We have successfully completed the CONTEXT Global ChannelWatch 2024 survey, with over 7,000 resellers participating to provide valuable insights into their experiences over the past year and their expectations for the future. The survey offers critical intelligence for both IT distributors and vendors, reflecting the pulse of the global IT industry.

South Africa

The feedback from South African resellers was well–balanced between those focused on B2B and B2C operations, representing a broad spectrum of industries. Business services, government, finance, education, and retail were among the most significant sectors covered, providing a comprehensive overview of the current market landscape.

Looking ahead, South African resellers identified several key areas of focus for the next 1–2 years. On the B2B side, cloud computing, cybersecurity, data centre solutions, AI, and networking emerged as the primary fields for growth and investment. Meanwhile, for B2C, personal computing, software, accessories, and SSDs are the main areas of interest.

Resellers pointed out areas where they believe distributors and vendors need to improve their service offerings. One of the most significant areas highlighted was training and certification, which resellers view as critical for channel enablement and empowerment. Channel incentives and lead generation were also flagged as needing enhancement, with a call for better opportunities and more attractive incentives to drive success.

Additionally, multi–vendor and field support were seen as essential to provide more technical and on–the–ground enablement. Many resellers still feel the strain of the post–COVID economic recovery and have called for greater financial support to help them regain momentum.

Looking ahead, there is optimism across the reseller landscape in South Africa, with a positive outlook for growth and improvement. Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations are gaining traction, becoming more prevalent in discussions and tenders. AI has established itself in many industries, with resellers expressing a desire to strengthen their capabilities and solutions in this area.

Finally, as part of CONTEXT ChannelWatch, we acknowledge the distributors who performed exceptionally well in 2024. AXIZ was named Overall Distributor of the Year, with First Distribution leading in cloud and cybersecurity, and Tarsus standing out for logistics and innovation. A full list of awards is included below.

Overall Distributor of the Year 2024: AXIZ
Top Cloud Distributor 2024: First Distribution
Top Cybersecurity Distributor 2024: First Distribution
Top UC Distributor 2024: AXIZ
Top Customer Service 2024: AXIZ
Top AV Distributor 2024: AXIZ
Top Retail Distributor 2024: Rectron
Top Logistics Distributor 2024: Tarsus
Top Value-Add Distributor 2024: Tarsus
Top Innovation Distributor 2024: Tarsus

Congratulations to all winners!

For more MEA IT channel news from CONTEXT , follow our MEA LinkedIn page.