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Today's top stories |
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MARIAN SALZMAN
I've worn several hats over the course of my career, but the one that people most associate me with is 'trendspotter'. I've been an observer and decoder of trends since childhood. It's who I am. I recognised long ago that I'm incapable of shopping for groceries, people-watching at the airport or surfing the web without instinctively looking for patterns... read
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DION CHANG
By the end of 2019, the rising anger around the globe was palpable, as were the divisions that fuelled the rage. Whether they were political, economic, environmental or cultural, anger and dissatisfaction was omnipresent, and the merest spark ignited the flames of protest. That's the focus of Flux Trends' latest "The State We're In" report... read
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NATHAN REDDY
In an increasingly competitive environment, brands that intend to be sustainable in the future need to find an authentic space which they can credibly own. It's about ensuring that a brand's purpose means something significant, something that resonates with consumers...read
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MATHE OKABA
There are three distinct areas that will to some extent continue shaping and moulding our profession and the broader marketing and communications industry in 2020 and beyond...read
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BRONWYN WILLIAMS
One of the big business trends of the past decade was how software "ate the world". Just 10 years ago, the world's most valuable companies were predominantly in the business of trading physical resources or goods of one kind or another...read
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ISSUED BY BIZCOMMUNITY.COM
We are honoured to announce the following speakers who will share their vision of the trends shaping our region, from culture to connectivity and fintech to fashion at BizTrendsLIVE!2020, in association with Ster Kinekor, at the Mall of Africa IMAX theatre on Thursday, 30 January 2020... Read
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Top Trends
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BONISWA PEZISA
I predict we will see a rise of essentialism and discernment; mindfulness and wholesomeness; and Boomer apps over the course of 2020... Read
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LISA MACLEOD
An interesting year has just flown by, in which it feels like all things digital are under pressure - the adtech ecosystem is contracting, Facebook is being slammed as usual, Google is in a showdown with French publishers, and cookies are errr... crumbling. Read
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PEPE MARAIS
South Africa. A nation paralysed by talk, where the majority of problems are a product of our failure to execute... Read
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Advertising
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WAYNE NAIDOO
We can all ponder and debate the trends for 2020 - everyone has his or her own perception as to what will influence our industry most. But looking back on a fairly tumultuous past twelve months, the only thing we can truly be assured of is that, try as we might, it is fairly impossible to accurately predict what exactly will be heading our way in the next twelve... Read
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MICHELLE BEH
2019 proved to be a difficult year for everyone in South Africa... Read
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SUHANA GORDHAN
"We've either got to be brave and curious or fearful and suspicious," said comedian, actor and political activist Eddie Izzard in an interview with Trevor Noah on The Daily Show. Izzard was speaking about creating a fair world, a world that embraces difference to recognise human... Read
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ADAM BYARS
We're living and working in a world that is making less and less sense. Increased confusion, uncertainly and volatility are all having an impact. Businesses are under more operational pressure than ever before... Read
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SIZAKELE MARUTLULLE
Tricky as it can be to 'gaze into a crystal ball ', applying one's mind to what might come to pass is still a worthy undertaking. The shape and format of the marketing and advertising sector continues to evolve and as it ebbs and flows, I suspect more than predict that the CMOs existence as a marked person will prevail... Read
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JOSEPHINE SEBESHO
Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?... Read
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CAMILLA CLERKE
Four of the largest trends influencing the marketing industry, and their predicted impact on South Africa in the coming months... Read
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ELOUISE KELLY
It's one thing having the people and the resources to create culturally relevant work, but to be really effective, agencies must build the systems to support them... Read
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MIKE ABEL AND MAKOSHA MAJA-RASETHABA
M&C Saatchi Abel leaders say now is the time to approach briefs with razor-sharp focus... Read
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JASON STEWART
The belief has always been that 'when the economy is struggling, advertising is the first cost to be cut'. This has proven true in every down cycle even though evidence shows those who invest wisely in tougher times gain market share... Read
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Africa
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KAMO MOGASHOA
If brands want to succeed in South Africa and the rest of Africa, they need to love and appreciate Africa and the rich diversity that unifies instead of divides us... Read
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APO Group CEO, Lionel Reina, spoke to Bizcommunity.com on latest trends in the way that multinational companies are currently rethinking their communications strategies in Africa... Read
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Maersk's head of marketing and business development for Africa, Anita de Werd, spoke to Bizcommunity.com about global marketing trends on a recent visit to Cape Town... Read
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CRM, CX, UX
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MIA MORKEL
Retail loyalty is constantly evolving, as customers demand more personalised value and the 'experience economy' gathers momentum... Read
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QUANITA SALIE
Data fuels our technologies, economies, populations, politics, education, healthcare, future work, and in reality, it fuels our overall survival... Read
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BOGOSI MOTSHEGWA
The concept of sustainability is a huge one, and can be quite tricky, and perhaps difficult to execute. More often than not; a focus on sustainability from a business point of view requires a change in operation and how its leaders think about almost everything. This requires one to let go of the old, and adopt the new... Read
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MARK MOLENAAR, ISSUED BY KANTAR
In the Terminator movies, "singularity" was the date when machines overtook us and became sentient, but I recently discovered an alternate definition of singularity... Read
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Digital
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ODETTE VAN DER HAAR
The business world is highly competitive and this applies to the largest of corporations all the way to the smallest of entrepreneurs. The economy has been merciless and no-one in business has been unaffected. In order to stay in business, one needs to stay abreast with technology and remain up to date with the latest innovations... Read
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NICOLA COOPER
In today's society, the youth are ageing at a faster rate than ever before. But are our educational facilitators ready for this, or are they in need of a reboot? Read
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DANILO ACQUISTO
South African internet penetration in 2020 will increase to 71.4% which is an increase of 7.6%. With more people having internet access and consuming content online, Danilo Acquisto lists some of the digital video and influencer marketing trends to consider... Read
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ZUBEIDA GOOLAM
The digital and social media marketing landscape is in constant flux due to software updates, changes to platforms and new ways of consuming content. It is key to keep improving the experience for consumers, staying ahead of the trends... Read
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JENNILEE PEREMORE-OLIVER
The marketing and media industry is in a state of flux. As the fourth industrial revolution threatens the longevity of the print industry, marketing professionals working in print advertising are on a crusade to implement the best marketing campaigns to sell their digital offering... Read
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MONGEZI MTATI
The advent of 5G and the growth in video consumption will lead to the creation of more visual content that customers can utilise and easily share. There will be more investment in collaborating with content creators whose messaging can be easily linked with certain brands without a major change in narrative... Read
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PAULA HULLEY
Collectively participating in open-source, collaborative thinking across industry, hierarchy, speciality, culture and most importantly competitors might seem like a risk, but one worth taking to create success in today's economy... Read
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Marketing
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GEE MOTSEPE
With the greatest anticipation that the African marketing and communication industry will thrive and strengthen in the foreseeable future, it is important to note that the way we as South Africa and the greater continent consumes media will determine the speed at which we progress as a nation in that regard... Read
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DALE HEFER
Right now, intangible brand assets are worth US$57.3 trillion globally. That's more than ever before; and it's A LOT of rands... Read
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NKGABISENG MOTAU
Now more than ever, marketing is becoming a living, breathing response to culture rather than an attempt to dictate it. In one or two magical moments, marketing ideas have ignited culture but that comes along once in a unicorn-shadowed blue moon... Read
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GILLIAN RIGHTFORD
I'm going to buck the trend and not talk about anything to do with tech or mobile, or the demise of the agency model. I'm also going to be honest and say that what I'm writing about isn't a mainstream trend yet, but it should be... Read
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MASEGO MOTSOGI
The truth about storytelling is that it will never go out of fashion. Perhaps the mediums through which it comes will continue to change, but the form itself... it is here to stay... Read
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WARREN MOSS
Companies are truly starting to understand what good B2B marketing looks like and are looking for dedicated agencies to deliver it... Read
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FRANCOIS VAN DYK
When social media appeared in the 2000s it saw the emergence of a whole new digital industry. Many believe that the public relations industry was caught unawares and that they struggled to catch up with the initial opportunities. It is now critical that we prepare for the new wave of changes upon us... Read
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ISSUED BY KANTAR
'Africa is changing fast' is a euphemism. The nature of the continent's change is not just fast; it's been deep, at times totally unforeseen and always multi-dimensional... Read
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Media
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JOSEPHINE BUYS
In his state of the nation speech in 2019, President Ramaphosa pledged to ensure that within the next five years, every 10-year-old child would be able to read for meaning. I applaud this vision, but realise it's not without its challenges and government cannot do this alone... Read
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BONI MCHUNU
2019 was a painful year for South African women. The brutal murders of women like Uyinene Mrwetyana, Meghan Cremer, and Leighandre 'Baby Lee' Jegels left South Africans shocked, sad, and angry... Read
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NICK GRUBB
It seems like at the end of every year, we are equal parts derisive of the last 12 months and optimistic about the next. This has certainly been a challenging year for media owners, and radio's economic fortunes have been impacted by the economy - more specifically, advertiser sentiment about the economy... Read
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KIRK GAINSFORD
I am suspicious of trends and you should be, too. I am less suspicious of how transient trends are than how comfortable following a trend will make you feel. If you are #ontrend, you must be OK. Right? But, when budgets are down and anxiety is up, when marketing teams are stretched and consumers even more stretched, you cannot afford to be following trends. Do you remember your mom asking you what you'd do if everyone else jumped into the fire? We all know the line, when everyone zigs... Read
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ZIBUSISO MKHWANAZI
The growth of mass market content. That's the biggest shape-shifting, game-changing trend I am seeing... Read
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ANUSHA HARRI, ISSUED BY KANTAR
The continuously changing media landscape makes it tough to keep abreast of the latest media trends, consumers are harder to reach, and a deluge of data and online touchpoints provides more options for media planning than ever before... Read
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Mobile
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CATHY IBAL
This past decade has been a decade of disruption globally... Read
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Events & Conferences
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LEIGH ANDREWS
Held at the new 44 on Long venue, above Tiger's Milk, the PR2020 Summit shared top insights into PR trends set to continue into 2020. Here are highlights from the five speakers of the day: Robin Tindall of Lead Genius; Regine Le Roux of Reputation Matters; Sasha Knott of Job Crystal; Jody Kolbee of Writers Hand Studios; and Jaco Pienaar of PEAR... Read
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BRETT ROGERS
When it comes to the youth segment, the drivers of popular culture hinge on their expression of themselves within the Zeitgeist, and are often a rebellion and reaction against the dominant forces trying to shape them... Read
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Agriculture
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RICO BASSON
The South African wine industry is entering a new phase of repositioning, consolidation and reinvestment. Although challenges such as climate change, shifts in production and demand and financial pressures are expected to continue into 2020, it has led to the industry becoming more streamlined, focused and adaptable... Read
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Construction & Engineering
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CHRIS MALAN
We are entering a new phase in the history of African architecture. A period defined by African architects who are moved by cultural nuances and societal needs... Read
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DHESIGEN NAIDOO
When she addressed the WISA conference in South Africa, Sunita Narain of the Centre for Science and the Environment, India, made the observation that change in weather patterns on the back of major climatic changes can be evidenced through both droughts and floods occurring simultaneously in the same country. This is a phenomenon we are currently living through... Read
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KATE STUBBS
The South African waste management industry is constantly developing and can be counted as one that is most efficient within the African continent... Read
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TARU MADANGOMBE
'Smart cities' is a buzz term which has gained popularity globally over the past decade... Read
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JOHAN PIEKAAR
There is a direct link between the stability of an economy and ongoing development - and currently, the local construction and property industries are undeniably experiencing a lull... Read
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BRYAN DAVID PERRIE
Cement production and consumption is a reliable indicator of a nation's growth, as its infrastructure is a reflection of development.... Read
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CSI & Sustainability
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NTOMBIFUTHI NTULI
South Africa is taking strides towards transitioning to a cleaner green economy, with the country's approved 2019 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) being gazetted... Read
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NAZEEMA MOHAMED
Non-profit organisations (NPOs) are working in a challenging context and this will continue in 2020... Read
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SAMEERA MUNSHI
South Africa's rural communities have been marginalised for decades. Poverty - a result of historical injustice - is deeply entrenched outside cities, and communities find themselves lacking access to very basic services... Read
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NOXOLO HLONGWANE
In 2019, the Nedbank Private Wealth Philanthropy Office produced its fourth biennial Giving Report, which offers insights into the giving practices, attitudes and behaviours of high net worth (HNW) individuals in South Africa... Read
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ONYI NWANERI
Non-profits play a key role in filling the gaps of government shortfalls with regard to social services for citizens... Read
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ANJA MULDER
Technology is advancing every day, often with promises of solutions to make our lives easier and simpler... Read
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RYAN GEEL
The South African tech industry is facing many challenges which impedes its growth. These challenges relate to a range of constraints... Read
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Education
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ADI STEPHAN
Benjamin Franklin once said: "An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest." In a world defined by flux, education itself is the only certainty of 100% return - and sometimes the only lifeboat we have to remain relevant in a world tossed by constant change. Read
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JAMIE BEATON
As EdTech enters the next decade, a global learning economy will develop through the creation and exchange of ideas, learning resources, environments and experiences across borders and without boundaries. Younger generations will lead the way in how we learn and teach... Read
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PROFESSOR PATRICK BEAN
Post-schooling education remains a 'hot button' topic in South Africa. A struggling education system and barriers to entering higher education are certainly significant contributors to our high level of unemployment. Alternatives to traditional face-to-face or contact learning (on-campus) are therefore seen as means of improving educational access for more South Africans, and offers various other benefits too... Read
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Energy & Mining
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NJ AYUK
Africa holds around 7% of the world's proven crude oil and natural gas reserves, yet the continent remains largely under-explored... Read
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CATHY PICKERING
For years, technology has promised to revolutionise the power sector. While smart grids have been implemented in many countries, the internet of things (IoT) devices and digital control solutions promise to be the enabler of the intelligent utility... Read
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KHUMO THEKO
As citizens become more vocal about climate change, governments and organisations are developing sustainable less harmful methods of providing power and other services... Read
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ROGER DIXON
The effort to put South Africa's mining industry back on a sustainable growth path is lacking one key ingredient: a shared belief in what the sector could and should deliver... Read
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Entrepreneurship
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AARON THORNTON
Many businesses are hurriedly turning their attention to technologies such as AI, machine learning and IoT to stay ahead in 2020... Read
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Finance
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RUTENDO HLATSHWAYO
Could 2020 be the year in which South Africans finally dethrone cash as king and trust in the ease of electronic payments in the local payments market? Read
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ANDREW MÖLLER
From disruptive technology to ageing populations, from a rise in a new wealth to an increasingly turbulent environment, wealth managers are facing an exciting outlook with a plethora of new opportunities... Read
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TRAVYS WILKENS
It's no secret that the insurance sector is conservative by nature and has largely been slow to embrace technology. Read
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DANIEL KIBEL
Millennials are responsible for spearheading the rise of socially and environmentally conscious investing... Read
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RUELLYN WILLEMSE-SNYMAN
The South African banking industry landscape will look vastly different towards 2035, characterised by digital banking solutions unimaginable today due to the continued influence of key factors and trends in future... Read
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ISSUED BY FMI INSURANCE
Technology has transformed every sphere of the world we live in and is arguably the single biggest force changing human behaviour and the nature of business... Read
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Healthcare
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LERATO MOSIAH
Medical schemes in South Africa are facing a watershed moment with the imminent threat to their future role and overall existence under the National Health Insurance (NHI)... Read
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NICCI BOTHA
The outdated lone-doctor model where illnesses are treated in siloes has to change. Care has to be outcomes based, it has to be measurable and it has to be tech enabled... Read
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STEPHANIE ALLEN
The challenges before the global healthcare sector are plenty. But so are the opportunities... Read
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MADELEIN BARKHUIZEN
Healthcare is one of our economy's sectors most carefully scrutinised by local and international investors. This interest is unlikely to decrease in 2020, with the government's announcement of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill... Read
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HELEN WEBER
Forty-three percent of South Africa's population lives in rural regions, with just one physician responsible for 7,700 people, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). With limited options, telemedicine has the potential to make healthcare far more accessible, as technology evolves... Read
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HR & Recruitment
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CELESTE SIRIN
One hundred years have now passed since the beginning of the infamous roaring '20s - an era of dramatic economic, social and political uncertainty, together with much technological development and change - a world no different to what we are facing now... Read
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REGINE LE ROUX
As a businessowner whose company vision is to be Africa's reputation research company of choice to build sustainable businesses, it is important to be up to date with what is happening on our continent. Trade is booming across Africa... Read
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JASON STEWART
Previously a pure administrative function, human resources today is a revitalised and revolutionised specialisation, focused on employing a holistic approach to unleash true human capital... Read
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ICT
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JADE DUCKITT
Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality are set to change the way we shop, learn, play and work in the foreseeable future... Read
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ODETTE FALING
When applied correctly and ethically, data is a powerful resource in how businesses target and personalise customer interactions in the digital age... Read
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CHRIS OGDEN
2020 holds digital sway over the business, investment and innovation... Read
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HENK OLIVIER
The top trends for 2020 are the same trends that dominated in 2019, only with a bit more flair and a lot more functionality... Read
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GRANT BENNETT
Digital ecosystems will drive digital businesses in 2020 - so what can we expect? Read
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STEPHEN VAN DER HEIJDEN
Access to software skills is now critical for any growing company... Read
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Legal
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ATHI JARA
Mining remains one of the major contributors to the South African economy. In 2019, the mining industry saw a number of exciting developments. More interesting developments lie ahead... Read
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MORNE VAN DER MERWE AND WILDU DU PLESSIS
South Africa is experiencing a period of prolonged political and economic uncertainty, but the country's commitment to improving the local investment environment, combined with signs of future economic improvement, have resulted in increases in M&A value... Read
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Logistics & Transport
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BENOIT VERBAERE
The airport experience has morphed dramatically in the past 10 years with the introduction of biometric security, mobile check-in, and baggage tracking. And there is much more to come... Read
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Property
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YAEL GEFFEN
According to a recent Time magazine article, women are 'on the brink of a massive power shift... Read
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GERHARD ZEELIE
When looking at trends in Africa, it's always important not to fall into that all too common trap of seeing the continent as a homogeneous entity... Read
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PAUL STEVENS
The real estate business is going through significant change for the first time in my 20-year history in this industry... Read
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JOHETTE SMUTS
For most of 2017 and 2018, the rental growth rate trended downward - in other words, rents still increased, but at a slower pace... Read
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GAVIN JONES
Retail is changing, but the mall in South Africa still has a central role in our communities. .. Read
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JOHN SCHOOLING
Born between the mid-90s and early 2010s, Gen Z's have grown up around Wi-Fi, smartphones and social media. With easy access to Google and YouTube, they're accustomed to having infinite knowledge at their fingertips... Read
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Retail
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AILSA WINGFIELD
Africa's consumer landscape is fragmented and polarised, characterised by the double-edged demand of a diverse base of consumers... Read
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CHRISTELE CHOKOSSA
Sub-Saharan Africa is home to 14% of the world's population and by 2030, the region's population will surpass that of China. The way consumers shop in the region is ever-changing... Read
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SEMONA PILLAY
Although this generation has less spending power than Millennials, it is estimated that 40% of consumer spending will be attributed to Generation Z consumers in 2020... Read
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KIRSTEN DEWAR
Now for the good news. There's a huge opportunity for growth in online retail, but the path to profits is through dramatically improving customer experience... Read
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CECIL UNGERER
Not a week goes by without spotting more headlines about online shopping and the global shift to mobile connectivity... Read
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Tourism
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MARTIN JANSEN VAN VUUREN
Many global megatrends, that will have an impact on the South African tourism industry, have already been identified. These include the rising importance of technology and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, flight shaming and the rise of carbon-neutral trips and the rise of Bleisure... Read
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OLIVIER HANNAERT
Digital has changed the face of travel, both making it easier for consumers to plan their own travel experiences and lowering the barriers of entry to the hospitality industry through apps such as Airbnb and Uber. The travel agent, the traditional middleman, has therefore been squeezed from both sides... Read
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OZ DESAI
The economic growth forecast for South Africa remains uncertain with weak investor sentiment and lingering policy uncertainty... Read
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Lifestyle
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2019 Eat Out Award-winning chefs Bertus Basson of Overture Restaurant, Candice Philip of Grei, Gregory Czarnecki of The Restaurant at Waterkloof, Ivor Jones of Chef's Warehouse Beau Constantia, Michael Cooke of Camphors at Vergelegen and Ryan Cole of Salsify at The Roundhouse, weigh in with their top food and restaurant trends for 2020... Read
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JARED RUTTENBERG
As tourism continues to rise (2018 saw a global increase of 6% in 2017) consumers are not shy to make their preferences known on how they want to travel and, afterwards, what they thought of the experience... Read
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LAUREN FLETCHER
Technology continues to change the way we understand the world, interact with each other, create and assign value. The arts play a critical role in giving us insight into the current mindset... Read
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MEAGAN DUCKITT
Let's take a look at what we can expect from the South African fashion industry in 2020... Read
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TAMMY FRY
2019 was, by far, the biggest year the meat-alternative industry had ever seen. This is not surprising given the rapid growth of plant-based living and veganism... Read
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