For too long small businesses have been sitting on the sidelines of Google search results, watching the more prominent brands dominate on every generic and niche search term. And even though SME’s are trying to compete, they simply to do not have the resources or skill to push out enough targeted content or have the budget to compete for search advertising placement bids.

Challenges Most Small Businesses Face Breaking Into The Digital Sphere

Small businesses starting out don't always have the capital to push into developing a website in the first place. If your products or services are not web-based, it often seems a waste of money to invest in this platform from the beginning, but unfortunately, that decision means you’re losing out on customers who are online looking for your services.

If you have made the transition to online and own website, you now have to think about marketing it to gain traffic. Using other sources like social media, SEO, Google Ads, Email, Display Ads, Remarketing, the list goes on.

Having a website costs money, you need to spend on marketing, website hosting fees, development and upkeep.  You can try to do it yourself, but you either don’t have the time, or it’s just not your forte.

What small businesses in South Africa need right now is a platform that is easy to use and manage. A service that lets them highlights their brands most import information and offerings at a minimum cost (even better if it's free). Unfortunately, there wasn’t an option for many small businesses until now.

Introducing The  nichemarket Community

nichemarket is the brainchild of two seasoned digital marketers from sunny Cape Town, South Africa.  For years we have been helping businesses build their brands online and noticed a common trend.

The corporates had the budgets to dominate every marketing channel from social media and email to Google Ads and Organic search results. And even though online marketing costs much less than traditional advertising, smaller brands did not always have the budget, the time or the expertise.

After turning away so many promising small businesses, we decided we want to create a destination where they too can thrive and get their piece of the internet pie.   And that’s how nichemarket was born, a social marketplace community that is fully set-up to get your brand visibility online and lower the barrier to entry, instead of having to compete with larger corporations.  

nichemarket acts as an entrepreneurial hub for small businesses to promote their services and consumers to find their services online.

You sign up for FREE and create a business profile for your business, and we do the hard work of marketing your business to the South African Public.

What Do You Get With A Free nichemarket Business Listing?

So now you probably asking, what do I get with this free business listing and is it worth my time!

The Simple Answer:

It takes 5 minutes to sign up and your business get tons of online marketing benefits for free!

The Longer Answer:

By signing up to nichemarket, you can enjoy the following for FREE:

• A Fully Optimised Landing Page for your brand which can even act as a website if you do not have one yet.
• With 19 categories to choose from, you get an equal opportunity to dominate your niche.
• Free exposure to an average of 70 000 visitors to our site per month.
• A chance for your brand to reach and interact with a broader audience in both your local area and the greater South Africa.
• Increase your credibility by getting customers to rate and review your services online.Access to expert advice as our blog now provides over 500 in-depth articles on business and digital marketing from a wide range of local and international experts.
• Access to expert advice as our blog now provides over 500 in-depth articles on business and digital marketing from a wide range of local and international experts.

Give Your Brand A Kickstart With nichemarket

With more benefits and zero downfalls, we can’t think of a reason for any South African business not to register. To get started head to www.nichemarket.co.za and hit sign up!

Helpful links:

• How to Join The nichemarket community
• How to Create a nichemarket Business Listing

Real & Works updated their range of Google NAP listing solution for local businesses interested in optimizing their online presence and drastically increasing the required criteria for Google 3 pack selections that leads to faster and better ranks this fuels increased customer inquiries.

Real & Works, a company providing SEO marketing solutions for local and international businesses, launched an updated range of Google NAP listing services for clients interested in making their business more visible.

The company has extensive experience providing comprehensive and superior marketing services, including fully managed SEO packages, page optimizations, local SEO solutions and project management.

More information can be found at https://realandworks.com/local-nap-listing-ranking-in-2019.Whenever someone searches for a local service online, Google shows a map among the organic search results without requiring people to perform another click. This pack of local businesses is displayed after any paid ads and before the organic search results, so it is very important for local businesses to get featured into this pack.

Specifically, when a potential customer is not searching for their business name but doing a search for the type of service they offer, Google will list the most relevant businesses in what is called a 3 pack. Thus, of the top 3 businesses on Google, the customer is most likely to select one of these 3 and very seldom search for other options.

According to Real & Works, there are two main aspects of optimizing for the Local Pack. First, clients have to prepare their GMB page and then they have to optimize their website for a local SEO run.

When creating or claiming their GMB profile, every small business owner has to include the business name, business type, the premises address, hours of operations, the main phone number and a link to their website. This is an essential component to get their listings higher, so it is very important that their NAP (name, address and place) is exact and correct.

The fastest way to get listed in the 3 pack is with the help of a professional team that knows exactly how to list businesses on Google.

Real & Works offers a wide range of services for local businesses, including fixing old citations to get high authority citations, featuring businesses on high authority sites that lead to high authority NAP citations, and getting their clients’ businesses ranked in the 3 pack.

Interested parties can find more by visiting the above-mentioned website or mailing: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

We feel that using the correct integrations can help you save a lot of valuable time and can be great tools for your digital marketing strategies and making them a success.

Below is a list of integrations that you need to apply that is imperative to run a successful digital marketing strategy:

1) Facebook Pixel – Vital to track Facebook ad performance on a website

A Facebook pixel is code that you place on your website that helps you track conversions from Facebook ads, optimize ads based on collected data, build targeted audiences for future ads, and remarket to qualified leads.

Visit Facebook Pixel

2) Google Analytics – Vital to track a websites visitors behaviour on the website or prior to reaching the website.

Google Analytics offers a very robust set of tools, statistics and reports to help understand what is really going on with a website. 

• Learn where visitors come from and what they typed in to get there.
• Understand what visitors do once they arrive to the website.
• Learn how the website can convert more visitors into customers.
• See which keywords resonate with prospects and lead to conversions.
• Know which online ad or creative is the most effective (A/B Testing).
• Figure out how to develop not only more leads but higher quality leads.
• Track how many visitors completed a certain action (purchase, lead inquiry, call, etc).

Visit Google Analytics

3) Google Tag Manager – Vital to track conversion points or track events completed on a website by a visitor. This works together with Google Analytics.

Google Tag Manager is a tool that is often misunderstood, overused, and abused. It allows you add marketing tags (snippets of code or tracking pixels) and conversion points on your website without having to modify the code. Saving valuable time.

Quite simply this tool allows for streamlined marketing strategy automation and to allow marketers to focus on the important aspects of your strategy, lead generation.

Below is an example of how Google Tag manager works.

To be very honest, the possibilities of how the Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager work together are endless!

Visit Google Tag Manager

4) Facebook Ad Campaign – Vital to run digital advertisements on Facebook social network.

Facebook currently has an active monthly base of 2.20 billion users.

An advertisement campaign created by a business on Facebook that’s served to Facebook users based on user activity, demographic information, device use information, advertising and marketing partner-supplied information, and off-Facebook activity.

Facebook ads are so important to businesses because of the extra reach, exposure, and detailed targeting options that allow you to reach your specific audience. Having a business page on Facebook simply doesn’t allow for optimal reach, growth and exposure as Facebook have implemented algorithms that restrict the content from your business page from reaching your full audience. At the moment only 6% of your audience will see your posts that are posted on your Facebook business page.

Running Facebook ad campaigns allow for you to select who sees your ads. You can simply add budget behind a specific post and select your defined target audience and the post will begin reaching a far larger audience within minutes.

Visit Facebook Business

5) Google Adwords – Vital to run digital advertisements on Google Search Engine.

As of 2017, Google processes 3.5 billion searches per day. Each time a search is processed. Google displays adverts amount the search results.

Google AdWords is paid advertising platform or pay per click (PPC) advertising platform to advertise on the Google Search Engine. The way it works is simple: People use *keywords (or search terms) to search for specific products and services. If the keywords you’ve chosen match what people search for, your paid ad appears next to or above organic Google search

*Keywords are words or phrases that are used to match your ads with the terms people are searching for. Selecting high quality, relevant keywords for your advertising campaign can help you reach the customers you want when you want.

Google Analytics is one of the best tools for lead generation. If your campaigns are set up properly, it has the potential to send extremely targeted leads to your website.

Google AdWords allows you to focus on people who are searching for exactly what you have to offer.

It could include products or services. This means you can continually refine your searches so that only those who want to buy your products or services are sent to your websites through this platform.

Visit Google Adwords

6) Infusionsoft (CRM & Email Marketing automation) – Vital to keep track of potential leads and nurture them to become qualified leads.

“Sales and marketing software that gets you organized, delivers personalized service, and closes more sales.”

With Infusionsoft your customers will enjoy personalized, relevant communication from their first website visit through every repeat purchase.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a strategy for managing all your company’s relationships and interactions with your leads and potential leads. It helps you improve your profitability.

Email automation is the most effective way to engage in email marketing because it enables you to send out messages to your customers at designated times.

An email automation system can save time by setting up the email platform to send messages when customers take specific actions. Automation sounds very robotic, but in fact, it allows business owners to develop closer relationships with their customers by maintaining effective communication and brand awareness.

Visit Infusionsoft

6) Zapier automation – Vital to provide a streamlined lead funnel and to guide your leads through your nurture process.

Zapier is an online automation tool that integrates with a vast amount of apps/software, such as Gmail, Slack, MailChimp, Most CRM’s and over 1,000 more.

For example; when you receive a lead via a Facebook ad, you can have that lead inserted directly into your CRM system and you can send yourself an email notification that you have received a lead.

Zapier, is used to create streamlined lead flow and to direct your leads through the lead flow automatically, without you having to manually guide each lead through a lead. Saving valuable time for optimisation and lead generation.

Visit Zapier

6) Live chat – Vital to provide a solid and responsive communication channel between you and your potential leads.

Live chat is one of the more flexible tools you can use on your website. It helps you support customers in need of help. It allows you to increase your sales by engaging the right prospects at the right time as well as by generating a ton of new leads.

If a potential lead has a query about your service. They can simply contact you via Live Chat and find the answer to their query out immediately and make a decision to use your services.

“Many online consumers want help from a live person while they are browsing online; in fact, 44% of online consumers say that having questions answered by a live person while in the middle of browsing is one of the most important features a Web site can offer.”

An online chat system provides customers immediate access to support. Wait times are often much less than a call centre, and customers can easily multi-task while waiting.

Let us know what other great integrations you use in the comments.

View article on Techsite.io

Media Contact:
Galactic Digital
Contact Person: Bruce Vorster
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Address: 8 Gie Road, Table View, Cape Town, South Africa, 7441
Website: https://galacticdigital.co.za

Gauteng based digital marketing agency Stilt Media are making waves as one of the few completely black women owned and led agencies in the current South African marketing and advertising landscape. The agency is already disrupting the typical client/agency relationship by using technology and data to add real value and return on investment to clients’ bottom lines. 

Founded in 2015, Stilt Media headed up by Marketing Director Mimi Mphaphuli and Managing Director Tina Manyanya. Both women come from impressive leadership and management backgrounds, with Manyanya having headed up her own department at Publicis Media and Mphaphuli having lead a department at Ogilvy.

The pair decided to start up Stilt Media after noticing a gap in the current digital marketing environment in terms of service and delivery. They aim to use their unique backgrounds to create better processes and build better strategies to boost clients from an operational and business development point of view.
So what makes Stilt Media different?

“To start with, we believe in the power of technology and data and how it can be used to add measurable value,” says Manyanya. “We’re used to seeing the scenario where a client comes to an agency with a bunch of cash and tells them to run a campaign without having an understanding of what they agency is going to do and why. We want to use the data, analytics and tools at our disposal to demystify what we do, so clients can see that everything we recommend is from a strategic point of view. We don’t want to waste the client’s money.”

“So many South African agencies just take their client’s funding and rely on automated tools to do the heavy lifting for their social media and search campaigns,” adds Mphaphuli. “We’d rather dig deep into the data, so we can understand how to constantly better optimise our campaigns.”
“We’re very interested in where technology is going and in investing in tools that can help make things easier and more affordable for our clients. Whether it’s more efficient reporting tools or more efficient programmatic processes, we’re always looking at ways to get more insights without cutting corners.”
The pair acknowledge that the current advertising industry has a reputation for a lack of transparency, and hope to build trust through becoming strategic partners to their clients – and not just another agency. 

“We understand that the industry has for a very long time operated without transparency and clients have been kept from seeing where their money is going and how it’s being spent. What we are doing is telling them what the work we’re doing will do to their bottom line,” says Manyanya.
“We are interested in being strategic partners and taking things beyond a typical client agency relationship. We’re asking ourselves, ‘how can we assist you and partner with you to help your business grow holistically?’”
Stilt Media also believes in fostering the next generation of black, female digital marketing leaders, and have created a paid internship program to facilitate this.

“Having both grown up in agency environments, we understand what the typical internship can be like,” says Mphaphuli. “We don’t just want to give them meaningless jobs to do. We want them to understand the thinking behind what we do and take ownership of it. We want to encourage a spirit of entrepreneurship.”
Stilt Media is currently taking on clients across verticals, and already has partnered with several major South African agencies as well as clients in the technology, automotive, financial and entertainment sectors.

To get in touch with the company, contact 011 463 5767

In a highly transformative and evolving industry, the South African advertising landscape is not as representative as one would expect from such a progressive and diverse nation. Digital marketing in South Africa is still demonstrates an imbalanced gender dynamic.

In an industry where 45% of the workplace is female, a mere 3% of directorship is held by women. Today, only 2.4% of women are CEOs and Only 9.2% of women hold chairperson positions. Women in leadership positions remain a minority within an industry that does not lack female representation: 50% of graduates studying marketing degrees are women.

“Despite there being no shortage of women in the industry, there doesn’t seem to be nearly enough in leadership roles,” says Facebook Africa's regional director, Nunu Ntshingila. “We need to see women that are authentic, we need to see women that are empowered, and we need to see women that are progressive because our girls need to see not only that what is possible, they’ve got to see what they need to become.”

It seems that the advertising industry has no trouble attracting women to the field, it is retaining them that is the problem. Women in creative roles appear to leave the industry in the middle of their careers, a move which is primarily attributed to having children. While many women return to agency, taking a break often hinders the opportunity to progress in their careers. Further to this, women are challenged with work-life balance in ways that their male counterparts are not. One can argue that taking on the dual roles of motherhood and career woman shifts the focus from a dedicated climb up the career ladder.

While the representation of women in advertising agencies in general is a bone of contention, the diversity of women in this field is much to be desired. There is a pervasive lack of black women in creative leadership positions or founding their own agencies in comparison to the increasing amount of white women and black women in the same position. The focus needs to shift: diversity is not solely about the number of women in leadership roles, but rather consider that a wide array of cultures, races and ethnicities are represented within agencies. Ultimately, diversity results in creativity, innovation and progressive concepts; agencies will reap the rewards of an exceptional offering from an entirely inclusive workforce. Diversity does not lower the bar. Diversity raises it.

It is essential to have strong female leaders in advertising agencies to inspire and motivate other women. We must celebrate women of colour who hold positions of prominence in the industry. It is important to understand what the female workforce would need to help them stay in the industry - this could mean child care assistance, destigmatising flexi-time and correcting salary inequalities. At the end of the day, it is about creating an environment that empowers women and allows them the courage and self-confidence to flourish within their roles, as creatives and leaders.

About Keshia Patchiappen, Condriac CEO

Keshia Patchiappen is paving the way for women of colour with her dynamic, strategic approach to the realm of digital marketing and communications. Keshia has experienced a stellar career trajectory, rising from an intern to CEO through 11 years of experience across all advertising platforms. She has worked for global communication agencies and a vast number of clients ranging from automotive, construction, consumer and corporate brands.

Keshia is passionate about revolutionising the way in which brands are marketed in the digital space, and is extremely focused on the inclusion of data in cohesive Public Relations and Communications strategies. Her tenacity, creativity and thorough knowledge of the industry allows Condriac to continue to break new ground and provide clients with an invaluable competitive edge.

The South African socio-political climate is currently undergoing rapid change and this has far-reaching effects on business. The recent cabinet reshuffle has adversely impacted the economy, with two leading financial agencies being forced to downgrade the credit and trading status of our country. This change in status quo has decision-makers in various industries tightening their belts, and it begs the question: What can businesses do to remain relevant, and to thrive in these tough economic times?

Unfortunately, marketing budgets are often the first internal expenditure to be pruned. Research, however, has proven that brands that have survived previous economic slumps and recessions are those that have continued to market themselves and have thus remained part of the decision purchasing cycle. It is imperative, then, that businesses, that wish to remain in the forefront of consumers’ minds, continue with their marketing endeavours. 

The heart of your business’ success lies in marketing. Most aspects of your brand depend on successful marketing. The overall marketing umbrella covers advertising, public relations, promotions and sales. Traditional advertising, being one of the longest standing forms of publicity, has certain drawbacks, and is slowly giving way to the rising popularity of “the internet of things”. 

Traditional marketing means are becoming increasingly expensive and a lot more onerous to measure than digital marketing. Purchasing television, radio, or printed ads tend to be pricey, and often doesn’t have concrete ROI’s or measurable statistics. Difficulty in measuring the conversion rate of your ads, for example, creates a challenge in gaining a good understanding of the ad’s efficiency and the results they offer. Traditional media also employs a forced strategy, whereby a product is forced onto the consumer, even if they are not necessarily seeking the product or service in the first place. Initially, digital marketing and a social media presence were thought to be a “phase” that would dwindle over time. However, the converse has happened, and the industry is not only surviving, but it’s thriving. 

More and more it is noted that these platforms are rolling out more capabilities of individualising marketing communications. They boast a plethora of insights and statistics, which in turn leads to a greater return on investment. This is one of the most compelling reasons why your brand should not be caught dead without some sort of marketing tactics deployed online. 

Digital marketing is far more cost efficient in comparison to traditional marketing. Online ads are flexible, meaning that a business can switch a strategy mid-campaign, based on results obtained. It allows you to analyse where the interest of the consumer was captured or lost by viewing exact results, such as, the number of page visits, the number of times your page was visited, call tracking and even footage of what the consumer did while visiting your site. Adspend on digital campaigns can be as minimal as a few thousand Rands per month, allowing smaller business entities to compete with big businesses and even popular brands. 

Social media has amplified brands’ digital messaging endeavours. Social media marketing companies have made a significant splash in recent years, gaining huge revenues for their clients by connecting them with large, previously unexplored customer bases. 

The number one way to socialise in today’s society is through social media. Having an online presence leads to increased customer service; it is an accepted norm for consumers to head to the internet first before they pick up the phone to call in. With online marketing, businesses have the added advantage of socialising with groups or individuals, affording them the opportunity to specifically target their ads. Brands can direct their marketing strategies to specific countries and states. More granular targeting strategies are now available to include demographics like gender, interests, or even the type of device they utilise. These ways of targeting your ads can inform marketing strategies as to how an audience consumes information, and in what direction they should take their campaign. 

Digital marketing is imperative for a brand to remain relevant amidst turbulent socio-political times. It provides a range of opportunities, including increasing brand impact. Any marketing objective is to have potential customers learn about your business, discover your brand and recognise it in the future. A digital presence allows this. By employing targeted advertisements, it increases the chance of sales by showing ads to people who are most interested in your product. 

The internet is “always on”, and by creating relevant and engaging content a brand opens itself up to connecting with, and enticing, current customers as well as making valuable touch points with potential clients. A business needs to create customer relationships in order to drown out the competitors and advertising noise. By engaging with them frequently on social media, one builds trust and more importantly generates brand loyalty. Social media and digital marketing provide the perfect breeding ground for brands to remain visible and generate awareness of business offerings, regardless of the marketing budget. 

Written by Sheri Govender , Junior Account Manager at Condriac Digital Communications

About Condriac
Condriac Digital Communications is a full-service communications agency that specialises in programmatic lead generation, public relations and web development. “We are in the business of bridging the gaps between consumers and brands“.

At Condriac Digital Communications the team will help you ensure that your brand remains engaging and relevant in an ever-evolving digital landscape, shaping your online footprint to meet the needs of an increasingly demanding and digital-savvy clientele.

Condriac follows the data, creating calculated (data informed) content, strategically placed online (social and SEO) supported by targeted digital media to drive new and existing audiences in order to generate predictable and repeatable results. 

For more information click here: http://agency.condriac.com 

Issued by:                 Zaida de Jager - Marketing Manager at Condriac Digital Communications
Email:                       This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Cell:                          083 625 7503

SovTech Services, a premium Digital Services Procurement Platform, has recently rolled out a host of integration packages aimed at the South African market.

The packages, aimed at assisting companies in their quest to integrate their legacy systems with more modern cloud services they may utilize, are available online immediately in an easy to understand format that is common with the Services Platform.

Figure 1: Some of the many integration packages available.

“Many of our clients are eager to test drive market-leaders in the field of CRM software, Document management software, Accounting software, and the like, but are just not willing to take that leap of faith and leave their old systems behind. We help transition from old to new, allowing them to use both of them side by side, with integration made possible in both directions.” Says Jamie Chennells, SovTech’s CTO and head of SovTech Services.

“Integration doesn’t have to be complicated! Databases that aren’t allowed to talk to other databases lead to a loss of software potential. We help release that potential by letting them talk to each other.” The team at SovTech Services is confident that their integration area is applicable to about 90% of companies on their site, and has said that even if your software isn’t listed yet, they welcome you to submit a custom request in order for them to make the opportunity to use their Services Platform available not only to you, but to all other companies moving forward.

The introduction of the Services Platform in August 2016 complements SovTech’s vision to uplift social and economic value on a pan-African scale, through helping businesses achieve their goals using software.

Digital Services are available 24/7 and the company aims to deliver all services within 7 days of purchase. The entire SovTech website, including the Services Platform, features Live Chat, where you can get free advice on any software decisions you are thinking of making.  

Pretoria, South Africa – 09/09/2016 – Pixel8 is a comprehensive online digital solutions marketplace offering bespoke products or services for quick and affordable company branding, as it should be. Through hard work and dedication, Pixel8 has officially opened its platform to those who have an interest in developing and strengthening their brand, as well as those individuals who have branding services to offer. 

By offering in-demand online products such as graphics and design elements, promotional videos, digital marketing services, as well as SEO-friendly website content, just to name a few, Pixel8 extends its marketplace to offer quality products to a wide variety of individuals who not only want to improve their return investment, but individuals who have quality products to offer by selling them directly on the website. 

The full range of products offered include: 

• Office interior digital mock-up
• Sales/landing pages for your website
• Flyer/brochure designs
• SEO-friendly website copy
• Professional product labeling designs
• Professional business documentation templates
• WordPress blogs for a business website
• SEO-friendly articles
• Social media marketing services
• Website banner ads
• Unique email marketing services
• Infographics for your business website
• Website banner designs
• Creative branding mascots
• Unique email signatures
• Professional logo designs
• Unique business card designs
• Web design and development
• Learning management systems (LMS)
• Maintenance and updates on WordPress websites
• Website conversions into an Android App
• Promotional videos
• Animated logo reveals
• Professional animated videos
• Accurate data entry
• Custom QR codes for your business
• Fun online gifts such as e-card designs and custom t-shirt designs 

Celebrating the success of the website launch, Pixel8 is excited to see what the future holds for online branding and company collaborations – offering affordable, fast, and secure online products. “Any business that does not have a website or practicing good branding skills is missing out on one of the most powerful marketing tools available to them. Don't get left behind,” according to Pixel8’s website. Never underestimate the power of well-utilised branding to boost your company’s reputation. 

Pixel8 – Build your brand online. Offering a variety of digital content and products to choose from. Quick, easy, and affordable. www.pixel8.co.za 

SovTech, a software development company and startup incubator based in Johannesburg, has launched a new branch to their business, SovTech Services, aimed at simplifying the procurement of digital services by companies in Africa.

The SovTech Services platform offers a diverse range of premium tech services that can be conveniently purchased online. “The Services platform has everything you need to propel your business into the stratosphere, and at a price that’s probably better than what’s out there in the market.” Says Jamie Chennells, SovTech’s CTO and head of SovTech Services. The main areas of focus of the services offered include Web & Mobile, IT & Business, Digital Marketing and UX/UI Design.The SovTech Services platform is a first in South Africa, as there are no other platforms locally that offer such a diverse range of digital services that can be immediately purchased online, with a predetermined pipeline to success that can be deployed in a matter of hours. “In the past 4 years through dealing with a wide variety of clients we’ve been able to streamline a set of digital products that every company needs.” says Chennells. The platform also allows the entire process, from consultation and purchase to final delivery of the digital service to take place within its walls.

This has obvious advantages over email in that there is a centralised communication stream for document transfer and objective management to take place, in which multiple parties from each side can engage. SovTech has partnered with different businesses with whom they’ve worked with extensively in the past to fulfill key and specialist roles. They don’t mark prices up in any way, and work with their clients as if they were on their clients’ teams. “We’re doing our best to remove the fear of purchasing these sorts of products via free online consultations across the spectrum of products,and we’re cherry picking the best providers to partner with along the way. Forus, the joy is in being able to work with our clients’ other service providers andknow that things are being done properly.” says Chennells.

SovTech’s goals areto have the top 10 providers of each Digital Service on their platform, and letthe client-focused review system help new users decide on who they would like their next digital project to be completed by.The team behind the platform has a number of helpful features on the horizon,the most notable of which is a chatbot aimed at empowering business ownersand people in key positions with the right knowledge on which they can actand perform their jobs more successfully. Through communication with thechatbot, users should be able to understand where they can best direct theirfocus in order to improve their competitiveness in the market. SovTech’s CEO, Gerald Neves, reveals the reason SovTech decided to launch the new platform, “More often than not we deal with clients that have burnttheir fingers through engagements with sub-par digital service providers. Our Services Platform aims to reduce the number of such instances, in a simple but effective manner, and raise the standard of digital service consumption in South Africa on a broad scale.”SovTech believes that technology will revolutionise businesses in Africa across every industry.

The introduction of the Services Platform complements SovTech’s vision to uplift social and economic value on a pan-African scale,through helping businesses achieve their goals using software.