OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Tuesday 01.00pm.
WALKER, a US e-business and financial solutions company, has entered into a joint venture with local IT firm Gijima Info Tech, in a move to secure a significant portion of South Africa’s market for large-scale financial applications.
In this deal worth in excess of R500-million a year the Walker Afrika Initiative aims to target the public sector, parastatals and private sector corporations.
Walker CEO, Frank Richardson, says the initiative is not only an investment in South Africa, but also a vote of confidence in the country and in the African continent.
“Our relationship with Gijima is also a tribute to the efforts of the Mbeki-Gore Bilateral Commission, which has lead the way in forging value-adding partnerships between South African and United States companies,” he said.
Walker and Gijima aim to make the South African initiative the platform to take Walker’s products into the rest of Africa.
Gijima Info Tech CEO Robert Gumede, feels there is large potential for Walker’s applications in the rest of Africa, especially in banks which need systems and processes which conform to international standards.