Thursday, November 21African Digital Business Magazine

Tag: consumers

African News, Kenya News

Deforestation Costing Kenyan Economy Millions of Dollars Each Year and Increasing Water Shortage Risk, UNEP and Kenya Forest Service Report Finds / Services from Kenya’s Water Towers Underpin Many Sectors of Economy

NAIROBI, Kenya, November 5, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ – Deforestation deprived Kenya’s economy of 5.8 billion shillings ($US 68 million) in 2010 and 6.6 billion shillings in 2009, far outstripping the roughly 1.3 billion shillings injected from forestry and logging each year, according to a joint Kenya Forest Service (KFS) and UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report.   The ongoing work of the KFS, together with the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) and international partners, says that the contribution of forests is undervalued by 2.5 per cent, putting the estimate of its annual contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at around 3.6 per cent.   Hon. Dr. Noah Wekesa, Kenya’s Minister of Forestry and Wildlife, said the report – entitled ‘The ...
African News, South Africa News

Majority of Credit Active Consumers Don’t Know Their Credit Score

  Personal finance and price comparison website, www.justmoney.co.za, found that the majority of respondents that participated in its poll in July 2012 did not know their credit score. Cape Town, South Africa, October 21, 2012 --(PR.com)-- The results of a poll conducted by Justmoney reveal that many consumers fail to realise the importance of knowing their credit score, also known as a credit record. Almost three quarters (73%) of people polled on Justmoney, South Africa’s online guide to money, said they did not know what their credit score was. The flash poll also revealed that only 18% knew their credit score, while 9% didn’t know what a credit score referred to. “Knowing your credit record is vital, as it is an indicator of your creditworthiness. Credit scores are used b...
African News, South Africa News

A warning to South African Skype users about a malicious worm

    By Thandisizwe Mgudlwa  ESET, a global provider of security software for enterprises and consumers, has warned South Africans  about malicious worm spreading through Skype instant messaging. Further, South Africans are also warned to exercise caution when using Skype as they may fall victim to a recent campaign started by cyber-criminals aimed at spreading malicious malware.  A new ESET report says the malicious worm has been spreading quickly among local Skype users. Some infections will install a ransomware variant, locking users out of their computers and informing them that their files have been encrypted and will be deleted unless a ransom payment of $200 is made within 48 hours. And this worm is spreading through Skype's instant messaging s...
African News, South Africa News

What’s in it for me?

  By Chemory Gunko   Author and social psychologist, Robert Cialdini has conducted a very interesting experiment (Brandwashed, Martin Lindstrom, 2012).   In this experiment, about 700 volunteers were brought into an auditorium, ostensibly to fill in a survey. The real purpose of the experiment though, was the glass jar of cookies on the researchers’ front desk.   In stage one, the jar was filled to the brim with cookie deliciousness, and when the researcher asked if anyone would like a cookie, about a fifth of the people took him up on the offer.   In stage two, many of the cookies were removed from the jar so that it would look as if others had already taken one. Again, when offered, only about a fifth of the respondents opted to enjoy a cookie.  ...
African News, South Africa News

‘Sh’boom’ heralds launch of major new Standard Bank TV campaign

  Standard Bank has launched the next phase of its brand campaign “Moving Forward” including a major television commercial that captures key moments in world history, demonstrating progress and the positive emotion people feel when they move forward. The campaign, developed by the group’s advertising agency TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris, will flight in South Africa and other African markets where Standard Bank has a presence. The 60 second commercial follows a series of global events - from the first flight in the early 1900’s to the first democratic elections in South Africa. These moments capture significant social change and technology advances that have moved the world and humanity forward in a positive way. The famous tune “Sh’boom” by The Crew Cuts, which enjoyed nine weeks at Number...
African News, South Africa News

New Fair Trade Shop Empowers South African Artisans

  COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Aug. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Paradigm Shift, a Colorado-based non-profit, recently launched an online shop. The Paradigm Shift Shop sells Fair Trade South African crafts handmade by microentrepreneurs who have participated in Paradigm Shift's holistic entrepreneurship training program. Around the globe millions work in sweatshop-like conditions, earning barely enough to feed their families. Unfortunately, many consumers are unaware of the exploitation that is often involved in the process of making their goods. Former U.S. president Benjamin Harrison once said, "I pity the man who wants a coat so cheap that the man or woman who produces the cloth will starve in the process." To counter the exploitation of workers around the world, a social movement has e...
African News, Nigeria News

Kola Aluko Hails $4.5 Billion Deal for New Refineries

  LONDON, July 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Nigerian government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with US firm Vulcan Petroleum Resources and Nigeria's Petroleum Refining and Strategic Reserve to build six new oil refineries in a deal worth $4.5 billion. Two of the plants, each of which will have a capacity of 30,000 barrels per day, are set to be operational within a year. Nigeria - Africa's top oil producer - has been held back by its lack of refining capacity, which has made it a net importer of processed crude and subject to global price fluctuations. Until recently, a generous fuel subsidy protected consumers from high import prices. Though not yet lifted entirely, six months ago President Goodluck Jonathan announced that this support was no longer affordable. Fund...
African News, South Africa News

Standard Bank South Africa’s Muvo card brings cutting edge technology to bus system

  The introduction of the MasterCard Muvo card in Durban will herald the beginning of the end of carrying cash for bus fare in South Africa. Commuters using People Mover and Durban Transport buses throughout Ethekwini municipality in KwaZulu-Natal province will use the card to pay their fare. The card is powered by Standard Bank South Africa and introduced through its innovation arm Beyond Payments and transport IT specialistAlmex. The card is an anonymous debit MasterCard that is coupled with the National Department of Transport's specified ticketing solution. It is also prefunded and reloadable, and can be used as a standard EMV MasterCard, as well as in a contactless environment enabled though the MasterCard PayPass™ contactless technology. The launch follows the successful...
African News

Consumer Lifestyles Market in Estonia, Nigeria, Spain, Saudi Arabia & Hong Kong, China Reviewed in New Research Reports

  DALLAS, July, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – ReportsnReports.com adds new market research reports on Consumer Lifestyles in Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Nigeria and Estonia to its store. These Consumer Lifestyle Reports provide current and detailed snapshots of the unique behaviours, attitudes and spending patterns of consumers in concerned countries. Explore the reports @: 1. Consumer Lifestyles in Estonia 2. Consumer Lifestyles in Nigeria 3. Consumer Lifestyles in Spain 4. Consumer Lifestyles in Saudi Arabia 5. Consumer Lifestyles in Hong Kong, China Find other Country Specific Reports on the Consumer Lifestyle Market @ http://www.reportsnreports.com/tags/consumer-lifestyles-market-research.html. In addition to covering important core topics like h...
African News, South Africa News

Explore business process outsourcing in the South African context and climate at CEM Africa Summit

  Explore business process outsourcing in the South African context (Microsoft Word) The anticipated Customer Experience Management Africa Summit will be held in Cape Town from 2 to 3 August 2012. The event will bring together Africa’s industry leaders, and provide a unique platform to build relationships, share ideas and most importantly, to do business. The summit is produced by international business-to-business conferencing company, Kinetic Events. The South African government, together with combination of resources with other South African business advisory and support groups, is committed to actively promoting South Africa as a business process outsourcing destination of choice within the customer service industry. Industry executives and professionals are seeking advic...