Intuit QuickBooks has seen stellar growth in its online business, which it says is validation of its philosophy of investing in and servicing the bourgeoning small and medium-sized (SME) business segment. This is vital in South Africa as 98,5% of the country’s economy is made up of SMEs, according to a recent Small Business Institute report. Jolawn Victor, head of emerging markets at Intuit QuickBooks, said that because of this incredibly high concentration of small...
Cloud CRM is not only a very powerful business tool. It also delivers bespoke CRM services to specific verticals such as insurance or healthcare. $193.6 billion was spent on enterprise applications during 2018, of which nearly a quarter – $48 billion – went to customer relationship management (CRM) software (Gartner). Out of that chunk, nearly three-quarters are being spent on SaaS (Software as a Service) CRM, that being software services that companies use on-demand as...
AlphaCode, Rand Merchant Investment Holdings (RMI)‘s incubation, acceleration and investment vehicle has awarded R23 million supplier development loans to three fintech startups, Zande Africa, Bright On Capital and Livestock Wealth. Dominique Collett, head of AlphaCode explains, “We have granted Zande and Bright On, with whom we’ve been associated for over four years, around R10 million in supplier development loans each and Livestock Wealth has been granted R2 million. Businesses like these don’t always get the funding they require to grow...
The Diageo Empowerment Trust South Africa (DETSA) is has embarked on a search for ambitious sorghum farmers across South Africa to supply the United National Breweries. The tender is open to emerging black farmers who qualify in line with the generic Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Codes. In the 2020 programme, 3600 hectares of farming land will be made available to qualifying participants. DETSA will provide successful applicants with both capital and mentoring in order to...
Embracing technology isn’t just a matter of having the latest and greatest gadgets and gizmos at hand whenever we want to use them – it’s something that’s integrated into every part of our everyday lives. And it’s no different for businesses. Technology is part of everything, and if you don’t keep up with it, you run the risk of competitors eating your lunch and taking your customers. Automation is one of the most important technological...
Ghana has one of the most vibrant mobile markets in Africa, with competing operators including the regional heavyweights MTN Ghana, Vodafone Ghana and AirtelTigo, formed from the merger of Airtel Ghana and Tigo Ghana. Although subscriber growth has remained strong in recent years, with the exception of a dip in 2017 resulting from a redefinition of active subscribers from one of the operators, competition has resulted in lower Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) and pressure...
It’s a good day to be African up in these streets and we’re so delighted that African talent is starting to get the recognition and acknowledgement that it deserves. Hollywood reporter broke the news that South African actress Nomzamo Mbatha and Garcelle Beauvais have joined the cast of Coming 2 America, Paramount’s sequel to its popular 1988 comedy. The classic which stars Eddie Murphy is being directed by Craig Brewer and is said to begin shooting...
1. Who is Sonto Pooe and what brought about native child? Sonto Pooe is a mother , a wife, an entrepreneur and a philanthropist. I was born in t he dusty streets of KZN and raised by a single mother ( a teacher by profession) so education in my household has always been important. I’m the first if 3 girls so responsibility / leadership skills I learnt growing up having to play second in charge...
August 14 2019. Kobo360, the digital technology platform disrupting African third-party logistics, today announced the completion of a $20M Series A equity round led by Goldman Sachs, with participation from Asia Africa Investment and Consulting Pte. and existing investors including TLcom Capital, Y Combinator, the International Finance Corporation. An additional $10M in local currency working capital financing has been secured from Nigerian commercial banks. Launched in 2017 by Nigerian entrepreneurs Obi Ozor and Ife Oyedele...
The annual Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA) MD’s Charity Golf Day raised R900 000 in cash for Thusong Orphanage. In addition, Spar donated R55 000 worth of vouchers to the organisation. Held at Copperleaf Golf Estate and Spa on 26 July 2019, the prestigious event saw 200 participants and 23 sponsors take to the fairways on a perfect Highveld winter’s day. Located at Mokwalla Township in the Free State town of Vredefort, Thusong was founded more than...