Microsoft backs SA tech SMMEs to succeed in the AI economy
Microsoft SA is inviting qualifying small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) to apply for the 2025 edition of its Emerging Partner Programme (EPP).
This programme represents a significant commitment to empowering SMMEs to become sustainable engines of growth, driving the expansion of local industries and strengthening SA's economy through transformative technologies.
Participating SMMEs will receive comprehensive support over a 24-month period, which will include crucial elements designed to help businesses expand operations, reach new markets, and drive meaningful innovation.
Additionally, SMMEs will receive accelerated development of technical skills to attain Microsoft Certifications and commercial capabilities through adoption and change management training as well as business development programmes and coaching.
According to Lebogang Luvuno, B-BBEE executive at Microsoft SA, the programme is built around the vision of transforming today's SMMEs into tomorrow's big inspirations: 'We aim to empower these businesses to become leaders, fostering resilience and innovation within the South African economy and the communities they operate in. By identifying, recruiting, and nurturing these aspiring partners, the EPP works to build both their technical and commercial capabilities.'
The impact of the programme is already being seen through revenue growth and job creation for participating businesses. In the past 18 months, Microsoft has trained 88 partners, comprising 548 individuals, which critically created 107 new jobs and 86 part-time jobs. Partners acquired 109 new customers with a combined revenue growth of R61m in 2024.
In a country where job creation and economic resilience are paramount, empowering SMMEs is imperative. Microsoft views supporting these businesses as a powerful catalyst for closing the unemployment gap and building a more inclusive economy for future generations. The EPP is a key part of Microsoft's Enterprise and Supplier Development initiative, specifically designed to support the development of 100% black-owned SMMEs in the ICT industry who aspire to become Microsoft Solutions Partners.
With a long-standing presence in SA, Microsoft consistently demonstrates its commitment to enabling empowerment by equipping entrepreneurs with the tools, mentorship and funding needed to create growing businesses and foster a more inclusive economy.
Our EPP emphasises the transformative power of AI. Through this, we provide tools and training to help SMMEs leverage AI to drive higher productivity, boost efficiency, and contribute to sustainable growth
Lebogang Luvuno, B-BBEE executive at Microsoft SA
At the heart of this journey is artificial intelligence (AI), with Microsoft offering tools that are not only transforming South African enterprises today but also laying the foundation for a thriving digital future — underlining the company's vision for a South African economy where AI empowers entrepreneurs to compete and succeed.
'Our programme emphasises the transformative power of AI. Through this, we provide tools and training to help SMMEs leverage AI to drive higher productivity, boost efficiency, and contribute to sustainable growth,' says Luvuno, adding that tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot have the potential to significantly impact SMME operations, reduce operating costs and increase net revenue, turning AI into a strategic advantage in competitive markets.
The 2025 Microsoft Work Trend Index annual report reveals the emergence of a new kind of organisation — Frontier Firms — powered by AI-human collaboration. With 82% of leaders rethinking core aspects of strategy and operations and 81% expecting agent integration into the company's AI strategy within 18 months, SMMEs can scale, stay agile, and compete with larger firms by using AI to bridge capacity gaps, democratise expertise, and drive outcome-focused operations.
The EPP also supports SMMEs in attaining Microsoft Solutions Area Designations, helping them differentiate their expertise and showcase their capabilities with identifiable badging.
Becoming a Microsoft partner through programmes like the EPP can be a profitable venture. 'Partners providing services generate a high average ratio of revenue from their own services, and AI is further elevating this. Our EPP aims to accelerate partner success and exposure by leveraging our extensive, diverse, and powerful ecosystem,' says Luvuno.
By joining the EPP, SMMEs can leverage Microsoft's resources, networks, and technology, including AI, to build sustainable businesses. This is an opportunity to gain essential skills, access potential funding, and increase market exposure, accelerating their journey towards success in the AI economy.
At Microsoft, empowering SMMEs is about fostering ingenuity in communities, enabling business owners to grow into leaders who inspire future generations.
SMMEs are strongly encouraged to seize this opportunity to apply and leverage the resources and support offered by Microsoft to fuel their growth.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
42 minutes ago
- The South African
Crypto As Collateral: How To Trade Global Markets Using Cryptocurrencies With PrimeXBT
PrimeXBT, an industry-leading multi-asset broker, has expanded its Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) licence in South Africa, enabling it to offer Crypto asset services. Local traders now have access to Crypto and fiat-denominated accounts on the broker's platforms, including PXTrader and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). Deposits and withdrawals can be made in Crypto or fiat, and both can be used as collateral to open trades across 150+ markets. This is a major step towards wider, more secure Crypto adoption in South Africa and across the wider region, setting the standards for future licensing frameworks. This article will cover how South African traders can use PrimeXBT's platforms and tools to easily diversify their portfolios across markets, using Crypto as collateral for their trades. With the expansion of its offering, PrimeXBT enables local traders to buy, hold, sell, and exchange popular Cryptocurrencies, including BTC, ETH, USDT, and USDC. To deposit Crypto, clients simply choose which token to deposit and to which wallet or account. They then send the Crypto to the address provided. All transactions are fast and secure, with deposited tokens appearing in clients' wallets instantly. The broker uses top-tier security measures, including multi-signature cold storage technology to protect clients' digital assets. Rapid Crypto withdrawals are also supported. In addition, PrimeXBT offers various payment options for fiat currencies. These include support for ZAR deposits and withdrawals, local bank transfers, and regional third-party payment providers like Capitec Pay. When South African clients deposit ZAR, it's automatically converted to USD. From there, they can exchange into stablecoins (USDT or USDC) and use those to purchase crypto such as BTC or ETH. The same steps apply when converting crypto back to fiat. All fees are included in the exchange rate, and the process is quick and transparent. PrimeXBT's powerful built-in exchange functionality enables seamless Crypto-to-Crypto conversions. The process is simple, with no complex order books. Clients just enter the amount they want to convert and between which currencies. PrimeXBT empowers South African traders to do more with their Crypto by allowing it to be used as collateral to trade over a hundred global markets. These include Crypto Futures, Forex, and CFDs on Crypto, Stocks, Indices, and Commodities. Clients can open trading accounts in USD or USDT on PXTrader and MT5, providing added flexibility. With the broker's exchange functionality, other tokens can be easily converted to USDT, allowing traders to start opening positions immediately. The broker's platforms also offer a range of tools like TradingView integration, technical indicators, drawing tools, and algorithmic trading, to help clients analyse the markets and identify new opportunities. Local traders benefit from industry-leading trading conditions, including fees as low as 0% on non-Crypto CFDs. For Crypto CFDs, trading fees start at 0.05%, while for Crypto Futures, they are as low as 0.01%. Leverage of up to 1000x is available; however, traders should be aware that leveraged trading significantly increases both potential gains and potential losses. It may not be suitable for all investors and should be approached with proper risk management. Spreads start from as low as 0.1 pips, and with PrimeXBT's VIP Tiers, clients can receive substantial fee discounts based on trading volume. The broker works with multiple top-tier liquidity providers to ensure fast and reliable execution on its platforms, leading to 99.9% uptime even in volatile market conditions. By expanding its FSCA-regulated offering with the inclusion of Crypto, PrimeXBT is one of the first brokers in the region to truly bridge the gap between traditional and digital markets. South African traders can now take their portfolio diversification to another level, while moving capital seamlessly between asset classes. This opens up a world of new opportunities for traders to explore, backed by strong oversight and a commitment to security that comes from trading with a trusted and regulated broker. Start trading with PrimeXBT South Africa. Disclaimer: The content provided here is for informational purposes only and is not intended as personal investment advice and does not constitute a solicitation or invitation to engage in any financial transactions, investments, or related activities. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. The financial products offered by the Company are complex and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. These products may not be suitable for all investors. Before engaging, you should consider whether you understand how these leveraged products work and whether you can afford the high risk of losing your money. The Company does not accept clients from the Restricted Jurisdictions as indicated on its website. PrimeXBT (PTY) LTD is an authorised financial services provider in South Africa with licence number 45697. PrimeXBT (PTY) LTD acts as an intermediary between the investor and the market maker which is the counterparty to the products purchased through PrimeXBT.
The South African
an hour ago
- The South African
Here is the expected petrol price for July 2025
The mid-month data now suggests that bad news lies ahead for South Africa's motorists in July 2025. Vehicle owners in South Africa saw a sizeable decrease in the cost of both petrol and diesel earlier this month and early signs were that there was even more good news ahead next month. However, that picture radically changed after Israel attacked Iran late last week, which resulted in the brent crude oil price rising. Below, the latest projections as received by The South African website from the Central Energy Fund (CEF), effective Monday, 16 June. FUEL PRICE CHANGE Petrol 93 increase of 6 cents Petrol 95 increase of 9 cents Diesel 0.05% increase of 10 cents Diesel 0.005% increase of 12 cents Illuminating Paraffin increase of 1 cent If the market conditions were to remain consistent for the remainder of the month – an unlikely scenario with the rand/dollar exchange rate fluctuating and the oil price ever changing – an increase of 6 cents is expected for petrol 93 octane motorists and an increase of 9 cents for 95 users. Meanwhile, diesel motorists would see something between a 10 and 12 cents per litre increase. Finally, illuminating paraffin is expected to rise by 1 cent in price. FUEL PRICE IN SOUTH AFRICA IMPACTED BY TWO MAIN FACTORS: 1. The international price of petroleum products, driven mainly by oil prices 2. The rand/dollar exchange rate used in the purchase of these products Oil price At the time of publishing the brent crude oil price is $74.61 a barrel. Exchange rate At the time of publishing the rand/dollar exchange rate is R17.83/$. The final overall price changes for both petrol and diesel will be confirmed early next month with the new prices taking effect at midnight on Tuesday, 1 July 2025. Go easy on the accelerator until then, Mzansi. INLAND June Petrol 93 R21.24 Petrol 95 R21.35 Diesel 0.05% R18.53 Diesel 0.005% R18.57 Illuminating Paraffin R12.49 COASTAL June Petrol 93 R20.45 Petrol 95 R20.56 Diesel 0.05% R17.70 Diesel 0.005% R17.81 Illuminating Paraffin R11.47 Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
an hour ago
- The South African
Here's how much money the South African golfers won at the US Open
Home » Here's how much money the South African golfers won at the US Open American J.J. Spaun won the 2025 US Open at Oakmont Country Club in dramatic fashion. Here's how the South Africans in the field fared. Image: Wikimedia Commons American J.J. Spaun won the 2025 US Open at Oakmont Country Club in dramatic fashion on Sunday in what was only his second PGA Tour title – and first major win. He also collected $4.3 million. Runner-up Robert MacIntyre (Scotland) earned $2 322 000 while Norway's Viktor Hovland, who was solo third, picked up $1 459 284. A total of 66 players from the 156-man starting field made the cut – which included one amateur. Those that didn't make the halfway cut which fell on 7-over par, each earned $10 000 (R178 000). Among those players to miss out on the final 36 holes were South African duo Erik van Rooyen (9-over par) and Jacques Kruyswijk (10-over par). Two South Africans – Thriston Lawrence and Christiaan Bezuidenhout – did make the cut – and both finished in a tie for 12th on 6-over par. They each pocketed $348 967 (R6.2 million). For the majors, the US Open hands out slightly more than the Masters, which increased its purse to $21 million in April. The PGA Championship bumped its purse to $19 million for Quail Hollow last month. The Open Championship paid out $17 million at Royal Troon in 2024. FINISH PLAYER EARNINGS 1 J.J. Spaun $4,300,000 2 Robert MacIntyre $2,322,000 3 Viktor Hovland $1,459,284 T4 Cameron Young $876,869 T4 Tyrrell Hatton $876,869 T4 Carlos Ortiz $876,869 T7 Sam Burns $614,423 T7 Jon Rahm $614,423 T7 Scottie Scheffler $614,423 T10 Russell Henley $465,937 T10 Ben Griffin $465,937 T12 Adam Scott $348,967 T12 Thriston Lawrence $348,967 T12 Rasmus Neergaard-Peterson $348,967 T12 Xander Schauffele $348,967 T12 Chris Kirk $348,967 T12 Brooks Koepka $348,967 T12 Christiaan Bezuidenhout $348,967 T19 Rory McIlroy $242,532 T19 Ryan Fox $242,532 T19 Emiliano Grillo $242,532 T19 Victor Perez $242,532 T23 Patrick Reed $161,132 T23 Collin Morikawa $161,132 T23 Jordan Spieth $161,132 T23 Matt Wallace $161,132 T23 Jason Day $161,132 T23 Sam Stevens $161,132 T23 Thomas Detry $161,132 T23 Nick Taylor $161,132 T23 Max Greyserman $161,132 T23 Chris Gotterup $161,132 T33 Tom Kim $113,503 T33 J.T. Poston $113,503 T33 Aaron Rai $113,503 T33 Keegan Bradley $113,503 37 Maverick McNealy $101,379 T38 Taylor Pendrith $90,408 T38 Tony Finau $90,408 T38 Matt Fitzpatrick $90,408 T38 Marc Leishman $90,408 T42 Hideki Matsuyama $72,943 T42 Andrew Novak $72,943 T42 Trevor Cone $72,943 T42 Si Woo Kim $72,943 T46 Niklas Norgaard $56,944 T46 Daniel Berger $56,944 T46 Rasmus Højgaard $56,944 T46 Jhonattan Vegas $56,944 T50 Ryan McCormick $48,101 T50 Michael Kim $48,101 T50 Mackenzie Hughes $48,101 T50 Adam Schenk $48,101 T50 Ryan Gerard $48,101 T55 Justin Hastings (a) $0 T55 Laurie Canter $46,081 T57 Sungjae Im $45,423 T57 Denny McCarthy $45,423 T59 Harris English $44,984 T59 Brian Harman $44,984 T61 Jordan Smith $43,445 T61 James Nicholas $43,445 T61 Johnny Keefer $43,445 T64 Cam Davis $42,351 T64 Matthieu Pavon $42,351 66 Philip Barbaree, Jr. $41,692 Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
