Leading global provider of content and technology solutions, LexisNexis South Africa, today announced the official opening of a new office in Port Elizabeth – the fast-rising software development city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The new outlet includes a software development centre through which LexisNexis intends to tap into the province’s burgeoning computer science and information technology graduate base.

Head of Production, Peter Raine, said the establishment of the office in the promising suburb of Humewood followed LexisNexis’ acquisition of Korbitec in November 2015.

“What was largely a Korbitec sales operation in Port Elizabeth has now been expanded significantly to include a strong focus on software development. This is in line with one of LexisNexis’ core values of innovation, which sees us strive to deliver tomorrow’s software solutions, today, in line with advances in technology,” he said.

Raine said the office had a team of 17 staff but was poised for certain growth in the future through extension of its software development team. 

“For the past 11 years, our main recruitment channels have been Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) in Port Elizabeth and Rhodes University in nearby Grahamstown. As an employer of choice, we find it exciting that talent is being nurtured and grown here in the Eastern Cape, and that graduates are making a huge difference to the economy and intellectual capital of the region,” he said.

Recent evidence of the region’s flourishing software development potential included the “overwhelming response” enjoyed by LexisNexis South Africa at the NMMU Computing Sciences and IT Fair in March, where students flocked to the company’s stand to enquire about career opportunities.

Raine said LexisNexis South Africa saw Port Elizabeth as an attractive prospect because of its pipeline of graduates, and an attractive coastal lifestyle.

In setting up shop in Port Elizabeth, the company joins a growing number of multinational corporates investing millions in the city.

“LexisNexis South Africa is constantly on the lookout for software solutions that will enhance the way the nation does business in a rapidly changing landscape, providing endless opportunities for young talent to apply their minds. We are proud to be able to add to the opportunities available to young people in this area to make an impact on the Eastern Cape, South Africa and beyond,” he said.

The new LexisNexis South Africa office is situated in the Harbour View Building in Oakworth Road, with neighbours including DHL and Safmarine.

Solid history

Part of RELX Group, a world-leading provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries, LexisNexis South Africa has operated in South Africa for 82 years and was initially a print publisher for the legal market. The company now assists organisations and professionals to remain abreast of changing legislation and shifts in the regulatory environment, using advanced technology, tools and online solutions. Its divisions include LexisNexis Legal Information and Compliance, LexisNexis Data Services, LexisNexis Business Software Solutions and LexisNexis Africa.

Prior to the acquisition, the former Korbitec boasted a 40-year history as a pioneer of desktop software, online products and data solutions for all spheres of the South African property industry. The bulk of its software solutions – such as conveyancing solution GhostConvey – now fall under the banner of LexisNexis Business Software Solutions. They are used by all stakeholders in the transfer of property ownership, from consumers and real estate agencies to conveyancing attorneys, financial institutions, local municipalities and the Deeds Office. WinDeed now falls into the LexisNexis Data Services division and is South Africa’s leading search tool for company and property information.

– Submitted by LexisNexis