Business Archives - Page 8 of 29

15Jan

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business

Marketers and PR agencies can no longer afford to be vague

By Judith Middleton, CEO of DUO Marketing & Communications Everyone should be able to answer: How do you use data to drive commercial results and insights? We all know that data is not just important, we understand that it is fundamental to how we shape our collective future. Metaphors abound, but one thing is certain, data is the gravitational force shaping the contours of business. Effective marketing and public relations agencies have been at the forefront of this evolution. Every agency needs to answer this question: How do you use data to drive commercial results and insights? This is not an exercise in finding listicles online about how data can or should be used in an agency environment. Rather, it is an exercise in testing an agency’s data maturity because, with each success...

African markets impacted by FX volatility and inflationary pressures in sobering 2023

12Jan

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, Main

African markets impacted by FX volatility and inflationary pressures in sobering 2023

The African business ecosystem has matured, despite a 2023 characterised by macroeconomic and funding challenges, says Risana Zitha, Managing Director and Head of Africa at DAI Magister The global business landscape underwent a profound transformation in 2023, triggering a turbulent year for companies worldwide. Geopolitical turmoil, inflationary pressures, and a shifting economic landscape unleashed a torrent of challenges, particularly for start-ups and growth-oriented companies. In Africa, notable currency depreciations created unfavourable market conditions − the Nigerian Naira saw a 40% depreciation for 2023, while Kenya experienced a 20% depreciation in its currency value. Additionally, there was a contraction in the size and volume of VC deals, with both metrics decreasing by 40% ...

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

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...

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...

6Dec

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business

When the heat is on: Stress and psychological safety in high-risk work environments

By Lani van der Merwe, Senior Consultant at OIM Consulting In 2013, I found myself working on a project at a mine, where I was part of a team tasked with cadet assessment in a worker training programme. My job was to perform a series of assessments on the cadets, and based on their results, decide whether or not they should be hired by the mine. One morning, I started a little earlier as I had a great deal of people to see that day. When I arrived at the mine, I was told I couldn’t enter as the police were on their way. After some asking around, it came to light that members of that mining community had cut a hole in the fence, entered the mine after hours, and burned the offices down of those of us doing the assessment. While my office was found with a petrol bomb inside it, it had luck...

tappi Raises $1.5M in Oversubscribed Pre-Seed Round to Digitize and Build Online Trust for Africa’s SMEs

6Dec

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, Kenya News

tappi Raises $1.5M in Oversubscribed Pre-Seed Round to Digitize and Build Online Trust for Africa’s SMEs

Funds to Accelerate Trust in Digital Commerce Ecosystem, as tappi Achieves 19% MoM Growth with $3M in Verified Consumer Transactions tappi, an end-to-end digital commerce SaaS solution tailored for small and medium-sized businesses, has raised $1.5M in an oversubscribed Pre-Seed round led by Mercy Corps Ventures and Chui Ventures. With participation from Digital Currency Group, SOSV, Resilience17, growX ventures, Orbit Startups and Reflect Ventures, the investment also saw contributions from angel investors and advisors from global tech companies, including Google, Salesforce, Zendesk and the financial sector. The early-stage funding will further tappi’s mission to empower SMEs to gain visibility and build trust in the digital commerce ecosystem as the company broadens its footprint acro...

5Dec

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, Energy

With Huawei Digital Power solutions, the Northern Africa region is expanding its activities to addresses the challenges of energy transition across the continent

[Shenzhen, China, December 5th, 2023] Huawei announces the appointment of Philippe Wang as the new President Digital Power for Huawei Northern Africa (North, West and Central Africa). This strategic move aligns with the company’s accelerated commitment to developing energy efficiency optimization solutions for the continent while supporting its green transition. Philippe Wang, remaining Executive Vice-President, Huawei Northern Africa, will lead the Digital Power division at a pivotal moment for global energy and climate discussions, coinciding with the opening of COP28 in Dubai on November 30. Founded in June 2021, Huawei Digital Power has expanded its portfolio to include Smart PV, Data Center Facility, Site Power Facility, FusionCharge, and DriveONE. These solutions leverage digital te...

TCI Signs Agreement To Build And Operate Egypt’s First Bulk Cement Export Silo Terminal With Sinai White Portland Cement Company

30Nov

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, Egypt News

TCI Signs Agreement To Build And Operate Egypt’s First Bulk Cement Export Silo Terminal With Sinai White Portland Cement Company

[Cairo, November] – Transcargo International, TCI, a veteran terminal operator in Egypt, announces the signing of an agreement with Sinai White Portland Cement, SWCC, for the development of Egypt’s first bulk cement silos in Arish Port, marking a significant milestone in the cement industry in Egypt and its export capabilities. SWCC, a subsidiary of the world's largest white cement manufacturer, Aalborg Portland Group, controlled by Cementir Holding N.V., the leading producer of white cement globally, operating one of the world's largest white cement plants in the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula. Under the terms of the commercial agreement, TCI will build and operate white cement silos terminal with an annual capacity exceeding 200,000 tons for SWCC, facilitating the export of the company's pro...

AFEX Launches FETC Product on New Digital Trading Platform

29Nov

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, Nigeria News

AFEX Launches FETC Product on New Digital Trading Platform

Africa Exchange to replace ComX Africa’s leading commodities player, AFEX, has launched Africa Exchange, a digital platform for trading commodities. The platform follows AFEX’s first foray into digital commodities trading with the launch of ComX in 2020. This new trading platform further transforms the commodities space in Africa by enabling commodities market players to meet and interact both in the physical and financial markets. Data and information crucial to decision-making are readily available on the platform, offering a comprehensive and informed trading experience. Africa Exchange provides a structured marketplace duly regulated by Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), ensuring that users can participate in various trade or investment opportunities. Africa Exchange...