By Peter Ludi, MD Solutions at redPanda Software In the wake of the rapidly evolving digital landscape, retailers are continuously confronted with a myriad of software solutions. Implementing these systems often requires a considerable investment of resources, frequently resulting in a patchwork of fragmented systems and siloed operations. One can only browse through recent media
Wasoko, the African e-commerce company using innovative technology to transform the informal retail supply chain, has today announced its expansion into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) leveraging its existing ecommerce hub in neighboring Rwanda. With the announcement marking the startup’s second country expansion this year after launching its Zambia operations in May 2023, it
Helping companies deliver excellent customer service has been at the heart of 1Stream since the business was launched 15 years ago. While much has changed over the last decade and a half, the essence of what makes 1Stream Southern Africa’s leading CRM and cloud-based contact centre provider remains the same: a commitment to delivering leading-edge,
As the world’s population continues on its course to reach 10 billion people by 2050, investments in sustainable food retail and storage are urgently needed to ensure we are able to feed the growing number of people on the planet. The pressure is growing, both on energy demand and costs, and on the need to
As of August 2023, Shoprite customers will now be able to purchase non-food items using leading digital credit provider, Mobicred. The fully digitised system will give shoppers access to credit offerings via their Money Market accounts, enabling them to pay off higher ticket items over a period of up to 12 months. Commenting on this
By Gerhard Nortjé, MD of redPanda Software Data has emerged as a vital asset for businesses looking to gain a competitive edge. The ability to leverage customer and operational data has become crucial in shaping the customer experience and driving sales. Data has the potential to revolutionise retail if used effectively. Personalisation It all begins
By Peter Ludi, MD Solutions at redPanda Software In the wake of the rapidly evolving digital landscape, retailers are continuously confronted with a myriad of software solutions. Implementing these systems often requires a considerable investment of resources, frequently resulting in a patchwork of fragmented systems and siloed operations. One can only browse through recent media
The pandemic years catalysed a shift in the local retail sector, driven by the dramatically accelerated pace of digitisation. In the wake of COVID-19, greater adoption of online shopping was limited only by the fact that South Africa remains a predominantly cash-based economy. But, with the launch of the ‘cash-like’ payment system, Payshap, this picture
With the largest population in Africa, including a sizeable if pressurised middle class, Nigeria is an attractive market for consumer electronic and durables brands. Yet only a handful of companies from the rest of the world have succeeded when they’ve entered this complex but dynamic market. One of the major challenges organisations face as they
Understanding the changing consumer journey is paramount in today’s ever-evolving retail landscape. Retailers must embrace agile and responsive strategies to meet rising customer expectations and seamlessly navigate a vast array of shopping experiences. This is particularly crucial in South Africa, where intermittent power supply often requires shoppers to adjust their habits to ‘follow the power.’
Following Massmart’s 100% acquisition by Walmart, the company now has gained improved access to technical capabilities focused on enhancing the customer shopping experience across its Makro, Builders, and Game websites. The latest move in Massmart’s eCommerce strategy has involved shifting the Makro website onto a new micro-services based platform which has delivered new features, improved
The Shoprite Group invites technology students and seasoned Information Technology (IT) professionals to join Africa’s largest retailer by applying for its bursary programme or various available job opportunities. The retailer’s comprehensive bursary programme covers tuition fees and on-campus accommodation, provides a grocery allowance, and guarantees employment upon graduation. Youth studying scarce and sought after skills
The heady days of triple-digit e-commerce growth are over, but the rewards are there for the taking for the savvy e-marketer. Local e-commerce growth is slowing, which was inevitable considering the huge leaps made during and post-COVID, but the sector is still growing and is driving total retail growth both here and abroad. Locally, fast-moving
More than a quarter of global self-checkout shipments went to non-grocery stores as the technology penetrates new segments Wider range of retailers adopting self-checkout 2022 was the second highest year for self-checkout shipments globally, according to Global EPOS and Self-Checkout 2023, the latest report from strategic research and consulting firm RBR. More than 193,000 units
As a preferred enterprise payments partner for Shopify, Adyen will provide large-scale customers the agility to succeed in the fast-moving ecommerce industry Adyen, the global financial technology platform of choice for leading businesses, announces a new global partnership with Shopify, a provider of essential internet infrastructure for commerce, to strengthen ecommerce capabilities, simplify the customer
Research reveals frontline workforce underserved by IT tools, and which cites communication and access to information as key areas for digital transformation Most South African retail workers are feeling overworked but the vast majority believe technology is the answer to their situation, a Microsoft-sponsored IDC study has revealed. “We often refer to them as ‘the
Touchscreens are increasingly being used for payment and while they offer many benefits for users, we must ensure they are accessible for all. Martin Doherty, CSO for Northern Europe and DACH at Ingenico, shares how Ingenico found a solution alongside the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to enable blind and partially sighted people
As online retail growth pushes into the double digit territory, companies that are holding onto a purely face-to-face business model will lose out. Companies under pressure to deliver the revenue growth their investors are looking for shouldn’t just be focusing on adding an ecommerce play, but should rather be looking at the opportunities presented by
In today’s highly competitive retail environment, access to accurate real-time transaction and inventory data is critical to meeting customer demands. For one of South Africa’s leading retailers, a fast-tracked digital transformation of its transaction and reconciliation processes built on SAP S/4HANA has unlocked immense benefits and efficiency across the business. “We have seen a huge
Exploring innovation coupled with cutting-edge tech is on the up as brands and retailers consider what, when and how to ride the new wave of consumerism in Africa. With the future of digital retail in Africa an exciting and ever-changing landscape. Africa Overview Customer expectations are forcing retailers to reassess the service they provide, not
By Sasha Ramjathan, Leader of the CPG Segment for Southern Africa at Schneider Electric The consumer-packaged goods (CPG) industry stands to benefit greatly from digital innovation advancements. According to a paper entitled the next frontier in consumer goods: digitally enabled innovation by the strategy firm McKinsey & Company, digitisation can bring new products to market
“The future of retail is the ability to create a seamless shopping experience across online and offline” As online shopping continues to grow in the country, customers are spoilt for choice on how and where they shop. Trends show that many South Africans are increasingly choosing to shop both in-store and online, or often simultaneously,
A growing number of successful companies and organisations across South Africa are investing in innovative Customer Relations Management (CRM) platforms to help grow their business, boost sales and deliver excellent customer service. “CRM technology is one of the most effective solutions to help companies who are serious about growing their business and giving their employees
The increased flow of shoppers to in-store pickup points is breathing new life into traditional brick-and-mortar businesses. The numbers don’t lie It doesn’t seem that long ago that customers saw online and in-store as two separate shopping experiences. You were either in the online camp or a brick-and-mortar die-hard, and never the twain shall meet.
Tier 1 retailers are leading the way with innovation that will enhance CX with consistency across channels, more self-service options, and less friction It was great to be back at the National Retail Federation (NRF) Retail’s Big Show in 2023. One of the primary reasons is — after a remote-only event in 2021 and lower-than-normal
Global research over more than two decades by institutions such as MasterCard, Visa, The World Bank, commercial banks and mobile network operators (MNOs) affirms that the most powerful tool to drive revenue and impact is to connect consumers, merchants, banks and brands to drive financial inclusion and deep customer engagement, and ultimately maximise value for
Online demand for products is growing rapidly, but amid supply chain disruptions there is a greater need to deliver items to customers effectively. Technology, however, is finding a way Transport and logistics are soaring in Africa, with further rapid growth predicted for years to come. That’s the word from the World Economic Forum and African
By Andrew Dawson, MD of MACmobile Mobile penetration is exceptionally high in the Kenyan market, and the adoption of mobile technologies is well accepted. The strength of this market presents a massive opportunity to grow and optimise the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) space, but several factors need to be considered to drive successful adoption. The
The retail world is set for yet another period of accelerated change as the digitally native generations start to make their mark on the world. Generations Alpha (born post 2012) and Z (born between 1997 – 2012) bring new perspectives to the world, with their outlook heavily shaped by growing up with the Internet, and
Retailers are ramping up digital transformation to keep pace with the demanding, connected post-COVID consumer and improve operational efficiency in a time of rising inflation. As they accelerate migration to the cloud and evolve towards an omnichannel business model, retailers often find that costs and wastage in their IT and telecoms environments start to rise.
The workplace has undergone a major transition over the past three years, placing pressure on companies and organisations to relook at their office structure and workflows, as well as the tools they have in place to manage the challenges these changes present. Jed Hewson, CEO of 1Stream, Southern Africa’s leading CRM and contact centre technology provider, highlights
The overriding retail trend for 2023 will be convergence of technologies and this trend will have widespread significance. This is according to Ajay Lalu, Director and co-Founder of Q-HOP – exhibitor at NRF 2023 – who adds that retailers must wake up to the implications—and opportunities—of profoundly disruptive technology trends. “5G will continue to lead
South African retailers have come to regard quick access to financing as key—and a new breed of agile fintech has emerged to respond to these demands. These progressive providers of finance offer retailers access to opportunity capital so that they can move rapidly in response to emerging business trends. That’s according to Steven Heilbron, CEO
The Covid-19 pandemic forced organisations to shift their focus to digital and e-commerce environments. Those that already had a digital presence and e-commerce capabilities have had an advantage over those laggards struggling to play catch up. Supporting the growth of e-commerce are new market entrants and solutions which are actively shaping the digital payments space.
Clickatell conducted research on customer service trends and preferences for travel and retail and identified that brands that personalize both their digital and in-person commerce experiences can generate more meaningful and lasting customer relationships. In 2023, mobile messaging will emerge as the ideal channel to create these holistic commerce experiences for consumers as well as
Massmart has implemented a significant technology enablement and logistics network reconfiguration project over the past 4 years that has contributed to increased stock availability across its Game, Makro and Builders stores. This has proven to be a timely intervention at a time when supply chains locally and globally have faced a number of headwinds, including
ECONOFOODS™ a highly successful provider of frozen and chilled foods plus a wide variety of grocery products has selected leading warehouse management software (WMS) specialist, CQuential Solutions to fulfil its warehouse management needs as it expands its distribution network. ECONOFOODS™ currently has seven distribution centres and twenty-seven retail outlets that span six provinces in South
Pick n Pay Home offers new and exclusive online-only products and customers get an impressive new Smart Shopper benefit Customers across South Africa will now be able to shop online at a brand-new Pick n Pay Home shop for a range of exciting new products that will only be available online. The new online shop will be
Tapping into the value of the South African sports fan market, Nielsen Sports has announced the launch of its latest offering FanLinks, which combines purchase behaviour of South African households with their interest across sports and entertainment, offering a new way of identifying the brands sports fans are buying. Since sport is such a personal
By Kabelo Ngwane, Head of Customer Success at Infobip Despite tough economic conditions, such as surging inflation and the rising cost of living that are forcing consumers to tighten their belts, South African retailers are preparing to cash in on the busiest day of the year for retail sales – Black Friday. However, experts warn
As South African shoppers and retailers prepare for Black Friday and the festive season, cyber criminals are casting increasingly wider – and more sophisticated – nets. Gilchrist Mushwana, Director at BDO South Africa and Head of Cybersecurity Service Line, discusses phishing and what retailers must do to guard against this threat to ensure that their
The Shoprite Group made its second minority investment in a South African tech start-up this year. In the most recent transaction, the retailer is among a group of companies, led by Buffet Investments and KLT, in an undisclosed expansion round in Omnisient, Africa’s first privacy-preserving data collaboration platform provider. “We are excited by local start-ups that
By Lebo Mothobi-Tilo, Marketing Director, Tetra Pak South Africa In 2019 alone, one third of all food produced globally was lost or wasted. That’s 1.3 billion tons of food worth R18 trillion according to estimates from the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization). If food loss and waste (FLW) were a country, it would be the
Unique mobile engagement platform recognized by Juniper Research as trend towards “anytime, anywhere” shopping gathers pace ACI Worldwide (NASDAQ: ACIW), a global leader in mission-critical, real-time payments software, has been honored by Juniper Research in Future Digital Awards 2022 Fintech & Payments, which recognizes innovation in payments, retail and fraud prevention. ACI Smart Engage received the highest accolade — a Platinum Award — in
In the age of big data, the Shoprite Group is at the forefront of innovating with artificial intelligence (AI). As one of the world’s leanest and most advanced retailers here are three leading innovations which have had a marked impact on the Group’s operations as it continues to create the best possible customer experience: Ensuring
Black Friday is the most anticipated shopping day of the year, with many consumers planning ahead to make the most of discounted deals. For retailers, Black Friday and Cyber Monday mark the beginning of the festive shopping season and are an opportunity to boost and maximise revenue and attract new customers to their brands with irresistible
By Peter Ludi, Business Development Director at redPanda Software Improving time to value (TTV), the length of time it takes a new customer to realise and extract value from a product or service, has to be a major priority for savvy retailers. Working with an experienced partner can enable the retailer to rapidly get to
Global retail specialist Smollan, representing some of the world’s most loved FMCG and commerce brands have made a significant investment in eComplete, a turnkey end-to-end ecommerce solutions company that helps brands succeed at eCommerce. Both companies have enjoyed a close working relationship in the past – passionate about exploring end-to end solutions for brands; the
Partnership to provide unparalleled, frictionless customer experience to MEA customers. During GITEX Global 2022 this week Uniphore, the leader in Conversational AI and Automation, announced a strategic partnership with Avaya (NYSE:AVYA), a global leader in solutions to enhance and simplify communications and collaboration, to bring its integrated Conversational AI and communications platform to customers across
Woolworths will become the first retailer in South Africa to offer an integrated omnichannel shopping experience through their app. The upgrade will see the retailer’s two digital apps, Woolies Dash, its popular on-demand service, and the Woolies App, its main mobile app, integrate into one shopping platform, with a key focus on offering customers an
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