SA IT firm Bytes buys peer Unisys Africa.

By bne IntelliNews January 11, 2012
South African IT firm Bytes Technology Group, wholly owned by the JSE-listed Altron Group, said it has agreed to buy 100% of peer Unisys Africa from local empowerment company Unisys Corporation and CyberKnowledge Systems Investments for an undisclosed sum. The deal is subject to approval by the competition authorities in South Africa, Botswana and Namibia. Under the deal, Unisys and Bytes will conclude a five-year distribution agreement, which allows for exclusive marketing, sale and support of certain Unisys products and solutions in selected sub-Saharan African countries with preferred partner status in several other countries. The acquisition will provide the possibility for synergies and economies of scale for Unisys Africas operations within the greater Bytes group, as many of the products and services provided by Unisys are complementary to the current offerings of Bytes, according to Bytes CEO Rob Abraham. Unisys Africa provides IT services and technology offerings to customers in sub-Saharan Africa with a core South African client base in both the public and private sectors. It operates in the telecommunications, energy, financial and other commercial industries and within government agencies. Unisys Africas longstanding relationship with public sector agencies will enhance the efforts of Bytes newly established Government Solutions division and will broaden Bytes client scope. Its footprint will also assist our strategy of expansion into Africa, Abraham said. Unisys has done business in Swaziland, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria. We will continue to look for other suitable acquisitions to fuel our profitable revenue streams, Abraham added. Bytes Technology Group, a federation of leading IT companies, has operations in South Africa, several other African countries, the United Kingdom and the Middle East.

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