Tag: COVID-19

About seven years ago, the United Nations introduced the concept of gender-aware economics and transformative financing. The idea is that funds and other investment vehicles become aware of what they are investing in, taking the time to consider different assets and businesses with a focus on financing women entrepreneurs.

The insurance landscape is one of ever-changing complexity. The regulatory environment is shifting, consumer expectations are changing, while fast-developing technologies require business models to become more refined to enable innovation, improve risk management and deliver greater value to clients.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have always been compelled to find and leverage every opportunity to remain competitive and stay ahead of the curve. Amidst all of the disruption of the past two years, this need has become a business imperative.

The Africa Report 2022 has revealed a continent that has shown stable growth, increased innovation and consistent reform in a bid to create a competitive environment, foster free trade and improve the investment climate. For investors navigating the 54 different countries and relatively opaque market – only a few provide key economic and business data – the landscape is changing, providing greater clarity, visibility and opportunity. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to significant shifts in the residential property market. In the beginning, many were scaling back to clamber back on costs, however, as interest rates continued to dip between 2020 and 2021, many started to upgrade their homes and invest in bigger spaces.

Whether through augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) – the reality is that the future of shopping is blended and immersive and will harness innovative digital tools by creating immersive experiences to reel in, and keep customers engaged and shopping for more.

Regulatory pressures have dominated the headlines for Chinese e-commerce in the past 12 months. We think the focus is now shifting. Nothing showcases China’s love of e-commerce better than Singles’ Day, or 11.11. This unofficial holiday, initially founded as an anti-Valentine’s Day for singletons, is held annually on the 11 November.

South Africa is the second largest and the most technologically developed economy in Africa. However, according to the World Bank, South Africa is also the most unequal country in the world. A full report published by the World Bank states that the country's extreme inequality is due to “inherited circumstances over which an individual has no control”.

These are difficult times. The COVID-19 pandemic has proved to us that we cannot rely on tomorrow to be like today; there is no such thing as ‘business as usual’. The social and economic upheaval has been devastating, and its effects long-lasting, making these times even more uncertain. The antidote to this uncertainty is clarity.

On 18 August 2022, we published an opinion piece regarding the decision of the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) to no longer extend the Zimbabwean Exemption Permits (ZEPs), which are set to expire on 31 December 2022.