South African Risk Management Software: Why Local is Lekker

One thing that I am sure everybody would agree with, is the need to strengthen and grow the South African economy. Economic growth benefits everyone from alleviating poverty and enhancing quality of life to boosting business activity and strengthening global competitiveness.

In addition, increased tax revenue would allow government to invest in infrastructure, healthcare and education without the need for excessive borrowing to finance such projects.

This article focuses on the benefits of purchasing South African developed and owned Risk management software solutions.

What edge does SA risk management software have?

When it comes to investing in software for your business, choosing local providers offers distinct advantages that go beyond just functionality. Buying local software means supporting homegrown innovation, accessing tailored solutions that understand regional needs and benefiting from faster, more personalised support.

In a world increasingly driven by digital tools, buying local empowers your business while strengthening the South African tech ecosystem.

Local empowerment vs Capital outflow

Acquiring IT supplies or solutions from other countries means that a significant amount of the revenue will permanently leave our shores.

By choosing risk management software in South Africa over foreign alternatives, we keep money circulating within South Africa, supporting local jobs, businesses, and innovation rather than allowing it to flow out of the country. This not only strengthens our economy but also improves the balance of payments, helping build a more self-reliant and prosperous nation.

Knowledge of the South African business environment

Buying local software means supporting homegrown innovation, accessing tailored solutions that understand regional needs and still benefitting from globally accepted standards. Local developers are often more in tune with the unique requirements and challenges of the market, ensuring that the software is not only relevant but also compliant with local requirements such as:

• The Public Sector Risk Management Framework (PSRF), developed by National Treasury, guides risk management within the public sector, including municipalities, and is aligned with the Public Finance Management Act and Municipal Finance Management Act.
• Our homegrown King IV (with a King V draft in the works) provides principles and practices for good corporate governance, including risk management, that are widely adopted in South Africa.
• The Generally Accepted Compliance Practice (GACP) framework is owned and developed by the Compliance Institute Southern Africa (CISA), an independent professional body for the compliance profession in South Africa. CISA maintains and promotes best practices for the compliance profession through the GACP framework, including principles for establishing and maintaining a compliance risk management framework.

For a deeper look into the unique risks South African businesses face, check out local risk management insights from BarnOwl’s info-sharing event on the 2024/5 IRMSA Risk Report.

Local support in our own time zone

Receiving software support within your own time zone offers numerous benefits, primarily enhanced communication, increased productivity, and better collaboration. Local support not only enhances the user experience but also adds tangible value to both the software provider and the broader user community. Some benefits are:

• Faster Response Times – local support teams operate in the same time zone, enabling quicker issue resolution and more responsive service.
• Cultural and Language Understanding – local teams understand the nuances of regional languages, business etiquette and communication styles, reducing misunderstandings and improving customer interactions.
• Supports the Local Economy – employing local support staff contributes to job creation and economic growth within South Africa, aligning with corporate social responsibility goals.
• Stronger Relationships – proximity fosters stronger, long-term relationships with clients, building loyalty and trust that’s hard to replicate from afar.
• Improved Feedback Loops – local teams can quickly gather user feedback and relay it to developers, leading to faster product improvements and innovation.

Cost benefit

Locally developed GRC software typically offers lower total cost of ownership due to favourable pricing, reduced forex exposure, and local support. In addition, it can be tailored to local regulatory requirements, ensuring faster implementation and better alignment with local governance practices. This leads to improved compliance, risk management, and audit efficiency while supporting the local economy and reducing reliance on foreign vendors.

A quick summary

Investing in locally developed risk management software stimulates the South African economy, supporting jobs, taxes, and reinvestment into innovation and communities. Local software companies also understand the unique business needs, slang, humour and even public holidays of their users.

Supporting local software companies helps keep top tech talent in the country, reducing the incentive for developers to move abroad. Local hosting and services reduce international data transfers, making local software a more data secure and eco-friendly choice.

Local products and services are generally a better fit and are almost always more cost effective than overseas products and services.

Choosing BarnOwl GRC software means investing in local solutions that understand your challenges, speak your regulatory language, and grow with your organisation.

“BarnOwl GRC: Your Local Partner in Risk, Compliance and Audit (Assurance) Software”

“Retain value. Grow talent. Choose South African software.”

Warrick Asher

General Manager – Business Development, BarnOwl GRC.

June 2025