South African-based technology consulting firm Astraia Technology has been appointed as Value Added Reseller of Epicor software in the Western Cape region, through Epicor's South African distributor epic ERP.

Epic ERP, once also Epicor's South African VAR, says the partnership will see companies in the region benefit from strong local support for Epicor enterprise resource planning (ERP) software.

In July this year, Epicor signed an international channel distribution deal with epic ERP, with the objective to expand in sub-Saharan Africa and grow its reseller base.

"We are extremely excited to have Astraia on board. They have a solid reputation in the Western Cape and are the business partner of choice for many organisations across industry sectors," says Stuart Scanlon, Managing Director of epic ERP.

According to Scanlon, Epicor is strongly positioned in South Africa, "We have seen companies embrace its cloud-centric approach to meet the requirements of the digital age."

David Bryant, CEO of Astraia, says this appointment is not just about the technology solutions available through epic ERP, but is also a reflection of the shared values of both organisations.

"Companies are more open to ERP than in the past as it has become more affordable and accessible because of the benefits that cloud computing provide," says Bryant.

At the time of the Epicor, epic ERP deal, Danéel van Eck, director of strategy at epic ERP confirmed that recruitment drive for VAR partners in the region had begun and the target was to double the reseller base in the first eighteen months. "epic ERP will take full responsibility for managing, marketing, invoicing and training resellers across Africa."

Sabby Gill, Executive Vice President International at Epicor, said "By partnering and working with epic ERP as a distributor we increase our footprint and are able to penetrate larger organisations."

Scanlon added while ERP technology can help Africa leapfrog traditional economies, adoption on the continent has been slow.