Microsoft licensing, setup and support from one Johannesburg partner
Microsoft Partner in South Africa for Businesses and Nonprofits
AMEA Technologies is a Microsoft partner headquartered in Johannesburg. It licenses, sets up and supports Microsoft 365, Copilot, Intune and Azure for South African businesses and nonprofits of about 10 to 300 users, on site across Gauteng and remotely nationwide.
What does AMEA do as a Microsoft partner?
AMEA supplies the Microsoft licences you need, configures them securely, moves your email and files across and supports your staff afterwards, so one company owns the whole setup.
- Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Standard and Premium: Licences from R135 per user per month, VAT included, set up with MFA and security policies from day one.
- Microsoft 365 E3 and E5: Enterprise plans for organisations above 300 users or with advanced security and compliance needs.
- Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Chat: Copilot licensed for the people with a measured use case, with data controls and staff training.
- Intune and Defender: Device management, encryption and endpoint protection for every laptop and phone that touches company data.
- Email and file migrations: Moves from Google Workspace, old Exchange servers or other hosts into Microsoft 365, switched over outside business hours.
- Windows 11 devices and upgrades: Readiness checks, in-place upgrades and partner-priced replacement laptops.
- Microsoft for Nonprofits: Validation, free Business Basic for up to 300 users and discounted Business Premium for staff who need it.
Do I pay Microsoft or AMEA?
When you license through AMEA, AMEA invoices you and handles renewals, licence changes and support cases with Microsoft, so you deal with one South African company for licences, support and projects.
Can I keep the licences I already have?
Yes. AMEA can support a Microsoft 365 tenant whose licences you already hold, and move the licences across when it makes sense, usually at renewal, which is also the moment to drop unused seats.
Should you buy Microsoft 365 direct or through a partner?
Buy through a partner if you want someone accountable for setup, security and support. Buy direct only if you have in-house IT staff to configure and run Microsoft 365 themselves.
| Direct from Microsoft | Through AMEA | |
|---|---|---|
| Who sets it up | You, in the Microsoft admin centre | AMEA engineers, with MFA and security policies from day one |
| Who you call | Microsoft online support | Engineers who know your setup, and who escalate to Microsoft when needed |
| Billing | Microsoft, in US dollars | AMEA, one invoice for licences, support and projects |
| Licence mix | You choose and adjust it | Plans matched to each user and reviewed before renewal |
| Nonprofit offers | You apply and keep the validation current | AMEA handles validation and mixes free and discounted licences |
| Best for | Organisations with their own IT team | Businesses and nonprofits of 10 to 300 users without one |
How do you check that a company is a real Microsoft partner?
Ask for the company's listing in Microsoft's partner directory, then ask which Microsoft products it deploys and supports every week.
Microsoft retired its Gold and Silver competencies in 2022. Partners now belong to the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program, and the most established earn Solutions Partner designations in areas such as Modern Work, Security, and Data and AI. A designation tells you what a partner has been assessed on; it does not tell you who will answer your call, so ask these questions too:
- Which Microsoft products does the partner set up and support day to day, for organisations your size?
- Will your business stay the owner and global administrator of its own Microsoft 365 tenant?
- Does the partner use granular delegated admin privileges (GDAP), so it holds only the roles it needs, for a limited time?
- Who answers when email or Teams stops working, during which hours, and how fast?
- What happens to your licences, admin access and documentation if you move to another provider?
Ask AMEA the same questions. The answers should be specific, and you should be able to get them in writing.
How much does Microsoft 365 cost through a partner?
Microsoft 365 licences cost from about R135 per user per month for Business Basic to about R1 140 for E5, VAT included, at Microsoft's list prices in rand.
Business Standard, the plan most South African businesses choose, is about R265, Business Premium about R420, and Copilot Business adds about R400 per user. The Microsoft 365 price list has every plan, the add-ons and nonprofit pricing, with the date the prices were last checked. AMEA quotes the exact figure for your user count, with setup and support priced separately and up front.
Does AMEA help nonprofits with Microsoft grants?
Yes. AMEA helps registered South African nonprofits validate with Microsoft for Nonprofits, claim free Business Basic for up to 300 users and buy discounted Business Premium only where it is needed.
Microsoft retired the free Business Premium grant in July 2025, so the licence mix now matters. The 2026 nonprofit grant guide explains the change, and the eligibility checker tells you in two minutes whether your organisation qualifies.
Microsoft partner questions, answered
Yes. AMEA Technologies is a Microsoft Partner and supplies, deploys and supports Microsoft 365, Azure, Intune and Microsoft 365 Copilot for South African businesses and nonprofits, including nonprofit licensing through the Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider programme.
Yes. AMEA Technologies is a Microsoft partner headquartered in Johannesburg that works with businesses and nonprofits of around ten to 300 users. It supplies Microsoft 365 licences at partner pricing, migrates email and files, sets up security policies and supports staff day to day, on site across Gauteng and remotely nationwide.
Yes. Microsoft 365 licences can move from one partner to another, and the move is usually timed to the subscription renewal date. AMEA reviews your current licences first, so the switch is also the moment to remove unused seats and correct the plan mix.
A small business without its own IT staff should usually buy Microsoft 365 through a partner, because the partner configures security, handles licence changes and support cases, and answers when something breaks. Buying direct suits organisations with in-house IT staff who will set up and run Microsoft 365 themselves.
Microsoft retired its Gold and Silver competencies in October 2022 and replaced them with the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program, since renamed the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program. Partners now earn Solutions Partner designations in areas such as Modern Work, Security, Data and AI, and Azure. When a South African business asks for a Microsoft Gold partner today, the useful question is what the partner is licensed to sell and which Microsoft products it actually deploys and supports.
Written and reviewed by the AMEA Technologies engineering team in Johannesburg. Last updated .
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