Instant messaging is operationally important to 89% of global IT leaders. The same percentage of leaders rank video conferencing as pivotal, and 86% say the same of collaboration tools like Asana, Notion and Monday.com.
Yet, e-mail continues to overshadow them for consistent and broad adoption, mission-critical communications and as a reliable system of record. The demise of e-mail has been predicted time and again, only to see it rebuff such ideas. Even though companies today use a wide range of different communication services, none has retired e-mail, a visible trend across the globe, including South Africa.
"South African companies focus heavily on digitisation, so some might expect that e-mail is less used over here. But it's very prevalent, and users have no intention of getting rid of e-mail. They are instead happy to use communication channels that complement e-mails, which is a trend we're seeing in our other markets as well," says Paul Cox, Regional Channel Manager at Exclaimer, an e-mail signature management platform.
E-mail: The operational and integrity stalwart
According to Exclaimer’s State of Business Email 2025 report, 48% of global IT leaders say the majority of their internal and external communication still relies on direct e-mail, higher than any other communication channel.
According to responses from over 4 000 IT leaders across the US, UK, Germany and Australia, e-mail remains the default for messages that need to be logged, shared and acted on. Forty-nine percent of global IT leaders say they use e-mail for IT and security alerts, 36% for internal collaboration and 34% for client communication. The same emphasis is evident across different departments, particularly those exposed to operational risk, regulatory pressure and reputational scrutiny.
Cox calls this concept 'e-mail integrity'.
"E-mail connects tools, teams and territories. IT leaders realise that each communication channel in their organisation needs a strategy to be truly effective. Being so universal, e-mail integrity is fast becoming a top IT priority because it ensures that what’s said, sent and stored meets the standards modern businesses demand."
Creating e-mail integrity
Several services have tried to raise their stature by positioning themselves opposite email. In 2015, Time Magazine dubbed corporate messaging platform Slack as the e-mail killer, and in 2018, Inc. claimed that e-mail will fall as younger generations switch to other communication channels. Neither prediction turned out to be accurate, and in 2019, Slack even integrated e-mail features.
But don't look at this as a zero-sum game where there can only be one winner, says Cox.
"Our research shows that companies are using a variety of different communication channels, and they are all popular. The idea that something would replace e-mail turned out to be wrong. Instead, different comms serve different needs. A lot of conversations happen far away from e-mail. Yet, e-mail has become the thread that runs through everything because it is less complex, has very wide adoption, and is very reliable where records and accountability are critical."
E-mail integrity results from understanding this dynamic and managing e-mail accordingly. Companies can lean into e-mail integrity with robust e-mail infrastructure, security, archiving, accessibility and signature management.
"Instant messages handle what must move fast, while e-mail handles what must be seen, saved or shared," says Cox. "We have so many ways to connect and collaborate at work, yet e-mail is still the business communications backbone. This channel is already universal and intuitive. With the right management strategies, e-mail integrity becomes an enormous advantage for cohesive and critical communications."
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