Covid and African Market Competitiveness
By Kevin Abraham The stated vision of the African Continental Free Trade Area is to create one African Market, and the world’s largest, barrier free trade zone. As of late 2019, 30 countries out of 54 had ratified the agreement, and although that number is low, an official date for the startup of intra-nation trading […]
Right questions, right answers.
By K. Abraham “To find the right answers, you need to ask the right questions.” An oft-repeated adage, that nevertheless remains pertinent, wherever decisions need to be made. As lockdown comes to an end, and businesses begin the process of operational reintegration, there will be new realities to contend with; realities that will need to […]
Technology, data mining, and lines of credit.
Author: Kevin Abraham Photo credit: Vaughan Deacon Photography For those of us who live and work in developed economies, access to financial technology is so widespread that it borders on the mundane. As individuals, we hardly think about swiping a card at the supermarket, transferring money, paying bills, purchasing or selling goods or services, checking […]
FUTURE NORMAL
by Kevin Abraham I’m sure that I’m not alone in trawling the internet looking for well-informed useful insights into business strategy coming out of Corona. Not surprisingly, planning for immediate survival is a priority for most organizations. But there is also a need to think about how the Corona moment will affect our thinking as […]
A new scramble for Africa?
These days there is quite a bit of reporting and commentary referring to “The new scramble for Africa” a loaded phrase if ever there was one. It invokes that appalling era when more than a few nations of Europe pushed into Africa, divvying up its territories and resources as they went. Foreign powers had everything […]
The plant protein market is upon us
Although plant based meat substitutes have been around for many years, nowadays there seems to be heightened interest in “alternative protein sources”, and a substantial upswing in the manufacture and distribution of meat substitutes in the West. More and more products are hitting supermarket shelves, and restaurant menus. Where it used to be packets of […]
AI IS COMING – SHOULD WE BE CONCERNED?
We are all aware that progress is being made in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). There are already AI applications across a variety of activities, including entertainment, education, health, commerce, transport, and services, to name some.
If you were to ask your colleagues whether they think AI will prove to be a net job killer or a net job creator, chances are you’ll get a variety of opinions.
Time to get more energy into Africa.
Africa’s Eastern seaboard – the Indian Ocean – sits in relatively close proximity to energy hungry Asian markets such as India, S-E Asia, and China. In the last decade or so, substantial discoveries of oil and gas offers potential for significant economic benefits to the Eastern region, and the rest of Africa, too. The focus […]
Business has time to influence the AfCFTA
In May, the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) officially entered into force. Fifty four countries signed on, and the process was notable for the speed and cooperative manner in which the African countries worked together to make this happen. If things go as planned, then the big idea to come out of this will […]
The pitfalls of syndication & losing touch with your clients
The choice of motor vehicle gives us great insight into a person. The motor vehicle industry is a colossus and the variety of cars have changed how the world moves about. There are many manufacturers, and innumerable models, all designed to capture a certain market, or cater for a specific need. In this smorgasbord of […]