What an incredible week in South Africa!

I had the privilege of connecting with so many of our amazing customers, partners, and Trailblazers during my travels in South Africa last week and wanted to share some highlights from an eventful week:

?? We kicked off with 2 Dreamforce2U events in Johannesburg and Cape Town, focusing on Data Cloud, MuleSoft, and Agentforce delivered alongside Jacques Roux , Grant Rautenbach , & Giorgio Lutfi . These sessions showcased the powerful innovations happening on our platform and sparked conversations amongst business leaders on how we can continue supporting our customers transformation needs.

??? I had a fun (and slightly humbling!) time visiting the iTOO Special Risks (Pty) Ltd office, where I lost a putting competition to Mark Robinson . Looking forward to a rematch! Alexis Andreieff let's make a putting green at Salesforce Tower Dublin happen!

?? Had a great breakfast with ?? Simon Fishley from Luno . We discussed the exciting new partnership between Luno and Zapper, enabling crypto payments at over 31,000 merchants nationwide. The convenience of using Luno Pay at top retailers like Pick n Pay, Dis-Chem, and even airlines like FlySafair is a true game changer for South Africans embracing digital currencies.

?? It was inspiring to catch up with Elvira Kaiser from my previous customer SA Home Loans. They’ve done incredible work with Salesforce, and it’s impressive to see 50 team members achieve Ranger status—a true testament to their commitment to growth and excellence!

?? Met Toast Seagers from Rhino Africa , whose story is one of resilience and transformation. After the pandemic hit, Toast turned to Trailhead to build his Salesforce skills, and today, he’s 2x Salesforce certified—an amazing journey from sales consultant to technical expert.

?? My conversation with the team at Kuda FX was particularly fascinating as I learned about the complexities of equine insurance. Their unique needs—ranging from policy management to claims processing—are being addressed with Salesforce alongside our partner EXAH , ensuring they can deliver exceptional service to their customers in this niche industry.

?? I had the pleasure of meeting Zosuliwe Kala from the Embassy of Ireland in South Africa to discuss exciting initiatives like the Irish Tech Challenge 2024, how Salesforce is supporting job creation in South Africa, and initiatives for 2025. We also touched on the Kader Asmal Fellowship Programme, which provides fully funded scholarships for South African students to study at Ireland’s prestigious Higher Education Institutions.

?? Had a fantastic time Charnte Marthinus & Munashe William Mupfururirwa of Smart-View Technology at our Cape Town event. After first connecting during the Irish Tech Challenge, we’re now eager to extend our partnership and help them accelerate their growth.

?? A visit to the Ozow spaceship office alongside Alan Masterson in Cape Town was another highlight—looking forward to deepening our alignment with their leadership team.

?? I faced defeat in a friendly table tennis match at the Electrum offices showing Julian Corry who's boss. A great way to wrap up my visit to this dynamic and innovative team! Thank you Motlalepula Tsoai for being an amazing host and showing us around your growing offices.

?? Last but not least, I got to reconnect with Linda Saunders to reflect on our shared mission—driving positive impact in South Africa for our teams, customers, partners, and communities.

The view from our meeting wasn't bad either...

A huge thank you to everyone who made this week so special. It’s inspiring to see the passion and innovation for Salesforce across South Africa, and I’m excited for what’s to come!

Dermot