Following South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement that the fourth wave of COVID-19 is expected to begin in December, many businesses face uncertainty. This is compounded with the issue of supply-chain disruption which the pandemic has wrought worldwide.
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Following the report of the first slowdown of sales growth recorded by the Skynamo Industry Thermometer in August 2021, the results for September have indicated very little movement month-on-month.
The Skynamo Industry Thermometer is a free-to-access resource that benchmarks industry sales activity and sector health on a monthly basis. It reports average order values and volumes from approximately 1000 South African manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors across 26 industries using the Skynamo field sales app.
Zane van Rooyen, Product Marketing Manager at Skynamo says that the company’s Industry Thermometer recorded the first slowdown in August. This followed encouraging signs of sales growth heading towards pre-pandemic figures since January 2021. “The results for September are almost a carbon copy of those recorded in August. With minimal movement, positive or negative, across all our tracked industries,” he says.
With this in mind, van Rooyen points out that it’s hard to ascertain what this plateau means in terms of the momentum of steady growth witnessed since the beginning of the year. “It could mean that local businesses have reached a peak in volumes or that the pressure on global supply chains is placing significant risk on companies. It could also simply be a reflection of the calm before the festive season storm.”
On a positive note, he highlights that the data is clearly showing that the Building & Hardware as well as the Food & Beverage industries are still vastly leading the race when it comes to order values and volumes with order revenue. “These are up by 100% and 400% respectively year-on-year.”
“As the world slowly opens up, with measurements set in place for businesses to operate and people to live alongside the virus, the results of the fourth quarter will be a tell-tale sign of what to expect next year,” concludes van Rooyen.
Established in Stellenbosch, South Africa in 2012, Skynamo is the leading field sales technology provider. With close to 10,000 users at nearly 1,000 companies across a wide range of industries in Southern Africa, Australasia, the UK, Europe and the US. Skynamo’s field sales mobile app and cloud-based management platform are used by manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors. Companies with sales teams in the field, selling products to an existing base of customers. Skynamo integrates with a wide range of ERP and accounting software to improve order accuracy and fulfilment. The app was named Sage ISV Partner of the Year for 2019 (Africa & the Middle East). It was also named an Acumatica Certified Application and Customer Verified Application. Skynamo received $30million in funding from US based software investment firm Five Elms Capital in 2020. It forms part of the Stellenbosch-based Alphawave group of software and electronics companies. The group has more than 100 employees in South Africa, the UK and the US.
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Recent data from Skynamo’s Industry Thermometer reveals that the civil unrest in July is having a longer-term impact on South African businesses—interrupting the strong sales momentum that had been building toward pre-pandemic levels.
The Skynamo Industry Thermometer is a free monthly resource used to benchmark sector health and industry sales activity. It tracks average order values and volumes from more than 500 South African manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors across 26 industries, all using the Skynamo field sales app to capture and process orders.
According to Zane van Rooyen, Product Marketing Manager at Skynamo, August’s Industry Thermometer data reflects the first slowdown in sales growth this year.
“Optimistically, only 8 of the 26 industry groups monitored showed negative growth compared with the previous month,” says van Rooyen. “While this stalling is noticeable, it’s relatively small compared to the significant drop we saw in 2020 due to the pandemic.”
Apparel (clothing and shoes) and packaging industries took some of the hardest hits in August. “Order volumes dipped compared to earlier months,” he notes. “However, when looking at the combined performance across all industries, the trend line still tilts slightly upward. August managed to hold its own—just barely.”
These findings align with comments from Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, who recently stated that the unrest will not quickly resolve its economic impact and will likely stretch beyond 2021. Early estimates placed the cost to the economy at around R50 billion, with long-term effects still unfolding.
“Despite this, the 1.2% economic growth recorded in Q2, as highlighted by the National Treasury, has been encouraging—and we’re seeing similar positive signals reflected in our data,” van Rooyen adds.
Van Rooyen notes that the upcoming months remain uncertain:
“Only time will tell what the next stretch of the tightrope will look like. I am cautiously optimistic that South Africa’s resilience will carry us through this wave and that local businesses will emerge stronger and more informed on the other side.”
Skynamo now integrates with Microsoft Dynamics 365. This will give sales reps the ability to improve order accuracy and shorten order fulfilment times for manufacturers and distributors.
Small and medium, local enterprises (SMEs) are essential to the economy’s health and predicted to lead an economic recovery post-COVID. However, many of these businesses are fighting to keep their doors open since the onset of the pandemic. 89% impacted by the recent rioting and looting in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, according to research by BeyondCovid. Positively, the latest data by Skynamo’s Industry Thermometer for July 2021 reveals that the political turmoil did not have as big an impact on sales as expected.
South African women still face tremendous challenges in their daily lives. From personal safety to access to education and work opportunities and appropriate healthcare.
Skynamo has taken an exciting step forward in its global growth journey with the acquisition of mSeller. It’s a well-established UK mobile field sales application. This move not only expands Skynamo’s footprint in the UK but also strengthens its order management and digital catalogue capabilities. Two features that field sales teams rely on more than ever.
This acquisition comes just a year after Skynamo secured $30 million in funding from US-based software investment firm Five Elms Capital. The investment was aimed at accelerating global adoption of Skynamo’s mobile-first field sales platform, and the integration of mSeller is a clear example of that strategy in action.
Field sales has changed dramatically over the past year. The pandemic forced businesses to rethink how reps sell, place orders, and collaborate with customers. Digital tools have become essential—not optional.
mSeller brings more than two decades of experience in the UK market and has a loyal customer base across industries such as toys, giftware, confectionery, stationery, and furniture. Their app gives reps the ability to access digital product catalogues, pricing, customer information, invoices, and order history on the go.
According to Sam Clarke, CEO of Skynamo, the acquisition provides an opportunity to merge the best of both platforms:
“By combining mSeller’s strengths with Skynamo, we can offer a truly comprehensive order management and digital catalogue experience to field sales reps around the world.”
For managers, it means better visibility of what’s happening in the field. For sales reps, it means instant access to accurate product and customer data—no matter where they are. And for customers, it means faster, more reliable service.
Skynamo’s mission has always been to help manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors move away from inefficient, paper-based processes. With mSeller onboard, that mission becomes even more achievable.
As Clarke explains:
“Small businesses in the UK and South Africa are often late adopters of digital order and sales tools. There’s a huge opportunity to help them transition to simple, powerful mobile technology.”
And this acquisition is a major step toward that future.
For further information visit skynamo.com
Established in Stellenbosch, South Africa in 2012, Skynamo is the leading field sales technology provider with close to 10,000 users at nearly 1,000 companies across a wide range of industries in Southern Africa, Australasia, the UK, Europe and the US. Skynamo’s field sales mobile app and cloud-based management platform are used by manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors with sales teams in the field, selling products to an existing base of customers. Skynamo integrates with a wide range of ERP and accounting software to improve order accuracy and fulfilment. It was named Sage ISV Partner of the Year for 2019 (Africa & the Middle East) and an Acumatica Certified Application and Customer Verified Application. Skynamo is a member of the Stellenbosch-based Alphawave group of software and electronics companies, with more than 100 employees in South Africa, the UK and the US.
PRESS CONTACT
Issued on behalf of Skynamo by Samantha Pugh from Hook, Line & Sinker Communications
Tel: +27 71 874 5460 / Email: sam@hooklinesinker.biz
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In 2013, Sam Clarke – founder and CEO of local startup, Skynamo – decided he wanted to solve a problem that had been getting in the way of business for decades. A few years later, in 2020, Skynamo went on to secure $30 million in US funding. It is now putting it to good use.