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Distributor reinforces Microsoft alliance with new investment to help African partners unlock AI, cloud, security and migration opportunities.

The announcement was made at the Westcon Microsoft Partner Summit 2025, where executives, partners, and industry leaders gathered to explore how technology is reshaping business across the region.

With competitive pressures intensifying, the summit underscored the urgent need for organisations to modernise, embrace cloud and AI solutions, and build stronger security foundations. For Westcon-Comstor, this means working hand-in-hand with Microsoft to help partners not just adapt to change, but thrive in it.

This collaboration builds on an evolving relationship between the two companies. Over time, Westcon-Comstor and Microsoft have worked to create a shared vision for transformation in Africa, committing resources and expertise to support partners with the knowledge and tools needed to succeed. By strengthening its Microsoftfocused capabilities, Westcon-Comstor positions itself as a primary transformation distributor in the region, enabling partners to deliver tailored solutions that address sector-specific needs.

“ Transformation should be the core focus for all partners looking for ways to navigate doing business in an AI, cloud and software-first world. But every business faces different pressures and priorities, so how do we equip our partners to meet their customers where their business is at?” said Louise Taute, Managing Director of Westcon- Comstor Southern Africa.

“ This is where Westcon and Microsoft are coming together to work in unison to assist partners to shape transformation journeys that are tailored to their specific needs and strategies. Our focus as a vendor and distributor team is to focus on working with people, investing time, resources and expertise, to ensure that we help partners unlock sustainable growth.”

According to Taute, Westcon has observed that when partners specialise in a particular technology or vertical, they achieve significantly higher growth rates. However, Microsoft’ s expansive portfolio and evolving programmes can make this journey daunting.“ Our role is to walk alongside our partners, simplify the complexity, and support them every step of the way. By doing this, we turn transformation into opportunity,” she added.

Louise Taute, Managing Director of Westcon- Comstor Southern Africa

The summit also outlined Microsoft’ s

FY26 priorities, which include:

• AI business solutions: embedding AI across every role, workflow, and application to boost productivity and innovation.

• Cloud and AI platforms: enabling modernisation and migration through Azure, Fabric and AI Foundry services.

• Security: strengthening trust and resilience with end-to-end protection, forming the backbone of Digital Transformation.

Elaine Van Der Plank, Senior Partner Development Manager at Microsoft Africa, emphasised the importance of collaboration in achieving these goals.“ Our partner ecosystem is more than a network – it is a force multiplier for innovation. Together with partners like Westcon-Comstor, we are unlocking digital transformation that empowers communities, strengthens industries and builds a resilient, inclusive economy for the future.” •

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