Enterprise software firm Salesforce says it has pushed forward with expansion plans in South Africa, by establishing its first legal entity in the country.
Additionally, it announced the appointment of its first two South African leaders: Zuko Mdwaba as head of sales and Linda Saunders as head of solution engineering.
In a statement, the company says South Africa is a rapidly developing and youthful market with enormous potential.
Salesforce has established its presence in the country over the last decade through its growing ecosystem of partners and customers, which IDC estimates will generate 31 800 new jobs and $5.1 billion in new revenue in South Africa in the period 2020-2026, it says.
The company’s growing customer base has been fuelled by businesses accelerating their digital transformation and partnering with Salesforce as their trusted digital advisor, notes the firm, adding that Salesforce works with leading South African companies from micro-businesses to publicly-listed multinationals.
“I am delighted to welcome Zuko Mdwaba and Linda Saunders to Salesforce to lead our growth in South Africa by working with our customers, partners and broader ecosystem,” says Robin Fisher, senior area vice-president for emerging markets at Salesforce.
“Africa has a great talent pool, and we intend to collaborate closely with our partners and local institutions on programmes that provide skills and job opportunities to meet the continent's high demand for Salesforce skills, while also recognising Africa's potential as a global talent hub.”
Mdwaba has over two decades of experience leading and developing technology companies in South Africa.
Prior to joining Salesforce, he held leadership roles at Atos, Oracle, SAS and Workday South Africa. Mdwaba will be one of the first Salesforce executives to be based in South Africa and will lead its growth and expansion across the market.
“I have seen the success of Salesforce in South Africa, where adoption of cloud services has significantly accelerated over the last two years, supporting businesses to adapt to the digital world and deliver outstanding services and experiences to their customers,” says Mdwaba.
“I am delighted to join the Salesforce team to ensure we capture the tremendous opportunity in South Africa and contribute to the country’s development and growth story in a meaningful way.”
Salesforce notes Saunders has broad experience helping companies in their digital transformation journey.
In her role as head of solution engineering, Saunders will support Salesforce customers to develop their businesses’ digital capabilities and will also play a leading role in supporting organisations and individuals to gain new digital skills through initiatives such as Salesforce’s online learning platform Trailhead.
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