Tag: big data

Conventional wisdom is that winter is one of the weakest periods for retail trading in South Africa. However, a big data analysis we commissioned shows that retail sales tend to pick up in winter after the quiet autumn months. 

There’s widespread acceptance that improving customer experience will go a long way towards attracting and retaining customers, especially at a time when there’s increased competition for valuable consumer spend. Naturally, all eyes turn to technology to remove friction, add convenience, automate, drive personalisation and much more.

In this digital age, big data is no longer just a trendy term. Businesses of all sizes are pouring resources into big data projects to make smarter decisions, deliver personalised customer experiences, and accelerate innovation.

It’s time for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to recognise that using data and analytics is not as scary or expensive as they may think - and that the benefits can be significant.

The modern world is flush with technology jargon, and new ones keep entering our lexicon: digital transformation, the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR), and Generative Artificial Intelligence are just a few examples. And as often happens with overused words and phrases, we become very comfortable with these to the point that they soon become a part of the background noise.

The world has largely opened up again after COVID-19. Now it’s time to roll up our sleeves and get down to the business of educating South Africa’s children. And while technology is going to play an important role in helping us overcome the backlogs caused by the pandemic, it’s not a silver bullet that will miraculously transform our education system.

Using OpenAI’s ChatGPT, the response below was generated following the prompt "Write the opening paragraph for a media release about how transformative generative AI can be for business and government". Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to revolutionise the way businesses and governments operate, enabling them to create new products and services, improve efficiency and decision-making, and drive innovation.

The only thing that’s constant in life is change. Many companies are now choosing hybrid workforce models to power their operations. As a result, they are adopting the technology necessary to complement this type of flexible model. The COVID-19 pandemic forever altered how the modern workplace functions: trends clearly show the demand for the hybrid workplace model.

Does the current model of the traditional regulatory and statutory audit still make sense in the changing business context? These audits performed by independent and external auditors in line with relevant laws and regulations, require the auditee to submit a set of reporting information, and the auditor to produce their report annually in line with the legislated timelines and to meet stakeholder needs.

A growing economy and innovation are providing the insurance industry with new opportunities on the continent. Driven by technology, innovation and economic growth, the insurance industry in Sub-Saharan Africa is evolving, as highlighted by our new report.