2025 Xero Roadshow: Innovation, Integration, and Insights

On 21 May 2025, the ASL Business Solutions team, accompanied by some of our partners and associates, attended the Xero Roadshow in Cape Town. This premier event brought together South Africa’s accounting and business communities to explore the latest developments in cloud-based solutions, automation, and advisory strategies.

The energy at the Cape Town International Convention Centre was palpable. A few highlights that truly resonated with our team included:

• GG Alcock, author and entrepreneur, delivered a powerful keynote on kasinomics — offering a deep dive into the informal economy in South Africa and how digital platforms like Xero can play a role in enabling growth in underserved markets. Lize-Marie, a final year trainee in ASL, was reminded once again that no one really has an excuse — if you want to make a success of your life, you can, no matter your circumstances. “We are where we are because of our circumstances, not despite them”, she says. Success does not look the same for everyone and we must not look down on others because we think our success is “better”. It is not – it is just different.
• Steve Barnett, better known as The Silent Conductor, the motivational speaker who does not say a word. He captivated the audience by using music and rhythm to highlight the power of non-verbal collaboration — an apt metaphor for the seamless integration of systems and people in business. Surika van Zyl, a first-year trainee in the department, was impressed by how The Conductor could bring people from different backgrounds, talents, and mindsets together to create something meaningful and beautiful. Mariska Keeve, a final year trainee, shared the same sentiment and appreciated how he made everyone feel like children again – open, creative, and engaged.
• Colin Timmis, Xero’s Country Manager for South Africa, presented the annual State of Celebration — a data-rich yet inspiring look at how South African businesses are adapting, thriving, and contributing to the economy, with Xero at the heart of many of these success stories.

Xero product updates: Smarter tools for business owners

Xero unveiled several innovations aimed at enhancing efficiency for business owners and advisors:

JAX (Just Ask Xero): An AI-powered business companion, launched in beta and now available to all users with the Subscriber role in Xero, is designed to automate accounting tasks, provide personalised insights, and allow business owners to effortlessly create invoices within Whatsapp.

eFiling integration enhancements: The ongoing development of seamless integration with SARS eFiling will make VAT and payroll submissions even easier in future updates. These enhancements will include the ability to load payments to SARS directly from Xero, without having to log in to eFiling.

App integrations: Enhancing business efficiency

The roadshow also highlighted innovative app integrations that can significantly benefit business operations:

Paysoft Flow: This app offers a fully automated system for processing bulk EFT payments, integrating seamlessly with Xero to streamline collections and payments. It features auto-reconciliation, reducing the risk of missed transactions and saving valuable time.

Meshed360: A modular ERP solution tailored for SMEs, Meshed360 integrates with Xero to provide comprehensive inventory management, sales and purchase cycle management, and customisable reporting. Its scalability makes it ideal for businesses looking to grow efficiently. Read our previous article on Meshed360 here

Looking ahead

Events like the Xero Roadshow reinforce why we at ASL value technology and strategic partnerships in supporting our clients. The innovations showcased this year — from automation to analytics — are not just about efficiency, but about empowering businesses to grow confidently.

If you’d like to explore how Xero and its ecosystem of apps can add value to your business, feel free to reach out to our Business Solutions team. We’re here to help you unlock the full potential of your digital accounting system.