Salesforce’s Zuko Mdwaba says the establishment of a localpresence is about getting closer to customers.

While it was one of the world’s first cloud-native companies, created long before we even used the term cloud, Salesforce has finally got around to planting a flag in South African soil. Globally, the company has seen consistent double-digit growth over the years and having had local customers and partners for over a decade, and with the Covid-19 pandemic hopefully petering out, it’s been decided that now is the time, as a local entity was established earlier this year.

The company says its local client base exceeds 300 companies using its products today, including Absa, Standard Bank, Old Mutual, Liberty, Multichoice, Engen, Distell, Coca-Cola and SEACOM. The good news for our struggling economy and unemployment figures is IDC forecasts that by 2026, there will be 31 800 Salesforce-related jobs in the local ecosystem, creating $5.1 billion in new business revenue.