Microsoft hope to provide support, benefits and tools for small and medium scale businesses (SMEs) in the Middle East and Africa in an initiative called ‘Keep Your Business Moving’.
Entrepreneurs will be assisted in setting up their businesses, while existing business owners will be supported in expanding their businesses into new markets and increasing profit.
Hennie Loubser, Microsoft’s General Manager for West, East, Central Africa and
Indian Ocean Islands, said small and medium scale businesses are responsible for more than 50 percent of employment in Africa and 20 percent of Africa’s GDP.
He said: “There’s no doubt that SMEs are increasingly competing in a global market, but they also come from diverse geographies and have very different needs, resources and goals.
“Cloud computing, mobility, big data and social technologies are key growth drivers in MEA, and Microsoft’s advice and solutions will help SMBs take advantage of these trends and become the industry leaders in their region.”
Microsoft added that, with ‘Keep Your Business Moving’, the software giant will help businesses create an online hub where entrepreneurs can get advice and the latest information on products and solutions specifically for their businesses.
Ken Spann, former Microsoft Development Platform Evangelist for Nigeria and West Africa and now Managing Director of WaveTek Nigeria Ltd, described SMEs as well positioned to utilise technology that was once exclusively available to larger organizations due to high costs.
The project’s website, Keep Your Business Moving, will be made available in English, French, Arabic and Turkish.
