l SE-listed company Sage has close historical links with South Africa, having acquired the South African Softline in 2003, a company that included VIP Payroll and Pastel, and was founded locally by Ivan Epstein and Steven Cohen.

Sage in South Africa now falls under the company’s Africa and the Middle East region, headed by executive vice president, Pieter Bensch. But the historical link is still seen on many payslips in South Africa today, where payroll documentation managed on Sage’s products may still carry the Sage Pastel or Sage VIP logos. This is because Pastel remains a strong brand within South Africa, says Bensch. Therefore the gradual change to Sage Pastel locally, with Pastel to eventually fall away.

Sage’s Africa and the Middle East region includes East Africa, primarily focused on Kenya and Tanzania; West Africa, mostly Nigeria and Ghana; and the Middle East, mainly the seven emirates of the UAE, as well as Saudi Arabia. Bensch says there is a strong focus on growth in these countries.

However, South Africa contributes 90% of the region’s revenue. Here, Sage has 500 clients on its enterprise management products – medium-sized and large companies with customers including the likes of Cape Union Mart and Mr Price. The South African market is in the top five in terms of Sage Enterprise Management revenues for Sage, says Bensch.

Yet, he says, there is still huge potential for growth. “We aim to grow this division by 30% per year – in South Africa alone.” Adding that, “our ambition is to continue to grow at 30%, or more, indefinitely”.

“For Enterprise Management in the rest of the region, in Kenya, West Africa, the Middle East… triple-digit growth. 200%,” says Bensch.

The differentiator