How EDB is Driving the Postgres Evolution in South Africa

EDB recently celebrated a major milestone by hosting two significant events in South Africa, focusing on the transformative power of Postgres. These events, the largest EDB has ever organized in the country, drew significant participation, with the second event alone attracting more than 50 attendees. Information Technology decision-makers from various sectors in South Africa gathered in Johannesburg for a Symposium on the use of Postgres. As the database community knows, Postgres has continued to increase in popularity in recent years as organizations have widely adopted the open-source database for new applications, especially those running in the cloud. 

The significance of these events was amplified through extensive media coverage. Claudine Els, the CEO of TechSurve, shared her insights on eNCA. This week also featured an engaging podcast with Channel Africa, where James Bell, Regional Sales Director of EDB discussed the growing popularity and advantages of Postgres. 

Robert Pogmore, Principal Sales Engineer at EDB, delivered a keynote on “The Postgres Revolution,” emphasizing the shift from costly legacy databases to cost-effective PostgreSQL. The presentation covered: 

• Introduction to Postgres and EDB 
• Making Postgres Enterprise Ready 
• The decline of Legacy Databases and the rise of Open Source 
• EDB’s future plans and opportunities 

At the heart of these gatherings was a clear message: Postgres is the future. As James explained on Channel Africa, “Postgres is one of the fastest growing databases globally at the moment, overtaking many traditional databases.” During her interview with eNCA, Claudine Els, CEO of TechSurve, our esteemed event co-host and well-known distributor in the region remarked on the financial sector adoption of Postgres as well as the importance of addressing both private and public sectors. 

The financial sector, in particular, is poised for significant changes with the adoption of Postgres. One of the Top 5 banks has already implemented this infrastructure, which signifies a major shift in IT management system. When asked about the importance of understanding the backend of databases,  Claudine stressed the border impact, noting, “As you know, Open Source Postgres databases are currently the most widely used databases in the world. They are superior in their security and service agreements, backed up by global vendors such as EDB.” Claudine also shed light on why the events were tailored separately for the private and public sectors, “We have a very clear message that was given to both the private and the public sectors: massive cost savings and increased operational efficiency. We split the events to address the specific concerns and realities of each sector, ensuring we cover the requirements needed for both.” This approach ensured all participants received relevant and actionable insights. 

When the reporter at eNCA noted that human beings don’t necessarily like change, Claudine responded, “It’s important to not just look at it from a cost saving and operational efficiency perspective but also to ensure you stay on top and prioritize your IT modernization journey from the database layer and the related infrastructure if you are looking forward in innovation and modernization.”

Meanwhile, the podcast with Channel Africa offered a platform for James to discuss the growing popularity and advantages of Postgres. “EnterpriseDB supports the open-source database so customers who download the database may not have the skills or knowledge around Postgres and may not be able to support it themselves. So we offer 24/7 support, and we rely on great local partners in South Africa, TechSurve, with Claudine and her team providing local support to customers here.” This evident combination of global and local support ensures that organizations in South Africa can leverage the full potential of Postgres. James also emphasized the local economic impact, saying, “Ultimately, if we push this across large parts of southern Africa, the savings for organizations can be substantial, which is going to provide more jobs and increase local economies. It’s that kind of savings that we can generate from this, while still providing the same solutions and support that you would get from legacy databases, both globally through EnterpriseDB and locally through TechSurve.”  

EDB’s initiatives in South Africa have illuminated a path forward, where Postgrres, stands as a beacon of innovation and efficiency. With strong local partnerships and unwavering support, EDB is committed to shaping the future of South Africa and beyond. The journey of Postgres in the region is just the beginning, stay tuned for more exciting developments as we continue to unlock the power of Postgres.