Johannesburg, 07 Jul 2021
Software and technology group Dynamic Technologies is marking its strategic expansion into selected European countries, with group company DVT setting up base in the Netherlands, offering a range of nearshoring IT software and resource solutions for local European markets.
Well-known business growth strategist Mark Buwalda has been appointed Senior Business Development Director for the DVT Netherlands operation.
Buwalda, who joins DVT with close on 20 years’ business development and operations experience in the IT sector, says in the face of an increasing scarcity of specific skills and resources in the global market, DVT is marrying the market’s recognition of the rich opportunities offered by remote operations with DVT’s large resource pool. “By leveraging our success in the South African market, we are able to offer a depth and breadth of motivated and well-skilled individuals. We have the scalability to complement existing and future IT teams, to tackle complex projects all over Europe.”
DVT was established in 1999 to deliver wide-ranging services with high-performing agile tech teams, with head offices in South Africa and London. Buwalda says: “With our existing base in the UK, we’re seeing that the need for these skills is extensive and growing exponentially. Our resources come at a fraction of the cost of those from counterparts in Europe and Asia, which gives us a distinct advantage and convinces potential clients to try our solutions.”
DVT will continue to build on the foundations and expertise gained in multiple local market and industry sectors. They will also consider recruiting or contracting additional experts if the need arises for specialisations not available in-house at this stage. Buwalda adds that DVT’s expansion into Europe is in response to a growing demand and will start with banking and financial services.
He says his main goal is the responsible exploration, commercialisation and retention of the market and DVT’s clients. “Simply put, by placing the right people on projects, I aim to ensure that IT projects are done right, on time and within budget.”
Jaco van der Merwe, CEO of DVT, says the expansion into Europe began with a smaller-scale approach as part of the company’s larger-scale integrated strategy. “We will start in the Benelux countries (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg), followed by Germany and German-speaking countries, and then France. With Mark’s exceptional proficiency in all these languages, it makes sense to take advantage of those skills. While it’s not imperative that every DVT staff member working in those areas speaks the local languages, it does help clients to have access to someone who can.”
With teams operating in Europe, the UK and South Africa, DVT will remain one cohesive organisation working towards common goals and according to shared values, says Buwalda. “The only distinction is that teams operate in different geographic markets. Collaboration will be shared among the teams and will remain high – it is one of the keys to success behind every one of our operations.”
Buwalda grew up and studied in the Netherlands and the USA, and has worked in South Africa and further afield in Africa since the late 1990s. His wide-ranging experience is people-centric, and his roles have focused strongly on strategic business growth, sales, pre-sales, after sales and roll-out and implementation of technology solutions. At DVT, Buwalda’s position is mainly dedicated to business expansion into the new European markets.
Chris Wilkins, CEO of the Dynamic Technologies group, welcomes Buwalda to the team. “Mark is an excellent fit with our business objectives and our company culture, and he understands the value of European market growth to both Dynamic Technologies and DVT. This strategic expansion will establish DVT as a South African company firmly on the European continent, while also providing jobs and opportunities for staff in South Africa. Through the pandemic, organisations around the world are accepting the need for remote operations, and nearshoring offers the best of both worlds – outsourced but within reach. DVT is well-positioned to meet an increasing demand for nearshoring IT solutions.”
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