PROFILE

AYO Technology Solutions Ltd (AYO) is rooted in South Africa, with a purpose to help organisations reach new heights by empowering their people, enriching their processes and developing industry disruptor technology solutions that enable them to be market leaders in the digitally transformed economies they operate in.

The AYO Group leverages its group-wide capabilities and strategic partnerships to deliver end-to-end digital and technology solutions to multiple industries in South Africa’s public and private sectors as well as across the African continent and beyond.

The AYO Group consists of a number of technology companies that offer Information Communication Technology (ICT) services and solutions to clients across a range of industries that are best served by technology that enables them to be efficient in their key capabilities. Key group companies include:

Puleng Technologies (Pty) Ltd is a 15-year-old, proudly South African ICT company with its roots firmly in building local expertise and providing customers with “Project Success” linked to the solutions Puleng designs and supports. The Puleng Blueprint provides customers with a client-centric strategy to manage and secure the two most valuable assets an organisation has: its data and users, while facilitating IT and business with a platform to build an efficient, collaborative and integrated cybersecurity program. To further enhance its strategy, Puleng provides its customers with data centre infrastructure platforms, which allow Puleng to leverage its core strengths across its Compute, Storage, Virtualisation and Management teams.

Sizwe Africa IT Group (Pty) Ltd offers various ICT services to its customers, including a focused spectrum of physical infrastructure, metro and long-distance optic fibre, facility management, continuous energy supply, networking and security to hosting, storage server processing, mobility, data centre, end-user computing and associated consumables.

Health Systems Technologies (Pty) Ltd offers ICT solutions to the healthcare industry, such as hospitals; primary healthcare, laboratory and pharmacy information systems; electronic health records; continuity of care records and telemedicine backed by the necessary professional services, such as consulting, system architecture design, system integration, business intelligence and development of bespoke software solutions.

Kalula Communications (Pty) Ltd (trading as Headset Solutions) imports and distributes notable brands within the telecommunications and consumer electronic markets. Headset Solutions is the distributor for all Poly, Jabra and Konftel products in Southern Africa. Poly designs headsets for a wide range of devices, including phones, laptops, handhelds, entertainment and music devices. Konftel is a worldwide leader in the manufacture of audio-conferencing equipment and the inventor of audio conference technology.

SGT Solutions (Pty) Ltd is a turnkey solutions integrator, specialising in the design, supply, deployment and maintenance of multi-technology telecommunication systems for fixed, mobile and converged networks through partnerships with their customers and technology providers. They create value-added customer experiences by offering solutions that yield tangible benefits and differentiation for their customers, thereby leveraging the investment in their existing networks.

Global Control and Command Technologies (Pty) Ltd
(GC²T) is the national sovereign command and control capability of the Department of Defence. GC²T has existed in various forms since 1982 when it was moved out of the then Andromeda (state owned) into the Altech Group as the first phase of establishment of a national command and control strategy. Today the company is 100% South African and majority black-owned. GC²T operates in the defence and related technologies space and focuses on the provision of system level 4, 5 and 6 Command, Control, Communication and Information solutions

Digital Matter (Pty) Ltd is an IT specialist focusing on mobile application development including mobile inspection management, fixed asset management, and solutions for clients in mobile field services, technician management, franchise evolution, mobile banking and plant commissioning.

Afrozaar (Pty) Ltd is a software consulting and product development business focused on the development of innovative software products in the mobile, digital and cloud environments. Afrozaar is fast becoming a leader in digital transformation of traditional media and brand groups around how they value their digital processes, assets and respective audiences.

2019 OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE

The Group delivered a strong performance for the year with revenue amounting to R1.6bn and profit before tax of R124m.

The Group achieved significant organic growth during the year as a result of a contract with a multinational company. Work on the contract is progressing very well, with positive feedback from the client. AYO expects to obtain new contracts with other multinational companies as it builds on its platforms driven by the “Go to Market” strategy.

VISION 2020 VISION – AYO’S VISION

AYO’s vision is to be the leading empowered digital and technology solutions partner for organisations across the African continent.

AYO’S CONTRIBUTION:

• The Company acquired a 55% equity interest in Zaloserve (Pty) Ltd (Zaloserve), 40% equity interest in Saab Grintek Technologies (Pty) Ltd – now known as SGT Solutions (Pty) Ltd (SGT Solutions) – via a special purpose vehicle, Main Street 1653 (Pty) Ltd, and a 32% equity interest in Bambelela Capital (Pty) Ltd (Bambelela) (previously Vunani Group (Pty) Ltd).
• Zaloserve holds an indirect 100% shareholding in Sizwe Africa IT Group (Pty) Ltd (Sizwe).
• On 1 March 2019, AYO acquired a 24% equity interest in Global Command and Control Technologies Proprietary Limited (GC²T).
• On 19 March 2019, AYO signed an agreement with Bambelela and Vunani Capital (Pty) Ltd (Vunani Capital) in which AYO is a 50% shareholder, Bambelela a 30% shareholder and Vunani Capital a 20% shareholder. This special purpose vehicle was formed to invest in disruptive financial services technology as part of its “Go to Market” strategy.

PROSPECTS AND FUTURE OUTLOOK

AYO continues to focus on its acquisition strategy in order to complement and augment the current businesses and enhance its vertical industry “Go to Market” strategy.

On successful completion of certain acquisitions, AYO will be strongly positioned to win significant market share in its industry and to challenge and disrupt the ICT landscape that has been dominated by the same brands.

Through the above strategies, AYO’s product and service portfolio and digital ecosystem should be able to service a substantial customer base and capture 5% to 8% of the South African market by 2022.

The exciting growth prospects that these target businesses will enjoy within the AYO digital ecosystem will have a compounding effect on the Company’s organic growth.

MARKET PRESENCE

AYO and its subsidiaries operate across a variety of industries and have a market presence in South Africa, SADC region, Eswatini (previously Swaziland), Botswana, SADC region, East Africa, Middle East, Mauritius and Nigeria.

AYO, through its subsidiaries and associate companies, offers solutions and services across the depicted technology offerings.

Detailed information about AYO’s business model, stakeholders, risks and governance is available in the responsible investments report and on the website