Egypt is emerging as a high-growth market for global enterprise software provider Zoho Corporation, driven largely by government-led digital transformation that is accelerating technology adoption across both public and private sectors, according to Zoho co-founder and CEO Shailesh Kumar Davey.
Speaking to Ahram Online during the ManageEngine Day 2026 event in Chennai, Davey said sustained policy support has been a decisive factor behind digital adoption in developing economies. He pointed to India’s experience as a reference, noting that government-driven digitization transformed India from a small market for Zoho before 2014 into its third-largest globally, after the United States and the United Kingdom.
Davey said similar dynamics are now unfolding in Egypt, alongside markets such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America, where governments have prioritized digitalization over the past five to seven years. This shift has created rising demand from businesses seeking to modernize operations, particularly for technology providers that can adapt solutions to local market needs and cultural contexts.
Developing markets are currently Zoho’s fastest-growing regions, with high double-digit growth rates. According to Davey, countries such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia are recording growth of around 40 percent, significantly outpacing Europe and the US, where digital transformation is already more mature. He identified cultural change, rather than technology itself, as the main challenge ahead, emphasizing that digitizing manual processes requires organizational mindset shifts and employee empowerment.
On Egypt specifically, Davey described strong potential across both public and private sectors. While government projects generate higher-value deals, the majority of Zoho’s customer base comes from private enterprises. He said the company plans to expand its local footprint by strengthening its partner ecosystem, hiring staff, and increasing customer engagement initiatives.
ManageEngine CEO Rajesh Ganesan echoed this view, describing the Middle East and North Africa, including Egypt, as a strategically important growth region. He noted that MENA now contributes around 10–12 percent of ManageEngine’s global revenues, up from a heavy reliance on North America in its early years. While Gulf markets currently dominate regional revenues, North Africa, including Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria, is beginning to contribute more meaningfully as digital maturity rises.
Ganesan attributed this momentum to policy-driven digital reforms, comparing the region’s current phase to India’s early digital adoption period a decade ago. He said expanding digital infrastructure to small businesses and citizens is creating strong demand for IT management and security solutions, particularly in regulated sectors such as banking, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and government.
Both executives emphasized that long-term success in Egypt depends on local talent, cultural understanding, and sustained on-the-ground engagement, rather than short-term returns, as the country continues to advance its digital-first agenda.
