5 Reasons Why South African Boards Need Board Meeting Software

As decision-makers at the helm of your organisation, the decisions you make are power moves, and board meetings must be collaborative experiences where the future is decided. But, more often than not, board meetings end up being too overwhelming both for administrators and directors, taking away from the true purpose of the meetings.

Good governance matters for every type of organisation, be it a non-profit startup or an enterprise. While boards in South Africa use one or more tools to organise and engage in board meetings, a big chunk is still done manually or repeatedly.

That’s why board software that can single-handedly take care of board coordination and administration can help boards deliver real value while saving precious time. Discover why in this article.

Why Traditional Board Management Isn’t the Way 

The nation just went through a huge change — policy changes, shifts in investment patterns, and a huge emphasis on risk governance.  With South Africa’s political landscape affecting investor confidence worldwide, now is the most crucial time for boards to strengthen corporate governance and get adept at scenario planning.

The age-old methods of curating agendas on paper, sending heavy board books with a ton of papers, retrieving them from different corners of the world, and shredding them are painful. Agenda times are going to vary even after the final draft is prepared, along with standard items like approval of minutes, board meeting reports, department updates, financial reports, old business, new business, executive session, and review of the schedule of meetings.

What Can Board Meeting Software Do For You?

1. Protect sensitive boardroom data from cyber threats

Having the second fastest internet in the entire continent, and the second highest GDP, the nation is looking at a vast amount of tech tools to secure operations and grow exponentially.

Over the past few years, South African geography has seen a spike in cyber attacks on all fronts, and the most common ones were the Android phones targeted by banking malware, and corrupted files being circulated.

Sending super confidential board decks via email without proper encryption can be easily accessed and read by hackers. Boards may be exposed to a huge risk, which can certainly be reduced by using board management software that offers an iron-clad protection against any kind of data theft.

Modern board meeting platforms, such as Convene, offer enterprise-grade security features like AES-256 document encryption, ensuring that sensitive board materials remain fully protected from unauthorised access. AES-256 encryption is the gold standard in cybersecurity, used by governments and financial institutions worldwide to secure highly sensitive data.

In addition to robust encryption, Convene integrates multi-factor authentication (MFA), adding an extra layer of security by requiring multiple verification steps before granting access. This significantly reduces the risk of unauthorised logins and cyberattacks, ensuring that only verified board members and executives can view and interact with critical documents.

2. Ensure compliance with South African corporate governance standards

The King IV law on corporate governance is a non-negotiable for boards to look for when choosing board management software. Since the law mandates boards to be transparent in their corporate governance practices, and to be mindful of the security of overall operations that affect the economy, your choice of software must be compliant with the South African standards.

Even though popular email providers and document portals promise you tight security, it’s fairly easy to hack into them unless the portal is built with board-sensitivity in mind.

South Africa adopted a national cybersecurity strategy and a military cyber command. The nation identifies cybersecurity as a key national priority, and it’s only fair that any type of board communication happens with utmost security as possible and then some.

With robust board management software like Convene, you get granular access controls, allowing administrators to define user permissions based on roles, ensuring that only the right people can access specific documents.

You also get to view audit trails and activity tracking, which provide a comprehensive log of actions taken on the platform, enhancing transparency and accountability. Your toolbox also includes remote document wiping, ensuring that if a device is lost or compromised, sensitive board materials can be erased instantly.

3. Improve efficiency and productivity in board meetings

Traditionally, you plan your board meeting’s agenda a month before, draft board books and presentation slides two weeks before, and distribute them to board members a week prior.

When things are moving at a fast pace with tons of work to do, it’s natural for a few things to go amiss. No board director wants to be left in the dark about what their schedule looks like, when their reports are due, and what deadlines are for tasks.

Similarly, if your chairperson loves a high-level or detailed view of what’s happening, you’ll need to prepare for them separately. Acknowledging their expectations and preparing for them, on top of daily tasks, can take a toll on you. But, even during your busiest times, you can sit back and let a few clicks help you set up meetings. That’s what board management software is here for.

With comprehensive board management software like Convene being deftly integrated into your directors’ calendars, you can see who’s available when and schedule right. This way, you bring in people who contribute to the meeting, and based on their availability, send pre-reading materials their way. Makes meeting coordination way easier than before.

4. Enable secure and seamless remote collaboration

If board members are flying in from all over the world, arrangements need to be made every three months for boarding, accommodation, transportation, and all expenses. Ever since remote collaboration took root, boards have been using common meeting platforms for highly sensitive board meetings.

While this isn’t a problem per se, the primary issue occurs in casting and collecting votes manually during and after the meeting. Other board meeting activities, such as minute-taking and actions management, will also need secure, automated workflows.

With a reliable board management software like Convene, all these can be done in a single platform remotely – right from scheduling, conducting meetings, managing the action items, minute taking, preparing board resolutions, casting votes on decisions, and more – that can save you a lot of trouble down the line.

5. Reduce costs and go paperless

It can be very expensive to courier, retrieve big board books, and send multiple copies for every meeting, which usually happens for corporate setups quarterly. Board administrators spend a lot of time planning and organising meetings, besides managing access to documents and records. Add last-minute changes to the mix, and you’re spending sleepless nights before the big board meeting.

Board members need to have the right information at the right time for fast and informed decisions, and tech can help immensely with it. Not just any tech stack, but a carefully built board management software designed with the complexities of a board meeting in mind.

No more last-minute print runs or worrying about outdated documents, just upload, share, and access board materials instantly from any device. Need to make changes? No problem. Automation ensures everyone gets the latest version without endless email threads. It’s faster, safer, and way more convenient, so board members can focus on making big decisions instead of dealing with paperwork.

The Smart, Simple, and Secure Board Management Software for SADC Boards

Board meeting software is not just a luxury for South African companies, it is a strategic imperative. In a time where compliance regulations like the King IV Report on Corporate Governance emphasise transparency, accountability, and stakeholder engagement, digital board solutions provide the structure necessary to uphold these principles.

Convene is the perfect, secure board software for South African boards that is built right and around your workflows. With one-click access to agendas, reports, and meeting notes, you can stop worrying about logistics and focus on real decision-making. Everything you need is in one secure place. You can review documents, make annotations, and discuss key points instantly.

Convene is known for top-notch security protocols to ensure your board’s confidential discussions and documents remain protected. With encryption, access controls, and secure cloud storage, you can focus on making decisions with confidence, knowing that your data is in safe hands. Making the shift to Convene is about embracing efficiency, clarity, and control. It’s about transforming board meetings from a time-consuming chore into a strategic advantage.

With a platform that streamlines everything from document management to real-time collaboration, you no longer have to waste energy on logistics. Instead, you can focus on what truly matters, leading with impact.

That’s why you’ll find Convene to be the only tool you need in your belt. Sign up for Convene! Book a demo today.