Africa Business, Author at AfricaBusiness.com

15Oct

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Energy

Africa’s renewable resources can transform domestic and global energy supply, says investment bank

The continent represents a largely untapped white space, restricted by energy poverty and a lack of infrastructure The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates $110 billion will be invested in energy across Africa in 2024, as global players leverage the continent’s potential for solar, wind and natural gas production. Continued growth is dependent on significant investment, targeted at improving African energy infrastructure and human skill sets to support the global energy transition from fossil fuels to renewables. According to Risana Zitha, Managing Director and Head of Africa at investment bank DAI Magister, emerging technologies, falling costs and digitalisation are paving the way to a profitable renewable business case across Africa. However, to successfully leverage this pote...

14Oct

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, South Africa News

3 strategies to maximise your Return On Ad Spend this retail season

Use first-party data to get personal in all the right ways, says Flow founder South Africa’s year-end retail season has officially kicked off, and with Black Friday, the December holidays, and Back to School campaigns around the corner, brands are under pressure to cut through the digital noise. As global giants with enormous advertising budgets expand into the local market, it’s clear that old marketing strategies won’t cut it anymore. To stay competitive, local brands need to turn to a powerful tool – one that’s already at their fingertips, according to Daniel Levy, Co-Founder of ad and data-tech platform Flow. “When it comes to connecting directly with your customers,” he says, “first-party data is the biggest weapon in your arsenal.” What is first-party data and why is it gold? F...

14Oct

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

South Africa News

7 Myths You Should Know About Business Insurance

In our current struggling economy, businesses are looking to cut costs wherever they can in order to preserve their profits – or even just to stay in operation. If you’re a business owner, you may also be looking to cut expenses that aren’t the absolute essentials, like salaries and rent. More often than not, one of these perceived “non-essential” expenses is business insurance: according to a KPMG insurance survey from July 2023, only 50% of South African businesses have commercial insurance. “The irony, though, that a business may face even more risks than a larger corporation,” says Jaco Erasmus, Director of Insurance at Cornerstone Financial Services Group. “In addition, the financial strain of recovering from an unexpected event can be far more significant if your business has limite...

14Oct

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Fintech

Visa Dollar Card is Available to Every African Resident

Residents of African countries face limitations when it comes to using their local currency outside their borders. Foreign payment systems do not accept payments in any currency other than dollars or euros. Additionally, many online stores place restrictions on the use of cards from African countries due to the high rate of fraudulent transactions on the continent. The solution to these problems for any African resident has become virtual cards, which can be issued online and used for payments wherever it’s convenient. The financial service PSTNET issues Visa virtual cards without limits on top-ups, spending, or the number of cards. Ultima: Virtual Card Without Limits PSTNET is known as a provider of virtual cards for online payments. Now it offers a virtual card for shopping called Ul...

13Oct

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Tech

Risk mitigation and protection: cyber-resilience and cyber-insurance

By Richard Frost, Head of Consulting at Armata Protecting the organisation from cyber-risk goes beyond the digital walls surrounding it – companies need a multi-pronged approach to ensure resilience and reduce risk, explains Richard Frost, Head of Consulting at Armata Cyber Security. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) describes an organisation’s active commitment to securing both its digital perimeter and financial assets as fundamental to reducing risk to company solvency. Right now, cyber security is so volatile it presents a significant, ongoing threat to financial stability. The Global Financial Stability Report found that the cost of the cyber-incident is now sitting at $2.5 billion – a price tag that includes repairing and protecting against the damage caused by the incident...

13Oct

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, South Africa News

Unveiling Strategic Pathways to Accelerate Innovation in South Africa: BCX Releases 2024 Digital Innovation Index Report

BCX, in collaboration with EY-Parthenon, released the much-anticipated second edition of the BCX Digital Innovation Index Report at the Enterprise Forum held at the Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel, in Cape Town. This in-depth study delves into the core pillars of innovation—strategy, investment, operating models, skills, and culture—offering actionable insights for businesses at every stage of their innovation journey. Designed to help organisations assess their innovation strategies, the report also provides a detailed perspective on the rapidly evolving digital transformation landscape in South Africa. Melvin Reynolds, BCX's Digital Innovation lead, expressed his excitement for this year's report stating: "The second edition of the BCX Digital Innovation Index provides a benchmark for ...

13Oct

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South Africa News

How to Find the Right Size Pool Pump

The main purpose of a pool pump is to provide water through the filtering system. This helps mix chemicals and sanitise the water, which keeps it clean. However, in order for this process to work the pool pump must be of the right size. You must consider flow rate, pool size, capacity and other important calculations. We have explained in detail all the factors you need to consider for buying the right size pool pump. The Capacity of Your Pool Many pool owners assume that a bigger pump size is better as it can handle more water. However, an incorrect pump size can cause many problems. Your pool's total capacity to handle water is called volume, and it is measured in gallons. This capacity can be determined by understanding the depth of your pool. You need average depth to calculate the...

8Oct

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business

How to simplify customer interactions for happier, more loyal customers

Kelvin Brown, Customer Operations Executive, Telviva Simplifying customer interactions can lead to happier, more loyal customers. There is more choice than ever before, meaning customers are not forced to endure a customer experience (CX) that is characterised by clutter or unnecessary friction. We’ve all experienced difficult customer experiences. Just recently, I opted to use WhatsApp to engage with a business but was channelled back and forth between channels to ultimately accept that I was number 200-odd in the voice queue. Ironically, that was the most positive outcome. How, then, do businesses get it right? It starts by balancing digital transformation with CX. Businesses are under pressure to implement digital channels and technologies such as artificial intelligence. They’ve he...

8Oct

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Startups

Misaligned Reporting in African Tech Risks Future Funding, New Report Reveals

Wimbart’s Second Annual Investor Relations Report Calls for Standardised Reporting Frameworks to Strengthen Investor-Startup Relationships 40% of startup founders feel investors do not understand their business and market, creating a disconnect in communication 89% of investors receive regular reporting from their portfolio companies, up from 71% in 2023 72% of investors have increased their reporting requirements over the past 18 months, prioritising sustainability metrics over financial KPIs Wimbart, an award-winning PR agency specialising in business and technology sectors across Africa, has released its second annual report titled “Startup Performance Reporting in Africa: Aligning Startup and Investor Expectations.” The report, which aims to gain a comprehen...

8Oct

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

South Africa News

Mid-Year Consumer Outlook for South Africa shows ‘financial polarisation’ between consumers

Consumer spending is starting to turn a corner, but many South Africans feel worse off due to higher food prices Hustle culture is growing, with 83% of respondents seeking additional income streams NielsenIQ (NIQ), the world’s leading global consumer intelligence company, has released its Mid-Year Consumer Outlook: Guide to 2025 report, identifying macro catalysts across industries. The forward-looking study provides a strategic roadmap for South African retailers looking to win over consumers in the year to come. The report anticipates that global consumers will spend $3.2 trillion more in 2025, representing nearly 6% growth compared to 2024, according to World Data Lab. In South Africa, there are signs of growing consumer confidence and resilience, even with rising food and utilit...