In a move set to transform the local business landscape, a new South African software platform is using advanced artificial intelligence to automate critical administrative tasks for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
TechFinancials sat down with the founder of Skhokho 2.0, Bertha Kgokong, a chemical engineer turned self-taught software developer, to discuss how her all-in-one solution is seeking to level the playing field.
When asked how Skhokho 2.0 will benefit users, Kgokong was clear about its core mission: to eliminate administrative drag.
“Skhokho 2.0 is designed to take the pain out of everyday business administration,” Kgokong stated.
“Instead of spending hours on manual tasks, entrepreneurs can now speak directly to the system in natural language, and the AI will understand, extract the data, and perform actions such as updating CRM records, generating invoices, or even conducting market research. This means entrepreneurs can focus on growing their business instead of being bogged down by admin.”
This focus on accessibility is central to the platform’s goal of empowering smaller businesses.
Kgokong explained how Skhokho 2.0 disrupts the status quo in business software.
“Traditionally, advanced business management tools have been accessible mainly to large enterprises with big budgets and IT teams. Skhokho 2.0 brings enterprise-grade AI automation into the hands of small and medium-sized businesses at an affordable price,” she said.
“By simplifying access to CRM, HR, project management, and accounting within a single AI-powered platform, Skhokho empowers smaller players to compete with larger organizations, helping them work faster, smarter, and more efficiently.”
The platform’s name, “Skhokho”, a powerful slang term for “a boss” or “a top dog”, is a deliberate choice by Kgokong, a black woman who has navigated and overcome significant barriers in the tech industry.
Differentiating her product from global giants like Zoho and Microsoft, Kgokong emphasised its local roots and native AI integration.
“It is an authentically and proudly South African product that is intuitive and built to integrate with AI natively to make entrepreneurs’ jobs easier,” she said.
The cloud-based platform is exclusively hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Kgokong detailed the benefits of this partnership for her company and its users.
“AWS provides enterprise-grade security, scalability, and global infrastructure that ensures Skhokho runs smoothly and securely. For users, this translates into faster response times, reliable uptime, and secure data storage,” Kgokong explained.
“It also enables seamless collaboration across teams, whether local or remote, and saves entrepreneurs time by offering a robust, always-available platform. In short, AWS helps us give our clients world-class performance while keeping their data protected.”
On the critical issue of data security, Kgokong was unequivocal.
“Skhokho 2.0 employs state-of-the-art data protection tools and processes. We comply with AWS security standards and meet global industry norms in data security, encryption, and protection. User data is encrypted both at rest and in transit, ensuring no one else — not even our developers — can read it. Additionally, we’ve added field-level encryption for sensitive information, making sure our clients’ data remains private and protected at every layer.”
The platform is targeted directly at small to medium-sized business owners and entrepreneurs who manage teams, need to collaborate on projects, and want an intuitive, AI-powered solution to handle CRM, HR, project management, and accounting in one platform.
Prospective clients can sign up directly via https://skhokho.ai, with a free version available before selecting a paid package. While priced competitively with leading platforms, Kgokong asserts that Skhokho 2.0 offers superior value.
“Skhokho 2.0 is priced within the same range as leading business management platforms like Monday.com. However, unlike competitors, Skhokho 2.0 comes with AI agents built-in, giving clients more value at the same price point.”
With its blend of local insight, global infrastructure, and powerful, accessible AI, Skhokho 2.0 is poised to become an indispensable tool for South Africa’s ambitious entrepreneurs.
