Tag: Gugu Mjadu

Forget outdated consumer demographics and marketing personas. Even knowing your customers’ names and preferences is no longer enough. According to a Marketing & Sales Practice report by McKinsey, 71% of consumers now expect personalisation. This expectation raises the bar for customer retention and engagement.

South African women are closing the gender gap in entrepreneurial activity. Driven by many factors ranging from perceived opportunity to job scarcity, they are starting businesses which in turn creates employment opportunities for others, with the country boasting one of the highest proportion of women-led companies employing 20 or more people globally.

The global economy has been left winded and weak by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and governments the world over have a difficult task ahead. With the Minister of Finance delivering his much-anticipated 2021 National Budget this Wednesday (24 February 2021), one can’t help but reflect on what solutions need to be implemented to rebuild what was lost in 2020 because of the pandemic and years of low economic growth before then. Whatever the solutions, they need to be monumental and perhaps even radical in order to revive our economy.

Despite a legal requirement that invoices and claims be paid within 30 days or within the period contractually agreed upon, a Public Service Commission (PSC) report has revealed that South African small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) are owed billions in unpaid invoices by government departments.

While women have made great strides in entrepreneurship over the past decade, female entrepreneurs still lag behind their male counterparts when it comes to raising capital. While the goal remains to close any funding gap that exists in this regard, a positive upshot has been that many women business owners have proved to be resource-efficient by necessity.

A new report released by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) has found that online marketplaces could create as many as 3 million jobs in Africa over the next six years. Considering the current state of unemployment in many parts of the continent – particularly among the youth – the healthy development of an e-commerce marketplace will prove to be an important contributor to Africa’s economic growth and job creation in the future.

Entrepreneurs have often played an important role in driving social change over the years. It therefore comes as no surprise that a new wave of 'ecopreneurs' – business owners whose businesses are not only driven by profit, but also by a concern for the environment – are leading the way for sustainable business practices.

Mothers are often lauded as the superheroes of their homes and society at large. So, when it comes to entrepreneurial moms, there can be no doubt that these women are a boundless source of inspiration who serve as motivation for their children and other moms to pursue entrepreneurship, a decision that can only benefit South Africa into the future.