The news
- American software company has hired Sandra Adesuwa Ebere as its Business Development Lead as it plans to expand its presence in Nigeria.
- The cloud-based company which offers customer relationship relationship (CRM) solutions, revealed this at a media roundtable today, November 15, 2024.
- The company also revealed its plans for Nigeria, following Ebere's appointment.
According to Salesforce, "there are no immediate plans to establish a physical office in the country," but hiring Ebere as the business development lead is a first step. The company also reveals that Nigeria is a very important market for it.
However, this comes after the company slashed its global workforce four months ago as part of its broader effort to streamline operations, optimise its structure, and drive growth.
The company also slashed jobs earlier in 2024, following major tech layoffs globally. The job cuts affected 10% of its global workforce, especially employees in Ireland.
Interestingly, this was the same time the company revealed that it continues to see significant growth in Africa, particularly in South Africa and Morocco, highlighting massive returns on investments in these regions as interest in AI increases.
A spokesperson for the company said, "by keeping an eye out for potential opportunities, Salesforce remains dedicated to expanding its footprint in the region and delivering innovative solutions to meet the growing demands of customers.”
Some of these potential opportunities are strategic partnerships with firms like Amazon's cloud marketplace. It has extended its coverage beyond South Africa and Morocco through partnerships and direct engagement with companies like MTN, Vodacom, and Standard Bank.
Meanwhile, Ebere who has been with the company for just five months, was said to have closed the biggest Slack deal in Nigeria in three months. "She is a very important and strategic appointment," the company says.
While Salesforce has big plans for Africa other multinational companies have laid off employees on the continent. In 2023, Microsoft Kenya reportedly laid off several employees at its Africa Development Centre, Nairobi.
Read Next: Salesforce, the company behind Slack, has a game plan for Nigeria and it’s all about talent.
Written by seasoned experts, who have over 16 years of experience in Free Zones development. Learn more.
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Editor's note: The first version of this article claims Salesforce has plans to establish a physical presence in Nigeria. The company has clarified that "there are no immediate plans to establish a physical office in the country."
