Author: Contributor
COVID-19 vaccine supplies are available in various parts of the world. But it’s clear that distribution is not symmetrical. High-income countries have access to disproportionate quantities of limited supplies. Vaccine nationalism, stockpiling and profit-driven strategies of global pharmaceutical manufacturers have shown up global health inequities. More than 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered globally to date. Only about 200,000 (0.2%) have been in Africa. South Africa is one of the first countries in sub-Saharan Africa to procure vaccines. The country has some of the highest reported cases of COVID-19 in the region. But, despite hosting a clinical…
By Nomtha Lusu and Piet Wolmarans Just trying to keep your head above water and taking it day-by-day might seem like the best way to manage your personal finances during 2021. Not planning or making financial commitments might seem like a safe option as the ‘corona coaster’ has taken many on an unpredictable financial ride last year. However, it is possible to plan and take control of your finances. Here are a few simple ways to help you manage your finances responsibly. Let us start at the beginning – what is financial wellness? Nomtha: Financial wellness has little to do…
By Frans Hiemstra With 2021 in full swing and the economy slowly adjusting to new realities, many businesses need to relook their offerings to suit the changing needs of their consumers and communities. While some businesses, especially in the retail sector, may sadly never reopen, the survivors find themselves doing business in a new world of partitions, mandatory masks, temperature checks and sanitiser stations. A key question remains: Has the way apps operate like Uber and Uber Eats operate changed forever? The answer is yes! However this isn’t a bad thing and in 2021, businesses like Uber will continue to…
by John Maddison Organizations have distributed data and workloads across both cloud environments and on-premises data centres. As a result, IT teams have to deploy, manage, and secure increasingly complex and hybrid networks. And even though many organizations have moved many of their workloads into the cloud, the majority of them still operate hybrid environments. Hybrid environments allow organizations to keep important data on-premises. This allows them to maintain full control over sensitive assets, while also taking full advantage of the scalability and agility the cloud provides. However, as organizations become more hybrid and distributed, their security needs to be able…
By Helen Kruger Flexibility, agility, diversity and a superior experience will drive the future of work. This is according to a recent survey by Citrix that reveals that employees will seek opportunities with companies that share their vision and give them space and tools they need to succeed and advance their careers. The pandemic has forever changed the way people view jobs. If businesses want to attract and retain top talent, they need to understand their mindset and requirements and develop models to accommodate them. As everything returns to normal and the job market begins to recover, there will be…
By Lionel de Oliveira The pharmaceutical industry is faced with a multitude of challenges, including a rapidly changing landscape, competitive pressures, and the supply chain challenges wrought by the global COVID-19 outbreak. With a COVID-19 vaccine likely to be available in early 2021, we can expect even more pressure on the distribution chain. Besides the key need of having a solution which is designed specifically for pharmacies, other needs of this sector are an integrated approach to centralised management of pharmacy outlets; interoperability between systems; real-time financial solutions; optimal revenue generation and collection; and integrated financial reporting. What does the…
By Alain Tshal In 2020, the world changed overnight in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As more organisations adopted and accelerated digital strategies – and with most of us relying on the internet to go about our everyday life – cybercriminals were presented with a huge range of new opportunities to exploit. This year will be no different. Here are some important cybersecurity trends for South African organisations to look out for in 2021. Phishing and fraud to the fore According to a recent TransUnion survey, 42% of South African households have been targeted by COVID-19-related scams, an increase of…
By Prof. Josef Langerman The human body doesn’t like change, especially when that change is brought on by some sort of trauma or injury. When a part of your body is injured, it becomes inflamed. Inflammation or swelling is part of the body’s natural healing system and helps fight injury and infection. It is your body’s way of protecting itself from traumatic change. Businesses are often the same. Organisational and cultural change has the same effect on a business as inflammation in the human body. Businesses, and the people who work for them, often reject the change if it is seen as traumatic or…
by Mark Kayser Digital transformation is no longer an option, it’s a must for everyone organisation that wants to stay relevant and compete in an ever-changing world. Trillions of dollars are being allocated to strategic programs each year but billions are being wasted on failed digital transformation projects. Strategic programs are crucial for business to adapt, but why do 70% of these programs fail to achieve their goals? In short, it’s due to lack of executive buy-in, wrong execution strategy, poor timing and resistance to change. To succeed, strategic programs need to deliver business value on time and within budget.…
by Moses Mudzwiti Technology has enabled the continuation of efforts to increase trade and tourism between India and Africa. Undeterred by the novel coronavirus pandemic that is ravaging many countries, India and African representatives have resolved to strengthen ties. A recent virtual India Africa Economic Forum examined the growth possibilities of trade and tourism between these old trading partners, whose social and economic ties date back thousands of years. These potential projects include the development of a VIP airport in Zimbabwe, smart cities in African countries, and the establishment of a furniture corridor. The India Africa Trade Council and the Indian…
By Andrea Tucker South Africans are increasingly looking to greener pastures within our country’s borders in search of a better quality of life away from the stresses of big cities. Semigration, or moving from one part of the country to another, is firmly in the spotlight as COVID-19 makes working remotely de rigueur. While semigration is nothing new, many of the barriers preventing people from taking the leap have virtually diminished overnight. Small businesses and large corporates alike have had to rethink their operating models along with expectations of their workforce, and many have seen improved productivity due to the…
By Christiaan Engelbrecht Forming the backbone of the economy, SMEs serve as a critical engine of economic growth, generating employment and fostering innovation. In South Africa, SMEs contribute nearly 98.5% of the number of formal firms in the economy, who employ under a third of the country’s workforce across all sectors. The COVID-19 crisis and the economic downturn has had a severe impact on this important business segment. Our SMEs have had to steer through unprecedented challenges, including disruptions to supply chains, changing market conditions, and new ways of working. While lockdown regulations in South Africa have eased, many SMEs…
As South Africa joins the global community in commemorating 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children, Avon Justine has amplified its ongoing fight against gender-based violence. The global beauty and cosmetics brand is pledging part of the revenue generated from the sale of products to non-governmental organisations that are at the forefront of combating the scourge of domestic violence and abuse of children. This initiative to raise funds to support survivors of gender-based violence builds on Avon’s $1 million (R15 million) commitment to support frontline services during initial lockdowns. These limited edition products that are earmarked…
By Greg Nott and Tristan Marot Africa is a unique continent. From its diverse cultures and languages, to its extremes in wealth and development – but one consistent variable across the region is opportunity. Since the start of the century, what has been clear is that the next couple of decades are Africa’s for the taking, and take it we shall. The wide breadth of development taking place on the continent is staggering. From massive infrastructure projects such as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Grand Inga Dam or the Maputo–Katembe Bridge to the massive economic growth seen in countries such…
by Antonio Bruni e-retailers need to radically reconfigure their product delivery models. During the recent global lockdowns, it was reported that online orders for groceries from the likes of OneCart, Bottles App and Buyfresh had increased as much as 30 times. Both on-demand and next day delivery models required improved delivery systems and significantly more staff to manage order fulfilment and on time dispatching. The market for innovative delivery has grown considerably as consumers demand faster delivery. According to PWC Global Consumer Insights Survey 2020, shoppers would pay for delivery of groceries that took less than two hours. When choosing…
By Nick Durrant Building a mobile app could be costly and time consuming, especially when developing a cross-platform business app for Android and iOS. However, with React Native, it is now possible to develop these apps using a common code base and reducing your cost of development. React Native is the ideal solution for building affordable high-performing business apps and is a tech stack that is used by leading global organisations. It is a framework that simplifies cross-platform app development without compromising on the user experience (UX) design or user interface (UI). It also requires less development time, offers simple…
By Wangeci Migwi, Amy Giliam and Nicole Rodel With the climate crisis threatening over half of the global GDP, there can be no business-as-usual when the world begins to plan for a recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, we have a unique opportunity to change our relationship with nature by shifting our development pathway to one that is equitable and sustainable. Development Finance Institutions may be the “visible hand” that can guide and finance the future we want – but Africa will remain under the proverbial thumb of skyrocketing debt and climate catastrophe if the new vision of development financing…
By Kabelo Makwane Internet of Things (IoT) refers to any object or device that is connected to the internet. This rapidly expanding set of “things,” which capture, send and receive data, includes cars, appliances, smart watches, lighting, home assistants, home security, and more. It’s predicted that by 2025, there will be 41.6 billion units of IoT connected devices worldwide. Internet-connected devices can make us more efficient, save time and money, and allow us connectivity from almost anywhere, but they also require that we share more information than ever. The security of this information, and the security of these devices, is…
by Margaret Nienaber In a strange new world characterised by physical distance, we are rediscovering the value of real human connections – between colleagues, clients, communities, families and friends. Importantly, the pandemic has reaffirmed our belief that digital technology can help us to become more human and connected, not less. Standard Bank Wealth has expedited its digital innovations amid the crisis, yet we have been equally focused on the need to be thoughtful, empathetic and kind in our interactions at a time when anxiety and uncertainty about the future is elevated. To keep the communication lines open from the start…
By Rubesh Doomun PORT LOUIS, Mauritius — Much ink, and oil, has already been spilled about Mauritius having to deal with an ecological catastrophe. A few weeks before, everything was operating at leisurely speed on the south-east of Mauritius. Lockdown was a couple of months behind, and the local fishermen could envisage getting back to normal business in an attempt at salvaging earnings for the second half of this calendar year. The sea was naturally quiet. The usual picturesque background with the blue ocean, the radiant sun, and the usual greenery of the sugarcane fields would, however, quickly slip into…
Ask any business, whether big or small who has done digital marketing at some point of time on how easy or difficult it is to choose a full-service digital marketing agency. They’ll admit, it is not an easy task and finding a really good digital marketing agency is even harder. It’s tough to find an agency you can trust with something as crucial and valuable as your web presence. One needs to understand that every firm and business has its unique way of approaching clients/customers and hence it goes without saying that the digital marketing campaigns should be crafted keeping…
South Africans now have another crisis to worry about, their personal information has been lost to a fraudster who has gained access to 24 million people’s information. The information in question is the exact detail required to access banking information, access accounts and steal identities. Cybersecurity expert and J2 Software CEO John Mc Loughlin says the exact end game is not clear, but the possibilities are endless. “The initial hype around Experian mentioned they had been hacked and data was stolen. With additional detail it seems that none of the systems were breached and the personal information of 24 million…
In 2018, the Mail & Guardian ran a story under the headline “Who the fax is still sending faxes?” Surprisingly they found “it still has a ‘massive’ user base”, particularly in the health care and financial services sectors. Government is also big on faxing. This is backed up by a 2019 article in The Conversation “Why do people still use fax machines?”, which states that, “Millions of people, businesses and community groups send millions of faxed pages every day… It turns out that in many cases, faxing is more secure, easier to use and better suited to existing work habits…
By Larry Edsall As part of the rollout of its e-2008 all-electric sport utility vehicle, Peugeot reminds that it has nearly 80 years of experience with electric vehicles. Peugeot’s first EV wasn’t planned but was the result of what the French automaker terms “simply ingenuity.” In 1941, faced with the German occupation of France and fuel shortages as Europe went to war, Peugeot developed “a unique alternative for the time. That alternative was the VLV, short for Véhicule Léger de Ville, or “Light City Vehicle.” The VLV was a small cabriolet with two offset seats and an electric drivetrain. Peugeot traces its EV…
by George Thabit Ayad Thomas Cloud services are critical for SMEs in the current environment, but they require experienced advisory and a comprehensive offering. The COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown has effectively demobilised the global economy – and it’s no different here in South Africa. Production has plunged and unemployment is at critical levels. National GDP is set to shrink across the globe, with the associated multiplier impacts on small business. Even as we ease into the reopening stage of the crisis, the question remains, what kind of an economy will we be returning to? Many business processes will be…