Zoho is focused on growing local talent and AI integration

13 Aug 2024

Zoho is quickly growing its presence in South Africa and the company says this growth is driven by a commitment to local communities and empowering them to have a global tech influence. But a 2023 Frost & Sullivan report predicts the African cloud computing market will grow at a CAGR of 24.8% from 2020 to 2025, fuelled by businesses, especially SMEs, adopting cloud services. Zoho's competitive pricing and user-friendly interface make it well-suited to capture a big part of this market.

Zoho hosted its annual Zoholics partner event at the Westin in Cape Town.

Zoho's emphasis on nurturing local talent is evident in its impressive growth figures.

The company's South African revenue grew by 17% last year, and it has increased its employee base by 86%.

Andrew Bourne, the head of Zoho Africa, attributes this success to the company's focus on hiring and training local individuals.

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Zoho's commitment to skills development extends beyond its own workforce.

The company has partnered with several organisations in South Africa and the wider continent to provide training and upskilling opportunities to young people and women.

These initiatives aim to bridge the skills gap and increase representation in the tech sector.

Of course there’s an AI story

The company claims to also be at the forefront of AI integration, incorporating AI capabilities through Zia into its product suite while maintaining a strong focus on privacy.

Zoho is focused on growing local talent and AI integration

The company has been developing AI features for over a decade, and it is committed to providing access to cutting-edge technology to businesses of all sizes.

Bourne told Bizcommunity that there are no potential cost implications of its AI integration.

"We really try and not impact the price. Sridhar (Sridhar Vembu, Zoho's CEO) is a firm believer in giving access to all class technology globally."

Zoho's AI policy prioritises privacy, ensuring that personal and private information is filtered when interacting with AI-powered tools like ChatGPT.

Unique culture

Zoho's success in South Africa can also be attributed to its distinctive culture, which emphasizes empathy, innovation, and long-term employee investment.

The company boasts a remarkably low attrition rate, and Bourne highlights the "caring, empathetic culture" as a key factor in employee retention.

Bourne also backs his product. "Zoho's product suite is the best toolset for a startup or an SME, hands down."