Accenture Launches 'Accenture Customer Credit Solutions' to Provide Fast, Efficient and Flexible Credit Services to Sub-Saharan African Businesses
First Agreement with the Edcon Group will see the provision of enhanced credit services and help expand customer base


NEW YORK; Feb. 26, 2016 - Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has today launched a new business, Accenture Customer Credit Solutions, which will help businesses and retailers across Sub-Saharan Africa provide faster, efficient and more flexible credit services to their customers. Accenture Customer Credit Solutions will provide businesses with a credit administration service which allows them to reduce the cost of managing credit, adopt a more digital, automated, controlled and simplified approach to service provision and help make it easier for them to provide multiple banking options to their customers. The service will enable the end customer to do more self-service transactions. It will provide businesses with a better understanding of their customers through analytics and profiling, allowing them to provide a stronger product suite and services, while expanding their customer base and driving additional sales. Edcon Holdings Limited, one of South Africa's largest non-food retailers has become Accenture Customer Credit Solutions first client, after signing a 10 year outsourcing agreement with Accenture. The agreement will see Accenture help the retailer enhance customer service and ensure that its credit provision process is made simpler and quicker, while also expanding its customer base. Under the agreement, Accenture Customer Credit Services will provide Edcon with outsourced customer credit services, including new account acquisition, credit checking and account activation, collections management, services and sales, in support of Edcon's growth strategy. 'Through Accenture Customer Credit Services, we will help businesses and retailers across Sub-Saharan Africa become more digital with their credit services and provide customers with multiple banking options,' said Adrian Bertschinger, managing director in Accenture's Products practice and the company's South African Retail Practice lead. 'We are delighted to be working with Edcon to help improve and expand its credit services. This is a testament to the complementary skills and capabilities that Edcon and Accenture have, as well as a long track record of successful collaboration.' 'Our strategic focus at Edcon is aimed at ensuring that we get to know and understand our customers better and working with Accenture Customer Credit Services will help provide a better, more efficient customer service and interaction,' said Bernie Brookes, Edcon's CEO. 'Accenture brings global best practice and market-leading technology and analytical capabilities to further enhance the existing operation that Edcon has built in this market.'
Accenture Customer Credit Solutions began operations in October 2015 and is headquartered in South Africa where it employs 1,100 employees.
About Accenture Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all business functions - underpinned by the world's largest delivery network - Accenture works at the intersection of business and technology to help clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their stakeholders. With approximately 373,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world works and lives. Visit us at www.accenture.com.
About Edcon Edcon is South Africa's largest non-food retailer, with a market share of the South African clothing and footwear (C&F) market nearly twice that of its nearest competitor, trading through a range of retail formats. The Group has grown from opening its first store in 1929, to trading in 1527 stores (as at 26 September 2015) in South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Lesotho, Zambia, Ghana and Zimbabwe. Edcon has been recognised in national surveys as one of the top companies to work for in South Africa and continues to make significant progress in its equity and transformation goals. Edcon's retail businesses are structured under three divisions: Edgars division which serves principally middle and upper income markets; Jet division including Jet and JetMart which serves principally middle to lower income markets; and the Speciality Division which is made up of Red Square, Boardmans, Legit, Edgars Active, CNA, Cellular, and International brands (Topshop Topman, Tom Tailor, Dune, Lucky, T.M. Lewin, Lipsy, Salsa, River Island, GEOX, Dr. Martens, Vince Camuto, Jessica Simpson, Calvin Klein, CR7, Inglot, La Senza and Accessorize whose products, are also available through Edgars stores). With the launch of its 'Thank U' loyalty programme, Edcon now has the largest retail customer database in South Africa with more than 12 million customers, which enables it to provide customers with relevant offers across its suite of retail and financial services products; this programme includes all mono-branded stores in South Africa. For more information, please visit the Edcon website: www.edcon.co.za

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Contact: Caroline Douglas Accenture + 35 3 87 680 0074
caroline.douglas@accenture.com

Accenture plc issued this content on 26 February 2016 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 26 February 2016 08:29:25 UTC

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