as well as directly to clients from Sage companies throughout the world. For the financial year ending 30 September 2006, the group's revenue grew by 22% to lb935.6 million and the operating profit rose by 18% to lb235.8 million.
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