Exclusive Networks expands Okta partnership across Sub-Saharan Africa

Last Updated 2 hours ago by Kenya Engineer

Exclusive Networks has expanded its strategic distribution partnership with identity security company Okta, extending the arrangement across Sub-Saharan Africa as demand grows for technologies designed to secure access to cloud applications, digital platforms and connected services.

Announced on 17 September 2026, the expanded agreement will see Exclusive Networks take responsibility for Okta distribution, channel enablement and pipeline development across the region. The partnership will cover Okta’s Workforce Identity and Customer Identity platforms, with local resellers and systems integrators forming a key part of the go-to-market strategy.

The move comes as organisations across African markets increasingly adopt cloud-based systems, mobile applications and digitally delivered services. Banks and fintech companies, telecommunications operators, retailers, healthcare providers and other organisations are operating with growing numbers of users, applications and connected systems that need to be authenticated and controlled.

That expansion has also increased the importance of identity.

Traditional approaches to cybersecurity often placed considerable emphasis on protecting a defined corporate network. Cloud computing, remote working, mobile applications and software delivered through the internet have made that boundary considerably less clear. Users can access corporate resources from different locations and devices, while customers increasingly interact directly with digital platforms rather than physical branches or service points.

In such environments, controlling who or what is allowed to access a system becomes a central security function.

The challenge extends beyond human users. Applications, services, devices and other machine identities can also require credentials and permissions to communicate with systems. As digital infrastructure becomes more interconnected, organisations need to manage these identities while limiting unnecessary access.

Exclusive Networks said the expanded partnership will give its regional channel partners access to resources intended to support Okta deployments, including local pre-sales expertise, technical design validation and proof-of-concept facilities.

The distributor will also run targeted campaigns aimed at sectors where digital adoption and identity requirements are growing rapidly, including fintech, telecommunications, healthcare and retail.

For African businesses, the commercial side of cybersecurity can be as important as the technology itself. Markets across Sub-Saharan Africa vary considerably in size, infrastructure maturity, regulatory requirements and access to financing. A security platform that is technically suitable still has to be deployed and supported within those local conditions.

Exclusive Networks said it will therefore offer financing and consumption models intended to provide greater flexibility for partners and customers operating across the region.

Data protection requirements are another consideration. African countries have been developing and strengthening their own data protection and privacy frameworks, creating additional compliance obligations for organisations handling personal and customer information. Identity platforms can form part of the technical controls used to manage access to that information, although compliance ultimately depends on a much broader combination of organisational, legal and technical measures.

Stefan Van de Giessen, General Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa at Exclusive Networks, said the region’s digital acceleration was making identity management an increasingly important part of cybersecurity and that the expanded relationship would give regional resellers and integrators access to Okta’s identity security technologies.

Zair Abbas, VP Partners and Strategic Alliances EMEA at Okta, said the collaboration would support organisations dealing with distributed workforces and increasingly digital business platforms.

The expanded partnership also reflects a broader shift within the cybersecurity market. As organisations move more workloads into cloud environments and increasingly rely on third-party applications and digital services, security strategies are gradually placing greater emphasis on identity, authentication and access controls.

For organisations in Sub-Saharan Africa, the question is not simply whether identity security technology is available. It is how effectively it can be integrated into existing infrastructure, applications and business processes, and whether organisations have the skills and resources required to manage it.

That makes the channel an important part of the equation. By combining Okta’s technology with Exclusive Networks’ regional distribution and partner network, the companies are seeking to expand access to identity security while giving local integrators a larger role in implementation and support.

Okta products covered by the agreement are now available to Exclusive Networks partners across Sub-Saharan Africa.