Business Archives - Page 26 of 29

23Apr

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, Fintech

HSBC switches to Recycled Plastic Payment Cards

Transition will reduce CO2 emissions by 161 tonnes a year, and save 73 tonnes of plastic per year HSBC is announcing a new programme to introduce sustainable payment cards across all its global locations. By the end of 2026 it will eliminate single-use PVC plastic, in favour of recycled PVC plastic (rPVC). The programme - which includes HSBC’s debit, credit and commercial cards - is part of the bank’s strategy to reduce its carbon emissions and achieve net zero in its operations and supply chain by 2030 or sooner. Working with global cards manufacturer IDEMIA, the bank will introduce new cards gradually across its locations. Rollout started in Malaysia in January 2021 and will continue in Sri Lanka this month; followed by the UK this summer. It will then extend across further countries and...

20Apr

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, South Africa News, Tech

What does WhatsApp’s Privacy Policy Update Mean for Brands?

Despite public pushback, Facebook-owned messaging app WhatsApp will be going ahead with the privacy policy update it announced earlier this year. While the public has begun to appreciate that WhatsApp’s privacy rules are in fact still very much in favour of the user, with messages sent remaining private and encrypted at all times, what will this mean for brands that use the app to reach and engage with consumers? “The benefits for brands are massive,” says Kyle Oosthuizen, Chief Operating Officer at Blue Robot - creators of messaging solutions that allow brands to communicate with their audience at scale. “These updates form part of Facebook’s efforts to make communicating with a business secure, better and easier for everyone. The new updates will be made to business features that will he...

13Apr

By Andrew BroughNo Comments

Business, Main

Leaders In A Hybrid World Of Work

Andrew Brough Although some organisations were successfully navigating the challenges of remote work and distributed teams way before the pandemic, the last 12 months have highlighted issues that leaders cannot ignore. In the recent 2021 Work Trend Index report The Next Great Disruption Is Hybrid Work – Are We Ready? Microsoft uncovers some pressing trends. Flexible work is here to stay. The 2021 Buffer State of Remote Work confirms that the top three benefits to working remotely are a flexible schedule, the opportunity to work from anywhere, and not having to commute. In many instances, leaders are out of touch with employees and need a wake-up call. The Microsoft Study shows many people are struggling with isolation, disconnect and digital exhaustion. High productivity is maski...

13Apr

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, Fintech

Staying ahead of cybercrime is a business imperative

It is predicted that there will be 7,5 billion Internet users by 2030 and that more than 111 billion lines of new software code is produced each year. While the growth is exciting, these statistics also outline the number of vulnerabilities open to exploitation. Together with an estimated 96 zettabytes of digital content currently produced, this sheer volume will lead to increased cyber-attacks and security events, all of which will be virtually impossible for humans to contain. Ryan Mer, Managing Director, eftsure Africa, a Know Your Payee™ (KYP) platform provider, says that cyber security is almost always a people problem first: “While the amount of business transactions taking place online is constantly growing and working from home is now commonplace, business controls have not kep...

7Apr

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, South Africa News

How cost cutting can help SMEs grow

Reducing the cost of supplies, inventory or business operations is common practice amongst many small business owners. Not preserving enough cash could land a business in deep waters and in need of a lifeline. For business owners, curbing your expenditure is a practical way to improve your cash flow without incurring risk to your business. According to Trevor Gosling, Co-founder and CEO of Lulalend – financing partner to South Africa’s small- to medium-enterprises (SMEs), spending countless hours worrying about your business finances is time wasted and could be best spent strategizing realistic solutions. Gosling explains that by creating a well-documented plan to engage in a cost-reduction strategy is essential. “Map out any areas in your business that could do with an overhaul or cost re...

6Apr

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, Medicine, South Africa News

Clean Air Crucial for Curbing COVID-19 Spread and Upping Productivity in Workplaces. Four Ways Clean Air is Better for Business

South Africa is bracing itself for a third COVID-19 wave. According to scientists, this is due to the slow start to the vaccination programme and relaxed level 1 restrictions. Finance Minister Tito Mboweni has stated that: “If that third wave comes, it should be managed (in such a way) that we keep the economy going and protect lives.” “To this end, employers need to ensure that they fulfil their moral and legal obligation of providing a safe and healthy workplace for their staff,” says Koen Van Wynendaele, Daikin South Africa Managing Director. He continues: “There is growing evidence that COVID-19 infection can occur from airborne exposure to the virus, particularly in enclosed spaces with poor ventilation[i]. With this in mind, employers need to consider the air quality of their workpla...

4Apr

By Josephine WawiraNo Comments

Business, Kenya News, Main

Why a Plastics Pact is recipe for better environmental management practices

The year is 2016, outside a busy supermarket in one of Nairobi’s estates. Shoppers flow in and out carrying their groceries and other shopping items with plastic carrier bags. These are the order of the day, but their pollution to the environment is devastating. A year later in 2017, the Kenyan government would enact the ban on production, sale and use of plastics carrier bags. The ban is considered one of the sternest in the world and whose success rate is now recorded at approximately 80%. Fast forward to 2021, we have made tremendous strides in the fight against plastic pollution as a nation, with a ban on specific single use plastics in all protected areas taking effect from June 2020. There are also ongoing and ambitious plastics initiatives in the country, such as the Kenya Plastic A...

22Mar

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, Tech

Covid-19 will end but workplace culture will never be the same

The onset of Covid-19 had organisations across the globe scrambling to find solutions to the sudden and widespread shift to remote work. More than a year later, it is clear that the pandemic has permanently influenced perceptions and the employee experience of workplace culture, says Reynhardt Uys, Chief Experience Officer, Immersion Group, a global team of experience design experts. According to Uys, organisations are looking for long-term solutions to embed employees within their satellite offices comfortably, with little disruption, where corporate culture is successfully simulated online. “The employee experience has undoubtedly changed. Covid-19 didn’t bring us anything new when it forced businesses to close their brick-and-mortar locations and move to a remote model – it merely acce...

17Mar

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, Tech

AVEVA and SHELL Provide Perspective on How Industry 5.0 Will Connect Human Elements to Smart Production

Shell’s Veteran Strategist, Brent Kedzierski Advocates Mass Personalization and Greater Workforce Collaboration as Keys to Industry 5.0. Leaders from AVEVA, a global leader in engineering and industrial software, and the Shell Oil Company joined forces to discuss the future of Smart Production recently. Brent Kedzierski, Head of Learning Strategy and Innovation at Shell and AVEVA’s Vice President for Process & Simulation Ian Willetts explored how more personalized solutions will empower workers to take greater control over their work experiences creating, more adaptive, on demand experiences which will increase worker confidence, resulting in greater workforce creativity, autonomy and performance. According to Kedzierski, “Industry 5.0 will be characterized by mass personalization and...

AMAKA Studio: A Publisher Dedicated To Celebrating Pan-African Womanhood Launches

14Mar

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, Nigeria News

AMAKA Studio: A Publisher Dedicated To Celebrating Pan-African Womanhood Launches

AMAKA Studio (AMAKA) launched on 11 March. Founded by 25-year-old Nigerian-American CEO Adaora Oramah, the online platform will spotlight nuanced stories for women from Africa and across the diaspora. Intentionally launching the week of International Women’s Day, AMAKA kicks off by celebrating its reason for existence - Pan-African womanhood - for the entire month of March. The celebrations have begun with several high-profile interviews, including conversations with Kenyan-American singer-songwriter and actress Victoria Kimani and Nigerian superstar Teni. With a mission to produce inclusive and culturally relevant content that represents the perspective of Pan-African women, AMAKA’s Editorial team will create content that unites women across geographical and language boundaries. One mis...