Technology
Salesforce South Africa Accelerates Growth Plans
Salesforce, the global leader in AI CRM (Customer Relationship Management) has showcased the transformative power of its latest AI and cloud-based solutions to customers, partners and associates at Salesforce World Tour Essentials Johannesburg, held at the Kyalami Convention Centre in Midrand.
Over 2200 global and local leaders attended the event; demonstrating the massive interest in AI and digital transformation in South Africa, with organisations from across a range of sectors eager to learn more about new technologies that will enable them to fully leverage their data and grow their businesses.
According to the latest IDC InfoBrief, sponsored by Salesforce, The Salesforce Economy: South Africa, Salesforce and its partner ecosystem, fueled by AI-powered cloud solutions, will generate $5.8 billion in net new business between 2022 and 2028. The paper report estimates a net gain of 33,000 jobs are being generated through AI-powered cloud solutions in South Africa by 2028*
The Salesforce ecosystem of partners in the South African region has grown 34% YoY in FY24 but the most significant improvement is in the area of certifications, with an increase of 43% in total. These partners are helping organisations across all sectors to raise employee productivity and transform with real-time insights and new levels of customer experience.
“At Salesforce, we’re excited by the strides our customers and partners in South Africa are taking to succeed in the developing AI era. World Tour Essentials Johannesburg offers the perfect showcase of the region’s potential as a centre of innovation in Africa,” said Zuko Mdwaba, Area Vice President at Salesforce South Africa.
“Salesforce World Tour Essentials Johannesburg demonstrates how our customers can raise productivity, improve visibility, and transform their entire operations by smartly deploying AI and digital tools,” said Robin Fisher, senior area VP of Salesforce emerging markets.
“By embracing the power of AI, organisations in the public and private sector can seize growth opportunities and contribute to the wider project of economic diversification,” says Fisher.
Getting the right AI with the right data at World Tour Essentials Johannesburg
The keynotes, talks and presentations at Salesforce World Tour Essentials Johannesburg focused on how organisations can navigate challenges by embracing the latest AI, data and CRM solutions to build trust, drive efficiency, transform customer oversight, and grow their businesses.
Keynote speakers from Salesforce included Zuko Mdwaba, Area Vice President at Salesforce Africa, Linda Saunders, Salesforce Director, Solutions Engineering Africa, and Robin Fisher, Senior Area VP, Salesforce emerging markets.
The keynote unpacked not only Sales Forces’ vision but also the evolution of the platform and how clouds come together to open the path to trusted Enterprise AI with the Einstein 1 Platform.
Showcasing Data Cloud is a data platform that allows companies to unify disparate data points into a harmonised data model on Salesforce’s Einstein 1 Platform. As this data model lives on the Salesforce Einstein 1 Platform, it gives every team member the same 360-degree view of every customer. This allows employees to drive automation, analytics, and personalised engagements through the power of trusted AI.
“Conversational AI interactions are delivered through a single Einstein Copilot across all applications on the platform, with creation and tailoring capabilities supported within Einstein 1 Studio”, says Saunders. According to Saunders, Salesforce’s Einstein 1 Platform integrates the company’s suite of applications spanning sales, service, marketing, e-commerce, analytics, and industry solutions.
Salesforce customers operating in various sectors shared valuable insights into how they overcame their challenges, revealing how Salesforce solutions such as Data Cloud and the Einstein 1 Platform have helped them transform operations.
The keynotes, talks and presentations at Salesforce World Tour Essentials Johannesburg focused on how organisations can navigate challenges by embracing the latest AI, data and CRM solutions to build trust, drive efficiency, transform customer oversight, and grow their businesses.
Keynote speakers from Salesforce included Zuko Mdwaba, Area Vice President at Salesforce Africa, and Linda Saunders, Salesforce Director, Solutions Engineering Africa.
Salesforce customers operating in sectors including government, retail, real estate, energy, and banking offered valuable insights into how they overcame their challenges, revealing how Salesforce solutions such as Data Cloud and the Einstein 1 Platform have helped them transform operations.
Data Cloud is a data platform that unifies all of a company’s data on Salesforce’s Einstein 1 Platform, giving every team a 360-degree view of every customer to drive automation and analytics, personalize engagement, and power trusted AI. Salesforce’s Einstein 1 Platform integrates the company’s suite of applications spanning sales, service, marketing, e-commerce, analytics, and industry solutions.
85% of SA marketers have adopted AI, but mistrust persists
85% of marketers in South Africa are already experimenting with or have fully implemented AI into their workflows, according to the Salesforce State of Marketing Report announced at the World Tour Essentials conference.
According to the report, the three most popular AI use cases among marketers in South Africa are content generation, automation of customer interactions, programmatic advertising and media buying. Loyalty programmes are the most common AI tactic to collect data.
Businesses have long struggled to connect disparate data points to create consistent, personalised experiences across customer journeys. Yet as third-party cookies are depreciated and AI proliferates, that quest is only becoming more critical—and challenging.
The report found that while 64% of marketers in South Africa have access to real-time data to execute a campaign, 50% need the IT department’s help to do so.
Skills development partnerships for real economic impact
Salesforce remains steadfastly committed to helping solve one of South Africa’s key challenges – the digital skills gap and job creation. Ursula Fear, Senior Talent Programme Manager at Salesforce South Africa, announced the launch of its second cohort with ALX, after just having completed its first cohort of 1000 students across Africa over six months, creating job-ready professionals. It starts with ALX Foundations, which provides career development skills to help students thrive in the digital workforce. It then teaches students security, customising CRM dashboards, data management, and data analysis.
Collective X, an ambitious private sector-led initiative spearheaded by Salesforce has, since launching a year ago, been successful in building future-fit skills for the local economy. “Business is a platform for change and only by partnering together and building not only the digital skills needed but also equipping people with the necessary experience, can we address the unemployment crisis in the country,” adds Fear.
Choosing between a VPS and a dedicated server can be complex. They run apps and webpages. But they operate differently. Understanding the difference between VPS and dedicated server solutions will help you prevent complications and save money later on. In this text we will explain everything in detail with examples from actual life.
VPS vs Dedicated Server: What Actually Sets Them Apart
One physical machine is divided into multiple virtual servers by a VPS. Through virtualization software, each user receives a portion of resources that are separate from those of other users.
A dedicated server operates in a different manner. One user owns a single physical machine. No neighbors, no sharing, simply complete hardware access.
This is the core of the vps vs dedicated server debate. Shared hardware means lower costs, while full ownership means more raw power. Finding the best vps hosting service often comes down to how well a provider balances performance with fair pricing on shared resources.
| Factor | VPS | Dedicated Server |
| Resource allocation | Shared pool, virtualized | 100% dedicated hardware |
| Performance consistency | Possible noisy neighbor effect | Guaranteed, stable capacity |
| Scalability | Instant resize | Requires hardware upgrade or migration |
| Cost | Lower entry price | Higher fixed cost |
Performance, Cost and Control: Where Each One Wins
In terms of raw performance, dedicated servers are superior. Each gigabyte of RAM and each CPU cycle are part of a single project. There is no competition for resources.
Flexibility is where VPS excels. It takes minutes, not days, to scale up. Pricing stays lower too, since costs get split across multiple users on the same hardware.
Shared hardware limitations rarely cause problems for smaller projects. Providers like Antihost allocate resources fairly, so performance stays steady even during traffic spikes. The gap only really matters once traffic gets heavy and consistent.
The contrast of vps vs virtual machine is also confusing people often. A VPS is a virtual computer in a technical sense, but it’s rented from a hosting company, rather than running on your own hardware.
Matching the Server to the Project: Real Scenarios
A dedicated server is rarely required for a small business website. A VPS can easily manage moderate traffic while maintaining low expenses.
A growing SaaS product usually starts on a VPS and expands as the user base grows. This adaptability is more crucial in the early stages than brute strength.
A database-heavy application benefits from dedicated hardware once query volume reaches a certain level. In this case, the lack of resource sharing and a constant disk speed are essential.
A game server depends on low latency and steady performance. Many game servers run fine on VPS today, especially with modern hardware. As David Heinemeier Hansson put it: “Personal servers have gotten really scarily quick, inefficient, and personal internet connections rival what we connected data centers with just a decade or two ago.” That shift makes VPS a stronger option than it used to be.
Here is a quick breakdown of what typically fits best:
- Small business website: VPS, for cost and simplicity
- Growing SaaS product: VPS, then scale to dedicated later
- Database-heavy app: Dedicated server, for consistent speed
- Game server: VPS, unless player counts get very large
Summary
In every situation, neither choice is superior to the other. Everything impacts the optimal selection, including the scale of the project, traffic patterns, and all growth plans. Scale from what works now when the numbers really demand it.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Mr Aminu Maida, has reemphasised the need to protect the nation’s telecommunications infrastructure, especially fibre networks, noting that damage to fibre networks carries significant economic consequences.
Speaking virtually at the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) Critical Conversation Forum on Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) in Lagos recently, he described FTTH as a critical enabler of Nigeria’s digital future.
“FTTH is uniquely positioned to meet Nigerians' next phase of data demand. The quality of our broadband will increasingly shape the competitiveness of our businesses, the growth of our digital industry and the opportunities available to our citizens,” the NCC chief stated.
“We must uphold deployment standards. Nigeria needs fibre that is properly installed, properly documented, and properly protected,” Mr Maida further said at the event themed Fibre to the Home in Nigeria: Addressing Challenges, Strengthening Standards and Ensuring Sustainable Deployment.
During a panel discussion titled Policy, Governance and Regulatory Alignment, the Deputy Director of Strategic Business Initiatives at ipNX, Mr Segun Okuneye, highlighted the need for stronger collaboration across the telecommunications ecosystem to unlock the full potential of fibre broadband in Nigeria.
According to him, sustainable fibre deployment extends beyond technology and investment to include policy consistency, stakeholder alignment, infrastructure protection, and shared responsibility.
“Achieving universal fibre connectivity requires more than deploying infrastructure; it requires sustained collaboration between operators, regulators, government agencies and host communities.
“When policies are aligned, deployment standards are consistently enforced, and critical infrastructure is protected, we create an environment where investment thrives and more Nigerians can enjoy reliable, high-speed broadband.
“At ipNX, we remain committed to working with all stakeholders to build resilient digital infrastructure that will support Nigeria’s economic growth for generations to come.”
Earlier in his welcome address, ATCON President, Mr Tony Emoekpere, underscored the strategic importance of FTTH in achieving the country’s broadband penetration targets while calling for greater public awareness around protecting communications infrastructure.
“This forum is critical because Fibre-to-the-Home is the technology that will enable the country to achieve full broadband penetration. We all depend on communication infrastructure, and it must be protected,” he declared.
Drawing a comparison with power infrastructure in the country, he added, “If somebody comes to your neighbourhood to tamper with your transformer or power cables, everybody will come out. The same thing needs to apply for communications infrastructure. When we see people damaging fibre cables, we should raise an alarm.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Thursday, July 23, 2026, provided an opportunity for financial services professionals to converge on Landmark Event Centre, Lagos, to brainstorm on ways to meet the rising customers’ expectations.
The platform used for this purpose was Core by Interswitch. It is part of the company’s broader commitment to strengthening Africa’s digital payments ecosystem by fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing and operational excellence across the financial services value chain.
At the event, participants, numbering over 400, also highlighted the growing importance of operational excellence in sustaining resilient payment infrastructure.
As digital financial services continue to expand across Africa, closer collaboration among financial institutions, fintechs and payment service providers will be essential to improving responsiveness, resolving operational challenges more effectively and delivering consistently reliable customer experiences.
The Executive Vice President for Operations and Technology at Interswitch, Mr Babafemi Ogungbamila, said the forum reflects the company’s belief that exceptional customer experiences are built not only on innovative technology but also on the expertise, collaboration and commitment of the professionals who keep payment systems running every day.
“Every successful digital transaction is powered by professionals whose work often goes unseen but is fundamental to building trust in digital payments. Core by Interswitch was created to recognise their contribution, strengthen collaboration across the industry and create opportunities for shared learning that ultimately benefit financial institutions and the customers they serve.
“As digital payments continue to evolve, investing in the people and processes that power the technology is just as important as investing in the technology itself,” Mr Ogungbamila said.
Beyond recognising the professionals whose work often goes unnoticed, the programme underscored the value of creating stronger connections across the payments ecosystem.
By creating a dedicated platform for knowledge sharing, collaboration and professional development, Core by Interswitch aims to build a more connected community of payments operations professionals equipped to respond to the evolving demands of the digital economy.
