Sage (FTSE: SGE), a global leader in accounting, finance, HR and payroll technology, today announced the rollout of Sage Ai (AI) across its solutions in South Africa, select pan African markets, and the Middle East, introducing a new generation of trusted, human-first artificial intelligence (AI) designed to remove administrative burden, strengthen compliance confidence and unlock meaningful productivity gains and sustainable growth.

Including intelligent tools such as Sage Copilot, a generative AI assistant, and a growing suite of specialised AI agents - Sage Ai works securely behind the scenes to automate everyday accounting, finance, HR and payroll processes while keeping customers firmly in control.

Across Africa and the Middle East, small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) are facing mounting operational pressure. Administrative and compliance demands are increasing, regulatory complexity is slowing decision-making, and cashflow volatility remains a persistent risk to growth and resilience. At the same time, payroll, tax and reporting have become high-stake responsibilities, while skills shortages are forcing business leaders to stretch capacity and juggle multiple roles, limiting their ability to focus on growth.

Yet, despite these pressures, many SMBs are not fully unlocking the potential of AI. Sage’s SBBO research reveals a clear activation gap in the local market: while 73% of South African SMBs having invested in AI, only 47% are using it to drive revenue growth. For SMBs, the barrier isn’t only cost, it’s trust. Concerns around privacy, security and compliance consistently rank among the top factors shaping AI adoption.

Human First. AI Powered.

Built on more than four decades of trusted expertise and embedded directly into the systems SMBs rely on, Sage Ai is powered by proprietary intelligence trained on real world workflows, delivering AI that is practical, trusted and purpose built for business.

“The data tells a clear story: African businesses are ambitious and digitally progressive, but they are rightly sceptical of tools that fail to reflect the regulatory and economic complexity in which they operate,” says Jordaan Burger, Managing Director, Sage Africa and Middle East. “Sage Ai is built on five core commitments: user control, reliable results, transparent explanations, responsible and ethical implementation, and accessible human support. We call this ‘Authentic Intelligence’ because it represents a more thoughtful approach to innovation, one that puts people at the centre, embeds trust by design, and applies advanced technology in ways that solve real business challenges rather than simply introducing new complexity.”

At a group level, our Sage Ai strategy is underpinned by significant, sustained investment in technology, data science and platform innovation,” says Sophia Adhami, Senior Director Product Office and Product Performance Execution at Sage. “We embed AI natively across our portfolio, building proprietary capabilities trained on real world workflows, and strengthening the infrastructure that supports secure, scalable deployment. Authentic Intelligence at this level means combining cutting edge innovation with rigorous governance, so data remains protected, decisions are explainable and customers can adopt AI with absolute confidence.”

AI that gets work done securely

Unlike generic AI layered on top of business systems, Sage Ai is embedded within the Sage Platform, a secure, unified environment where applications, workflows and data connect seamlessly. It powers Sage Copilot and specialist AI Agents that complete workflows end-to-end, across the product stack.  

Capabilities across Sage’s solutions include:

• Close Agent, reducing month-end close cycles by up to 90%

• Assurance Agent, continuously flagging unusual journal entries in real time

• Salary Variance Detection Agent, catches payroll anomalies before they become problems

• Sale Intelligence Agent, real‑time alerts to protect revenue

• Payslip Insights Agent, clear answers from payslip data, faster (available to early adopters)

• AP Agent, automating vendor invoice processing with over 90% accuracy (available in English-speaking markets)

• Time Agent, builds timesheet entries based on calendar, email, and app activity, making time tracking faster and more accurate

Supporting Africa’s digital transformation agenda

Across Africa, governments are increasingly prioritising digital infrastructure and data governance as foundations for economic growth, recognising them as critical to competitiveness and as essential as transport networks, ports and energy. In South Africa, the role of data and artificial intelligence has been highlighted by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana in the recent Budget Speech as central to future economic development, with secure and responsible AI adoption now seen as critical to SME resilience, job creation and cross‑border growth.

Burger concludes, “Our ambition is clear: eliminate admin, strengthen compliance confidence, and build the most trusted AI-powered business network across Africa and the UAE. We are freeing businesses from complexity, embedding trusted intelligence into everyday workflows, and enabling SMBs to grow with clarity, control and confidence in a digital first economy.”

Visit Sage South Africa for more information and explore Sage Ai, including a new short‑form video series designed to demystify AI agents for small businesses and accountants.