SAP to cover East Africa from Nairobi hub

One of the world’s top ranked business software solutions developer, Systems Applications Products (SAP), has confirmed ongoing plans to beef up its operations in the East African region with Nairobi acting as its operations hub.

Renown as the enterprise resource planning and related applications software provider for the best run businesses in the world, SAP has now embarked on strategic market development initiatives in the region geared at providing a closer support for its regional customers.

Speaking during an SME road show at a Nairobi hotel, SAP’s Vice President for Emerging Markets, Brett Parker, confirmed that plans are underway to expand the firm’s local operations by enhancing its Nairobi Office and sales partners capacity.

Accompanied by SAP Africa managing director Pfungwa Serima and SME director Derek Kudsee, the expansion move, Parker explained has been necessitated by the region’s rapid development on the ICT arena, which has in turn raised a demand for business process management software systems.

The firm’s local operations enhancement will also be geared at quashing a perception that SAP systems are only meant for the world’s top companies.

“There is a perception that our solutions are aimed only at large enterprises yet more than 65,000 SAP customers are small or medium sized companies, which makes up more than 75 per cent of SAP customers worldwide,” said Parker. “Having had a running office for the last 12 years, we are extremely excited about being able to further reach out to the East Africa region in an environment that also brings us closer to our customers and helps us get an even better understanding of their business environment and challenges.”

In the region, SAP systems are currently running major organisations such as Bamburi Cement, New KCC, Kenya Power and Lighting Company, Mumias Sugar, Bidco Oil Refineries, Mukwano Industries, Kakira Sugar and Diamond Trust Bank among other leading corporates.