Following on from the initial acquisition announcement of late 2021, South Africa-based cybersecurity specialist distributor Networks Unlimited has officially begun operating as Exclusive Networks Africa.

The newly established outfit represents the continental arm of this global trusted cybersecurity specialist for digital infrastructure. The move, as part of Exclusive Networks’ newly expanded Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, is aligned with its strategy to drive value for local and global partners.

In an exclusive interview with ITWeb Africa in early December 2021, Exclusive Networks CEO Jesper Trolle and Networks Unlimited’s Managing Director Anton Jacobsz said as a result of the acquisition, Exclusive Networks will leverage Networks Unlimited’s presence in 38 national markets on the continent, while Networks Unlimited will benefit from Exclusive Networks cybersecurity solution knowledge, experience and its understanding of the global marketplace.

Jacobsz said, “We are very pleased to announce the final stage of the acquisition process in which Networks Unlimited, after some 27 years of independent operations, now formally becomes the African entity of a global company that is also listed on the Paris stock exchange, Euronext Paris.”

“We firmly believe that this will create more opportunities for our vendor and reseller partners, as there is now wider access to our national markets, and also to a worldwide footprint that extends internationally throughout Asia-Pacific, North America and Europe, as well as the Middle East. As indicated previously, our channel partners will be able to benefit commercially from the global scale opportunities afforded to us being part of the worldwide Exclusive Networks organisation in a number of ways.

“Because Africa is seen as a growth market, it is thus widely recognised as an important investment destination, allowing for a strong focus on our vendors, both current as well as potential. We aim to take our existing vendors into new territories, while opportunities are also presenting for potential new vendors that will allow us to on-board new products.

Distribution-as-a-Service

Jacobsz added: “In addition, we are now able to extend our service offering through the Exclusive Networks Distribution-as-a-Service approach, allowing us to deliver everything we do as a service - with even our standard service offering going far beyond operations, warehousing and invoicing. These premium services will create even greater value for our existing and future partners.”

He disclosed that Exclusive Networks Africa is now able to offer a degree of specialisation, as well as a degree of reach, that did not exist previously.

“I believe our offering is now unmatched locally,” he explains. “The Exclusive Networks Africa services business is vastly expanded, and is a very strong enabler for territories where partners are unable to invest heavily in their own resources. We offer access to 43 countries on the continent where we have the footprint, and the ability, to be the partner of choice in taking away the burden of administrative issues such as import functionality, handling of VAT, service operations and so on.

“Our footprint across the continent can relieve a great deal of business pressure. We are also able to offer training across all our products, and have highly skilled engineering resources throughout the region to assist with global implementations.”

Jacobsz said it is important to note that the Love Trust, Exclusive Networks Africa’s Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) partner in South Africa, remains as a shareholder in the company.

“This means that, as Exclusive Networks Africa, we remain a Level One B-BBEE company,” he adds, “and this offers further positive implications for those organisations with whom we partner locally, including assisting them to improve their procurement points through our procurement rating of 135 percent. However, we are equally proud that this partnership with the Love Trust, a South African non-profit education organisation founded in 2009, means that we are, in a very real sense, helping to change people’s lives for the better within the country.

“We look forward to accomplishing so much more with the global reach and resources of Exclusive Networks, and trust that our partners will be able to capitalise on this exciting development, particularly in respect to extending sales opportunities with greater access to the African market. Besides being able to offer expansion opportunities, we remain committed to continuing to offer our high-value services and accredited skills,” he concluded.