Andrew Bourne, Zoho's regional head in South Africa, and Allan Musona, executive director at Loita Business.

Zoho, a global technology company, has teamed with Loita Business to support small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in Zimbabwe, Zambia, and South Africa with their digital transformation.

Loita Business is an online B2B enterprise marketplace that offers a 'modern buying' experience to businesses searching for a variety of B2B goods and services, including IT technologies.

Zoho said this partnership aims to empower SMEs in Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Africa to accelerate their digital transformation journey by providing access to enterprise-grade cloud technology solutions without cost barriers.

The development comes on the back of recent announcement by Zoho that it is broadening its wings across the continent and develop a strong foothold.

In announcing the new partnership, Zoho said the alliance also aligns with Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030, Zambia's Digital Economy Strategy, and South Africa's National Digital and Future Skills Strategy, all of which focus on a fully digitalised and innovation-driven business environment.

It elaborated: “By providing affordable and easy-to-use technology, Zoho and Loita Business aim to lower the barriers to technology adoption and equip SMEs with tools to optimise operational efficiency and quickly succeed in an increasingly competitive market.

“Businesses affiliated with Loita Business get access to Zoho's broad portfolio of business applications that cater to various needs from sales, marketing, and support to finance, HR, and workforce collaboration.”

Key benefits of the partnership include $500 wallet credits to eligible businesses; digital training through annual workshops; and localised solutions with Zoho saying its applications are tailored to address the specific needs of Zimbabwean, Zambian and South African businesses, including compliance with financial and government regulations, localisation features, and seamless system compatibility.

Andrew Bourne, regional head for Zoho in South Africa, said, “Through our collaboration with Loita Business, we aim to drive the growth of SMEs in Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Africa contributing to the development of the region’s digital economy.

“This also embodies our transnational localism strategy, wherein we strive to be locally rooted in key regions by working closely with on-ground business networks while staying globally connected."

Allan Musona, executive director, Loita Business, added, “Our collaboration with Zoho brings a unique opportunity to Zimbabwean, Zambian, and South African SMEs. By combining our marketplace expertise with Zoho’s innovative technology, we aim to provide businesses with the tools they need to achieve operational efficiency and sustainable growth.”