Sage, a global vendor for integrated accounting, payroll, human resources, and payment systems, will welcome over 1,000 entrepreneurs, small and medium business owners and Sage business partners from around Africa and Middle East at the Sage Summit Tour. The event takes place at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg from 7-9 March.
Sage Summit Tour was traditionally an annual event held in the US, but this year, Sage is bringing its personalised and interactive experience to cities and business builders around the world. Sage partners and customers will gather in Johannesburg to learn about new technologies, digital transformation and the future of work. Top speakers including Sage CEO Stephen Kelly will share insights about how entrepreneurs can energise the success of their businesses.
Sage is expected to unveil new products, with Kelly using his keynote speech to announce new tools, technologies and partnerships. He will also unveil Sage’s plans to use the Sage Foundation Enterprise Fund to change the lives of young people, women and military veterans around the region.
Joining Stephen Kelly are: Anton van Heerden, Managing Director and Executive Vice President, Africa and Middle East at Sage; Nick Goode, Executive Vice President: Product Management, Sage; Ivan Epstein, Chairman of Sage Foundation; Dr Cheick Diarra, Astrophysicist, Businessman and Malian Politician; Luke McKend, Country Director at Google South Africa.
Bringing together Sage’s customers, partners, and colleagues, the Sage Summit Tour is designed to encourage learning and networking, while celebrating the power of the global entrepreneurial business community.
Anton van Heerden, Managing Director and Executive Vice President, Africa and Middle East at Sage said: “During Sage Summit, Johannesburg becomes the hub for the region’s entrepreneurs. This community is the most powerful driver of economic prosperity in the Africa and Middle East’s economy, creating more than two thirds of all jobs. We will celebrate these business builders, support them with the technology of tomorrow and seek to give them a voice on the world stage.”
Sage Summit is being supported by AccTech Systems, Norming, and iVend Retail as gold sponsors; silver sponsors are Peresoft Software, Moditar, Technisoft, AutoSimply, Flowgear, OrgChart Hosting and Orchid Systems.
Sage also announced the launch of Sage Foundation’s Enterprise Fund. The new $1 million fund is open to non-profits in Africa with enterprising ideas to help improve the lives of military veterans, young people or women and girls. Every day, across Africa inspiring non-profit leaders, volunteers and their supporters are working tirelessly to make their communities better places to live. Sage Foundation’s Enterprise Fund has been designed to support those organisations generate further income, create new initiatives or enhance existing and proven activity.
The $1 million will be split between two rounds of $500,000; with the second round ready for release in July 2017. Applications for the first round are open until April 5; grants between $5,000 and $35,000 will then be awarded to successful applicants.
All applications that fulfil the eligibility criteria will be considered. However, Sage Foundation is especially keen to support organisations that are currently small but have ambitions to expand, grow and deliver sustainable change. It is also hoped that the fund will support needs such as; capital projects, core running costs or new innovations.
“Sage Foundation’s Enterprise Fund is designed to help organisations generate further income, create new initiatives or enhance existing activity,” says Joanne van der Walt, Sage Foundation Manager, Africa at Sage.
“There are some wonderful charities across Africa who has innovative yet practical ideas about how they can solve some of the socio-economic challenges their communities face each day. We want to help them turn these exceptional ideas into reality.”
Sage Foundation’s Enterprise Fund was originally announced at Sage Summit in Chicago in July 2016, part of a series of new initiatives to mobilise Sage colleagues, partners and customers around a common vision for change. As part of 2017’s new Sage Summit Tour, Sage Foundation will be working with Sage’s brilliant network of business builders, to take action together.
Since January 2016, Sage Foundation has been taking action to build sustainable social, economic and entrepreneurial opportunities in Sage’s local communities around the world. By investing and supporting non-profit partners that are helping people reach their true potential, and committed to doing business the right way.
Sage Foundation is powered by the 2+2+2 model. Through this, Sage Foundation donates: 2% of employee time each year or 5 volunteer days, 2% of free cash flow in grants, and 2 donated software licenses to eligible partners.
At the Sage Summit Tour,, it will update delegates about how the Sage Foundation is making a difference for communities and non-profit organisations across Africa with its approach to social investment. It will also disclose how the Enterprise Fund will benefit the region’s charities.
