GoDaddy, the world\u2019s largest cloud platform, has officially announced its presence in South Africa.<\/p>\n
By formally entering the market, GoDaddy said it will engage more closely with small business owners and entrepreneurs in the country, and offer more tools and support to help them build a powerful online presence and grow their business.<\/p>\n
GoDaddy said it plans to deliver locally relevant online tools and solutions and be a partner for South African customers\u2019 entrepreneurial journey, including naming their idea and building a professional website, attracting and engaging with customers online, and managing their work and driving results.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs small businesses fuel the South African economy, our official launch here signals our commitment to supporting this vibrant entrepreneurial landscape, which plays a critical role in helping to drive prosperity and creating jobs,\u201d said Stefano Maruzzi, GoDaddy VP for EMEA Region.<\/p>\n
\u201cSouth Africa is an important market for GoDaddy with our customer base in the region growing 25% year-on-year in 2018. Our integrated suite of online tools makes it easier for small business owners and entrepreneurs to leverage the power of the internet to help their business become more visible,\u201d Maruzzi said.<\/p>\n
GoDaddy said it recognises that a significant portion of South African small businesses don\u2019t yet have an online presence.<\/p>\n
A recent GoDaddy survey of 250 South African small business owners indicate that time, budget and online knowledge represent significant barriers for them getting online. Of those who have created websites, GoDaddy\u2019s online tools were chosen specifically for their competitive prices, ease-of-use and high reliability.<\/p>\n
GoDaddy\u2019s South African website offers products and services targeted for South African customers in local ZAR currency, and includes 24\/7 customer care with local telephone numbers and online chat options available.<\/p>\n
The company said it aims to help more entrepreneurs create a professional online presence by making its tools easy-to-use and affordable.<\/p>\n
Whether a customer is self-employed as a plumber, runs a law firm, hustles after-hours as a freelance designer, or owns a small artisanal bakery, GoDaddy enables them to get a professional website up-and-running in less than an hour.<\/p>\n
The GoDaddy Website Builder tool enables people, with little technical experience, to design a mobile-optimised website from the start.<\/p>\n
Website Builder is designed to be \u201cmobile first\u201d, allowing people to build and edit their website directly from a mobile device. Website Builder enables people to build, strengthen and grow their online presence and business.<\/p>\n
Thanks to its intuitive design interface and integrated features like search engine visibility, social media, and e-mail marketing, aspiring entrepreneurs can easily build and manage a fully-integrated digital presence for their venture.<\/p>\n
As part of its expanded presence in South Africa, GoDaddy recently hosted a pilot workshop of its \u2018Digital Me with GoDaddy\u2019 Programme, a curriculum developed to equip small business owners and entrepreneurs with information to help kick-start their journey online.<\/p>\n