SharePoint is Microsoft’s collaboration platform on the internet (the cloud) that allows businesses to store, organize, and share information securely across teams and devices. It functions as a document management system, data and project management platform, communication and training hub, intranet platform, and team collaboration hub – all in one integrated solution.
Quick Facts:
- Type: Cloud-based collaboration platform (part of Microsoft 365).
- Main Uses: Document management, data management, project management, intranet sites, team collaboration.
- Best For: South African businesses wanting to better manage documents, information and internal communications.
- Cost: Included in Microsoft 365 business plans – starts at R132 per person per month. There are small business as well as enterprise licensing options. There is also stand-alone SharePoint licensing available. Plans have monthly or annual payment options.
- South African Benefits: POPIA-compliant security, reliable access despite connectivity challenges. Local experts to help with implementation.
Key Features of SharePoint
Document Management
SharePoint provides excellent document management with:
- Version control and history tracking.
- Co-authoring for real-time collaboration.
- Permission-based access control.
- Document approvals.
- Alerts on new, edited or deleted content activity,
- Metadata tagging for better organization.
- Compliance and retention policies for South African regulations.
Intranet and Communication Sites
You can create company websites that serve as:
- Central hubs for company news and announcements.
- Resource centers for policies and procedures.
- Department-specific information portals.
- Mobile-friendly internal websites accessible anywhere in South Africa or the world.
Team Collaboration
Enable teams to work together through:
- Shared workspaces for projects and departments.
- Integrated file sharing and editing.
- Task and timeline tracking.
- Discussion boards and shared calendars.
- Connection to Microsoft Teams for chat and meetings.
Security and Compliance
Protect your South African business with:
- Multi-level permissions control.
- Data loss prevention policies.
- POPIA compliance tools.
- Audit reporting and monitoring.
- External sharing controls.
SharePoint and its Complimentary Microsoft Tools
| Tool | Main Purpose | How It Works With SharePoint |
|---|---|---|
| OneDrive | Personal file storage | Personal files vs. team/company files |
| Teams | Chat and meetings | Teams stores files in SharePoint, create chats per subject |
| Power Automate | Process automation | Automates manual business processes and get notified based on triggers |
| Power Apps | Custom app creation | Builds intelligent custom forms and applications that interact with SharePoint data |
| Power BI | Data visualization | Visualizes SharePoint list data |
| Microsoft Forms | Survey and data collection | Form responses can be stored in SharePoint lists for analysis and action |
| Planner | Task management | Planner tasks can be displayed on SharePoint pages and connected to SharePoint content |
| Microsoft Office | Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote | Create or save documents directly in SharePoint |
| Copilot | Artificial Intelligence | Point it at large document repositories for improved findability of content |
Benefits for South African Businesses
Improved Productivity
- Reduced time searching for information: With a well-planned intranet.
- Streamlined approvals: Automated workflows instead of manual processes.
- Mobile access: Work from anywhere in South Africa, even with limited connectivity.
- Integration with familiar Office tools: Excel, Word, PowerPoint.
Cost Savings
- Eliminated file servers: Reduce IT infrastructure costs.
- Reduced email storage: Documents shared via links, not attachments.
- Less printing: Digital processes replace paper-based workflows.
- Optimized processes: Automation reduces manual labor costs.
Better Collaboration
- Cross-department coordination: Break down information silos.
- Remote work enablement: Connect teams across different South African locations.
- Reduced email overload: Information published centrally instead of sent repeatedly.
- Knowledge retention: Capture and preserve organizational knowledge.
Enhanced Security
- Centralized security control: Manage access from one place.
- Data protection: Encryption and access controls.
- Compliance with local regulations: POPIA-ready security features.
- Secure external sharing: Collaborate without compromising security.
Getting Started with SharePoint
The SharePoint journey is a gamechanger for businesses when approached correctly. Getting this wrong can result in a lot of expensive rework later, as well as getting no return on investment for your licensing spend. Here’s what we would start with.
1. Assess
- What is the problem you are trying to solve?
- What document challenges does your business face?
- How do your teams currently collaborate?
- Which business processes need improvement?
- What security or compliance requirements must you meet?
- Have you got budget available for licenses, consulting and training costs?
2. Plan
- Map out your site hierarchy around your medium-term strategy, compliance and/or reporting requirements.
- Create placeholders for all key areas.
- Configure the backend to be the same on all sites.
- Design menus to tie it all together.
- Decide on quick wins versus longer term projects.
- Decide who the project team is going to be.
- Allocate a budget over a 3-year period.
3. Implement
- Create placeholders for each major area.
- Build out a quick win site to showcase to the business.
- Build menus to tie it all together.
- Assign permissions.
- Launch to the business.
- Teach people how to use it and manage it.
- Document what you have built.
- Wash, rinse, repeat.
Suggested phases could be :
- Phase 1: Intranet Development – home page with company news.
- Phase 2: Core document management – centralisation of policies for example.
- Phase 3: Department / team collaboration sites.
- Phase 4: Process automation.
- Phase 5: Advanced features and integration.
4. Don’t Forget Adoption
- Provide South African context-specific and just-in-time training.
- Develop internal champions / ambassadors.
- Create quick reference guides.
- Gather and implement user feedback.
- Plan a training schedule of different levels to different audiences, scheduled throughout the year. Repeat for 3 years until everyone gets it.
Next Steps for Your Business
Ready to transform your South African business with SharePoint? We’ve also worked with companies in Mauritius, United Kingdom, Italy, USA and Australia.
We can offer you:
- Free 1-Hour Consultation: Discuss your specific needs with our SharePoint experts.
- SharePoint Readiness Assessment: Get a customized evaluation and implementation roadmap.
- Quick-Start Implementation: Begin with a focused project to demonstrate immediate value.
- Adhoc Services: Sanity checks and anything else you need short term help with.
- Full-Service Implementation: Complete rollout from planning phase to launch, training, adoption, maintenance and support.
- Automation and Document Management: Win back thousands of hours in productivity annually with various automation options.
- Migrations: Audit, plan and consolidate from file shares, on prem SharePoint, OneDrive, Dropbox and Google Drive.
- Training: Customised training curriculums and 2 bespoke exams for users to pass to test their skills.
SharePoint FAQ
Can SharePoint be used as a website?
No. SharePoint is positioned for internal use There are Power Pages in the Power Platform that can be used as website, but they start at R3000 a month. See the next question about external sharing though.
Can SharePoint be shared externally?
Yes. SharePoint allows controlled sharing with clients, vendors, or partners. You can configure external access at the organization, site, or document level with various security options. The link needs to be shared with people, they can’t access it anonymously via your website for example.
Is SharePoint free?
No, but SharePoint Online is included in most Microsoft 365 business subscription-based plans. The specific features vary by subscription level. Enterprise plans offering the most functionality for South African companies, but there are Business Basic and Standard plans that also have SharePoint. There is also stand-alone SharePoint licenses, but it’s smarter to buy it as part of a bundle to streamline your IT operations.
How secure is SharePoint for South African businesses?
SharePoint includes world-class Microsoft backed security that aligns with global standards, as well as South African regulations like POPIA. Features include encryption, access controls, audit logging, and information rights management. We also now have local Microsoft data centres built by Teraco.
Can SharePoint replace a file server?
Yes. Many South African businesses have successfully migrated from file servers to SharePoint, gaining better accessibility, collaboration features, and security while reducing infrastructure costs. That is just the start of the journey though. Read more.
Can SharePoint replace Dropbox and Google Drive?
Yes. All 3 are cloud document storage solutions, it’s your IT strategy that determines which platforms will be used for what. If your emails are already in Microsoft 365, it would make sense to migrate out of Dropbox and Google Drive to SharePoint Online.
Are SharePoint and OneDrive the same?
No. OneDrive is for personal file storage, while SharePoint is for team and organizational content. OneDrive is your personal work folder; SharePoint is your company’s shared environment with advanced collaboration features.
How does SharePoint work with Microsoft Teams?
Each Teams channel has a corresponding folder in SharePoint. Teams is mostly used for meetings and chats however, with some smaller projects being managed in Teams. You need SharePoint for your intranet as a business management tool however. Teams can’t do that.
What's the difference between SharePoint Online and SharePoint Server?
SharePoint Online is cloud-based, included with Microsoft 365 and maintained by Microsoft. SharePoint Server runs on your own infrastructure and requires your own IT resources. Many South African businesses now choose SharePoint Online for its lower maintenance and better accessibility options. Some companies have a hybrid approach. We are 100% in SharePoint Online.
Is SharePoint a reliable platform?
Microsoft reported recently that they have over 1 billion users on SharePoint globally, uploading 2 billions pieces of content daily and creating 2 million sites a day. The platform is an enterprise ready, 24-year old mega work-horse. It is a very safe bet.
