business in South Africa Archives

21Nov

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, South Africa News

Pay-as-you-go everything – innovation, the African way

Reach Africa’s Sales Director Leslie Adams discusses the rise of incremental purchasing and how it’s shifting the African economy In a Johannesburg township lives an entrepreneur; one who is going about his business in a uniquely African way. Miles Kubheka’s business ‘Gcwalisa’ is a shipping container-based retail outlet kitted out with bulk dispensers, apportioning essential goods like maize and sugar. The store operates on a weigh-and-pay basis: Kubheka purchases goods in bulk from food manufacturers, taking advantage of the wholesale discounts. He passes these savings on to his customers, who only pay for the amount they choose to purchase. Goods are brought home in reusable containers, further reducing costs. The idea behind Gcwalisa was born from the reality that many township resi...

6Aug

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, South Africa News

Know the person behind the CV and the partner pitch

Businesses can’t afford bad hires or dubious business partners, so why are they still happening? A key new hire or business partner can have a significant impact on a company – for better or worse. Knowing the facts behind the polished CV or perfect partner pitch should be a non-negotiable, says Sameer Kumandan, Managing Director of SearchWorks, an innovative data platform that allows users to conduct live, accurate searches on individuals and companies and in-depth KYC checks online. It's an all too common but avoidable scenario: A company decides to recruit for a crucial management position, or an entrepreneur seeks out a business partner, hoping new skills will foster much-needed growth. The process involves advertising the role, networking, sifting through dozens of CVs, identifyin...

Ethel Kuuya: Visionary Leader, Founder, Author and CEO of Advisory Kulture

5Jul

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, Interview, South Africa News

Ethel Kuuya: Visionary Leader, Founder, Author and CEO of Advisory Kulture

As an influential leader, Ethel presents a visionary philosophy that can inspire the next generation. Her transformative approach sets a new standard for leadership, which is crucial for nurturing future leaders. Her consulting firm, Advisory Kulture, offers successful leadership training that has been effective across various sectors. What type of business do you run? I run a consulting firm named Advisory Kulture. We specialise in providing strategic advice and tailored solutions to help businesses navigate complex challenges and achieve their goals. How long has your business been running for? Advisory Kulture has been operating successfully for 10 years, during which we have built a solid reputation for delivering high-quality consulting services. What mot...

25Jan

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, South Africa News

Digital innovation will be key for SA businesses seeking to compete in post-Amazon online retail space

BY SPECNO JACQUES JORDAAN, CO-FOUNDER & CEO With a USD 1.60 trillion market cap, the imminent intensification of Amazon’s operations in South Africa will come to shape the practices and standards that characterise and grow the domestic e-commerce landscape. For consumers and smaller sellers alike, Bezos’ venture into South Africa’s online retail space is a boon, capable of promising lower prices, ease of use, and wider integration with its other services and existing digital infrastructure. The entity’s decision to join the South African market should not, however, be regarded as an inevitable death knell for its many competitors. Instead, it should be used as an effective pace car by local players in the e-commerce space. Underdeveloped physical and logistical infrastructure, ...

30Oct

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

South Africa News

The power of the scaffolding software development approach in retail

Niel Coetzee, Head of Engineering at redPanda Software In recent years, many South African retailers have come to rely on no-code and low-code solutions which ostensibly simplifies the software development process. While the appeal is undeniable, these methods often trap businesses in a web of unoptimised code, vendor lock-in, and restricted adaptability. Traditional low-code and no-code solutions may seem attractive at first glance. They promise speed, ease of use, and require less technical expertise. However, lurking beneath the surface are issues that can turn them into ticking time bombs. The code is often suboptimal, resulting in clunky and slow software. While employees might be adept at dragging and dropping low-code and no-code solutions in such environments, they can be left st...

The four-day work week trend spins back into the mainstream

6Jan

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

South Africa News

The four-day work week trend spins back into the mainstream

By Johan Botes, Partner and Head of the Employment & Compensation Practice, Baker McKenzie Johannesburg The four-day work week is nothing new. Reading about its anticipated return is akin to getting a letter from an old friend who disappointed you long ago and then disappeared, but for whom you still have fond feelings. Like yo-yos and hula hoops, the four-day work week has excited generations, with the notion fading over time and becoming trendy again once those who were infatuated with the idea had long forgotten about the frustration of replicating moves made to look so simple by a select few. Two global oil companies were first documented cases of companies adopting the four-day work week, back in 1940. Their drivers worked a schedule that saw them working 40 hours in four days (...

19Nov

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

South Africa News

Getting SA’s Social Entrepreneurs Investment Ready

The impact investing market now stands at around US$715 billion globally and this figure is climbing steadily[i].What’s more, 43% of impact investors have funds allocated to Africa, with 52% of investors planning to increase their African investment over the next five years[ii]. With South Africa being the largest market for impact investing within Southern Africa[iii], are our social entrepreneurs ready for this investment? Ashleigh Sibanda, Programme Manager: Business Incubation at business growth specialists Fetola explains that investment readiness refers to the capacity of an enterprise to understand and meet the specific needs and expectations of investors. “While there are thousands of social enterprises in the country, not all of them possess this. In fact, the World Bank cites th...

21Oct

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Energy, Fintech, South Africa News

Tech tipping point

New technology often seems fantastic on paper yet has little impact in the life of the average person. A new tipping solution for fuel pump attendants, however, does both. When asked to fill up a fuel tank as motorists do in the movies, few South Africans would know what to do beyond pulling their tank lever from inside the car. Fuel station attendants are as much a part of our culture as braais and ‘howzit’. And yet, a BusinessTech poll of over 7000 respondents in 2018 showed that 37% of motorists don’t tip pump attendants. Engen aims to change this with its new ‘Tip an Attendant’ function. Ukheshe technologies, Telkom and Engen have collaborated to create the QR solution which allows motorists to tip attendants and cashiers for efficient service by simply scanning a QR code using thei...

27Sep

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

South Africa News, Tech

Another data breach rocks South Africa as details of 1.4 million South Africans gets leaked

We are currently living in a world that is being driven by technology. It is very rare to find any aspect of our daily lives that is not impacted by technology. Since Government imposed the National Lockdown – which aims to mitigate the worst effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic – there has been a significant move towards social distancing and essential services within the financial services industry have moved online. “Criminals have also moved online,” reports Manie van Schalkwyk, CEO of the Southern African Fraud Prevention Service (SAFPS), “it is estimated that there are 17 billion cyber attacks that take place around the world every day. Another South African company reports a data breach Over the past two years, South African companies have been reporting that they have been victims ...

18Aug

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

South Africa News

Collaboration and Partnership will get SMEs through these difficult times

Small businesses in South Africa should tap into existing business community, partner and supplier networks to help keep their heads above water in these tough times. It is only by finding creative ways to stand together and help one another that this vital sector of the South African economy, employing 9 out of 10 people, will survive. One such partnership kicks off in Cape Town tomorrow (Tuesday 3 August 2021). The “Small Business Spotlight” initiative is the brainchild of SME funder Lulalend and one of the city's online magazines CapeTownMagazine.com. The nationwide initiative is designed to encourage all of us to support our favourite local businesses by showcasing them to a broader audience. The devastating impact of the pandemic on SMMEs is well documented, says Lulalend CEO Trevor...