Africa Business, Author at AfricaBusiness.com

8Jan

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Tech

How to build a strong data culture at your company to unlock growth opportunities in 2024

By Eric Munene, Director Of IT at Andela Data culture refers to an organizational culture of using data to derive insights and make informed business decisions. Companies operating in Africa can build a strong data culture by arming themselves with data and the right set of people, policies, and technologies. Africa's population is on track to nearly double, reaching 2.5 billion people by 2050, according to projections. The World Economic Forum estimates that 70% of global wealth creation by 2030 will be facilitated through digital platforms underscoring the pivotal role Africa's engineering talent is poised to play in transforming businesses worldwide. As this potential unfolds, data emerges as the linchpin for unlocking future growth opportunities—a prospect reserved for companies fost...

25Dec

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Energy

Prioritizing Transformational Solutions over Elusive Promises: Reflections from COP28 and Global Climate Conferences End of 2023

By Nicole Iseppi: Director - Global Energy Innovation, Bezos Earth Fund The global climate verdict echoes with even greater clarity post-COP28: it's time for transformational, actionable steps rather than elusive inertia, attention-grabbing promises. Achieving our climate goals requires a tangible shift from fossil fuel reliance, demanding real innovations in the energy system instead of focusing on small-scale, minimal-impact solutions. No longer small steps only large leaps are required by all to deliver the global energy transition. Triggering positive tipping points in the energy system Systemic transformations play a pivotal role in mainstreaming renewable energy. Despite current successes, transformations are not occurring at the speed and scale needed as highlighted in the Global...

Unlocking the Power of Gen Z: A Crucial Element in Modern Marketing Strategies

18Dec

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business

Unlocking the Power of Gen Z: A Crucial Element in Modern Marketing Strategies

In the ever-evolving landscape of marketing, staying attuned to the preferences and behaviours of different demographic groups is crucial for success. Among these groups, Generation Z (Gen Z) stands out as a potent force, and according to Keleabetsoe Rammopo, Head Of Strategy at Penquin, an integrated advertising agency, understanding and engaging with Gen Z is an essential element of a robust marketing strategy. Gen Z: A Dominant Force in South Africa's Population Gen Z, defined as individuals born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s, represents a significant portion of South Africa's population, with a staggering 27.5 million people falling into this demographic. As the oldest Gen Z members are now 28 years old, there are high expectations for their economic activity, from purchasin...

18Dec

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Tech

Africa’s $50bn Private Higher Education Sector Set for Accelerated Growth

By Dorian Maillard, Vice President at DAI Magister The world is hurtling headlong into a digital future, and one crucial resource is in short supply: tech talent. Projections paint a stark picture. By 2030, the global tech talent shortage could soar to 85 million, translating to $8.5 trillion in potential lost annual revenue, and there’s no viable solution at scale to fill this looming deficit. Yet, amidst this intensifying scramble for tech talent, a paradox unfolds. Africa, a continent brimming with potential, stands as a vast, untapped, and overlooked goldmine of tech talent that will be home to over 200 million digital natives by 2030. While the reasons for Africa’s underrepresentation in global tech are complex and multifaceted, innovative solutions are emerging, countless initiativ...

18Dec

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

South Africa News

SA entrepreneurs must leverage business growth through application of locally produced, world-class tech solutions or risk being left behind in fast-paced digital landscape

By JACQUES JORDAAN, CO-FOUNDER & CEO SPECNO While South African entrepreneurs continue to battle less-than-ideal operating conditions for their businesses in our country, one solution remains prevalent: the integration of locally produced, technical solutions, with the power to provide our hard-working entrepreneurs with monthly cost savings, improved operational efficiencies and an increase in opportunities for growth. Streamline operational efficiencies to secure cost savings By integrating locally-produced tech-based solutions into their business models, South African entrepreneurs can streamline their operational efficiency in a manner that results in significant cost savings. One of South Africa’s leading online shopping destinations recently underwent their own digital transfo...

18Dec

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Tech

Building trust amidst suspicion: The impact of AI on business and society

By Wayne Toms, CEO of Ghostdraft Hardly a day passes without someone, somewhere, speculating about artificial intelligence (AI) and whether we, as businesses and society at large, can and should trust the technology. While much of the fear mongering is based on hearsay and outright speculation, there certainly are legitimate concerns. However, businesses and consumers have more than enough reason to believe — and trust — AI’s ability to add significant value to their processes and lives. Customer communication management (CCM), infused with complementary AI, has literally shifted the goalposts for what businesses can achieve with personalised, accurate and compliant customer communication at scale. On the other hand, screaming headlines work people into a state. Rumours have surfaced ...

18Dec

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, Main

Expert Predicts Sustainable Retail Trends for 2024 and Beyond

Shopaholics are constantly changing how they look at the products and services they spend their money on, and one thing that can massively affect whether they buy something is whether it’s sustainable or not. Figures from Deloitte show how important sustainability is to modern shoppers and consumers, with 58% valuing durability, 39% focussing on repairability, and another 37% consider how biodiverse the purchase will be. The sands are shifting towards a more sustainable future in retail but what trends could we see emerge in the coming years? Vikki Makinson, head of marketing and communications at Oceans, the leading suppliers of sustainable toilet paper, has provided expert insight into the future trends of sustainable retail. Eco-conscious consumerism The bigges...

18Dec

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

African News

Africa Carbon Markets Initiative (ACMI) Unveils Encouraging Progress to Drive Sustainable Development and Combat Climate Change in Africa

The Africa Carbon Markets Initiative (ACMI) is proud to unveil substantial progress and achievements made in 2023, underscoring its commitment to accelerating climate action, promoting sustainable development, and addressing the impacts of climate change in Africa. By sharing its progress, ACMI is doubling down on its support to African carbon markets, whilst also recognizing the incredible progres that global carbon markets have seen at COP28. 1. Comprehensive Carbon Market Activation Plans (CMAPs): ACMI has been actively collaborating with seven African countries, including Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Malawi, DRC, Ghana, and Rwanda, to develop robust Carbon Market Activation Plans (CMAPs). These plans focus on formulating regulations and policies for both voluntary and compliance carbo...

18Dec

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Fintech, South Africa News, Startups

Unleashing Africa’s potential: A vision for innovation and entrepreneurship

SA Innovation Summit CEO Buntu Majaja looks back at this year’s successes and quantifies next year’s opportunities. - SAIS2023 brought together 2,600 innovators from 26 countries - The investment capital in attendance equalled around R30 mbillion - Startups are pivoting to or building on AI In the dynamic world of technology and entrepreneurship, the courage and determination of startup founders is invigorating. As the CEO of the SA Innovation Summit, witnessing these entrepreneurs, often unsure of their own capabilities until the moment of truth, fuels a passion for the role and a deep sense of responsibility as an enabler for the industry. It’s believed that everyone possesses an innate desire to contribute positively to the world, and it is this entrepreneuria...

Beyond bytes: A socio-technical approach to data management is crucial in our decentralised world

15Dec

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business

Beyond bytes: A socio-technical approach to data management is crucial in our decentralised world

By Lee Wearne, Data Strategist at Insight Consulting The world is more polarised than ever before, with global conflict and geopolitical tensions drawing strong lines between regions and even within countries. Conflict, social unrest, inflation, climate change, and much more, are leading the world towards a trend of de-globalisation on a scale not many anticipated as recently as 10 or 20 years ago. The effect of this is that power and data are becoming fragmented. The result is that businesses may well be aware of data fabrics, data meshes and modern data stacks and may feel inclined to rush towards these technology solutions, but unless they address the cultural obstacles within their organisations and embrace a socio-technical approach, their investments and efforts are likely to be in...