NetApp talks up investment in Africa
NetApp, the Nasdaq listed computer storage and data management company, says its investment into Africa and regions like South Africa is starting to pay off, having picked up blue-chip clients including mobile operator, MTN.
According to David Gingell, VP business development EMEA at NetApp, the group will continue to expand in countries like South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya.
In 2012, investment into SA included the opening of a new corporate head office in Johannesburg.
In an interview with BusinessTech in London, at the Cisco Live event at the end of January, Gingell noted that Europe, the Middle East and Africa accounted for approximately 35% of global business for NetApp.
While the company is relatively new in Africa, with players like IBM already long since established, it is experiencing annual growth in the region of 40-50%, although off a relatively low base.
“The goal is to drive that up. We will continue to expand particularly in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa,” Gingell said.
He said that Africa, like most of the rest of the world, was experiencing challenging times, but he quickly added that growth was going to come from emerging markets. “We realize that. Africa is viewed as shiny object…there is opportunity, and we are investing in that.”
Gingell pointed out that NetApp was 100% channel driven business in Africa, with partners including Bytes, DataCentrix, and Didata. “We want to enable our partners, not compete against them.”
Gareth Vorster was hosted by Cisco to attend Cisco Live London 2013.
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