In a briefing held on Thursday to shed light on government regulations applicable to Level 3 of South Africa's lockdown, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma confirmed that the ban on cigarettes and related tobacco products will remain in place, but alcohol will be permitted for sale on certain days of the week. 28 May 2020
The latest insights from FNB have shown a slight boost in card spend since the start of Level 4 lockdown. However, the Bank states that despite the increase in consumer spending, activity is still averaging significantly lower compared to pre-lockdown levels. 28 May 2020
DHL Express has acquired a minority stake in Link Commerce, the UK-based e-commerce firm that helped the logistics company develop its DHL Africa eShop platform. Hennie Heymans, CEO of DHL Express sub-Saharan Africa, says that the acquisition demonstrates the company's commitment to growing e-commerce on the continent. 28 May 2020
The world has seen many great innovations come to fruition and find their place over the years. Each of these innovations has been valuable in and of itself, even to the point that it is a priceless innovation that has revolutionised the world in one way or another. There are many great innovations that have made their impact over the years, steadily and surely finding their place in a world that becomes more and more digitally inclined all the time. For as long as they have been around, vending machines have been one of the greatest and most innovative inventions there is. 28 May 2020
The world is in unchartered territory and as many businesses face the harsh reality of lockdown, we are beginning to accept that jobs will be lost, orders will be cancelled, and many doors will not be reopened. 28 May 2020
Justice Rapapule serving a client at his spaza shop in Tsakane. Photo: Kimberly Mutandiro
The shelves of some spaza shops in Ekurhuleni's Tsakane and Duduza townships are almost empty and owners say they are barely making ends meet. Many of them reopened their stores a few weeks after the lockdown when it was announced that they could operate. But the shop owners we spoke to say they are living from hand-to-mouth as business has been dwindling. 27 May 2020
Lightstone and Tracker have collaborated on a new app that provides consumers with up-to-date information on vehicle attendance at shopping destinations they choose to visit. 27 May 2020
Thanks to the information age, more consumers are taking it upon themselves to educate themselves about skincare. Gone are the days when they're willing to buy whatever's on the beauty counter based on the endorsement of the person paid to sell it. Now, people go online to read unbiased reviews as well as get their information from independent expert sources quoting doctors and dermatologists. 27 May 2020
To help advance inclusion within creativity, Crayola is launching a box of crayons that represents the world's diverse array of skin tones. 27 May 2020
The Covid-19 pandemic has given rise to a new kind of African consumer who is already displaying fundamental shifts in consumption and purchase behaviour driven by factors such as heightened health awareness, a focus on quality and safety, a renewed desire to stay at home and a tight wallet squeeze. 27 May 2020
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Food safety is a major concern during the Covid-19 outbreak, and consumers, retailers and producers are all understandably worried about keeping their production lines and outlets uncontaminated and virus free. 26 May 2020
Apollo Brands has rolled out a host of new innovative ways for South Africans to shop Under Armour's range of performance wear, including virtual store walk-throughs and a corporate service that involves bringing a mobile Under Armour store to your office. 26 May 2020
South Africa's alcohol industry has welcomed the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday evening that the move to Level 3 would include the sale of alcohol for home consumption under strict conditions that would restrict trading hours and days. 26 May 2020
Online retail may account for under 2% of total retail sales in South Africa, but the Covid-19 pandemic is encouraging consumers to switch to digital shopping and payment alternatives, and it's pushed businesses to embrace online sales channels to keeping revenue streams flowing. 25 May 2020
With the rest of the world already in lockdown by the time it was implemented in South Africa, the element of surprise was eased somewhat. Mentally, we were able to prepare for the initial three-week period, but it was the announcement of the extended period that caught many of us off guard, if not out of product. 25 May 2020
Key Distributors, a business of Value Logistics, is a warehousing and sales company focused on the distribution of FMCG products to formal and informal retail markets in South Africa. The warehousing and distribution landscape has changed in the past decade, shifting from formal retail to the ever growing segments of the informal trade and forecourt business. This shift means pressure to visit more stores across a larger territories with smaller sale baskets per customer. 25 May 2020
Somali-American activists recently scored a victory against Amazon and against colourism, which is prejudice based on preference for people with lighter skin tones. Members of the non-profit The Beautywell Project teamed up with the Sierra Club to convince the online retail giant to stop selling skin lightening products that contain mercury. 25 May 2020
Kemble Morgan
As part of our #LockdownLessons series, Bizcommunity is reaching out to South Africa's top industry players to share their experience of the current Covid-19 crisis, how their organisations are navigating these unusual times, where the challenges and opportunities lie, and their industry outlook for the near future. 22 May 2020
Beautique Academy is calling on budding and experienced therapists, practitioners and business owners in the beauty and aesthetic industry to nominate themselves or deserving individuals for a free Skin Foundation or Intro to Laser Foundation course. A total of 20 free courses are up for grabs. 22 May 2020
As of 22 May 2020 South Africa is on day 56 of lockdown. The extended lockdown has negatively impacted numerous businesses, employees, overall consumer spending and the economy in general. 22 May 2020
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