The short answer
The six largest software and IT companies headquartered in South Africa, ranked by reported number of employees, are Dimension Data, Datatec, Naspers, Business Connexion (BCX), Takealot and iOCO (formerly EOH). Dimension Data is the largest, with about 31,000 employees (2016). We could verify six companies meeting our criteria, so this list is shorter than ten rather than padded with unverified names.
The six companies at a glance
| # | Company | Headquarters | Founded | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dimension Data | Johannesburg | 1983 | 31,000 (2016) |
| 2 | Datatec | Johannesburg | 1986 | 8,000+ |
| 3 | Naspers | Cape Town | 1915 | Not stated |
| 4 | Business Connexion (BCX) | Centurion | 1979 | Not stated |
| 5 | Takealot | Cape Town | 2011 | Not stated |
| 6 | iOCO (formerly EOH) | Johannesburg | Not stated | Not stated |
Ranked by the most recent employee count stated on each company’s Wikipedia article or official website, checked 24 October 2026. Years in brackets show when that figure applies; companies without a stated figure are listed last.
The companies in detail
1Dimension Data
JohannesburgAn IT services provider offering consulting, technical support and managed services worldwide; most of its operations were folded into NTT Ltd. in 2019.
- Headquarters
- Johannesburg
- Founded
- 1983
- Employees
- 31,000 (2016)
- Ownership
- Subsidiary of NTT
2Datatec
JohannesburgAn ICT services and technology distribution group active in more than 50 countries, with divisions for integration and managed services, distribution (Westcon) and financial services.
- Headquarters
- Johannesburg
- Founded
- 1986
- Employees
- 8,000+
- Ownership
- Public company (JSE: DTC)
3Naspers
Cape TownA holding company with large internet and technology interests, including control of Prosus and the e-commerce business Takealot.
- Headquarters
- Cape Town
- Founded
- 1915
- Employees
- Not stated
- Ownership
- Public company (JSE: NPN)
4Business Connexion (BCX)
CenturionA South African IT services and software company providing systems integration, cloud and managed services.
- Headquarters
- Centurion
- Founded
- 1979
- Employees
- Not stated
- Ownership
- Not stated
5Takealot
Cape TownSouth Africa’s biggest online shop, which also runs the Mr D delivery service.
- Headquarters
- Cape Town
- Founded
- 2011
- Employees
- Not stated
- Ownership
- Owned by Naspers
6iOCO (formerly EOH)
JohannesburgA technology services company working for businesses and government; it rebranded from EOH Group in December 2024.
- Headquarters
- Johannesburg
- Founded
- Not stated
- Employees
- Not stated
- Ownership
- Not stated
What this list tells us about South Africa’s software industry
- Johannesburg is the main hub. 3 of the six companies on this list are headquartered there, with others in Cape Town, Centurion.
- A long track record. The oldest company here, Naspers, was founded in 1915; the youngest, Takealot, in 2011.
- Founding wave. More companies on this list were founded in the 1980s (2) than in any other decade.
- Ownership mix. 2 of the six are publicly listed and 2 are subsidiaries of, or majority-owned by, other groups; the rest are independent private companies, cooperatives or state-linked organisations.
South Africa at a glance
- Capital
- Pretoria (executive), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial)
- Official languages
- 12 official languages, including English, Afrikaans, Zulu and Xhosa
- Currency
- South African rand (ZAR)
- Population
- 63.0 million (2024 est.)
- GDP per capita (nominal)
- $7,503 (2026 est.)
Economy. A large services sector, a diversified industrial base and rich natural resources.
Country figures from Wikipedia’s article on South Africa, checked 24 October 2026. Estimates are rounded and dated as stated there.
Working with software companies in South Africa
- Time zone. South Africa uses UTC+02:00 all year, with no daylight saving time. Agree overlap hours in writing before a project starts.
- Data protection. Check which data protection law applies to any personal data you share, and put the obligations into your contract.
- Due diligence. Large companies on this list mostly sell their own products or enterprise services. If you need a development partner for a specific project, ask for case studies, interview the engineers and start with a short paid trial. Our guide on how to choose an IT staff augmentation company includes a free vendor scorecard.
- Budget. Typical 2026 hourly rates by region are in our IT staff augmentation cost and rates guide.
How we built this list
- Candidates. We started from Wikipedia’s list of companies of South Africa, the country’s best-known technology firms and companies regularly named in the local and international business press.
- Scope. We kept companies whose main business is software, IT services or a software-based platform, and that are headquartered in South Africa. Telecom operators, banks and hardware makers were left out, as were local offices of foreign groups. Companies founded in South Africa but now headquartered abroad are listed separately when relevant.
- Verification. For every company we checked headquarters, founding year, ownership, size and whether it is still active against its Wikipedia article or, where none exists, its own official website, on 24 October 2026. Each entry links to the page we checked.
- Ranking. Companies are ranked by their most recently stated number of employees, the most comparable size measure available for public and private firms alike.
- No payments. No company paid or was asked to appear. iCreativez Technologies is itself a software and IT services company, so we do not include or rank ourselves on country lists.
Employee figures come from different years, are sometimes self-reported on company websites and sometimes count a whole group rather than one company, so treat the ranking as a guide to scale rather than an exact league table.
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Software companies in nearby countries
Frequently asked questions
What is the largest software company in South Africa?
By reported number of employees, Dimension Data is the largest software and IT company headquartered in South Africa, with about 31,000 employees (2016). It an IT services provider offering consulting, technical support and managed services worldwide; most of its operations were folded into NTT Ltd. in 2019.
Which city is the main software hub in South Africa?
Among the companies on this list, Johannesburg is home to the most: 3 of the six are headquartered there.
What is the oldest software company in South Africa on this list?
Naspers, founded in 1915 and headquartered in Cape Town.
How did you choose the software companies in South Africa?
We considered the best-known companies headquartered in South Africa whose main business is software or IT services. We verified each one against its Wikipedia article or official website and ranked them by reported number of employees. No company paid to be included.
Why are there fewer than 10 companies for South Africa?
We only list companies we could verify. Rather than pad the list with names we cannot confirm, we show six verified companies and suggest nearby markets.
What is the economy of South Africa based on?
A large services sector, a diversified industrial base and rich natural resources.
What languages and currency are used for business in South Africa?
The official languages are 12 official languages, including English, Afrikaans, Zulu and Xhosa, and the currency is the South African rand (ZAR).
Can I hire software developers to work with a team in South Africa?
Yes. Many businesses combine local partners with remote developers. iCreativez Technologies provides dedicated developers and offshore teams that can work your hours; see our dedicated developers page or contact us.
Sources
All company details were checked on 24 October 2026 against these pages:
- Wikipedia: List of companies of South Africa
- Dimension Data: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimension_Data
- Datatec: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datatec
- Naspers: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naspers
- Business Connexion (BCX): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companies_of_South_Africa
- Takealot: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takealot.com
- iOCO (formerly EOH): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EOH_Holdings
- Wikipedia: South Africa (country profile)
If you represent a company on this page and a detail has changed, contact us and we will review it. Related guides: top IT staff augmentation companies 2026 · staff augmentation vs outsourcing vs managed services.