An interview with Damian Michael, Founder & MD of Innovo Networks
What does it take to expand a South African-born SME into new African markets - and actually gain traction?
For Damian Michael, Founder and Managing Director of Innovo Networks, it starts with a deep understanding of local customers, cultural nuances, and the infrastructure realities that shape how (and whether) sales happen.
In this Q&A, Damian shares how his cloud communications company has navigated expansion into Kenya and Rwanda, the adaptations needed in sales messaging, and the critical role of trust in building lasting commercial relationships across borders.
Q: Tell us a bit about Innovo Networks and the motivation behind expanding into other African markets.
A: Innovo Networks is a communications, connectivity, cloud and cybersecurity company focused on supporting SMEs - especially those that larger, corporate-focused providers often overlook. After spending over 15 years in corporate, I realised smaller businesses didn’t have the funds to access enterprise-grade solutions. Too often, they were stuck with unreliable options like ADSL or LTE. Our idea was to change that by creating affordable, enterprise-class cloud telecommunication systems and partnering with all tier-one network operators for fibre and microwave access.
Once we gained traction in South Africa, expansion felt natural. We saw demand in markets like Kenya and Rwanda, where businesses faced similar pain points but lacked tailored solutions. A big turning point came when we entered a Huawei developer competition, where the winning team was Kenyan. That relationship became the springboard for our Nairobi launch. It was both organic and strategic: the market needed our tech, and we had trusted partners to fill the gap.
Q: What have been some of the biggest cultural and behavioural differences between South Africa and the markets you’ve expanded into?
A: There are quite a few. South Africa tends to move at a faster pace - meetings get booked, emails are answered, and timelines are a bit tighter. In Kenya, for example, responses may take days, and it’s more fluid overall. It’s not necessarily a lack of interest; it’s just a different business rhythm.
There are also generational and hierarchical nuances. Leading teams in Kenya or Rwanda requires adapting management styles, being more emotionally intelligent, and motivating differently. Delegation and execution work differently there, so we’ve had to adjust how we build relationships with local directors or partners.
Infrastructure is another factor. While brands like Safaricom, Dimension Data and Liquid Telecom are active in Kenya, the on-the-ground experience is still challenging: slower responses, more bureaucracy, and uneven infrastructure development compared to South Africa. Recognising and adapting to these realities is key.
Q: How do you compare Kenya and Rwanda as markets?
A: Rwanda benefits from strong government backing. The president has prioritised infrastructure, startup growth, and technology adoption, creating confidence for investors and new entrants. Kenya, by contrast, faces protests, less government stability, and uneven investment. Both are competitive, but Rwanda feels more aligned with long-term stability.
For any market, government credibility is a key factor. Policies, corruption levels, and political will can either encourage or discourage entry. We’ve seen it in South Africa as well - confidence falls when corruption rises.
Q: How do these differences affect your sales messaging when you move into a new market?
A: Localisation is critical. Even though the pain points are the same - cyberattacks, poor connectivity, the way you talk about them must feel familiar and credible to local audiences. In South Africa, we use straightforward messaging around value and performance. In Kenya, we adapted the tone and examples to resonate locally, while still speaking to the same problems.
In just three months, a digital campaign brought us over 250 lead - proof that when messaging feels right, it lands. But challenges remain; adoption of new tech is slower, regulations differ, and number portability (which is routine in South Africa) is treated with caution in Kenya. Fraud and phishing concerns make businesses reluctant to switch providers. So, our messaging has to educate as much as it sells - showing why moving to us offers security, quality and continuity.
Q: Speaking of security, how high on the agenda is cybersecurity in these markets?
A: It’s becoming a huge priority, especially for mid-market, public sector and enterprise clients. Smaller businesses (five to 250 employees) are less focused, but demand is growing overall. For example, we’ve worked with Konza Technopolis in Kenya - a government-led smart city initiative - on cybersecurity projects.
There’s also strong Western influence pushing for better safeguards: firewalls, penetration testing, and regulatory alignment. At the same time, bureaucracy exists - tenders are often written with certain companies in mind. But the trend is clear: cybersecurity is on the rise. Our approach has been to position ourselves with the right mix of products, price and skills. We have strong global brands like Fortinet and Kaspersky behind us, and we prove value through real-world demonstrations. When clients see that our solutions work against phishing or ransomware in live proof-of-concepts, trust grows quickly.
Q: Speaking of trust, how important is relationship-building in cross-border sales?
A: It’s absolutely critical. Especially in markets where buyers are still learning to trust new technologies or providers. You’re not just selling a service, you’re asking them to believe in your ability to deliver, to secure their data, and to support them if something goes wrong.
We’ve built trust in several ways:
- Proof-of-concept trials: Offering free trials or demos with enterprises and public sector clients.
- Partnerships: Working with respected global and local players builds credibility by association.
- Education: Hosting sessions with IT managers, CTOs and CISOs to explain our architectures and protections.
- Presence: Being willing to invest time and resources - showing up consistently and taking risks.
By tailoring cybersecurity solutions, proving compliance (even with GDPR-style frameworks), and running real-world demos, we’ve earned the confidence of decision-makers. Over time, that’s the kind of trust-building that opens doors in markets like Kenya and Rwanda.
Q: What does your sales channel mix look like across these markets?
A: We use a hybrid model - digital campaigns supported by in-person engagement. Lead generation happens digitally through LinkedIn, SEO, Google AdWords and our e-commerce store. Once we have a lead, our sales team follows up with in-person meetings to demonstrate solutions and build relationships.
We don’t run physical stores or agent networks. Instead, we rely on strong partnerships with local telcos - Liquid Telecom, Dimension Data and Safaricom - for both channel access and credibility. These relationships allow us to share leads, co-develop opportunities, and ensure clients feel confident about switching providers. It’s an ecosystem approach that combines digital reach with personal trust, making our market entry both efficient and scalable.
Q: How do you handle pricing in more price-sensitive markets like Kenya?
A: Pricing has to balance competitiveness with sustainability. Safaricom dominates the market, so undercutting them outright isn’t realistic. Instead, we set prices either the same or slightly lower, while offering more compelling bundles that add value beyond basic connectivity.
We also factored in currency volatility. The Kenyan shilling is weaker than the rand, which meant careful modelling to protect margins. At the same time, we wanted pricing that felt familiar to customers, so we used local benchmarks and worked closely with partners like Safaricom, Liquid Telecom and Dimension Data to align with their structures.
We also looked at broader economic indicators - sovereign credit ratings, GDP growth and investment flows - to gauge what the market could sustain. Kenya’s economy showed sound fundamentals, which gave us confidence to commit. Ultimately, it’s about delivering enterprise-grade service at SME-friendly rates, backed by local partnerships. That combination makes switching both affordable and worthwhile for customers.
Q: What frameworks or tools helped you decide which markets to enter?
A: We combined internal and external tools to guide our decision-making. Internally, we ran a full SWOT analysis to understand potential risks and opportunities. Externally, we relied on regional data from Wesgro and sovereign credit ratings from agencies like S&P, Moody’s and Fitch to gauge market stability. We also considered fundamentals such as GDP growth, corruption indices, electricity and infrastructure quality, real estate trends, and the strength of local startup ecosystems.
For example, Kenya’s economy was growing steadily, with sound policies, investment in digital infrastructure, and English as a common business language. Rwanda, meanwhile, had strong government-led transformation programmes and consistent backing for technology adoption - creating confidence for investors and new entrants. Egypt was on our radar too, but language barriers and the need for highly localised marketing made it less attractive at this stage.
By overlaying market data with our own relationships, such as the Kenyan partners we met through the Huawei developer competition, we were able to identify not just where demand existed, but where we had the right entry points to succeed.
Q: Any final reflections on what SMEs need to get right when expanding their sales footprint into Africa?
A: Localisation is everything - beyond messaging, it extends to how you structure teams, deliver services, and onboard clients. Success depends on understanding cultural nuances, adapting leadership styles, and building trust with local directors and partners. Trust is earned through presence, proof-of-concept trials, and strong partnerships.
SMEs also need to account for infrastructure and regulatory realities. Something as simple as number porting, which is routine in South Africa, can be a sticking point in Kenya where fraud concerns make businesses wary of switching providers. Without recognising these barriers, even the best sales strategy can stall. Flexibility and patience are key.
Most importantly, expansion is a long-term game. It’s not just about closing a sale, it’s about building credibility, educating the market, and positioning your business as a reliable partner. For us, free trials, collaboration with telcos, and working alongside government agencies like Konza Technopolis helped prove our value.
Innovo Networks’ expansion story is one of pragmatism, persistence, and cultural fluency - reminding us that in Africa’s diverse markets, winning at sales means more than just selling. It means listening, localising, and earning trust - one lead, one market, one relationship at a time.
This SimplyBiz article was developed in collaboration with our research partner,
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