<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/TIEKIE-2-AT-SUMMIT--820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-421123" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/TIEKIE-2-AT-SUMMIT--820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/TIEKIE-2-AT-SUMMIT--300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/TIEKIE-2-AT-SUMMIT--135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/TIEKIE-2-AT-SUMMIT--768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/TIEKIE-2-AT-SUMMIT--1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/TIEKIE-2-AT-SUMMIT-.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Tiekie Barnard, CEO and Founder of the Africa Shared Value Initiative, organisers of the 6th Africa Shared Value Leadership Summit recently held in Kigali, Rwanda.</figcaption></figure>



What does a connected future look like? It is about reinventing manufacturing, logistics, retail, healthcare, and other industries as our consumers are empowered, connected, and enabled with a new form of lifestyle management that we&#8217;ve never witnessed before.



The future belongs to those that can act fast, that are agile and that are not bogged down and held back by age-old business rules. The system change we need.



The 2022 Africa Shared Value Leadership Summit (ASVLS) recently delivered alongside Mobile World Congress Africa (MWC Africa) in Kigali, Rwanda was a true reflection of what is needed to create a connected future and a true demonstration that the future belongs to those that can act and move fast.



This year’s collaboration was a first for the global Shared Value community. The purpose of delivering the two flagship events alongside each other was to create a platform where we could convene industry experts, government, and business leaders, as well as other interested parties from across all sectors to form collaborative ecosystems and partnerships, committing consciously and intentionally to create value and collective impact to build a more prosperous Africa for all.



The conversations and discussion of the ASVLS focused on how we, as a collective, can influence, motivate, and take conscious action to bring about change. The intention was also to create an understanding that without connectivity and the conscious and intentional creation of profit with purpose, real tangible progress that will change lives and bolster economies will remain unobtainable.



As the Shared Value Africa Initiative, we believe there is no greater barrier to Africa’s economic growth and a connected future than the lack of connectivity and affordable broadband for all. We cannot expect economic growth if we do not empower and equip all Africans, especially our women and young leaders, through providing information and education that will help them make more informed decision. Technology, connectivity, and affordable access for all is the game changer for Africa.



As a Pan-African organisation, the SVAI continues to advocate for the adoption of the Shared Value Business Management concept across Africa. Staying true to our purpose to build Africa’s most impactful business network, the ASVLS was once again aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the belief that conversations on technology, digital inclusion and value creation need to lead to action – now more than ever.



What we experienced in Kigali, and reflecting on the programmes and content that MWC Africa delivered, was a sound confirmation of technical innovation, progress, programmes, and approaches needed to create this connected future for all Africans. &nbsp;The Summit sessions unpacked, discussed, and reconfirmed the connectivity requirements from a human centered, collaborative and ecosystem approach to deliver a connected future.



One aspect that stood out at the 2022 ASVLS was the passionate participation of our young leaders. As the future of this continent, I have no doubt that our youth dividend will not let us down.



The Kigali gathering once again confirmed that we need to create platforms for our young leaders to participate on the same stages as our global and continental leadership. To find solutions as a collective, we need to welcome the participation of our youth, as they are the ones who will ultimately create the Africa we want.



You are invited to view the 2022 flagship gathering of purpose-driven organisations and thought leaders, all committed to driving change across the continent and the rest of the world. &nbsp;



To access Africa Shared Value Leadership Summit Day 1, click <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eoWBMAwrJ8&amp;t=584s">here</a>



To access Africa Shared Value Leadership Summit Day 2, click <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPSdQeHDzA0">here</a>



For more information on the Africa Shared Value Leadership Summit and its organisers, click <a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.africasharedvaluesummit.com%2F&amp;data=05%7C01%7C%7C41312c44cd764cb48f6a08dab18fc172%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638017528243012969%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=iB7rw0%2B5aZvQ%2BeMeK1yhHxpulI7tLkMIkClSnO6rbNk%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here.</a>

TIEKIE-2-AT-SUMMIT-

Our connected future

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/CARL-MANLAN-2--820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-421127" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/CARL-MANLAN-2--820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/CARL-MANLAN-2--300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/CARL-MANLAN-2--135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/CARL-MANLAN-2--768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/CARL-MANLAN-2--1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/CARL-MANLAN-2-.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Carl Manlan, VP Inclusive Impact and Sustainability, VISA CEMEA was a keynote speaker at the Africa Shared Value Leadership Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, where he discussed digital inclusion and the digital divide and how we use technology to create shared value on the African continent.  </figcaption></figure>



Over the next decade, <a href="https://www.weforum.org/platforms/shaping-the-future-of-digital-economy-and-new-value-creation">70 per cent </a>of the new value creation in the economy will come from digitally enabled business models. Digitally and financially literate individuals will be a community’s passport to the digital economy, and we must meet people where they are through innovative ideas.



<a href="https://en.unesco.org/news/digital-skills-critical-jobs-and-social-inclusion">Digital skills</a> are the range of abilities enabling people to create, to share content, to communicate, to collaborate and to solve problems effectively by leveraging technology. For an individual, financial skills are the <a href="https://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/assets/presskit/Visa_FactSheet_FinancialLiteracy.pdf">essentials of personal financial management </a>&nbsp;whereas for an <a href="https://www.igi-global.com/dictionary/financial-literacy-and-innovation-performance-in-smes/47375">entrepreneur</a> they are more focused the management of financial resources needed to build a sustainable business. It is the combination of skills and the collective ability to withstand and to adapt to local and global shocks that are at stake.



Access to digital financial technologies opens <a href="https://pages.devex.com/rs/685-KBL-765/images/REPORT_Bridging-the-Divide_Skills-for-digital-financial-equity-and-inclusion.pdf">pathways</a> to earn, to save, to invest, and to borrow. And in some instances, these technologies can be instrumental for health or humanitarian emergency support like <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2022/02/17/accelerating-digital-cash-transfers-to-the-worlds-poorest/">Novissi</a>, in Togo, which accelerated digital cash transfers to communities. The program provided communities with social grants leveraging mobile phones and mobile money technology thus reaching communities where they were to cope with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. While we cannot always solve for health and climate-related emergencies, we can partner to uplift communities with the right skills and tools to thrive in the digital economy.



We know that between 2010 and 2019, <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/financial-services/our-insights/fintech-in-africa-the-end-of-the-beginning">300 million Africans</a> were brought online for the first time. Improving access is a necessary step but not sufficient to transform ideas into opportunities. While this bodes well for providers of digital financial products and services, there is a skills and training gap that must be addressed in new ways.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-developing-skills-through-gaming">Developing skills through gaming</h2>



In <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/financial-services/our-insights/fintech-in-africa-the-end-of-the-beginning">bridging the divide</a>, a study released in September 2022, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6980989564702093312/">62 per cent</a> of respondents cited a lack of digital skills as the primary barrier to creating and enhancing livelihoods through the digital economy. <a href="https://www.practicalbusinessskills.org/">Practical Business Skills</a> (PBS) is, an online learning platform, designed to accelerate the development of youth and merchant skills. For instance, <a href="https://www.itweb.co.za/content/Pero3MZ3AVlqQb6m">Trace Academia</a>, reimagined Visa’s PBS into an interactive course covering different skills, thus meeting young people online to provide a learning experience on their mobile devices. Moreover, eCommerce platforms such as <a href="https://www.takealot.com/">takealot</a> and <a href="https://www.anka.africa/">Anka</a> which support merchants, are important pathways to increase opportunities for skills development. For example, <a href="https://tradechronicle.com/daraz-and-visa-collaborate-to-impart-business-skills-for-online-sellers/">Daraz</a>, in Pakistan leveraged PBS’ to enhance Daraz University offering to merchants in Urdu. By making the content accessible in local language, we ensured that language would not be a barrier to access content.



As we think about skills development at scale, video game players present an interesting opportunity. The gaming community in sub-Saharan Africa grew from 77 million to <a href="https://www.africanews.com/2022/03/01/africa-records-high-number-of-gamers-with-some-turning-professionals/">186 million</a> between 2015 and 2021. Visa, where I work, is collaborating with Paradise Game to deliver online financial education to a growing African community. <a href="https://gamesmea.com/paradise-game-opens-the-largest-gaming-center-in-west-africa/">Paradise Game</a> will give their online gaming community access to digital financial skills to help them rethink short and long-term financial goals as well as practical money skills. Connecting their passion for gaming with financial education is one of the <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6980474928336658432?updateEntityUrn=urn:li:fs_feedUpdate:(V2,urn:li:activity:6980474928336658432)">objectives</a> of this nascent collaboration. Paradise Game will disseminate <a href="https://world.financialfootball.com/en">Financial Football</a> to gamers making skills development a critical engagement tool at the intersection of sports and education. By gamifying learning and entering their world we have an opportunity to reinforce engagement and motivation as well as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1747938X19301058">social connectivity</a>.&nbsp;



Moreover, Newzoo, the world&#8217;s leading provider of games and esports data and insight, estimates that 33 per cent of the 186 million (<a href="https://www.thecitizen.co.tz/tanzania/news/business/how-africa-enriches-video-game-makers-3729654">63 million</a>) pay for games as the continent embraces digital currencies. Across South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and Ethiopia, gamers spent more than <a href="https://www.gamesindustry.biz/sub-saharan-african-gamers-have-grown-from-77m-to-186m-in-six-years">USD 500 million</a> in 2021. As the required skills and tools are brought to individuals and communities, it is important for the right partners to deliver tailor made programs where communities are.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">By bringing core competencies, meaningful partnerships are created</h2>



Visa’s collaboration with Shared Value Africa and United States Development Assistant Fund aims at improving communities’ ability to better utilize the grants they receive through skills development. The solution developed uses platforms such as WhatsApp to make learning accessible with limited internet connectivity and designing for offline capabilities too.



Accelerate program is another initiative that will help <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/patsianlow_livenow-acceleratemybusiness-activity-6981445018221780992-3ocW?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop">6,000</a> women-led micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) &nbsp;in rural and remote communities gain practical skills to sustain and grow their business.



We are also collaborating with the Mauritanian Investment Promotion Agency <a href="https://km.visamiddleeast.com/en_KM/visa-everywhere/blog/bdp/2021/12/07/powering-mauritanian-smes-1638869733162.html">(Agence de Promotion des Investissements en Mauritanie</a> or APIM) to upskill self-employed youth and micro-businesses that make up the vast majority of jobs among the entrepreneurial households in Mauritania. The objective of this partnership is to break unfavorable intergenerational cycles of being underserved by the financial system and chart a path towards prosperity for more youth and more women where they are. In Africa and in Asia, these partnerships demonstrate a pathway to scaling digital financial literacy programs. But there is no one-size-fits-all solution and at different levels, community networks are critical for us to adapt solutions to local contexts. Trust is the glue that brings us together for the impact we seek to achieve through individuals and households. Peers or neighbours often serve as the most trusted sources of information on digital financial technologies, thus underscoring the importance of grassroot social networks in designing interventions. The latter will bring individuals, communities, and businesses the digital and financial skills they need to withstand and adapt to local and global challenges.

CARL-MANLAN-2-

Digital and financial skills – part of the journey to greater equity and inclusion

South Africa is faced with many socio-economic challenges; principally, sluggish growth and high levels of unemployment.&nbsp;



In response to Government’s objectives to create much needed growth and employment opportunities, the Gauteng Provincial Government has established the Gauteng IDZ, a Special Purpose Vehicle mandated with development of the OR Tambo International Airport SEZ (also known as OR Tambo SEZ).



In support of the OR Tambo SEZ’s competitive location, focus of the Gauteng IDZ is promote the manufacturing and export of high-value, lightweight or low-mass products through OR Tambo International Airport.&nbsp;



Presently conceptualised around three approved SEZ locations, the first Precinct of the OR Tambo SEZ is focused on agro-processing and mineral beneficiation.  To-date, a 22 735m² food manufacturing facility has been delivered, creating over 2 500 operational jobs. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/In2Food_Photography-Samples-13-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419833" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/In2Food_Photography-Samples-13-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/In2Food_Photography-Samples-13-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/In2Food_Photography-Samples-13-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/In2Food_Photography-Samples-13-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/In2Food_Photography-Samples-13.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /></figure>



The remaining part of the first Precinct (also referred to ORTIA Precinct 1) is the subject of construction work already underway, with development of a Jewellery Manufacturing Precinct (“JMP”).&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-development-concept-of-the-jmp">The Development Concept of the JMP</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="580" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/JMP-TOP-STRUCTURES-Render-1-820x580.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419834" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/JMP-TOP-STRUCTURES-Render-1-820x580.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/JMP-TOP-STRUCTURES-Render-1-300x212.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/JMP-TOP-STRUCTURES-Render-1-127x90.jpg 127w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/JMP-TOP-STRUCTURES-Render-1-768x543.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/JMP-TOP-STRUCTURES-Render-1-1536x1086.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/JMP-TOP-STRUCTURES-Render-1-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /></figure>



Designed in a cluster approach, the 27&nbsp;239m² Jewellery precinct development aims to aggregate the production and export of beneficiated products through OR Tambo International.&nbsp; Specifically, the master plan of the JMP provides for the presence of various role players, all contributing to an effective value chain of production and support services, in proximity to one another. These include a metals refinery, jewellery and diamond manufacturers as well as globally reputable logistics companies key for the movement of beneficiated goods to the Airport apron.



In addition, the national regulatory agency established to consider and approve licences necessary to beneficiate or trade minerals in South Africa is also located at the Park.&nbsp;



An enterprise development Hub that aims to ensure that the requisite support is provided to emerging enterprises in this sector also has a presence.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Why Mineral Beneficiation?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="709" height="472" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Karen-Bhengu-sunflower-ring.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419835" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Karen-Bhengu-sunflower-ring.jpg 709w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Karen-Bhengu-sunflower-ring-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Karen-Bhengu-sunflower-ring-135x90.jpg 135w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 709px) 100vw, 709px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="747" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Alex-Djoko-820x747.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419836" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Alex-Djoko-820x747.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Alex-Djoko-300x273.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Alex-Djoko-99x90.jpg 99w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Alex-Djoko-768x700.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Alex-Djoko-1536x1400.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Alex-Djoko-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /></figure>



The Gauteng IDZ chose to develop a Jewellery Manufacturing Hub in response to the significant challenges faced by the jewellery and diamond industry in South Africa in the recent past, where it has experienced a steep decline since the early 2000s with a lot of lost job and employment opportunities. This is despite Africa continuing to be home to most of the world’s mineral reserves.&nbsp;



With significant global structural changes that have seen a shift from historical markets, development of the Jewellery Manufacturing Precinct aims to support African jewellery and diamond manufacturers with the production and export of beneficiated metal products from Africa for global consumption.



Supported by the South African Special Economic Zone regime, the JMP provides export manufacturing investors located at the Park with access to incentives packaged as part of the national SEZ programme; these include VAT exemption and relief from import customs and excise duties.&nbsp; This is because an SEZ is a delineated geographic area set aside for economic activities and supported by special means that are aimed at promoting national economic growth. These special means include, amongst others, access to SEZ incentives and government support in development of infrastructure.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Economic Impact of the JMP</h2>



In support of South Africa’s comparative mineral endowment, the JMP will create a globally competitive mineral beneficiation cluster that supports the creation of much needed jobs whilst also contributing to South Africa’s beneficiation of minerals mined in Africa.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Development Status</h2>



A globally competitive gold refinery and jewellery manufacturer is already operating form the JMP since April 2021. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="459" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/MetCon-Building-JMP-8-1-820x459.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419837" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/MetCon-Building-JMP-8-1-820x459.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/MetCon-Building-JMP-8-1-300x168.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/MetCon-Building-JMP-8-1-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/MetCon-Building-JMP-8-1-768x430.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/MetCon-Building-JMP-8-1-1536x860.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/MetCon-Building-JMP-8-1-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /></figure>



In addition, an 8 000m² building housing the South African Diamonds and Precious Metals Regulator (including the Diamond Exchange and Export Centre) and the State Diamond Trader has also been operational since September 2021.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="545" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Super-Block-Outside-Photos-1-820x545.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419838" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Super-Block-Outside-Photos-1-820x545.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Super-Block-Outside-Photos-1-300x199.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Super-Block-Outside-Photos-1-136x90.jpg 136w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Super-Block-Outside-Photos-1-768x510.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Super-Block-Outside-Photos-1-1536x1020.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Super-Block-Outside-Photos-1-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /></figure>



Work on the remaining buildings is at an advanced stage and is earmarked for completion by the end of 2022.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="369" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/WhatsApp-Image-2022-08-31-at-10.32.48-AM-820x369.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-419839" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/WhatsApp-Image-2022-08-31-at-10.32.48-AM-820x369.jpeg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/WhatsApp-Image-2022-08-31-at-10.32.48-AM-300x135.jpeg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/WhatsApp-Image-2022-08-31-at-10.32.48-AM-160x72.jpeg 160w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/WhatsApp-Image-2022-08-31-at-10.32.48-AM-768x346.jpeg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/WhatsApp-Image-2022-08-31-at-10.32.48-AM-1536x691.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/WhatsApp-Image-2022-08-31-at-10.32.48-AM.jpeg 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="369" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/WhatsApp-Image-2022-08-31-at-10.32.49-AM-820x369.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-419840" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/WhatsApp-Image-2022-08-31-at-10.32.49-AM-820x369.jpeg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/WhatsApp-Image-2022-08-31-at-10.32.49-AM-300x135.jpeg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/WhatsApp-Image-2022-08-31-at-10.32.49-AM-160x72.jpeg 160w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/WhatsApp-Image-2022-08-31-at-10.32.49-AM-768x346.jpeg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/WhatsApp-Image-2022-08-31-at-10.32.49-AM-1536x691.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/WhatsApp-Image-2022-08-31-at-10.32.49-AM.jpeg 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="369" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/WhatsApp-Image-2022-08-31-at-10.32.53-AM-3-820x369.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-419841" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/WhatsApp-Image-2022-08-31-at-10.32.53-AM-3-820x369.jpeg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/WhatsApp-Image-2022-08-31-at-10.32.53-AM-3-300x135.jpeg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/WhatsApp-Image-2022-08-31-at-10.32.53-AM-3-160x72.jpeg 160w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/WhatsApp-Image-2022-08-31-at-10.32.53-AM-3-768x346.jpeg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/WhatsApp-Image-2022-08-31-at-10.32.53-AM-3-1536x691.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/WhatsApp-Image-2022-08-31-at-10.32.53-AM-3.jpeg 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="369" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/WhatsApp-Image-2022-08-31-at-10.32.52-AM-1-820x369.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-419842" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/WhatsApp-Image-2022-08-31-at-10.32.52-AM-1-820x369.jpeg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/WhatsApp-Image-2022-08-31-at-10.32.52-AM-1-300x135.jpeg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/WhatsApp-Image-2022-08-31-at-10.32.52-AM-1-160x72.jpeg 160w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/WhatsApp-Image-2022-08-31-at-10.32.52-AM-1-768x346.jpeg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/WhatsApp-Image-2022-08-31-at-10.32.52-AM-1-1536x691.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/WhatsApp-Image-2022-08-31-at-10.32.52-AM-1.jpeg 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /></figure>



For more information on the investment opportunities at OR Tambo SEZ, email info@gidz.co.za

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Promoting African Jewellery on the Global Stage

<figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-full"><a href="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/SAPOA-Convention-Speakers-_1080x1920.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1080" height="1920" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/SAPOA-Convention-Speakers-_1080x1920.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-420006" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/SAPOA-Convention-Speakers-_1080x1920.jpg 1080w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/SAPOA-Convention-Speakers-_1080x1920-169x300.jpg 169w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/SAPOA-Convention-Speakers-_1080x1920-450x800.jpg 450w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/SAPOA-Convention-Speakers-_1080x1920-51x90.jpg 51w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/SAPOA-Convention-Speakers-_1080x1920-768x1365.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/SAPOA-Convention-Speakers-_1080x1920-864x1536.jpg 864w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px" /></a></figure>



The SAPOA Annual Convention and Property Networking – 2022 promises to remain true to its history of encouraging engaging conversations and deliberation on issues of pertinence with the commercial property sector.&nbsp; We are excited about the many eagerly awaited enhancements that this year’s event will bring.



After a hiatus of eight years, the property event of the year returns to the internationally acclaimed Sun City in the North-West Province. The recently renovated resort is unlike anything in the world, offering mountain views, a key national park and an iconic golf course all under one roof.



The theme this year is #tomorrow.



Over the last decade our economy has barely grown, investment has dwindled, and the rate of unemployment has increased. The past two years have been equally challenging.



Today we are still feeling the effects of several years of corruption, the erosion of important public institutions and the resultant of policy malaise. The property sector has felt the effects at an alarming rate in the form of the weakening economy, decreasing investor confidence, rising municipal costs, water and electricity crises, high tenant vacancies and the like.



But even in the face of such great challenges, hope continues to spring eternal in the hearts of South Africans who are determined that they will not yield to despair, to undertake the detailed work required to turn our tomorrow around. The industry looks to the leaders for answers on what is in store for the property sector, exploring the opportunities, disruptors and technology heading our way.&nbsp; The Convention’s programme will address these and other issues to ensure that the sector continues to inspire further development and productivity through achieving specific outcomes.



SAPOA is privileged to partner with Attacq, Dipula Income Fund, Fortress , Growthpoint Properties, Liberty Two Degrees, Pareto, Remote Metering Solutions and Resilient to host the annual property event of the year.

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SAPOA Annual Convention and Property Networking – 2022

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="488" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_4824-820x488.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419355" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_4824-820x488.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_4824-300x179.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_4824-151x90.jpg 151w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_4824-768x457.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_4824-1536x914.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_4824-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /></figure>



It’s the first time the group has received the honour.



ON OUR FIRST ATTEMPT, ABSA ACHIEVED TOP Employer certification in five markets, positioning the business as a Top Employer in Africa.



The Absa Group is now:



• Top Employer South Africa 2022



• Top Employer Zambia 2022



• Top Employer Kenya 2022



• Top Employer Ghana 2022



• Top Employer Botswana 2022



Absa has been recognised not only for matching rigorous global benchmarks, but also for exceeding these in several categories including digital HR, learning, career development, and ethics and integrity. “We’re so proud of the contribution of our business leaders and our People and Culture Function,” says Thokozile Lewanika Mpupuni, Absa Group Head of Leadership, Learning and Talent. “Absa is determined to bring possibilities to life, and this award underscores our commitment to, and progress in building an organisation that recognises that people are our strength.”



Culture is an essential element to win the hearts and minds of employees. It brings a collective energy and cohesion that is required for organisational success. “Our culture has the power to differentiate Absa in an increasingly dynamic environment where we compete for the best talent. That talent is essential to drive innovation and agility,” says Mpupuni.



Absa’s culture transformation journey began in 2018 with its historic separation from Barclays PLC. This resulted in a repositioning in the market, a new brand, refreshed values and a purpose that emphasises possibility. “Because of leadership’s strong impact on culture, we invested in a senior leadership culture program that started in 2020.The ability of our leaders to embody and present the Absa we aspire to has far-reaching effects throughout our entire organisation,” says Mpupuni. This program is based on similar successful global interventions at organisations such as Google, Nike and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and it includes training leaders in conversational technology.



Other culture initiatives include team values workshops, team culture and identity workshops. Absa emphasises listening and language capabilities that empower colleagues to actively participate in the creation and development of the organisational culture. Absa’s Colleague Experience Survey, initiated during 2020, is an important opportunity for employees to raise their voices and be heard, and the business receives actionable insights to continuously enhance the everyday lived experience of individuals. “We’re ensuring that we continuously listen and get feedback from our people. By listening to each other, we help make sense of our world, foster trust in our relationships and, in turn serve our people with a genuine intention to bring about real change that makes a difference,” says Mpupuni.



Even though the new Absa has not yet reached its desired cultural maturity, the foundation has been laid to inspire purpose, create a shared value approach to business, and foster a future-fit, learning organisation. “We’re all co-owners of culture and when we show up with a sense of personal responsibility for shared outcomes, that’s when we start to see change. The Top Employer Africa certification signals this shift,” concludes Mpupuni.



Absa’s People and Culture Function will continue to focus on holistic wellbeing, diversity and inclusion, new ways of work, workforce future-fitness and culture to ensure that Africa’s top talent is able to thrive and bring possibility to life for themselves, and for the stakeholders we serve.

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Absa Is A Top Employer Africa

Cambridge International qualifications are accepted at over 2,000 tertiary institutions across 160 countries, including top-ranking universities in the US, UK, Africa and across the globe.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="546" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/VC-Phakeng-173-2-820x546.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-419116" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/VC-Phakeng-173-2-820x546.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/VC-Phakeng-173-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/VC-Phakeng-173-2-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/VC-Phakeng-173-2-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/VC-Phakeng-173-2-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/VC-Phakeng-173-2-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Image credit: UCT Vice Chancellor, Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng &#8211; University of Cape Town</figcaption></figure>



As Africa’s leading university, the University of Cape Town has chosen to shoulder the responsibility to be at the forefront of transformation on the continent — a challenge they willingly embrace. Their mission is simple: to unleash Africa’s potential to help create a fair and just society.



It is their belief that the most important tool every African needs is an affordable, quality education – one that will qualify them for employment or a university degree. This is the only way to close the inequality gap. It is a necessity, not only for the university sector, but for everybody in the country.



This is why they chose to change the face of education in South Africa by launching <a href="http://www.uctonlinehighschool.com?utm_source=cnbc_africa&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=CNBC-Africa">UCT Online High </a> <a href="http://www.uctonlinehighschool.com?utm_source=cnbc_africa&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=CNBC-Africa">School</a> in 2022 — the most affordable online private school in South Africa; becoming the first University on the African continent to extend its expertise and impact to the secondary schooling market through an innovative online modality. This progressive school is purpose-built to allow South African learners to work towards achieving their National Senior Certificate from anywhere in the country.



UCT Online High School places emphasis on impeccable support, with each learner having access to a Support Coach throughout their entire school career. The offering is tailored to the learner by providing Structured Flexibility – a framework which allows learners to work anytime from anywhere, within well-defined boundaries. By placing Individual Mastery right at the centre of their philosophy, UCT Online High School ensures that each learner masters every module before moving on to the next one. That way they don’t progress with gaps in their tree of knowledge.



As part of their initial offering, they also launched UCT Online High School’s Free Curriculum with support from the Michael &amp; Susan Dell foundation. This entirely free online school platform allows any guardian, learner or educator to access their full CAPS (National Senior Certificate) curriculum — because money should not be a barrier to those wanting to learn.



A few months after its public launch in 2021, UCT Online High School was selected among the 12 Top Innovators in<a href="https://youtu.be/SUCP2VAmo1o"> </a>The WorldClass Education Challenge at the World Economic Forum’s Sustainable Development Impact Summit 2021. A digital platform to crowdsource solutions for the world&#8217;s most pressing issues, as outlined by the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). From almost 400 submissions, 12 notable innovators were selected – these individuals and their organisations have worked alongside Deloitte professionals to help address the global education crisis. UCT Online High School made the final selection of Top Innovators in Africa, cementing its impact at home, and abroad.



A year, and some 5,000 CAPS learners later, they are immensely pleased to be able to offer an additional curriculum in the form of the Cambridge Assessment International Education — the most affordable Cambridge International qualification in Africa at R3,300 per month (within South Africa) and US$230 per month (outside South Africa)! Cambridge International is one of the world’s most prestigious international curriculums, recognised by over 2,000 tertiary institutions worldwide, including all major local universities. With nearly a million learners in 10,000 schools in 160 countries, a Cambridge International qualification is a powerful global passport to the future. As the most affordable fully accredited Cambridge International school in Africa, UCT Online High School is proud to be able to offer this qualification to learners in South Africa and beyond. Starting with South Africa’s closest neighbours, they aim to expand their reach to the rest of the African continent in the near future. And they’re only getting started.



Admissions for the UCT Online High School’s Cambridge Assessment International Education are now open, with classes commencing in January 2023, after which learners will be able to enrol at any time, from wherever they are in the world. This new curriculum offers the full bouquet of Lower Secondary, IGCSE, AS and A levels at R3,300 per month (within South Africa) and US$230 per month (outside South Africa), but for 2023 we will be launching lower secondary and IGCSE, making it the most affordable fully accredited Cambridge International school in Africa. To offer a full break down:



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Lower Secondary (years 8 &amp; 9, ages 12-14) provides learners with a broad curriculum, giving them a strong, well-rounded foundation.</li></ul>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Upper Secondary otherwise known as IGCSE (years 10 &amp; 11, ages 15-16) is the most popular international qualification for 15 &#8211; 16 years olds and focuses on core academic and language development. Our first set of IGCSE exams will be written in November 2024.</li></ul>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Cambridge Advanced, the AS and A levels qualifications (Years 12 &amp; 13, ages 17-18) is one of the strongest academic high school qualifications you can exit with, streamlining you into a focused career path. UCT Online High School is set to expand into AS/A levels in 2025.</li></ul>



For full list of FAQs please visit their website: <a href="https://www.uctonlinehighschool.com/frequently-asked-questions?utm_source=cnbc_africa&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=CNBC-Africa">https://www.uctonlinehighschool.com/frequently-asked-questions</a>



For more information on UCT Online High School, please visit:<a href="http://www.uctonlinehighschool.com"> </a><a href="http://www.uctonlinehighschool.com?utm_source=cnbc_africa&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=CNBC-Africa">www.uctonlinehighschool.com</a>.



‘If I may just say what an honour it is to partner with Cambridge Assessment International Education, one of the world’s most prestigious institutions. Together we are providing access to a truly world-class education from the comfort of one’s own home — not just to learners in our own country, but to those throughout Africa too.’, says Yandiswa Xhakaza, UCT Online High School Director &amp; Principal.



Christine Özden, Chief Executive of Cambridge Assessment International Education, says, ‘We are delighted to announce that UCT Online High School has joined our global community of Cambridge schools and we look forward to a long and productive relationship with them.’



In their tireless quest to innovate and be at the forefront of creating an equitable and innovative education system on the continent, the online high school also announces the launch of an Adult Matric programme delivered entirely online. The Adult Matric programme provides a second chance for those who were unable, or never given the opportunity, to write their National Senior Certificate when they were young — because it’s never too late to enable a better future for ourselves and our families.



<a href="https://bit.ly/3w91qOA">As per Youth Capital’s research</a>, and at any given time, there are about 250,000 people working towards a matric certificate outside the full-time, in-school system.Since an average of 800,000 candidates write matric examinations each year, this means that about a third of the total matric cohort are ‘on the fringe’ or ‘non-traditional’ learners. Yet, as second-chancers, the educational journeys of these non-traditional learners often go unrecognised. Despite their grit and perseverance, second chance matrics are rarely reported on publicly. UCT Online High School is here to celebrate and support these learners, and the Adult Matric programme offers a viable and affordable alternative for adults to study online, and part-time, towards their matric certificate.



A matric certificate can transform young and old people’s futures alike, by signalling their knowledge and skills to employers, creating pathways to further education, and ultimately improving their chances of finding work, keeping a job, and earning a higher salary.



UCT Online High School isn’t just a school, it’s the backbone of an entire ecosystem which has been designed to service learners from a broad range of socioeconomic and academic means. They believe in a brighter future for all, and they’re doing everything that they can to make it happen. They’re calling on future changemakers, young and old, to join their innovative learning journey and make their future official.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="UCT Vice-Chancellor announces UCT Online High School&#039;s Cambridge International curriculum" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yvzfVIenrnk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<iframe loading="lazy" title="We Own The Future (The Official UCT Online High School Song)" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ra6PcW_NiUU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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AFRICA’S MOST AFFORDABLE CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL QUALIFICATION LAUNCHED BY UCT ONLINE HIGH SCHOOL

Santam Heavy Haulage is concerned that a chain reaction of events beyond the transport sector’s control has put the industry under serious financial stress, with some stalwarts having recently closed their operations. “More are likely to follow in coming months resulting from a mountain of increases and other threats,” says Anton Cornelissen, Head of Santam’s Specialist Division, Heavy Haulage.



&nbsp;The first, and likely the most impactful of increases, came in February this year when the South African Special Risk Insurance Association (Sasria), which provides cover against civil commotion, public disorder, strikes, riots and terrorism, introduced a ‘hefty’ premium increase. This was unavoidable, largely as a result of the civil unrest, torching and looting of trucks and businesses in KZN and parts of Gauteng in 2021.



&nbsp;“To give you some idea of just how sizeable the annual Sasria premium hike is, a heavy commercial vehicle (vehicles with a GWM above 3500kg) valued at R2-million, says Moonstone, is now insured by Sasria for R6901.14- compared to the previous R375.80,” confirms Cornelissen. It gets worse because in addition to Sasria’s increase, other factors impacting on bottomline for hauliers include: Covid-19, which left them struggling with slim margins; load shedding; a more than 100% increase in steel prices that in turn increases repair and maintenance costs; a shortage of new trucks entering the country; fuel price increases; the tragic rise in xenophobic attacks against foreign national employees; and the recent storm-related losses in KZN.



“This unfortunate onslaught of events has now forced reinsurers to up their premiums, which means underwriters of heavy haulage risks are unable to offer reprieve to their clients in terms of minimising their own premium increases. It doesn’t help that the Centre For Risk Analysis has predicted more lootings as consumers feel the mounting pressure of costs relentlessly being passed onto them,” states Cornelissen. “It also means that short-term insurers are now forced into the undesirable position of having to increase their premiums in order to sustain their risk pool.



”On top of this hauliers are challenged by increasing competition and worsening economic conditions, and let’s not forget the threat of labour disputes that are becoming more prevalent. There are no quick or easy solutions, however, there appears to be a growing trend by larger fleet operators that are either considering or moving their policies to international insurers. “This means valuable revenue is starting to leave South Africa,” says Cornelissen. “We just cannot afford to burden an already struggling economy.” Santam Heavy Haulage has stepped up as reasonably as possible, however, as Cornelissen emphasises, insurers in turn are now also impacted by the 30%-plus increase in respect of repair costs, increased number of claims, and a significant rise in the number of theft and truck hijack claims.



“As it is, the insurance industry overall is struggling to deal with increasing claim costs and while it has taken some two years to return to pre-Covid freight movement numbers, some industries like construction and aviation are still recovering from the effects of lockdown. That being said, as Santam we are fortunate to have diversified specialist businesses which allows us to continue to offer sustainable insurance solutions.



”While there is a margin of increase that cannot be avoided, Cornelissen and his team are engaging with clients, reinsurers, Sasria and authorities like the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) to minimise risks and ensure legislation is carefully considered.



“We are having the crucial conversations on behalf of our clients and the industry at large, to ensure the risks facing operators and their employees are mitigated. “We are doing what we can to ease the burden on transporters but it’s a struggle because there are so many challenges and much frustration within the sector. We steadfastly continue to focus on raising Santam levels of service and influence, and build our extensive partnerships and relationships,” says Cornelissen.



“Santam’s Heavy Haulage team does not simply take the approach of being purely an insurer, but a giant whose voice on behalf of its clients carries weight. We aim to affect positive change for the benefit of all in an attempt to ensure the sustainability of long-standing operators.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="597" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/IMG_2719-2-820x597.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-418669" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/IMG_2719-2-820x597.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/IMG_2719-2-300x218.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/IMG_2719-2-124x90.jpg 124w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/IMG_2719-2-768x559.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/IMG_2719-2-1536x1117.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/IMG_2719-2-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Anton Cornelissen, Head of Santam’s Specialist Division, Heavy Haulage</figcaption></figure>

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Contemplating The Sustainability Of The Heavy Haulage Sector

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="541" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/IMAGE-2-820x541.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-418527" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/IMAGE-2-820x541.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/IMAGE-2-300x198.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/IMAGE-2-136x90.jpg 136w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/IMAGE-2-768x507.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/IMAGE-2-1536x1014.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/IMAGE-2-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Amref Health Africa GCEO, Dr. Githinji Gitahi (right) CBS PS MOH, Ms. Susan Muchache (center) and AstraZeneca Area Vice President (Middle East and Africa) Pelin Incesu (left) pose for a photo after signing of the MOU before the official launch of the mobile vaccination clinics at Kibra DC grounds.</figcaption></figure>



At the end of June, a fleet of solar-powered mobile vaccination clinics began work in one of Africa’s largest informal settlements, the Kibera community in Nairobi, as part of efforts to protect more Kenyans against the coronavirus and curtail the pandemic.



In coordination with the Kenyan Ministry of Health, the mobile clinics are being deployed by Amref across Kenya, targeting ‘last mile’ communities where they live and work.



Each clinic aims to vaccinate up to 100 people per day &#8212; with a total target of 1000 daily vaccinations once all clinics are operational &#8212; while also providing health information, COVID-19 screening and post-immunisation care. In order to tackle misinformation around vaccination, health workers will seek to build trust among communities and demonstrate the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/IMAGE-3-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-418528" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/IMAGE-3-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/IMAGE-3-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/IMAGE-3-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/IMAGE-3-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/IMAGE-3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/IMAGE-3-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>CBS PS MOH, Ms. Susan Muchache (right) AstraZeneca Area Vice President (Middle East and Africa) Pelin Incesu (center) and Amref Health Africa GCEO, Dr. Githinji Gitahi (left) cutting the ribbon during the official launch of Mobile clinics at Kibra DC grounds.</figcaption></figure>



AstraZeneca is supporting this initiative because we understand that the cost of medicines, though important, is not the only barrier to healthcare.



We have been providing COVID-19 vaccines at cost to low and middle-income countries through COVAX since they first became available. But more than a year since the first supplies landed in Ghana, only <a href="https://africacdc.org/covid-19-vaccination/">19 per cent of Africans</a> have received their first course of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Africa CDC.



If we are ever to see an end to this pandemic &#8212; an end to the emergence of new variants that threaten countries rich and poor &#8212; we need those numbers to increase, and fast.



We are fortunate that we have the tools needed to protect people against COVID-19 but the challenge we now face is making them accessible to communities on the ground.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">&#8220;This crisis is not over yet, and it is up to all of us to maintain that sense of urgency and innovation to reach ‘last mile’ communities. Only then can we hope to end the pandemic for all.&#8221; &#8211; Pelin Incesu, AstraZeneca&#8217;s area vice president for the Middle East and Africa</blockquote>







Achieving this requires working together across the private, public and third sectors to pursue a patient-centred approach to accelerating vaccination.



That is why we are taking our vaccines to the heart of communities that would otherwise find it difficult to access health services, including COVID-19 vaccination, either due to limited health facilities in their areas or an inability to travel the distances required to access the care they need.



The health workers I met in Kibera were armed with training and educational tools to address questions from community members and to deliver health services with empathy, driven by an understanding of the contexts in which they operate.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/IMAGE-7-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-418530" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/IMAGE-7-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/IMAGE-7-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/IMAGE-7-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/IMAGE-7-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/IMAGE-7-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/IMAGE-7-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Kelensenjia Okonyo gets vaccinated inside the mobile clinic after it was officially launched by CBS PS MOH, Ms. Susan Muchache.</figcaption></figure>



Working with governments and civil society across Africa, AstraZeneca hopes to continue to contribute to the development of sustainable solutions to the region’s health challenges, both during and after the pandemic.



In a post-pandemic world, the mobile clinics can be used to support other health priorities, such as tackling the rising burden of non-communicable diseases, including cancer and diabetes.



The unprecedented speed and scale at which vaccines and other tools to fight COVID-19 were developed when the virus first started to spread has undoubtedly saved millions of lives worldwide. However, this crisis is not over yet, and it is up to all of us to maintain that sense of urgency and innovation to reach ‘last mile’ communities. Only then can we hope to end the pandemic for all.

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‘Last mile’ vaccination essential to ending the pandemic

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="429" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Gerrit-Schmidt-III-MSc-is-Chief-Commercial-Officer-at-SFO-and-Head-of-Affinity-Research-at-Stellenbosch-Institute-for-Family-Governance.-820x429.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-417587" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Gerrit-Schmidt-III-MSc-is-Chief-Commercial-Officer-at-SFO-and-Head-of-Affinity-Research-at-Stellenbosch-Institute-for-Family-Governance.-820x429.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Gerrit-Schmidt-III-MSc-is-Chief-Commercial-Officer-at-SFO-and-Head-of-Affinity-Research-at-Stellenbosch-Institute-for-Family-Governance.-300x157.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Gerrit-Schmidt-III-MSc-is-Chief-Commercial-Officer-at-SFO-and-Head-of-Affinity-Research-at-Stellenbosch-Institute-for-Family-Governance.-160x84.jpg 160w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Gerrit-Schmidt-III-MSc-is-Chief-Commercial-Officer-at-SFO-and-Head-of-Affinity-Research-at-Stellenbosch-Institute-for-Family-Governance.-768x402.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Gerrit-Schmidt-III-MSc-is-Chief-Commercial-Officer-at-SFO-and-Head-of-Affinity-Research-at-Stellenbosch-Institute-for-Family-Governance..jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /></figure>



Family Governance is not a buzzword. It has global economic relevance.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Stellenbosch Institute for Family Governance, by SFO, partners with Stellenbosch Business School to pilot AffinityLab; a family focused research incubator to nurture and stimulate familial cooperation in Ultra-High-Net-Worth (UHNW) families.



Featured in June/July 2022 issue of Forbes Africa 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="429" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/30-under-30-820x429.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-417651" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/30-under-30-820x429.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/30-under-30-300x157.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/30-under-30-160x84.jpg 160w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/30-under-30-768x402.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/30-under-30-1536x804.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/30-under-30-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /></figure>



Data from research providers in financial services and academia support the relevance of thinking in familial terms. Forbes projects the greatest wealth transfer in history from baby-boomers to next generation custodians, estimated at over 30 trillion dollars over the next 20 years, with significant inherent risk of failure.&nbsp; According to the Oxford Ownership Project, an estimated 70% of global businesses are owned by families.&nbsp;



Everyday interactions with family enterprises are closer to home for people buying products from big brands such as Louis Vuitton, Samsung and LEGO. Family governance is relevant, and it is in the interest of the world economy for family enterprises to grow, whereas the families which own them are likely to grow apart.



Family governance, especially familial cooperation, remains a challenging topic due to the complexity of relations in these organisations, compounded by the newly realised knowledge gap. Industry-wide, financial services professionals understand the need for sound governance but run the risk of putting the cart in front of the horse by relying on so-called best practices of what worked elsewhere. Rather, we as financial services professionals, should be working with families to develop the best familial cooperation practices that are relevant for them and their context.



A deeper understanding of cooperation within families is key to gain traction with family governance. But, if a family is unable to work together as a family of affinity foremost, one cannot reasonably expect wealth transfers to be sustainably successful.



AffinityLab intends to address latent familial cooperation needs. UHNW families typically consist of multi-generational branches with members located in various jurisdictions, pushing global families to rethink wealth management strategies beyond investment performance. In times of geopolitical crises questions around goal-based investing are extending to goal-based living, reaffirming the need for a consolidated strategic approach to family governance. Starting with the need to establish Affinity as a primary goal of family and puts familial cooperation squarely in the research focus of AffinityLab.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">“Cooperation needs to be at the heart of family strategy for families to realise goal-based living together. Family Governance starts with Affinity.” – Gerrit Schmidt III (Chief Commercial Officer at SFO). </blockquote>



Entitlement and perceived inequitability frame familiar problems in UHNW families. These problems negatively influence family organisations and do not typically allow for cooperation or a sense of interrelated affinity. Furthermore, these problems intensify alienation and place unique strain on family branches, driving at best, superficial cooperation for short-term gains. Once this occurs, it is a question of time before the family implodes, dividing their assets at the cost of cooperating as a family.



The family is stronger by design if able to meaningfully engage members, at varying levels of involvement, in their enterprise. The purpose of an enterprising family should not be limited to a specific industry or specialism. Family purpose should, however, be specific to the ideals of working together as a purpose-led organisation with established collaboration from members who share the common vision and lived purpose. Stellenbosch Institute for Family Governance by SFO specialises in family-management consulting by helping businesses and business families to realise these ideals. We design family structures conducive to nurturing inclusivity and developing proficient Ultimate Beneficial Owners.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Coming back to the idea of putting the cart in front of the horse, financial services providers should primarily be thinking in terms of succession development and designing purposeful family structures conducive to more than tax efficiency and return maximisation.&nbsp;



The qualitative aspects of wealth management matter and the disruptive work of Africa’s first Institute for Family Governance has the potential to shift family enterprise futures, stimulating the global economy.



Family Governance starts with Affinity. Started by SFO. A family focused financial services group.

Gerrit Schmidt III (MSc) is Chief Commercial Officer at SFO and Head of Affinity Research at Stellenbosch Institute for Family Governance.

Family Governance Starts with Affinity

As Africa’s leading entertainment company, MultiChoice delivers Direct To Home (DTH), Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) and online video entertainment services through its entertainment platforms – DStv, GOtv, Showmax and DStv Now – to approximately 20 million subscribers across 50 countries in Africa.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="806" height="600" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Multichoice-logo-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-417481" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Multichoice-logo-1.png 806w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Multichoice-logo-1-300x223.png 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Multichoice-logo-1-121x90.png 121w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Multichoice-logo-1-768x572.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 806px) 100vw, 806px" /><figcaption>MultiChoice</figcaption></figure>



The depth and breadth of this offering is why the company needs its data and analytics to be agile, future-proof and scalable. For MultiChoice, this meant one thing: a benchmark project to deploy Microsoft’s Azure <a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/synapse-analytics/#overview">Synapse</a> technology – bringing together data integration, enterprise data warehousing, and big data analytics – to give the Group deeper insights, faster, to better serve millions of viewers.



Aspiring to extraordinary analytics capabilities &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



The initiative – codenamed ‘Vibranium’ after the fictional Wakanda metal with extraordinary abilities to absorb, store, manipulate and release large amounts of kinetic energy – sought to achieve the same power from data across the MultiChoice Group. The Group, already mature in its data analytics strategy, was challenged in that it had numerous data and analytics teams working throughout the company’s &nbsp;businesses across Africa.&nbsp;



These teams had been relying on disparate data environments, many of them on-premise. “We needed an agile and scalable, cloud-based single source of truth, with full governance and compliance that would not limit or slow the work of our autonomous analytics teams,” says Jeandre Du Toit, Lead for Modern Data Architecture at MultiChoice Group.&nbsp;



The company partnered with Microsoft to implement aspects of its enterprise data strategy across the Group, including data management, modern data architecture, BI and advanced analytics, and more modern ways of working. 



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MultiChoice introduced DataOps with continuous integration and delivery, as well as a more agile approach in which solutions were delivered in slivers for immediate value, then expanded for incremental value.&nbsp;



“We also wanted to adopt cloud in order to take advantage of new features and new technologies being made available, while also ensuring that we could easily scale, consume and adopt. Because we already had a trusted relationship with Microsoft and in-house Microsoft skills sets that the Group could leverage, we turned to Microsoft,” says du Toit.



Getting deeper insights, faster



The ideal solution for MultiChoice’s needs was Azure Synapse Analytics. Delivering insights up to 14 times faster than other cloud providers, the solution addressed the MultiChoice Group’s top priorities: getting deeper insights, faster.



Adoption was accelerated by using Microsoft Consulting Services, and MultiChoice had direct access to international Microsoft engineers for guidance and collaboration to ensure a well-architected design and framework. The new principles and systems required some upskilling in partnership with Microsoft, but the Group’s data analysts report that they are excited about the new tools at their disposal to deliver on MultiChoice’s requirements.&nbsp;



Vibranium is also among the first projects in the world to be privy to information about new Synapse features still in development, and is therefore able to develop its architecture with a view to utilising those features in future as technologies and demands change.&nbsp;&nbsp;



A single version of the truth



Teams can now also tap into additional information they previously did not have access to, or didn’t know was available, through integrated data stored in a single place and acting as a single version of the truth.



“We are becoming an analytics-driven organisation that understands why treating our data as an asset in a digital world is critical and considers insights an imperative to continuously adapt in a world where change has become a constant,” says Debra Goosen, Analytics Innovation Lead at MultiChoice. “As a large-scale transformation programme, Vibranium is the vehicle that has been set up to achieve these objectives and enables us to continuously evolve.”



The project is also building synergies in the company, with data and analytics teams building on each-other’s work and developing far richer solutions for the organisation. In addition, standardised principles and governance are now applied across the group to ensure data is managed appropriately.&nbsp;



The MultiChoice Group views the large-scale project as transformative in nature, delivering both a modern data platform and a more modern way of work, which will enable it to be more competitive and deliver more personal, relevant engagement and services for its viewers.



“The deeper insights we’re gaining allows us to push our strategy to the next level. We’re a lot more agile and we are starting to see an increase in the cadence of our deliveries,” says du Toit.



To find out what benefits Azure Synapse Analytics can bring to your business, visit <a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/synapse-analytics/">Azure Synapse Analytics | Microsoft Azure</a>

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Making Africa’s leading entertainment company’s data and analytics agile, scalable and future-proof

Africa’s largest financial institution, Standard Bank, is on a mission: to find ways to set itself apart so that the bank can meet its customer needs in today’s complex, ever-changing world. Operating in more than 20 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and globally, the Bank aims to show customers that It Can Be.



This means that it needs the right tools, resources and platforms to enable the innovation, resilience and efficiencies required to empower its customers. For Standard Bank, that means using <a href="https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/">Microsoft’s Power BI</a> platform to harness data insights and predictive and prescriptive analytics through AI and machine learning. This allows the bank to better serve customers through more accurate targeting and service delivery.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="389" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Standard-Bank_30-Baker-Street_Interior_2-1-820x389.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-417477" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Standard-Bank_30-Baker-Street_Interior_2-1-820x389.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Standard-Bank_30-Baker-Street_Interior_2-1-300x142.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Standard-Bank_30-Baker-Street_Interior_2-1-160x76.jpg 160w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Standard-Bank_30-Baker-Street_Interior_2-1-768x364.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Standard-Bank_30-Baker-Street_Interior_2-1-1536x728.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Standard-Bank_30-Baker-Street_Interior_2-1.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Standard Bank Baker Street</figcaption></figure>



In 2017, the organisation moved from a traditional centralised business intelligence team to a self-service BI model because its value-added capabilities allowed more accurate and effective targeting and serving of customers. “Power BI helps make citizen data scientists out of anyone who wishes to be one,” says Ziyaad Valli, Lead Analytics Engineer on the BI Data Visualization team at Standard Bank.



By 2020, adoption of the company’s self-service BI was such a success that Standard Bank’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/group-chat-software">Microsoft Teams</a>&nbsp;channel for Power BI included more than 3,000 members.



The bank’s data visualization team was using a descriptive analytics model to evaluate what had already happened. But Valli wanted to explore the predictive (what might happen) and prescriptive (what are the possibilities) paths to add to the toolsets for internal teams. As a result, the data visualization team collaborated with the bank’s Insurance Business group to use AI and automated machine learning to predict and accurately target customers.



Using data to tell a more accurate story



In July 2020, Standard Bank Insurance launched a funeral cover product – insurance to cover funeral expenses – that sold well: customers were queuing at branches and phoning the bank’s call centres. Mohammed Tootla, Manager of Data Visualization for the Insurance Business group at Standard Bank, decided they needed more from their data. 



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<iframe loading="lazy" title="Standard Bank shows ‘it can be’ by using AI and analytics to improve customer service" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vejjfp8wONQ?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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“We started looking at alternatives to tell a better story with our data,” says Tootla. “We wanted to explore machine learning, but we had no data scientists on our team.”



Tootla then contacted Valli, explaining that his team wanted to move forward with predictive and prescriptive analytics. Valli’s and Tootla’s teams began collaborating in Power BI. They aggregated and analysed sales for the funeral cover across multiple dimensions, discovering a surprising insight that aligned with feedback from business leads: millennial customers were creating higher demand than any other generation.



The other key learning was that sales were happening on a particular day of the week. According to marketing and industry standards, most sales are expected to happen on Wednesdays and Thursdays. However, data showed that funeral cover sales were happening on Fridays.



“We were able to uncover these patterns and key insights solely because of the AI analytics capabilities within Power BI,” says Tootla.



Understanding these trends in the data allowed Standard Bank to make proactive adjustments to target the right audience and prepare for sales accordingly.&nbsp;



Better serving customers and mitigating customer cancellations



Next, Valli and Tootla delved into the forecasting models to compare what sales might look like if factors remained unchanged, with “what-if” parameters – adjusted policies forecast – such as: what happens if South Africa returns to a hard lockdown because of COVID-19 and movement is restricted?



They created hindcast data models for four time periods to compare predictions to actual results and presented them to business leads, who determined the hindcasts accurately stayed within the upper and lower thresholds of the actual numbers.



Because of the forecasting model, the leads now use predictive and prescriptive insights to more properly staff employees in branches and call centres to better serve customers.



Tootla’s team also had another objective: to analyse the high churn rate in his group’s short-term insurance book. The previous report already utilised descriptive analytics models, but these only offered insights as to why a customer had cancelled insurance in the past. They didn’t indicate what might happen in the future.



Valli and Tootla built a binary classification model using the automated machine learning (AutoML) feature in Power BI, which quickly yielded value in affecting the bank’s bottom line.



Using the churn model, 88,000 customers were evaluated—40,000 active and 48,000 previously cancelled. The churn model predicted the risk of losing approximately 8,000 active customers and broke down the 8,000 customers by segment, policy persistency, age, province, and income, so the insurance group could target them when running retention campaigns.



“We were highly impressed with the fast turnaround time with which the Power BI AutoML led to outputs,” says Tootla. “A data scientist would come in and might not produce a report for months. We produced the first binary classification model within three weeks.”



Uniting datasets and adding value



Valli and Tootla agree that the project is still in its infancy. Tootla envisions expanding the forecasting and churn models to the full Standard Bank insurance product line. Beyond that, he foresees uniting the sales, cancellations, and retentions datasets.



“We’d like to bring in customer demographic information and build an all-in-one dataset model we can use as an input into our customer lifetime value model,” he says.



The collaboration and outcomes have altered how Valli contemplates data by assessing any new features broadly and contemplating how they can add value to any business unit his team supports. He says AI analytics is about helping the bank extract value and demonstrating the robust capabilities of the Power BI tools.



“This is only the start. We&#8217;re going to be doing a lot more going forward and we’re all really excited about that,” says Valli.



To find out what value Power BI can add to your business, visit <a href="https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/">https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/</a>.

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Standard Bank shows ‘it can be’ by using AI and analytics to improve customer service

The world’s second-largest brewer is using sports and entertainment to connect with young African consumers as investment and volume growth skyrocket.&nbsp; 



Tiger, the leading international premium brand in Asia, has become the fastest-growing beer brand in Africa’s largest economy, almost doubling sales volume last year. Tiger is one of the brands helping Heineken, the world’s second-largest beer maker, penetrate the most populous country on the African continent, which has about 200 million people, most of whom are under 30 years of age.



‘‘Tiger continued its successful roll-out in Nigeria, making it the third biggest Tiger market globally and the biggest outside the Asia Pacific region,&#8221; Roland Pirmez, President Africa, Middle East, and Europe, said. Driven by the increasing adoption of Tiger, the volume of the company’s premium brands jumped 30% in Nigeria, supported by strong growth in Heineken and the successful launch of the Desperados brand in the country.&nbsp;



An increase in digital penetration in Nigeria due to faster internet speeds and smartphone usage is helping boost the sales of Tiger and other Heineken brands in the West African nation. Heineken’s digital business drive accounted for 75% of net revenues in 2021.&nbsp;



Sales on the company’s digital platform worldwide grew by 130% in 2021 to 2.8 billion euros and are on track to hit 10 billion euros in 2025, it said in a statement. The platform is now operational in 30 markets including Brazil, Italy, France, Cambodia, and Egypt as well as in Nigeria where it helped drive sales.&nbsp;



While Nigeria and other African countries may have lower disposable income relative to others, they represent a sizable population that is growing fast, making them a big opportunity for beer in the long term.



‘’The Nigerian beer market remains attractive given its high growth potential and an improving macroeconomic environment,’’ Pirmez said.&nbsp;



It is not only in Nigeria that the Heineken brand is seeing a surge in sales. Across the continent, sales have rebounded strongly from the pandemic induced slowdown in 2020 “stronger and faster than predicted.” Nigeria recovered strongly from its worst recession in four decades, with the economy growing by 4% driven by a rebound in consumer demand and the non-oil sector in Africa’s largest economy just like many African economies did after the 2020 slowdown.&nbsp;



“Overall 2021 saw total volume exceeding 2019 levels driven by the performance in many markets across the region, especially Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo’’, Pirmez said. International and local premium brands witnessed strong performances in Nigeria, South Africa, Russia, Ivory Coast, and Rwanda, Heineken said.&nbsp;



This is why Heineken is pouring more investment into the continent, an indication of its growing confidence that Africa represents the next growth frontier. The average age on the continent is below 25 years, and the average beer per capita consumption is just around 22 litres, compared with an average of around 78 litres in developing markets. That gives a lot of headroom for expansion capacity, which Heineken is already doing.&nbsp;



Nigeria benefited from the 1.8 billion euros spent on expanding capacity in five countries in 2021, including Brazil, Vietnam, Italy, and Australia. Heineken commissioned the first solar photovoltaic plant to power the Ibadan Brewery plant in Nigeria, which will supply about 800 MWh to the brewery annually, reducing its carbon footprint on the continent by 10,000 tonnes.&nbsp;



The beer maker is also investing in other parts of the continent to take advantage of the growing population, investing over $250 million into the continent in 2021. It unveiled a $100 million brewery in Mozambique, an $11 million brewery in Congo, and a $119.5 million factory near Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. And the Dutch brewer is using pop culture, driven by music, film, social media and sports, to enlist a generation not afraid to be authentic.



Other global players are also seeing potential on the continent as it rebounds from the pandemic. Google, which opened its first artificial intelligence center in Ghana in 2019, has pledged to invest at least $1 billion over the next few years. Microsoft is also investing in Africa with the Microsoft Africa Development Center (ADC) and the Microsoft Africa Research Institute (MARI) in Nairobi, Kenya. The ADC is planning to invest $100 million in new tech within the first five years, while MARI uses AI cloud tech to improve productivity.



Facebook is investing heavily in infrastructure to help more people connect to the internet and is seeking to do this by investing in 2Africa, an undersea cable system set to be the largest in the world.



‘‘There’s never been a better time for brands to align their interests with those of young Africans’, says Tunji Adegbite, whose company, Naspire, provides business research for brands on the continent. ‘‘Yes, they want to drink beer and have fun, but they’re also passionate about sports, music, and fashion as well as film and arts. Only the brands who demonstrate they care about these things will win today and in the future”. And that’s what Heineken has done with Tiger, Radler, and Desperados.



Uniquely, sports has been one of the most successful strategies that Heineken has adopted to drive sales and market penetration in Africa by connecting with lovers of football on the continent. Almost 20 years since it began by sponsoring the popular European soccer tournament, the Champions League, Heineken executed, this year, the most elaborate Champions League trophy tour on the continent, with visits to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Ethiopia, and Nigeria. Fans from Rwanda and Congo Brazzaville also attended the tour in Nigeria and DRC respectively.



The tour was headlined by Clarence Seedorf, the first and only player to have won the UCL with three different clubs — Ajax, Real Madrid and AC Milan; who was joined by African legends Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha, Taribo West, Davido, Daniel Amokachi, and others.



With an estimated 60% of Africa’s population under 25 and the youth population expected to be twice the population of Europe by 2100, sports and entertainment have become a great platform to connect on the continent. Burna Boy, the Grammy winner and multiple nominee is an ambassador for Heineken’s brand Star Lager Beer, while football legends like Okocha and Amokachi are regular advocates. The company sponsors fashion shows and festivals and holds the record for the longest-running music concerts on the continent.&nbsp;



‘‘When you look at the history of brands like Heineken in Africa, the reason they connect so well locally is because they understand and speak the language. They know what the people want and they meet that need; in the process, they build cultural significance and have an impact beyond their actual business. It’s a concept all African entrants need to understand if they want to win here.’’



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/IMAGE-1-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-417457" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/IMAGE-1-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/IMAGE-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/IMAGE-1-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/IMAGE-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/IMAGE-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/IMAGE-1-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /></figure>



Meanwhile, the African continent is known for its passion and drive for the game of football. An estimated 400 million Africans tune in to watch European football matches weekly, especially those featuring the most followed teams on the continent – Real Madrid, Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Barcelona. The growth and success of football professionals from the continent such as Senegal’s Sadio Mane, Egypt’s Mo Salah and Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez have further fuelled this interest and passion for European football. On Champions league football game nights, streets and bars are filled with cheers at every strike of a goal.



It was, therefore, no surprise that UEFA and Heineken embarked on the biggest tour of the UCL trophy in Africa &#8211; The first tour of the trophy since the global COVID-19 pandemic. Getting close to and experiencing the much-coveted UCL trophy is indeed an exciting opportunity for many African football fans.&nbsp;



With the presence of Dutch and AC Milan football legend, the UEFA Champions League trophy toured the cities of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Maputo in Mozambique, Addis Ababa in Ethiopia and Lagos and Abuja in Nigeria. Fans from Congo Brazaville and Rwanda were also taken on an experience of the tour in DRC and Nigeria respectively. Clarence Seedorf. With the tour coinciding with the quarter-finals stage of the 2021/2022 Champions League season, football matches featuring the likes of Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Bayern Munich further heightened the trophy tour excitement.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/IMAGE-2-820x547.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-417458" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/IMAGE-2-820x547.jpeg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/IMAGE-2-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/IMAGE-2-135x90.jpeg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/IMAGE-2-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/IMAGE-2-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/IMAGE-2.jpeg 1620w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /></figure>



Heineken is the world’s most international beer, sold in up to 192 countries. The brand has been a sponsor of the UEFA Champions League since 2005, providing an opportunity for soccer fans to enjoy exceptional football and merry with the best beer brand.



Seating with a bottle of Heineken beer while watching a champion league match is a common sight in various football viewing centres across Africa, so much so that the brand is called the Champions league beer. It is also a warm feeling to see football fans involved in debates after a champions league match has ended over some bottles of Heineken beer.



For UEFA, wooing fans across the world has become even more important given the threat of losing relevance as portrayed in the case of the ‘Super League’. In 2021, 12 top European clubs &#8212; including Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter Milan &#8212; attempted a breakaway European &#8220;Super League&#8221; to court their loyal fans with the promise of top quality football. The move caused a massive outrage from fans, players, club managers and influential personalities like British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron and ex-footballer David Beckham criticizing the idea. Heineken offered its support for UEFA and the UEFA Champions League with a witty social post – “Don’t Drink and Start A League”, which went viral and further sent fans into a frenzy.&nbsp;



The African continent is one of the most populous regions in the world, with over 1.3 billion people as of 2018, which accounts for about 16% of the world’s human population. The African continent is seen as a potential market for the competition to grow and for the beer brand.



Football is the most popular sport in Africa with an estimated 400 million Africans regularly tuning in to watch the UEFA Champions League every season.



Considering the population of the continent, drive, and passion for sport, UEFA and Heineken hence, partnered to take the prestigious UEFA Champions League trophy on a tour of Africa with the objective of inspiring a new generation of African football fans and an appreciation of their love for UEFA Champions League and Heineken.



The tour also sought to build a stronger affinity for Heineken with consumers across Africa, bringing the UEFA experience closer to the African community.



Above all, Heineken has used this tour as a medium to celebrate the passion of African football fans.

TIGER BEER IMAGE

Heineken’s Leading Beer Brand in Asia Now Fastest-Selling in Nigeria

Sub-Saharan Africa has the potential to generate inclusive growth and eradicate poverty, according to the latest World Bank overview of the continent’s economic prospects.1



“Sub-Saharan Africa, home to more than&nbsp;1 billion people, half of whom will be under 25 years old by 2050, is a diverse continent offering human and natural resources that have the potential to yield inclusive growth and eradicate poverty in the region. With the world’s largest free trade area and a market of 1.2 billion consumers, the continent is creating an entirely new development path, harnessing the potential of its resources and people,” the World Bank says.



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However, between the recognition of this potential and its realisation – the day when all Africans are freed from poverty – an enormous amount of work remains to be done. As the continent marks Africa Day today, it is useful to consider what is required.



A 2021 Economic Development in Africa Report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) states that one condition for achieving inclusive growth in Africa is that workers must acquire better skills to respond to evolving labour market demands.2



It says inclusive development relies on the capacity of social, economic and political systems to provide the circumstances for well-being on a sustainable, long-term basis.



“Therefore, inclusive development should be measured along the interconnected dimensions of human, social and economic development and environmental considerations,” the report says.



In addition, inclusive growth requires higher rates of female participation, yet women remain marginalised in the labour market in Africa.



The private sector has a major role to play in enabling inclusive growth. It is both the engine of economic development and dependent on a flourishing continent for its own success.



At Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA), our aim is to create greater shared opportunity for the business and the communities we serve across the value-chain, and our social and community ambitions address some of the most immediate needs in Africa.



We believe in creating inclusive growth opportunities for communities, with our focus on women and youth. More relevant in Africa than any other continent, women are integral to our continent’s shared success and are often the decision drivers behind consumer spending trends.



We seek to empower women both in the workplace and through community programmes throughout our markets on the continent.



We support female entrepreneurs to thrive through the provision of financial support, mentoring and training.



An example is the Entoto women empowerment programme in Ethiopia, which was launched in 2020. It has enabled more than 260 women to earn higher incomes by collecting and selling used plastic bottles and distributing The Coca-Cola Company’s products – and in turn also aided our environmental initiatives in relation to recycling.



As we see significant growth potential in Ethiopia, we established nine new intensive training centres to increase the amount of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) collected, resulting in more than 400 women having received intensive training on PET reuse and recycling.



In addition, we also embarked on a market development programme which empowered over 800 women business owners through the provision of coolers to sell more products and expand their businesses.



On the youth front, empowering young people and enabling their inclusion in the economy is critical if we are to achieve our vision of making Africa a better place for all.



We empowered over 15&nbsp;000 youth in 2021 across various of our markets to help make them active participants in the economy.



In South Africa, as an example, we established an enterprise development initiative in 2015, known as Bizniz-in-a-Box, to make a sustainable impact on youth unemployment by creating an ecosystem of viable micro-businesses offering complementary products and services in township communities.



Using the spaza shop as the anchor, each business operates out of a custom-designed container, covering various core needs of the local community. The programme offers young entrepreneurs an opportunity to learn business skills to enable them to grow and run their own business.



We have trained over 720 young entrepreneurs and rolled out over 220 Bizniz-in-a-Box outlets since the inception of the programme, of which 47% are female owned businesses.



Communities where we operate benefit by gaining access to more and/or better resources, which over time enable them to become more self-sufficient and sustainable.



Many members of these communities get employment opportunities they would otherwise not have, and some go on to start their own sustainable businesses through our enterprise development initiatives.



We understand the importance of nurturing from the grass roots level up and in Ethiopia, near one of our factories, we built a fully operational public school that accommodates up to 1,000 students. We built a similar school facility in Bahrdar community in 2019, and we are on track to complete our third school, which is located near our Ambo plant, for the local community.



Creating shared value is mutually beneficial to CCBA, as these individuals ultimately become CCBA consumers, with a real sense of Coca-Cola brand loyalty given the impact CCBA has had on their personal lives.



We continue to work with our supply chain to improve sustainable and ethical local sourcing practices, including a continued commitment to protect human rights.



As at the end of 2020, our local sourcing was at 83%, exceeding the global Coca-Cola target to source locally, 80% of the raw materials usually imported by 2022. This translates into increased opportunity for African suppliers, entrepreneurs and industrialists, helping to develop local economies, diversify goods made in Africa and support inclusive growth.



We continue to support our suppliers to upskill and improve the quality of materials to meet our high standards.



An example is in Ghana, where we sourced 100% of raw materials locally by 2020. Initially local suppliers didn’t have the necessary technical equipment and expertise to produce preforms, closures and labels according to our specifications and high standards.



We proactively supported local suppliers with technical skills and contractual off-take agreements which enabled them to purchase the required machinery to improve their standards.



With increased local sourcing, we saved costs on shipping, customs, clearing and inventory management, driving bottom line profitability – illustrating how economic inclusion can be beneficial to both businesses and local economies.



Another example is in South Africa, where we sourced 98% locally, including sugar.



Increasingly as the African Continental Free Trade Area takes effect, opportunities will open up for local manufacturers to produce higher-value goods and the development of intra-continental value chains that spur inclusive growth.



Companies like CCBA will play a significant part in empowering entrepreneurs, workers and communities to take full advantage of these opportunities.



<ol class="wp-block-list" type="1"><li><a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/overview#1">https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/overview#1</a></li><li><a href="https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/aldcafrica2021_en.pdf">https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/aldcafrica2021_en.pdf</a></li></ol>

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Africa Day should spur action to end poverty and empower the continent to reach its full potential

LAGOS, NIGERIA – MAY 5, 2022: Access Holdings Plc; trading as Access Corporation (&#8220;the Corporation&#8221;) announced today its start of operations, with initial portfolio companies and its future strategy. The Corporation, which builds on Access Bank&#8217;s scale and ethical standards, will have portfolio companies with significant complementarities, allowing the ecosystem to walk with customers across their life cycle while delivering value to stakeholders.



Herbert Wigwe the Group CEO of Access Corporation, speaking on its debut said: &#8220;Many of you would have heard us talk about Access Corporation earlier this year. This natural evolution of our company will ensure that we continue to use digital tools and our partnership with Fintechs to support our customers&#8217; lifestyles outside of the banking system. We have set our sights on and delivered ambitious plans to transform the African financial services sector over the last 20 years. Until now, we have concentrated on banking, with the goal of becoming the World&#8217;s Most Respected African Bank. Our banking subsidiary is now Nigeria&#8217;s largest bank by assets and Africa&#8217;s largest in terms of customer base. It is now time for us to take the next transformative step, where we provide our customers with beyond banking services delivering new interconnected financial services across customers’ needs.&#8221;



The Corporation will comprise verticals cutting across banking, payments, consumer lending, insurance brokerage and asset management. Access Bank Group will continue to operate in Nigeria and through its subsidiaries and business offices in Africa, Europe, and Asia. These businesses, when combined, will position Access Corporation to provide banking services, including intra-and inter-Africa trade, consumer lending, payments services, and insurance services to our customers, thereby improving wealth diversification and preservation.



Looking ahead five years, Access Corporation will be a leading financial and ecosystem player, with services spanning B2B and B2C marketplaces, B2B services, health, housing, digital, mobility content, mobility, core banking offerings, and other financial services such as insurance and wealth management.



Wigwe concludes, &#8220;We recognize and embrace the change that is currently happening and, as we have previously demonstrated, we will lead. Access Corporation will be a driving force in the ongoing digital revolution to the benefit of our stakeholders. This transition will allow us to offer more career development opportunities across portfolio companies for our employees, allowing us to attract and retain the best talent in an increasingly global marketplace. We will unlock more value for our customers by focusing on distinct business opportunities with high growth rates globally, such as payments and consumer lending, <s></s>

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ACCESS CORPORATION UNLOCKING NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTRA- AND INTER- AFRICA TRADE – HERBERT WIGWE

Africa is a continent that is bearing the brunt of the devastating impact of climate change, yet it has contributed the least to global emissions. The low carbon output reflects Africa’s crippling energy deficit which has stymied industrialisation and economic development.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="600" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/CNBC-article-2-_800x600.png" alt="" class="wp-image-417164" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/CNBC-article-2-_800x600.png 800w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/CNBC-article-2-_800x600-300x225.png 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/CNBC-article-2-_800x600-120x90.png 120w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/CNBC-article-2-_800x600-768x576.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption>Enlit Africa</figcaption></figure>



A new report from the Africa Finance Corporation sets out the continent’s stance of balancing the need for emissions reduction with critical development imperatives as Africa starts to look to net-zero.



<a href="https://www.enlit-africa.com/">Enlit Africa (the unifying brand for African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa) invites you to join the conversation 7-9 June 2022 in Cape Town, South Africa</a><a href="https://www.enlit-africa.com/welcome">.</a> <a href="https://www.enlit-africa.com/the-event/attend">REGISTER TODAY</a>. 



“While renewable sources are the ultimate goal, Africa must also exploit its abundant reserves of natural gas as an essential transitional source of energy to support industrialisation – a position backed by the European Commission’s recent decision to classify natural gas as a form of green energy and a vital transition fuel in the path towards decarbonisation,” says the report.



A role for gas?



This is a position supported by <a href="https://www.enlit-africa.com/welcome">Enlit Africa 2022</a> (formerly African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa), and one that will receive coverage at the event as delegates explore the topic of gas masterplans and the role of gas across the energy transition. <a href="https://www.enlit-africa.com/the-event/Learn/speakers">Speakers</a> sharing their thoughts on the role of gas include Thabang Audat, Chief Director: Planning, from the South African Department of Mineral Resources and Electricity. He is supported by Craig Morkel, Gas Economy Leadership Group Chairperson for the SA Oil and Gas Alliance, Hasnayn Ebrahim, MD, Africa Infrastructure Advisors and Maggy Shino, Petroleum Commissioner, Namibian Department of Minerals and Energy.



But the development of gas markets is not limited to that of natural gas only – but includes the possibilities to be explored through the development of a hydrogen market – not only as a source of primary energy, but also as a commodity for an export market.



Alternative fuels



This will form the basis of discussions at Enlit Africa around the development of a hydrogen market in Africa, plans to commercialise hydrogen and what the considerations are when it comes to pricing hydrogen.&nbsp; Joining this conversation are Siggi Huegemann, Chairman, African Hydrogen Partnership; Hendrik Louw, CEO, Northern Cape Economic Development, Trade and Investment Promotion Agency, and representative from the Department of Science and Innovation, South Africa



Attendees and exhibitors at Enlit Africa represent the leading suppliers, experts and energy professionals from Africa and around the world, offering an opportunity to network and engage with utilities, municipalities, OEMs, government, regulators, EPC, developers, financiers and the entire energy ecosystem. <a href="https://www.enlit-africa.com/the-event/attend">Register today.</a>



The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction estimates that the cost of structural damage caused by natural disasters in Africa will climb to $145bn a year by 2030. The continent thus needs strong and resulting buildings to rebuild ocean and river defences and infrastructure in transport, construction of electricity grids and off-grid energy. This will in turn help develop sustainable mining and the circular economy that could drive growth and job creation.



The focus of the Energy Storage and Alternative Solutions sessions during Enlit Africa will focus on how alternative energy source such as renewable energies, are providing certainty and energy security to mines and other large industrial concerns, not only in the case of loadshedding, but also in response to the effects of climate change. However, the conversation will also focus on opportunities to utilise renewable energy to bring electricity to clinics and communities and how collaboration between mines and the communities surrounding them can be beneficial for all.



Innovation



In order to effect change, Africa-based institutions like the IFC need access to essential climate funds through financial innovation to support resilient building and investment in localised mass-scale manufacturing and processing. The IFC’s Green City Action Plan is one such initiative. Speaking at Enlit Africa,&nbsp; representatives from the IFC will share how, by working with the City of Ekhuruleni, they have developed a Green City Action Plan that sets out actions that can help CoE meet its climate mitigation and sustainability targets. The Green City Action Plan leverages a new IFC platform, APEX, which is supported by the APEX Online Application Tool that helps quantify and prioritise policy and investment solutions across four key sectors: energy, transport, water, and waste.



Innovative finance mechanisms and unpacking the reality of the just energy transition for Africa are topics of discussion at Enlit Africa. <a href="https://www.enlit-africa.com/the-event/attend">Register today</a>. 



Information about the programme, speaker line up, networking, roundtable and site visit opportunities can be found by visiting <a href="https://www.enlit-africa.com/programme">https://www.enlit-africa.com/programme</a>.



Back at the CTICC <a href="https://www.enlit-africa.com/welcome">Enlit Africa 2022</a> will return to the CTICC in Cape Town with a world-class exhibition, showcasing the latest technology and services on offer in the sector. Known for its compelling content and speakers, the organisers will not disappoint, with two keynotes and most of the content presented in speaking hubs on the expo floor. Conference delegates will also be able to enjoy the networking and site visits that the event has popularised for over two decades. Strict health and safety COVID-19 protocols will be observed. Industry support Eskom, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy and the City of Cape Town have been official hosting partners of the event for many years and 2022 will be no exception. <a href="https://www.esi-africa.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESI Africa</a>, the continent’s leading news provider for power and energy news, is the official host publication.



<a href="https://www.enlit-africa.com/welcome">Enlit Africa (formerly African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa)</a> is Africa’s leading exhibition and conference, gathering the power and energy industry’s most influential professionals and decision makers from across the continent for three days of relevant, accredited technical and strategic conference seminars, valuable networking opportunities and access to world-class products and solutions.



Enlit Africa is organised by&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wearevuka.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Vuka Group&nbsp;</a>(formerly&nbsp;<a href="http://www.clarioneventsafrica.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Clarion Events Africa</a>), a leading Cape Town-based and multi-award-winning organiser of exhibitions, conferences and digital events across the continent in the infrastructure, energy, mining, mobility, ecommerce and CX sectors. Other well-known events by The Vuka Group include&nbsp;<a href="http://www.drcminingweek.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DRC Mining Week</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.africaminingforum.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Africa Mining Forum</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nigeriaminingweek.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nigeria Mining Week</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://generationehq.com/smarter-mobility-africa/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Smarter Mobility Africa</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://ecommerce-africa.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ECOM</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://cemafricasummit.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CEM Africa</a>.



<a href="https://www.enlit-africa.com/">Enlit Africa (the unifying brand for African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa) invites you to join the conversation 7-9 June 2022 in Cape Town, South Africa</a><a href="https://www.enlit-africa.com/welcome">.</a> <a href="https://www.enlit-africa.com/the-event/attend">Register today</a>.

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The role of gas in Africa’s energy sector is just one of the strategic angles being pursued at Enlit Africa

Biased cultural norms, limited technology access, and biased teaching and learning materials perpetuate the STEM education imbalance between boys and girls.



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Ensuring that girls receive a quality education is the most powerful investment we can make in our collective future. Educated women are more likely to marry at a later age, have fewer children, earn higher incomes and build better lives for themselves and their families. The World Bank has even said that without improvements in gender equality, <a href="https://blogs.worldbank.org/nasikiliza/how-empowering-women-can-help-end-poverty-africa">we will not reduce poverty</a> in Africa.



Addressing the under-representation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses is a central part of improving girls&#8217; education in Africa. The choice could not be more clear: if Africa does not make significant progress in getting more girls in the sciences, its progress towards sustainable development will be compromised.



However, in many countries across the continent, <a href="https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/sites/teacheng/files/2022-04/Girls%27%20education%20and%20empowerment.pdf">social norms and traditions prevent</a> girls from pursuing educational opportunities. In Sudan, for instance, many families with children see girls’ priority as domestic chores over schoolwork. Evidence shows that African girls who spend 28 hours per week on household duties and caregiving attend school 25% less than those with just 10 hours of weekly domestic chores. In a continent where girls are far more often pressured to work in the home than boys are, it results in major gender disparities in learning.



Some will argue that technology could be the solution, providing digital access to learning that girls might not otherwise have. However, gender norms already limit girls’ access to technology, and have had a disproportionate<a href="https://www.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/sub-saharan_africa_education_series_21_july_r.pdf"> impact on their learning opportunities during the Covid-19 lockdowns</a>.



In Ethiopia, parents are more likely to deny girls access to mobile phones as they want to protect them from<a href="https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/sites/teacheng/files/2022-04/Girls%27%20education%20and%20empowerment.pdf"> exposure to unsafe content</a>. One <a href="https://www.girlsandmobile.org/">study</a> found that for boys, cost is the biggest barrier to mobile phone access, while for girls, social norms are the main constraint; a large majority of boys do not have to seek permission to use technology while nearly half of girls do.



Globally, the<a href="https://www.girlsandmobile.org/"> disparity between boys and girls</a> is so great that boys are 50% more likely to own a mobile phone than girls and more than half of girls have to borrow a mobile phone if they want access, compared with only 28% of boys.



There is also significant disparity in how girls and boys are treated in the classroom itself, especially in STEM subjects. Teachers often demonstrate the same gender biases as parents, sub-consciously encouraging boys ahead of girls by calling on them first or more often to answer science-related questions. Teaching materials and textbook examples further deepen the divide with more references to boys and male success than that of women and girls.



Data from the OECD reveals a strong correlation between 15-year-old boys&#8217; self-confidence in STEM subjects and their higher performance versus girls’. Yet boys&#8217; brains are no more effective at STEM problem-solving than girls&#8217;, and there are<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29484644/"> negligible gender differences in children’s maths skills</a>. What evidence does show, however, is that girls&#8217; self-perception, due to community pressures and biases, are the primary reason for girls succeeding less in many countries in STEM studies and careers.



The most immediate way to nurture their confidence in the sciences is to increase girls’ exposure to high-quality, inclusive science instruction in schools. Girls’ familiarity with STEM is a key part of building their self-confidence in it.



That’s why the British Council is tackling some of these issues in a drive to increase and sustain access, interest, participation and performance of girls in these subjects at all levels:



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Making Coding Fun for Girls After-school coding clubs #LearningToCode are being piloted in Kenya and South Africa to give girls exposure and access to technology and build their confidence through fun activities in a creative and safe environment.</li><li>Training Teachers on Gender Inclusion Through teacher training across many African countries, in conjunction with ministries of education and teacher training colleges, we are skilling-up teachers to be more gender inclusive in the classroom and making them aware of biases and how they can affect girls.</li></ul>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Digital Skills in the Classroom We work with the Wikimedia Foundation in Ghana on our Skills for Success programme which is focused on building teacher training colleges capacity to skill-up teachers in digital technology so they can bring that to the kids in their classrooms. This is particularly important for girls who are less likely to get exposure to technology at home.</li><li>School Leadership Training We work with school leaders across Africa to teach more inclusive styles of school management, promoting reflective learning.</li></ul>



These are just some examples of the systems changes that can be achieved. We encourage aid agencies, ministries of education and other partners to consider the wide-reaching benefits of creating societies in which&nbsp;girls can achieve their potential in STEM.



The British Council welcomes the opportunity to co-create impactful, needs based education programmes in partnership with like-minded organisations.







Andrew Zerzan is the Deputy Regional Director and Director of Education, Arts &amp; Civil Society for British Council in Sub Saharan Africa.



Andrew is an international programme leader, passionate about finding solutions to complex social and cultural challenges. He has more than 15 years’ experience in international programme strategy, partnership development and project management.



Andrew joined the Council in 2014 and has held several roles including, Global Director of Education, Global Head of Business Delivery, and Director of Risk and Security.



Prior to joining British Council, Andrew worked with several organisations including the World Bank, Gates Foundation and Reed Elsevier plc. In 2004 he launched a start-up education business, pioneering a high-tech approach to learning and connecting people from different cultures and geographies.



Andrew was commended by the City of London for innovative risk management in the Risk Management Awards of 2014.



Andrew has experience of living and working in Europe, Africa and Asia, and is currently based in Nairobi with his family and dog. Andrew has weathered the pandemic appreciating the ingenuity of African youth to thrive regardless of the challenges they face.

Ghana_00693_British Council

Closing the gender gap in African STEM education

Anglo American&nbsp;plc (“Anglo American”) today unveils a prototype of the world’s largest hydrogen-powered mine haul truck designed to operate in everyday mining conditions at its Mogalakwena PGMs mine in Limpopo, South Africa.



The 2MW hydrogen-battery hybrid truck, generating more power than its diesel predecessor and capable of carrying a 290-tonne payload, is part of Anglo American’s nuGen™ Zero Emission Haulage Solution (ZEHS). nuGen™ provides an end-to-end integrated green hydrogen production, fuelling and haulage system, with green hydrogen to be produced at the mine site.



nuGen™ is part of Anglo American’s&nbsp;innovation-led approach to sustainable mining – FutureSmart Mining™ – which brings together technology and digitalisation to drive targeted sustainability outcomes, including our commitment to carbon-neutrality across our operations by 2040.



Duncan Wanblad, Chief Executive of Anglo American, said: “nuGen™ is a tangible demonstration of our FutureSmart Mining™ programme changing the future of our industry. With diesel emissions from our haul truck fleet accounting for c.10-15% of our total Scope 1 emissions, this is a vital step on our pathway to carbon neutral operations by 2040. The mining industry is playing a considerable role in helping the world decarbonise, both through our own emissions footprint and the metals and minerals that we produce that are critical to low carbon energy and transport systems.



“Over the next several years, we envisage hundreds of our diesel-powered trucks being converted or replaced with this zero-emission haulage system, fuelled with green hydrogen. If this pilot is successful, we could remove up to 80% of diesel emissions at our open pit mines by rolling this technology across our global fleet.”&nbsp;



Tony O’Neill,&nbsp;Technical Director&nbsp;of Anglo American,&nbsp;commented: “We&nbsp;are incredibly proud of what our entire team, working with expert partners, has achieved in under three years.&nbsp;This is truly a world-class innovation and bears testament to our technical vision and determination to deliver a cleaner and smarter future for mining.



“It is these game-changing innovations that are exactly why we began our FutureSmart Mining™ journey in 2014, knowing how much of a difference we can make, including in the energy transition and across our societal footprint. Innovative, clean and independent power systems, such as our nuGen™ ZEHS project, offer a significant part of the emissions solution.”

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