Johannesburg, 16 May 2006
Just under a year since its initial foray into the sub-Saharan Africa market, Tarsus Technologies has announced a substantial increase in its African revenues and the establishment of new branches in Namibia and Botswana to further its `on the ground` efforts in the region.
Says Alan Hawkins, sales manager at Tarsus: "We have been absolutely delighted by the increase in sales and interest our African operation has garnered in the 10 months it has been in operation.
"The establishment of our first branch outside of South Africa, in Windhoek, is testimony to the importance we attach to our African operations and our dedication to this growing region," he adds. "Our commitment has been further bolstered by the recent establishment of a branch office in Botswana.
"This office will be up and running by the end of May," he enthuses, "bringing much needed attention to this swiftly expanding market."
Hawkins says the establishment of the branches is a vital step in Tarsus`s expansion plans going forward. "Ideally, we see the Namibian and Botswana branches as blueprints for future sub-Saharan Africa roll-outs.
"We would like to add Mozambique to the list of countries we plan to address in an `on-the-ground` fashion in the coming months. However, we are waiting for our trading licences to be approved by the respective authorities," he explains.
Hawkins says that all of Tarsus`s sub-Saharan Africa branch offices will be staffed with logistics, sales and management personnel, but that it will maintain the majority of its stockholding for these regions in South Africa.
"Thankfully, the areas we have expanded into are close enough to be serviced by South Africa from a stock perspective. It has become clear, however, that these regions do need a locally focused sales presence.
"Both of our current sub-Saharan branches will also allow our resellers to extend their reach into the annuity revenue space, building greater sustainability in the channel."
Tarsus`s activity in sub-Saharan Africa has already attracted support from its vendors. "In March, Tarsus was awarded the `Best Growth in Southern Africa` award by HP, our primary vendor in this new business area. It`s a clear indication of the tangible difference we`re making in expanding across South African borders and gives us the motivation to continue," he enthuses.
Hawkins says Tarsus is very confident about what the future holds for its African division. "Our business has grown by a margin of 50% in the past six months, which tells us that we`re not approaching the market too aggressively, nor conservatively.
"We are hoping to continue this growth trend, albeit at a more conservative 30% over the next six months. This will in turn allow us to build a truly sustainable and worthwhile channel into these countries, and begin tapping into the massive business potential for the company and its resellers outside the borders of South Africa," he concludes.
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