AI in the SME Landscape
Artificial intelligence has moved from future-facing talking point to everyday business conversation. For small and medium-sized businesses, the real question is no longer whether AI matters, but where it can make a practical difference. That is what this episode of Meet the Management sets out to explore.
In this conversation, Kia Jacklin sits down with Jordaan Burger from Sage to unpack how SMEs should be thinking about AI right now. The discussion is framed around a simple but important tension: artificial intelligence is dominating headlines, but many business owners are still trying to separate genuinely useful tools from abstract noise.
Rather than treating AI as a trend story, this episode appears to focus on practical adoption in the SME environment — where time, budget, skills, and operational pressure all shape how quickly new technology can be embraced. That makes it a timely conversation for founders, operators, and finance leaders trying to understand where AI can improve workflows without adding unnecessary complexity. Sage’s current SME positioning reflects exactly that balance, highlighting AI-enabled accounting and productivity tools as a way to reduce admin, improve insight, and support growth.
About the guest
Jordaan Burger is a senior Sage executive and is currently identified by Sage as Managing Director, Sage Africa and Middle East. In recent official Sage releases, he has commented on digital modernisation for SMBs in Southern Africa and on the rollout of new AI capabilities in Africa and the Middle East.
That context makes him a strong voice for this discussion. His public commentary reflects a consistent focus on how technology can help SMEs and mid-market businesses become more efficient, more resilient, and better positioned to grow in increasingly complex operating environments. In Sage’s March 2026 announcement on the regional rollout of Sage Ai, Burger emphasised the importance of tools that are reliable, transparent, and suited to the practical realities of African businesses.
Why this conversation matters
For many SMEs, AI can sound both urgent and unclear at the same time. The pressure to keep up is real, but so are the constraints. Smaller businesses are often expected to modernise while managing lean teams, tight margins, and a constant demand for productivity. That is why conversations like this matter: they help move the discussion from hype to application.
This episode is especially relevant because it sits at the intersection of technology and business reality. It asks what AI adoption looks like when viewed through the lens of SMEs rather than large enterprises. That shift is important. Small businesses need tools that are accessible, useful, and commercially sensible — not just innovative on paper. Sage’s recent regional messaging around AI, compliance modernisation, and operational efficiency suggests that the opportunity for SMEs lies in targeted adoption rather than sweeping transformation narratives.
In this episode
This is a concise conversation about one of the most important shifts in the current business landscape. It looks at what AI may realistically offer SMEs, how smaller businesses should think about adoption, and why the future of work for business leaders is increasingly tied to intelligent tools that can save time and sharpen decision-making.
Watch the full episode to hear Jordaan Burger unpack the opportunities, the practical considerations, and the bigger strategic questions around AI in the SME landscape.
About Sage
Sage is a long-established business software company focused on accounting, payroll, HR, payments, and financial management tools for small businesses and mid-market organisations. On its South African site, Sage positions its small-business software around saving time, improving visibility, and helping owners manage cashflow, reporting, VAT, and day-to-day administration more effectively. Its current product messaging also places AI and automation at the centre of that value proposition.
That matters in the context of this episode because SMEs do not adopt technology in the abstract. They adopt tools that solve specific operational problems. Whether that means reducing administrative burden, improving finance visibility, or supporting faster decision-making, the relevance of AI for SMEs depends on how clearly it translates into day-to-day business value. That is also reflected in Sage’s broader research and communications on AI adoption, which stress that SMEs see the potential of AI but need practical support, trust, and fit-for-purpose implementation.
