Africa Business, Author at AfricaBusiness.com

25Jan

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, South Africa News

Digital innovation will be key for SA businesses seeking to compete in post-Amazon online retail space

BY SPECNO JACQUES JORDAAN, CO-FOUNDER & CEO With a USD 1.60 trillion market cap, the imminent intensification of Amazon’s operations in South Africa will come to shape the practices and standards that characterise and grow the domestic e-commerce landscape. For consumers and smaller sellers alike, Bezos’ venture into South Africa’s online retail space is a boon, capable of promising lower prices, ease of use, and wider integration with its other services and existing digital infrastructure. The entity’s decision to join the South African market should not, however, be regarded as an inevitable death knell for its many competitors. Instead, it should be used as an effective pace car by local players in the e-commerce space. Underdeveloped physical and logistical infrastructure, ...

What KLM Does to Make Air Travel More Sustainable

25Jan

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, South Africa News

What KLM Does to Make Air Travel More Sustainable

In an era marked by an urgent need for sustainability, the aviation industry stands at the forefront of change. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines understands the gravity of this responsibility and is actively working towards making air travel more eco-friendly. Recognising the significance of both monumental shifts and incremental changes, KLM is committed to transforming the onboard experience as one small but crucial step toward a sustainable future. In celebration of International Day Of Clean Energy on 26 January, KLM shares a few ways they’re reducing their carbon footprint and making a positive environmental impact. Sustainable Aviation Fuel KLM is at the forefront of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) initiatives, taking strategic steps to ensure that the SAF used aligns with ethical and e...

25Jan

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Real Estate, South Africa News

Proptech trends on the horizon

Proptech is reshaping the real estate industry, with technological innovation continuously improving value creation for all stakeholders, generating efficiencies, improving transparency, and further refining the user experience. As in any industry, it’s essential for businesses and consumers to understand and utilise these shifts to guide their decisions and movements going forward. Andrea Carr, Head (R&D) at leading proptech company e4, says these are the trends that will influence the industry in 2024 and beyond: Smart contracts: The real estate industry has long been plagued by inefficiencies, lack of transparency, and high transaction costs, says Carr, but blockchain technology is changing this. “Blockchain technology and smart contract development is revolutionising the way th...

24Jan

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

African News, Zambia News

Impact Africa advances sustainable development in Africa with new regional footprint in Southern Africa

Organizations in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region are now set to further their sustainability agenda after a support firm expanded its outreach by opening a new regional office in Lusaka, Zambia. Impact Africa Consulting Limited (IACL) announced this latest development in a virtual press briefing conducted from its headquarters in Nairobi and the new office in Zambia promising to expand more physical presence in other parts of the continent in the coming months. Speaking during the briefing, Partner and Lead Consultant Dr. Edward Mungai explained that this expansion signifies a major leap in IACL's commitment to advancing sustainability across the African continent. "The opening of our Lusaka office is in line with IACL's dedication to fostering sustainable practi...

23Jan

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Fintech, South Africa News

Top Payment Trends for 2024

Consumers will increasingly be demanding choices when it comes to payment options into 2024, with security being high on the agenda and offerings that will be keenly watched as potential growth engines. Rory Bosman, Executive for Sales & Marketing at Ecentric Payment Systems adds that shoppers also want value from retailers, physical or online, when it comes to deciding where to spend their hard-earned money, especially in this difficult socio-economic environment. As payment systems continue to develop, often building on offerings already in the market, Bosman details nine key trends he sees as dominating 2024. Buy now, pay later There will be a continued growth in offerings that allow consumers to purchase goods on interest free credit, paying the item off in tranches of, for e...

Club Med accelerates its digital transformation by focusing on generative artificial intelligence

23Jan

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Africa Travel, Tech

Club Med accelerates its digital transformation by focusing on generative artificial intelligence

Club Med, a pioneer of premium all-inclusive vacations, has launched a new stage in its digital transformation with the integration of artificial intelligence (AI). This forms part of one of its strategic pillars: "Happy Digital", which aims to enhance their customer experience and employees’ working time through the smart use of technology. In 2022, Club Med created its own Data Factory, a platform for data management. Since March 2023, Club Med has implemented a generative AI strategy (AI that uses existing content for learning purpose to generate new content - texts, sounds, images and more) to continue enriching the customer experience and free up the time of its teams to focus on value-driven tasks. "Generative artificial intelligence (AI), powered by a substantial collection of dat...

23Jan

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business

Everything you need to know about LTL freight shipping

Whether you are an entrepreneur, logistics manager, or just curious about transportation, look no further. This blog post will dive deep into everything LTL (less-than-truckload) shipping has to offer and give a crash course on what it means, how it works, and why its popularity continues to increase in today's market. So let's get into it. Cost savings advantages Shipping can be an expensive business expense, but there are ways to cut these expenses down significantly. One option worth exploring is LTL shipping (less-than-truckload). With LTL, multiple shipments from various customers are consolidated on one truck and split according to customer use of space. Customers only pay for what they use, thus creating an economical alternative for smaller shipments. Compared with full trucklo...

22Jan

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business

The Rise of Inclusive Marketing in 2024

In the fast-paced landscape of marketing, one trend is poised to take centre stage in 2024 – Inclusive Marketing. As the world becomes more interconnected, diverse, and conscious, agencies are recognising the imperative to reflect these values in their strategies. Veronica Moleele, CEO of Penquin, an integrated advertising agency, explains that Inclusive Marketing goes beyond token gestures; it's about authentically embracing diversity in all its forms. Veronica adds that Inclusive Marketing is set to be a major trend in 2024 and explains how agencies can navigate this transformative shift. What Exactly Is Inclusive Marketing? Inclusive Marketing is a comprehensive approach that ensures diverse representation and thoughtful engagement with all customer segments. It goes beyond traditio...

22Jan

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, South Africa News

2024: The year of demand-led training

2024 needs to be the year that we move the needle as business leaders toward demand-led training that will assist in reducing the software development skills shortage that South African companies are facing. This gap is because there isn't a real push towards aligning training programmes with the skills that companies require for specific roles. Training candidates - or Sprinters as we call them - through a demand-led approach makes a valuable impact to both their lives as well as to the organisation, as immersive training means that they are familiar with a company's technology stack and their office culture, making them immediately employable. South Africa needs an agile, skilled, and adaptable workforce, as this is a critical objective for the private sector. This is especially true i...

22Jan

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Tech

Unlocking AI’s potential in 2024

Tarsus on Demand highlights the importance of leveraging AI properly in 2024, and how BI can provide the vital clean data for such solutions to work effectively. 2023 has seen the phenomenal rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI), the latest in a long line of AI technologies designed to help organisations to improve their business. And there is little doubt that the promise AI holds is vast - from streamlined operations and personalised customer experiences to groundbreaking innovations. As with any new technology, the hype around it is as large as its potential business benefits. Despite this, an increasing number of organisations are making efforts to implement it into their business processes. The critical challenge with such implementations, explains Othelo Vieira, Technica...