DSL Telecom - Blog #pipedriveDSL Telecom - Blog #pipedrivehttps://www.dsltelecom.co.za/blogs/tag/pipedriveThu, 16 Apr 2026 12:31:04 -0700http://zoho.com/sites/<![CDATA[What CRM System Should You Choose in South Africa?]]>https://www.dsltelecom.co.za/blogs/post/what-crm-system-should-you-choose-in-south-africaIn this blog post we discuss the various factors that need to be considered when investing in a CRM system, the various features that you need in your CRM software, the top 5 CRM systems for South African businesses and what CRM System we would highly recommend.]]>

5 Best CRM Softwares for South African Businesses

Now that your organisation is on the look out for a CRM system, you will need to start with gaining a deeper understanding of your software requirements and what features you can expect from CRM software vendors. Although you've probably come here to make your informed decision on which is the best CRM software to choose for South African business, you've probably realised that selecting the perfect CRM system is no simple process.

The challenge lies not only in the fact that there are so many potential CRM solutions and technologies to choose from, but you also have to consider CRM system deployment options, ability to customise, cost, scalability and business value, before you make your choice.

Here is our 2021 guide on how to choose the right CRM software for your business. 

1. Factors to consider when comparing CRM Systems

When it comes to customer relationship management (CRM), it’s important to choose the right CRM system with the  capabilities that suit your business before embarking on your selection process.

7 important factors to consider in CRM comparisons are:
  • User-friendly software
  • Local partner with support, consultation, training and implementation services
  • Growth and scalability capabilities
  • Flexible reporting
  • Affordability
  • Highly customisable
  • Integration capabilities

2. Features South African Businesses need in their CRM Software

A CRM solution opens up amazing opportunities for small businesses and large enterprises alike to thrive. Now more than ever, South African businesses need to expertly manage prospects and existing customers with great care. Using a platform with the best CRM features is an essential part of that strategy, so we compiled a CRM features list to help you get started.

Lead management is the backbone of a successful sales operation. Without effective leads, there’s no need for a CRM or even a sales team in the first place. This concept covers the first step in the sales cycle to create qualified opportunities and ultimately, satisfied customers.


Lead management is the process of tracking and managing prospective customers and CRM Systems should enable you to manage the process of converting prospects into potential customers (leads) by identifying, scoring and moving leads through the sales pipeline. 


Follow up with leads automatically with preset emails and tasks or contact them yourself directly from your CRM. CRM Software Systems can nurture prospects all the way through the sales pipeline, from lead generation to closing the sale. Additionally, many CRMs, like Zoho CRM, allow users to create and store sales quotes, track invoices and follow up on documents.

Contact management & Marketing is a vital CRM capability. It allows users to segment contacts into groups to organise and better cater to them. With this CRM capability, you’ll be able to gather crucial customer data and strengthen your marketing strategies. It also improves the personalisation of all contact with customers, making them feel important and catered to. This is a key factor in customer satisfaction!


Many CRM solutions, like Zoho CRM, have built-in marketing tools, including email templates, email marketing pipelines, SMS messaging and lightweight project management tools. Some even offer competition tracking and sales forecasting capabilities.


Business intelligence tools, BI, reporting and dashboards have become some of the top CRM features. Users can view statistics in a highly visual, engaging perspective using customised reports and dashboards. They offer real-time data updates and a platform that can be accessed from various portals, improving ease of access for a variety of personnel. Management can use these reports to make data-driven decisions - an investment in CRM BI is an investment in the future of your business. 


Most CRM software includes some reporting functionality, but the best CRM Systems, like Zoho Software, support live, dynamic and customisable dashboards. Make sure any exporting or importing needs you have (for instance, transferring information to and from Excel or QuickBooks) are compatible with the system you choose.

CRM automation refers to a CRM system’s ability to automate repetitive, manual tasks to streamline work and improve productivity. Automation of a CRM can encompass a range of functions across marketing, sales and service activities.

CRM tools are all about making it easier to manage every external interaction and relationship that’s essential for business success. Automation can free up time to focus on more meaningful and strategic work.

3. Top 5 CRM Softwares for South African Businesses 

1: Zoho CRM Software

 Zoho CRM Software

Zoho CRM is one of the larger organisations in the CRM market and is part of the Zoho suite of business management tools. Zoho CRM is an omnichannel cloud-based customer relationship management platform that helps local & global businesses to take control of their business processes to build lasting customer relationships. The web-based platform can be customised to suit industries of all types and sizes. Zoho CRM offers integration with over 50 Zoho products and extends its capacity with more than 300 third-party app extensions, including G Suite, Office 365, Salesforce and many other popular apps.

Businesses can use the Zoho CRM omnichannel CRM to nurture customer relationships anytime, anywhere. From desktop, to phone, to live chat, to email, to social media, businesses can communicate and connect with their clients to enhance the customer experience. Notifications can automatically alert users of each new customer interaction or new contact.

When it comes to a CRM solution, one size doesn't fit all businesses. That's why Zoho CRM lets businesses easily customize the interface to meet the particular requirements of their organisation. Zoho has over 13 million users, a good portion of them being South Africans, due to this Zoho now offers all 45 plus business software applications at a fixed South African rand price. Zoho seeks to make this adoption both simple and affordable by providing its world-class software solutions at a fair price, protected from exchange rate fluctuations.

2. MS Dynamics CRM

 Microsoft Dynamics CRM Software

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a multi-language, multi-currency enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. The solution is designed for midsize and larger companies, and is fully customisable and extensible through its development platform and tools. Dynamics 365 offers a range of tools for sales, customer service, field service management, talent acquisition, finance and operations, retail, project service automation, marketing, artificial intelligence and more.


With Microsoft Dynamics 365 businesses can unify their operations, projects, workflows and tasks in one centralised platform in order to aid decision making, build relationships with customers and operate efficiently. The individual applications within Microsoft Dynamics 365 can be used as standalone products, combine with one another or integrated with a wide range of external business systems in order to provide a completely customised solution. The platform integrates with third party applications such as Ameyo, Salesforce, DocuSign, PandaDoc, ADP, Gainsight, Tacton CPQ and more. 

3. Salesforce CRM

Salesforce CRM Software

Salesforce is a CRM cloud-based solution which caters towards companies of all sizes – it is a single platform intended to manage all aspects of sales, service, marketing and analytics, through area specific “clouds” in order to meet specific business needs.


With separate “clouds” for each arm of their CRM, Salesforce provides solutions suited for companies who wish to engage in different aspects of the modern consumer space while maintaining the ability to segregate operations between teams, avoiding over-complication while still allowing for cross-communication. Salesforce offers different services through separate price plans, so businesses only looking for partial CRM functionality can adjust their service level and costs to fit their needs.

4. Pipedrive CRM

Pipedrive CRM Software

Pipedrive is a deal-driven customer relationship management solution that also works as an account-management tool with the ability to assist with marketing and the entire sales process. Pipedrive's proactive nature automatically tracks and organises calls and emails and synchronises schedules across devices. One capability that might be especially attractive to most small to midsized businesses (SMBs) is Pipedrive's ability to visualise the sales process from start to finish. 


Pipedrive's straightforward user interface is simple to pick up quickly. Smaller SMBs and entrepreneurs charged with CRM tasks will welcome its ease of use. 

5. Hubspot CRM

Hubspot CRM Software

HubSpot CRM takes care of all the little details - logging emails, recording calls and managing data - in a very intuitive manner therefore freeing up valuable selling time in the process. HubSpot CRM is used to organise, manage, track contacts and build better relationships with customers. 


The CRM will also let your entire company operate off of one source of truth about the contacts in your database instead of sharing spreadsheets or finding emails. Every interaction is stored in a timeline, including notes about the contact and the content they’ve consumed. Organisations that are new to the business or mid-market companies accept the HubSpot CRM tool because it provides secured services and quick functions that are easily understood.

4. Why we highly recommend Zoho CRM

Zoho CRM - with its broad coverage, deep features and intuitive UI - can go head to head against any other big brand name when it comes to technology and functionality. Where other CRMs use predatory business practices and aggressive, multi-year contracts to strong arm users into sticking around, Zoho is so confident in the strength of their CRM System that they offer flexible, month-to-month subscriptions that can grow with your business.


Zoho CRM is a widely adopted customer relationship management (CRM) platform, which has a strong emphasis on increasing leads, accelerating sales and measuring performance. It makes great use of artificial intelligence (AI), and its business intelligence features can empower remote workforces to achieve more together. Advanced options such as Zia, the AI-powered assistant, provide exceptional lead and deal predictions to identify the potential customers who are most likely to convert, helping sales teams focus their efforts in the most efficient way possible. The user-friendly platform integrates with hundreds of popular apps and software, making it easy to build a custom CRM for any business.


Zoho offers transparent pricing based on monthly and annual terms. There are four bundled service options. Free trials are available for each subscription level. The Standard bundle includes everything in the free version plus added features. (Each successive tier includes everything available in the bundles that precede it.)


We recommend Zoho CRM for:

  • Small businesses looking to implement their first unified CRM software solution.
  • Any size of business with a sales-focused model that wants to gamify the selling process to build camaraderie and competitiveness as well as increase communication and collaboration across remote teams.
  • Medium-sized businesses that want to streamline their sales processes with helpful organisation and insights from an AI-powered assistant.
  • Businesses that need best-in-class analytics for reliable decision-making.
  • Teams that require a CRM that integrates with existing business applications.
  • Organisations that want a solution without a steep learning curve and a system that quickly and easily fits right into their business systems.

Since partnering with Software Development Giant, Zoho Corporation in 2012, we at DSL Telecom have stepped up the Zoho Partner Status tiers and this year, we're exhilarated to have been officially recognised as a Zoho Premium Partner - the first and currently the only Zoho Premium Partner in South Africa. 

If adopting Zoho's products is a dream for your company, but limited people-power and a tight budget have been holding you back, your best bet is to hire a Zoho Premium Partner like DSL Telecom. From start to finish, we take care of your needs and ensure a seamless, cost-effective solution that promises fast results. 

Get in touch with a Zoho Specialist

Discuss your business requirements, get a free demo & 
​determine if Zoho would be a good fit for your business

Book Your Free Demo
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