[5] Softline was founded by Ivan Epstein[6] and Alan Osrin in 1988 during the formative years of the software industry[7] with a mere R1,500 loan.

[7] By 1993, more than 20,000 South African businesses were utilising Softline's Brilliant Accounting products aimed primarily at medium-sized enterprises.

[11] SVI Holdings Inc. had previously acquired Divergent Technologies Pty Ltd Propriety Limited in Sydney, Australia in October 1996,[11] Applied Retail Solutions in San Diego, California to enter the point of sale market in the USA in July 1998[12] and Island Pacific Systems in Irvine, California, a leading retail applications' software group in the USA candour in July 1999.

[10] In 2003, Softline was delisted from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange to be acquired by The Sage Group plc, one of the leading providers of business management software and services to SME's.

[3] In 1989, Alan Ware and Jeremy Waterman established LA Technology, the distributor for Accpac International throughout sub-Saharan Africa.