Wednesday, November 27African Digital Business Magazine

Business

Business

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...
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 ...
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...
Business, Nigeria News

Nigeria’s Falcon Aero Eyes Global Business Aviation Market, Showcases at Investing in Africa Conference

Nigerian Business Aviation firm, Falcon Aerospace, is poised for a rapid expansion into the global market. One of the latest indications of this is the young company’s participation in the upcoming Investing in Africa Conference (AFSIC), taking place in London from 7th to 9th October, 2024. AFSIC is the largest annual Africa investment conference taking place outside Africa. As a sponsor, Falcon Aerospace will be exhibiting and networking at the event as the company seeks investment to power its rapid growth and global expansion. The company’s CEO, Chukwuerika Achum, will also be speaking at the event. “Falcon Aero is committed to the vision of a prosperous Africa. To actualise this vision, there must be seamless connectivity of people, ideas and culture with and within the continent, an...
Business, South Africa News

Cape Town’s rise as an international investment destination

The Charlotte: Embodying Cape Town's transformation into a world-class investment destination Cape Town, long celebrated for its breathtaking landscapes and vibrant culture, is rapidly emerging as a powerhouse in the global investment arena. The city's ascent is not merely a testament to its natural beauty but a reflection of strategic urban development, economic resilience, and a forward-thinking approach to international business and tourism. The recent accolades bestowed upon Cape Town - including the Best Destination in Africa in 2023 and second place in the 50 Best Cities in the World to Visit[1] - are more than just tourism honours, and signify a city that has successfully positioned itself at the intersection of lifestyle and investment opportunity. This dual appeal is driving a s...
African News, Business, South Africa News, Startups

Attendees at the Oppenheimers’ South African Future Trust 2024 Summit Can Take Our Country Forward

The country’s premiere entrepreneurial showcase, the South African Future Trust Summit returns to the Sandton Convention Centre on 24 and 25 October – with more speakers, more stages, more opportunities - and a R500 000 investment prize for one stellar delegate. Headlining the event are African Leadership Academy founder Fred Swaniker; Founder & CEO of the Rehumanize Institute and co-founder & previous CEO of SingularityU Nordic, Laila Pawlak; Tasha’s Group CEO & Founder Natasha Sideris; South African songstress and motivational speaker Lira; financial journalist, speaker and author Bruce Whitfield and Veldskoen co-founder & CEO Nick Dreyer – with many more big-name presenters yet to be announced. The presenters and panellists will share their unique insights into how best...
Business, Tech

Mezzan Holding transforms its financial planning with successful Corporate Planning integration

Introduction: A highly complex business Mezzan Holding is one of the leading food, healthcare and consumer conglomerates in the Middle East. With a 75-year heritage, Mezzan Holding manufactures and distributes more than 34,000 products in the consumer goods and services sectors. The business’ operations span across the Gulf and other select markets through 29 vertically integrated companies. Mezzan’s Group Financial Planning & Analysis Manager explains that there was room for improvement on the previous planning practices of manually managing budgets and financial tasks across a complex network of businesses. Working on spreadsheets was time consuming and offered limited visibility across departments, as new versions needed to be locked after being worked on and then manually shared...
Business, Egypt News, Kenya News, Nigeria News, Startups

Why investment in African healthtech is set for a major decline in 2024

Yomi Kazeem, Engagement Manager at Salient Advisory, and his colleagues explore the alarming trend of declining investments in African healthtech. In 2023, amid a nearly 40% slump in investment across African technology ecosystems, funding for healthtech startups across the continent proved resilient, dropping by only 2% – but that is set to change.   Analysis of funding trends in the first of half of 2024 suggests that a major decline in healthtech investment is on the cards, with African healthtech innovations raising only $24 million – a 69% drop compared to the same period in 2023, according to data from Salient Advisory.  The drop in funding is driven by a decline in both deal count and value: the number of deals is down by 47% in the first half of 2024, and the average ticket size...
Business, Mozambique News

The role of insurance in bridging financial exclusion in Mozambique

Hollard, a leading Pan-African insurer, is bucking traditional marketing trends by using unconventional methods to drive financial literacy and encourage insurance uptake in cyclone-prone Mozambique through relatable, yet simple and effective techniques that are rapidly gaining traction. Israel Muchena, Managing Director of Life & Agricultural Insurance at Hollard, says that financial literacy levels are low in Mozambique, and this hinders broader access to the insurance needed to protect small-holder farmers from the risk of climatic disaster. Higher levels of financial literacy can only be achieved if the concept of insurance is demystified, made relatable and communicated in Indigenous languages, he points out. Muchena’s remarks come in response to Mozambican Deputy Minister of...
Business, Main

Op-ed: Why Africa is the Next Big Opportunity Amid Global Slowdown in The Music Industry

By Faisal Kiwewa, Arts Connect Africa (ACA) Board Member and Founder and Director at BAYIMBA Cultural Foundation The global music industry is experiencing a slowdown, with streaming growth decelerating and major players like Apple and Amazon needing help to expand their user bases. Music companies are scrambling to find new revenue streams as the industry enters a slower-growth era. According to a report by Goldman Sachs, global music streaming revenue is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8% from 2022 to 2030, a slowdown compared to the 18% CAGR from 2017 to 2021. While the West grapples with these challenges, Africa’s music industry is  growing into a vibrant, untapped market with immense potential. Africa: A Growing Market with Unique Opportunities Africa's ...