Business applications to be the next wave in Nigeria's mobile revolution

By Phumeza Tontsi for Sage Pastel Accounting
Johannesburg, 10 Sep 2014

The mobile phone has changed the way in which Nigerians communicate. Now, it's about to transform the way that Nigerian businesses of all sizes operate by giving workers access to their business applications and data wherever they are.

That's according to Blessing Mate, Regional Manager for Sage West Africa. He says that growing penetration of smartphones in the Nigerian market, paired with cheaper, more reliable and faster mobile connectivity, means that companies of all sizes can enable on-the-go productivity for their workforces.

Says Mate: "Nigeria is Africa's largest mobile market with more than 125 million subscribers and market penetration of 75%, according to research from BuddeComm. The country also has one of the highest smartphone penetrations in Africa - north of 25% by most estimates and growing fast. Our customers want to use these smart devices to transact and work anywhere and anytime. We have built our Evolution ERP and HR solutions for this new mobile world."

Sage's mobile applications allow users to access a real time bird's-eye view of the business's financial status, including sales and purchases. Employees can see customer and inventory information in real-time, allowing them to be more productive and responsive, says Mate. "Imagine the flexibility it will give you if you are able to log on to your accounting software from your smartphone to view a dashboard to see how your company is performing, view customer information, record notes and create quotes or invoices, wherever you are."

Sales teams can create on-the-spot quotes and take instant orders. They're always working with the latest information so it's virtually impossible to promise the customer something that can't be delivered. Plus, because orders are received so quickly, delivery is faster. And in the human resources space, employees could be empowered to make applications for leave, salary advances, loans, bursaries or other financial assistance, online or via their smartphone, no matter where they are in the world.

Adds Mate: "Thanks to improvements to the telecoms infrastructure, the mobile internet is set to explode in Nigeria. There is an exciting opportunity for software companies like Sage to help customers use this technology to become more productive and efficient."

Sage Pastel Accounting

Sage Pastel Accounting is a leading developer of accounting, payroll and business management software for the small, medium and large enterprise market. Since inception, Sage Pastel has developed an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the industry, establishing itself as a market leader in the sub-Saharan region. Thousands of businesses use Sage Pastel Accounting to run their businesses and trust Sage Pastel to help them achieve their business ambitions. Sage Pastel is backed by the global Sage brand.

The Sage Group

The group provides small and medium sized organisations with a range of easy-to-use, secure and efficient business management software and services - from accounting and payroll, to enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management and payments.

Our customers receive continuous advice and support through our global network of local experts to help them solve their business problems, giving them the confidence to achieve their business ambitions. Formed in 1981, Sage was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989 and entered the FTSE 100 in 1999.

Sage has over 6 million customers and more than 12 700 employees in 24 countries covering the UK & Ireland, mainland Europe, North America, South Africa, Australia, Asia and Brazil. For further information please visit www.sage.com

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