Tendo Technologies Limited, a pioneering online retail platform empowering African entrepreneurs, officially announces its strategic acquisition of Shopa, a leading provider of comprehensive commerce solutions for informal retailers across Ghana. This landmark deal, structured as a combination of cash and stock, is set to redefine the supply chain landscape in Africa. Shopa’s large network of
Retail and relationship-building have always been the key drivers behind Gerhard Nortjé’s evolution towards becoming an IT business leader. Today, Nortjé is more than three years into his highly successful tenure as MD at redPanda Software, the leading retail software partner in South Africa. Nortjé’s journey to tech was facilitated by retail, a shared passion
redPanda Software and Loyal Guru partner to bring global best practice to South Africa Modern retail strategies focus on customer attraction and retention, which are crucial as consumer behaviour shifts. Increased options and ongoing financial distress among South African consumers highlight the need for retailers to adapt to what customers want and need, according to
A customer-obsessed mindset is no longer the preserve of B2C companies The concept of customer experience (CX) has shifted from customer-centricity to customer obsession, making it much more comprehensive and immersive than ever before. Where customer-centricity sets its sights on understanding and meeting customer needs, customer obsession goes a step beyond by integrating every aspect
By Junaid Kleinschmidt, digital marketing strategy and intelligence lead for Accenture, Africa The South African retail landscape is contending with a range of challenges, such as high unemployment, severe inflation, shrinkflation, and the lingering effects of Covid-19. These pressures have transformed consumer expectations and added layers of complexity to their shopping decisions. Retailers must now
South Africa’s e-commerce landscape has arrived at an important juncture. The explosive growth observed during the pandemic years has slowed down somewhat and consumer spending power has faltered amid low economic growth and a global cost of living crisis. At the same time, competition is heating up. Asian retailers such as Shein and Temu are
South African retail has experienced profound transformation over the past few years, with digital platforms and ecommerce reshaping consumer expectations. However, we are just in the earliest phases of digital transformation and SME retailers will need to be agile to keep up with emerging customer demands and new competitors. Steven Heilbron, CEO of Capital Connect,
New research underscores the enduring strength and intricate dynamics of South Africa’s independent grocery trade, from big wholesalers to spazas, thriving amid two decades of retail shifts. When retail research business Trade Intelligence was founded in 2004, the formal grocery retail space was dominated by the ‘Big Six’ – Pick n Pay, Shoprite, SPAR, Woolworths,
By Tobie Jordaan and Jutami Augustyn, Partners, and Paras Shah, Kenya Managing Partner, BowmansThe retail sector in South Africa has experienced significant distress in the last year, with several high-profile retail businesses entering business rescue proceedings. Retail giants like AutoZone, West Pack and Cross Trainer, for example, have all recently entered business rescue, highlighting the
As shopper behaviours evolve, brands and retailers are working hard to catch up, using tools to connect with a new generation of increasingly demanding and informed shoppers. South African shoppers are not what they used to be. They’re tougher, savvier, and more in tune with what they are looking for. A combination of COVID and
South Africa’s Information Regulator recently revealed that it receives more than 150 monthly data breach notifications – a considerable increase from last year’s average of 56. Hackers are doing the country’s already battling economy no favours: the 2023 Cost of a Data Breach Report, produced by the Poneman Institute and published by IBM Security, states
Artificial Intelligence hasn’t just transformed our world but is also profoundly affecting market research by revolutionising how companies understand and predict consumer behaviour. This was the view of Ipsos Global Head of Product Testing Dr Nikolai Reynolds during a recent visit to South African clients and agencies, where he shared groundbreaking insights on using AI
In a bold step towards redefining the future of financial technology, Ukheshe has announced its official rebranding to EFT Corporation. The move consolidates Ukheshe’s pioneering digital solutions with EFT Corporation’s extensive reach and expertise under one unified brand, positioning it as a leading catalyst for financial inclusion in Africa. The rebranding of Ukheshe to EFT
By Gary Bowers, Product Manager and Shaun Shehab, Senior Sales Engineer at Ecentric Retailers need to keep costs under control and reduce complexity in economic conditions that can best be described as uncertain and challenging. Yet, despite this, they need to give customers (and their employees) the kind of payment experience they demand. Beyond this,
Fintech company, iKhokha, one of the market leaders in the South African SME payments space, are this week opening their eighth retail store, where their point-of-sale devices are sold and where merchants can access support, networking opportunities and other business enhancement tools. Since launching in 2012, iKhokha has developed a deep understanding about the complexities
By Jason Sive, CEO, Mobicred (and Strategic Partnerships Executive at RCS) Greater levels of digital adoption and the increasing sophistication of technological tools have ushered in a new era for shoppers – one characterised by choice and convenience. Empowered by evolving demands, retail finance leaders have the exciting task of shaping the future of the
Niel Coetzee, Head of Engineering at redPanda Software South Africa felt the full impact of internet disruption when four of the nine undersea cables providing connectivity to these shores went down at the same time in the middle of March. The disruption was widespread and affected businesses across industries. However, while some industries can afford
Pick n Pay has set a new standard in affordability and accessibility with the launch of its store-to-store Domestic Money Transfer service. At R8.00 per transaction, it is the cheapest price for customers within retail stores. The informal cash usage in the country remains high, and this service will be interoperable across all Pick n
With online sales in Africa on course to top the trillion-rand mark by 2026, the race is on for ecommerce businesses to claim their piece of the pie. Research by Payments and Commerce Market Intelligence (PCMI) indicates that in the next two years the digital commerce market is expected to reach US$72-billion across South Africa,
By Graham Bradford, Senior Product Manager at Ecentric As retailers grow into mid-market size and beyond, the complexity and cost of manually reconciling payments increases almost exponentially because there are hundreds of thousands, if not more, transactions a day. Most retailers in this segment reconcile their payments with spreadsheets and many can’t expect a view
The Human Face of Retail By Peter Ludi, Business Development Executive at redPanda Software There’s widespread acceptance that improving customer experience will go a long way towards attracting and retaining customers, especially at a time when there’s increased competition for valuable consumer spend. Naturally, all eyes turn to technology to remove friction, add convenience, automate,
As businesses across the globe work towards making culture and employee wellbeing an integral part of their organisations, the retail industry should consider this when it comes to their retail employees says Serena Ho, head of consumer market at BDO South Africa Inc. Here they discuss the important role of retail employees in powering the
By Sheetal Patel, Retail lead and Junaid Kleinschmidt, Digital Marketing Strategy and Intelligence lead for Accenture, Africa In the span of a year, the landscape of artificial intelligence has undergone a remarkable transformation. Until late 2022, few people outside of cutting-edge artificial intelligence had heard of Large Language Models (LLMs) or Generative AI. Now, it’s
South African shoppers want choice and convenience. Recognising this, retail consumer finance provider, RCS, is offering real, tangible value to its customers. By expanding its partner network, payment options and embracing cutting-edge technology, RCS is not just keeping up; it’s leading the way towards greater financial inclusion in South Africa. Credit extended to healthcare products
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
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