It might have something to do with the “fossilisation” process that he is undergoing and that is at an advanced stage, but “The Esteemed One” appears to have lost it.
In the brief for this issue’s cover story (The year ahead /the changing role of distributor and reseller) he points out that “after a couple of years of fundamental change, culminating in the AI explosion over the last year or two, the channel is looking like a very different place”.
Not sure if it’s good news or bad news for The Esteemed One (and others who may not be able to recall what the channel was like way back in the days when he was still wet behind the ears) but the reality of the situation is that not much has changed.
It has always been something of a cut-throat business based on a three-tier business model that dictates the route to market for vendors, their distributors and thousands of resellers who strive to serve the end user customer base in a dynamic and ever-changing environment characterised by “paradigm shifts” in technology.
For proof of how resilient that IT channel is, The Esteemed One should look no further than his own Channelwise Awards survey.
Conducted among more than 2 800 IT resellers, the annual survey offers a revealing snapshot of the state of the IT industry in South Africa. Beyond the rankings of vendors and distributors, the results also highlight deeper market dynamics that will help shape the industry’s trajectory in year ahead and for the foreseeable future without necessarily revolutionising how business is conducted in the channel.
Let’s take a deep dive into some of the trends that can be identified in the outcome of the 2025 awards across a comprehensive suite of solution categories covered by the survey – by far the most comprehensive and objective undertaken in the industry on an annual basis.
The first thing to note is the continued consolidation of vendor power in the market.
Across infrastructure hardware, end-user computing and data centre software, the dominance of a handful of global players is unmistakable. Dell, Lenovo, HP, Microsoft and Fortinet were consistently positioned in top positions across multiple categories.
This concentration reflects both brand loyalty and the entrenched role these vendors play in enterprise IT.
For resellers, the implication is clear: differentiation will not come from simply reselling hardware or software from these multinational giants. Instead, value will be created through integration, managed services, and tailored solutions that are designed to address local challenges.
The survey also underscores the pivotal role of distributors as solution aggregators. Names such as Axiz, Pinnacle, Mustek, Syntech Distribution and Rectron appear repeatedly in the top five lists, but their strengths vary by category.
Syntech, for example, has carved out a leadership position in sustainability and power solutions, reflecting its agility in responding to South Africa’s energy crisis. Pinnacle and Axiz, meanwhile, remain trusted across multiple categories, showing the importance of breadth and reliability.
As has been said for many years, the future of distribution lies not in box-moving but in solution aggregation — bundling hardware, software, power resilience and cybersecurity into coherent offerings that are underwritten by world-class after sales technical support.
One of the most striking findings in the survey was the prominence of vendors such as Gizzu, Mecer, Ecoflow and Eaton in categories like batteries, inverters, UPSs and solar panels. Syntech Distribution’s commanding lead in this space reflects reseller demand for energy resilience solutions.
In a country grappling with a power crisis and grid instability, IT is no longer just about servers and software — it is about keeping systems running when the lights go out. Sustainability and resilience are becoming core IT offerings, not peripheral “just-in-case” add-ons.
Another clear trend is the intense focus on cybersecurity. Fortinet, Microsoft, Cisco, Kaspersky and Sophos dominate across cloud, endpoint, identity, and network security.
First Distribution and Axiz lead among distributors, showing that channel partners are prioritising security portfolios. With compliance requirements tightening and cyber threats escalating, cybersecurity is now a non-negotiable part of every IT strategy.
The breadth of sub-categories — from mobile security to managed services — points to growing demand for holistic, integrated solutions.
While commercial and enterprise IT remains the backbone, the survey also highlights growth niches in gaming PCs, notebooks, and peripherals. ASUS, MSI, Alienware, Logitech and Crucial are strong performers here, reflecting rising consumer demand.
For distributors, this represents an opportunity to diversify revenue streams and tap into lifestyle-driven technology markets using the “online” reseller channel that is exploding in terms of sales via e-commerce platforms such as Takealot and others.
Taken together, the survey results point to an industry that is experiencing much of what has been evolving over many years – hardware margins are shrinking, vendor concentration is intensifying, and global cloud providers dominate the subscription space. Yet opportunities abound: in energy resilience, cybersecurity services, local SaaS innovation, and consumer-driven IT.
As it has always been, the challenge is for resellers and distributors is to pivot successfully from box moving to value-added services, positioning themselves as trusted advisors and reliable suppliers in a complex, hybrid IT ecosystem.
The IT industry in South Africa is not just about technology — it is about resilience, sustainability, and trust. And the key to trust is respect for the well-established relationship that must be fostered between vendors, distributors and resellers.