The Coronavirus pandemic has influenced us in a more global way than the Cold War, affecting the environment, industry, finance, healthcare, leisure and almost every other human endeavour.



Some of the areas of influence are clear and obvious. For example, the acceleration of digital transformation, which changes how organisations operate and provide value to their customers. There is also an increased demand for cloud computing, which provides most of the foundations, tools and infrastructure to fuel the digital transformation. Some world leaders in the cyber security space, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/06/covid-19-pandemic-teaches-us-about-cybersecurity-cyberattack-cyber-pandemic-risk-virus/">World Economic Forum</a>, predict that this rapid and unplanned move will result in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.checkpoint.com/cybersecurity-protect-from-cyber-pandemic/">cyber-pandemic</a>&nbsp;down the road – more on that later.



This acceleration in digital transformation and demand for cloud computing is occurring because there is no choice. Necessity is the mother of innovation, as businesses could not function normally and were forced to adapt their processes in order to survive. Some examples of this include:



<ol type="1"><li>Working from home: The Times of India calls this “<a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/international-business/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-the-cloud-computing-industry/articleshow/75697290.cms">productivity away from the desk</a>”, where employees spend months working remotely and companies made an unexpected shift to digital collaborative systems like Zoom in order to maintain productivity. Additionally, schools and universities implemented video conferencing systems to allow distance learning. Conversely, it is possible that companies are enjoying some of the benefits of remote work and will allow or even encourage more widespread and long-term remote work after the pandemic has ended.</li><li>E-commerce boom: During the lockdown, online shopping spiked, especially for food and other essential supplies. Online retailers generally use cloud-based solutions that are scalable; business can continue as normal during the demand spikes.</li><li>Healthcare: The primary concern during the Coronavirus has been medical. Remote access to doctors and medical assistance was often the difference between life and death, and we can expect this remote access trend to continue after the pandemic is behind us, albeit with less urgency. Cloud benefits like scalability and redundancy are vital to support this effectively.</li></ol>



In all these examples, business continuity during the pandemic has been dependent on cloud computing. As Paul Tacey-Green, cloud director at Amito,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.raconteur.net/technology/cloud-computing-models-covid">explains in Raconteur.net</a>: “The crisis has been a lesson in staying ahead of the curve when it comes to cloud deployment. Having the option to ramp up capacity has been the difference in being able to run your business or not.”



While IT spending in 2020 will slow significantly due to the coronavirus pandemic, software will be least impacted according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.idc.com/misc/covid19">an IDC report</a>. It is even possible that public cloud computing will benefit significantly from the long-term impact of the pandemic due to some of the trends mentioned above.



While cloud usage is accelerating, so is the demand for cloud security. Why is this the case?



The first explanation that comes to mind is the simple law of demand and supply. The growth in cloud computing means that more companies are putting more data and applications online, which&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.checkpoint.com/2020/03/30/covid-19-impact-cyber-criminals-target-zoom-domains/">attracts threat actors and cybercriminals</a>&nbsp;eager to benefit from the potential to make easy money through various cloud cybersecurity schemes.



Secondly, remote work, increased home entertainment, remote healthcare and a larger “online footprint”&nbsp; &nbsp;cause different patterns of network access and increases the potential attack surface. Is your home network safe? (In general the answer is “no” and even if “yes”, it is probably less safe than your office network.) Are you able to access business-critical applications and data from a potentially unsecured home network connection?



Finally, the rapid and unplanned quarantine and remote workforce has often resulted in security shortcuts. When faced with the dilemma of “quick and dirty” or “slow and steady”, some companies chose the quick route, intending to retrofit stronger security measures after employees started to work remotely.



Back to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.checkpoint.com/cybersecurity-protect-from-cyber-pandemic/">cyber-pandemic</a>&nbsp;discussion. One of the key stages that takes place in every attack is reconnaissance – the stage that involves looking for a weak point in security to plan an attack. Why a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.checkpoint.com/cybersecurity-protect-from-cyber-pandemic/">cyber-pandemic</a>&nbsp;is so plausible is because an unplanned or “quick and dirty” move – enabling business continuity without an integrated security strategy – would surely be a top of mind thought for any hacker at the moment. More so, these unplanned migrations create more chances of security holes and become an easy target for a hacker. And with such number of organizations making this move, the idea behind a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.checkpoint.com/cybersecurity-protect-from-cyber-pandemic/">cyber-pandemic</a>&nbsp;becomes even more real.



So how can you speed up while staying safe? Here are a few suggestions:



It is far better to plan properly,&nbsp;consult with a trusted cloud security advisor&nbsp;in order to benefit from industry best practices and&nbsp;<a href="https://pages.checkpoint.com/cloud-security-blueprint.html">architect cloud security into the design</a>.



Secondly,&nbsp;prevention is the only option for cloud security. Cloud security detection exposes organizations to risky and expensive cloud security threats which cause real danger well before the threat can be managed.



Cloud security is much more complex than traditional on-premises security because instead of one perimeter (the network link connecting your company to the internet), you now have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvVI3azDmOQ">multiple perimeters</a>, including each cloud computing service, each employee and access role accessing those services, each new data storage and each different workload or application operating in the cloud. You need to ensure that you secure your everything.



While each cloud provider has its own security services, there are thousands of 3rd-party vendors providing cloud security solutions to complement and enhance those of the cloud vendors. Each additional such “point solution” in your organization has staffing, training, deployment, integration and maintenance requirements. More point solutions cause an exponential increase in complexity. Therefore, it is strongly recommend&nbsp;to evaluate cloud security solutions that cover the broadest range of capabilities instead of multiple solutions with narrower functionalities.



While you may not have access to a crystal ball, visibility is particularly important in cloud security, because you can’t secure what you can’t see. And cloud computing can often cause multiple visibility problems.&nbsp;Broad and well-integrated cloud security solutions help you to eliminate cloud blind spots.



Organizations need to ensure that they are prepared for all possible scenarios. One of the lessons of the Coronavirus pandemic is to expect the unexpected.&nbsp;Perform regular risk management exercises&nbsp;for every possible and impossible cloud security solution.



Trust no one.&nbsp;Adopt&nbsp;<a href="https://www.checkpoint.com/solutions/zero-trust-security/">zero trust security</a>&nbsp;in everything that you do, for networks, people, devices, data and workloads.



In a post-pandemic world with accelerated cloud computing, a remote workforce, dynamic network access and more attack vectors for cloud threat actors, you need to ensure your business is secure in the cloud, and be ready for the potential of a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.checkpoint.com/cybersecurity-protect-from-cyber-pandemic/">cyber-pandemic</a>.



Cloud security increases cloud confidence. Cloud confidence allows your organization to adapt to the changing world and provide business value. The Pandemic will disappear. Cybersecurity clean up, following the aftermath will stay, unless you act now. Make&nbsp;<a href="https://www.checkpoint.com/solutions/cloud-security/">cloud security</a>&nbsp;your key business enabler.

CovidUpdate_social_Size 2

A Cyber Pandemic May Be Next: How secure are you in the cloud?

Through the operations of the Gautrain rapid rail link, the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) has demonstrated that the face of public transport can be radically transformed. The Gautrain is a modern and efficient public transport system which has presented many benefits to Gauteng, such as contributing to the alleviation of traffic congestion, integrating public transport, influencing transport choices and rejuvenating inner cities in Johannesburg and Tshwane. Gautrain has also created jobs, enhanced the economy and helped to re-establish the rail sector in Gauteng.



These benefits illustrate the need for rail as being the backbone of public transport in the Province and have necessitated a strong demand for the extention of the Gauteng Rapid Rail Integrated Network (GRRIN) project to connect the people of Gauteng and create a sustainable transport service for the Province.



As part of the GRRIN extensions planning the Gautrain Management Agency has completed the feasibility study on the extension. This study has been submitted to Provincial and National Treasuries and to major stakeholders that were consulted during the feasibility process of the proposed GRINN implementation scenarios.&nbsp; The feasibility study identified various links and stations. Timelines are dependent on factors like economic growth, population growth and transport demand.&nbsp; The proposed GRINN extensions will span over various areas and will be developed in multi phases over an extended period.&nbsp;



The GRRIN extensions feasibility study identified a total of 149km of rail and 19 stations for the final route.&nbsp; Herewith the proposed links and stations below:



<ul><li>A link between Marlboro and Soweto with an additional station at Sandton, as well as new stations at Randburg, Cosmo City, Little Falls, Roodepoort and Jabulani;</li><li>A link between Jabulani and Mamelodi through Cosmo City, with new stations at Fourways, Sunninghill, Olievenhoutsbosch, Irene, Tshwane East, Hazeldean, and Mamelodi;</li><li>A link between Rhodesfield and Boksburg with new stations at East Rand Mall and Boksburg; and</li><li>A link between Cosmo City and Lanseria Airport with new stations at Cradle and Lanseria.</li></ul>



As part of the project preparatory work all of the proposed routes will be subjected to the Route Determination process as prescribed by the Gauteng Transport Infrastructure Amendment Act, 2003. This process includes public participation at the appropriate time. In this regard, detailed information will be made available through the GMA website, the media, and Government Gazettes.



The feasibility study also provided various benefits such as significant economic benefits through job creation and investment.&nbsp; It is estimated that Phase 1(Marlboro to Little Falls through Sandton, Randburg, Cosmo City) of the GRINN extension will &nbsp;&nbsp;create close to 29,000 jobs during construction and an additional 7,729 long-term jobs during start of its operations. The GRINN Phase 1’s project is also expected to invest approximately R388 million skills development during the construction phase and a further R29 million during operations of the phase. &nbsp;Phase 1 economic benefits arising from the construction and operation of GRRIN is estimated at total present value of R33 billion.



Currently the GRINN extension’s Phase 1 has been submitted to National Treasury for Treasury Approval 1 (TA1) that will enable the commencement of procurement. This phase was also submitted to the Presidency&#8217;s Investment and Infrastructure Office for consideration.



Other major benefits of GRINN is the provision of; an upgraded-integrated transport network, and integrated city region resulting from the linking of the existing road-based public transport and rail systems and provision of access and connection to opportunities for people by connecting several townships to the centre of Gauteng and wider regions.



Compared to road transport, rail provides lower carbon transport solutions therefore the GRINN project will promote a greener Gauteng by providing environmental benefits and a good quality public transport which will reduce road-based transport thus reducing traffic congestion and carbon footprint.



Demand modelling was also done to determine transport needs for Gauteng in 2025 and 2037. Through the modelling process, it became clear that the ‘cost of doing nothing’ in Gauteng will lead to major road congestion in 2037, at which stage cars will travel at an average of 15 kilometres an hour due to doubling of car growth.



The GRRIN extension project will give access to private sector funds locally and internationally as well as opportunities for innovation and world-best-practice during design, construction, operations and maintenance.



Follow us on:



Twitter &#8211; @TheGautrain



Facebook –&nbsp;www.facebook.com/gautrain



Website –&nbsp;www.gma.gautrain.co.za



Call Centre – 0800 42887246



SMS alert line – 32693

Gautrain Train Airport Station

EXPANSION OF GAUTENG RAPID RAIL INTEGRATED NETWORK TO CONNECT MORE PEOPLE AND PLACES

International advocacy organization<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/" target="_blank"> Global Citizen</a> and the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://nsia.com.ng/" target="_blank">Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority</a> (NSIA) have partnered to create the Nigeria Solidarity Support Fund (NSSF), a fund for Nigerians by Nigerians to combat the devastating effects brought on the people of Nigeria by COVID-19 and its associated restrictions. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the lives of every Nigerian, healthcare systems have become overwhelmed and need critical support. The Nigeria Solidarity Support Fund has been created to support vulnerable groups, strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare systems and reskill the Nigerian youth for a post COVID-19 era.



“We all have a part to play in improving the lives of our fellow Nigerians. Now is the time that we can make a difference, whether you are a corporate or an individual there is a role for you. In order for this fund to be a success we need the whole country to get behind us and donate. This fund has been created by Nigerians, for Nigerians for the betterment of our country,” said&nbsp;Tijani Babatunde Folawiyo, Chairman Global Citizen Nigeria.



With an initial target of $50 million the NSSF hopes to raise donations from Nigerians in the country as well as in the diaspora, multilateral organisations, philanthropists, HNIs, corporates, the public sector and international businesses.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Launch-Release-Image-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-47521" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Launch-Release-Image-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Launch-Release-Image-1-scaled-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Launch-Release-Image-1-scaled-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Launch-Release-Image-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Launch-Release-Image-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Launch-Release-Image-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Grants will be awarded to fund projects that support three core objectives of NSSF. The fund will target Nigeria’s most vulnerable communities and will vary across initiatives determined by the Nigeria Solidarity Support Fund Statutory Board, who will set grant floors and ceilings.



The NSSF has set three core COVID-19 response, mitigation, recovery and resilience objectives:



<ol type="1"><li>Supporting The Most Vulnerable: Funds will be targeted at&nbsp;alleviating the challenges faced by the most vulnerable:&nbsp; those most disproportionately impacted by COVID -19, suffering from underlying health conditions; those with poor access to affordable health services, those in low-income, informal and insecure jobs or internally displaced persons; and those who are providing healthcare and other essential services.</li><li>Strengthening healthcare systems:&nbsp;Funds will help to build and upgrade existing healthcare infrastructure and provide sustainable capacity towards future response efforts and containment.</li></ol>



<ol type="1" start="3"><li>Re-skilling and re-tooling Nigerians:&nbsp;Funds will support human capital development to address the skills gap required to strengthen the nation’s labour market and meet the demands of a changing workforce in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.</li></ol>



The NSSF is subject to a three-tier governance system aimed at ensuring that all contributions to the Fund are recognised, accounted for and effectively managed, and to ensure that all disbursements are aligned with the Fund’s mandate and the impact thereof is measured and reported.



Governed by a Statutory Board made up of experienced and reputable board members the NSSF is independently administered and transparently managed through a fund management system which aims to ensure that all contributions are responsibly administered and disbursed in order to have the greatest possible impact in combating the COVID-19 pandemic and lessening its effects.



“We have an extremely experienced and highly regarded Board of Directors in place who are actively involved in the day to day running of the trust. The team have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that all the necessary governance and procedures are in place for a transparent fund and to give all donors the peace of mind that their funds are going directly to the people that need it most. We are all very proud of what we have created, and hope that all Nigerians will now support it,” commented&nbsp;Uche Orji, Manager Director and Chief Executive Officer, NSIA.



It is quick and easy to support the NSSF by pledging your support and actively making a difference, no amount is too small.



Nigerians together can make a difference and support through the following channels:



<ol type="1"><li>DONATE: Support the NSSF movement by making a donation at <a href="http://www.nigeriasolidaritysupportfund.ng/">www.nigeriasolidaritysupportfund.ng</a>. All donations will support initiatives that focus on the support of vulnerable groups, build resilient healthcare systems, and reskill the Nigerian youth.</li><li>SHARE: Spread the NSSF message across social media and WhatsApp to amplify the mission and improve the lives of many Nigerians.</li><li>PLEDGE: Become an advocate of our mission and take a pledge to support the fund.</li><li>CORPORATE SUPPORT: Corporate support is critical to the mission to change Nigerian lives, visit:<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="http://www.nigeriasolidarityfund.ng/" target="_blank"> www.nigeriasolidaritysupportfund.ng</a>.</li></ol>



The fund will initially run for eighteen months with strong plans to sustain its existence to ensure the overall objectives are met.



Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Vice Chairman, Global Citizen Nigeria&nbsp;concluded: “We are proud that as Nigerians we can rally to support the most vulnerable in our society, and we look forward to making a significant impact in combating the tragic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.”



To find out more about the Nigeria Solidarity Support Fund (NSSF), visit the website at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nigeriasolidaritysupportfund.ng/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">www.nigeriasolidaritysupportfund.ng</a>&nbsp;or follow us on Twitter at<a href="https://twitter.com/nssf_ng" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;</a><a href="https://twitter.com/nssf_ng" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@NSSF_ng</a>, Instagram at<a href="https://www.instagram.com/nssf_ng/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/nssf_ng/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@nssf_ng</a>, Facebook at<a href="https://www.facebook.com/NSSF.NG/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;</a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/NSSF.NG/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NSSF.ng</a>&nbsp;and LinkedIn at<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/nssf-ng" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;</a><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/nssf-ng" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NSSF-ng</a>.

Young African woman holding her baby, Kenya, East Africa

Global Citizen And The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority Launch The Nigeria Solidary Support Fund For Nigerians By Nigerians

By Peter Materu, Chief Programs Officer Mastercard Foundation In the wake of a global pandemic that has disrupted schooling for millions while accelerating regional trends toward digitalization and automation, reforming secondary education systems has never been more urgent. To navigate the future of work, Africa’s young people need access to training that helps them develop the skills and competencies demanded in the labour market. Yet even before the pandemic, employers reported that young people lacked requisite skills, while national and international assessments revealed persistently low levels of learning in the region, despite near universal access to primary education. Now, there are fears that school closures may set back learning even further, particularly among vulnerable students, including young women and girls, who are at risk of permanently dropping out of the system.



As we look forward to schools re-opening, we should be thinking beyond a return to the status quo. We need to make education systems accessible to more young people, and more relevant to a dynamic labour market, ensuring we are equipping young people with the skills they need to find, access, and perform, or to create, dignified work. This will be key to driving much-needed economic growth. So what can we do? Mastercard Foundation’ report, Secondary Education in Africa: Preparing Youth for the Future of Work, offers some compelling guidance. Improving secondary education on the continent is foremost about integrating work-relevant skills training. That means developing young people’s literacy and numeracy skills, problem solving, critical thinking, communication, and digital skills—such as how to make use of digital devices and communicate online. This in turn means adjusting curricula and teacher training. Reforms that infuse skills training into existing courses will help us to tackle the impact of the pandemic and other global challenges such as climate change, and enable future resilience in the face of crises.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="927" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Mastercardfdn_SEA_Uganda2-1024x927.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-47465" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Mastercardfdn_SEA_Uganda2-1024x927.jpeg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Mastercardfdn_SEA_Uganda2-300x272.jpeg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Mastercardfdn_SEA_Uganda2-600x543.jpeg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Mastercardfdn_SEA_Uganda2-768x696.jpeg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Mastercardfdn_SEA_Uganda2-1536x1391.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Mastercardfdn_SEA_Uganda2-2048x1855.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption>Students taking notes in classs as part of a Mastercard Foundation partnership with STiR Education.</figcaption></figure>



But changing how we offer secondary education to better respond to today’s labor market is not just about skills. It also means making education systems more flexible and responsive to the needs of diverse youth. Flexibility in the system can be created by providing pathways between technical and general secondary and tertiary education, and offering the millions of youth who left school early due to the need to work or care for a child, opportunities to complete their education.&nbsp; Offering accelerated programs or modular approaches to learning that are accredited and at scale are two approaches to integrating flexibility at the system level. And leveraging technology &nbsp;to these ends, through inclusive e-learning, not only increases the available options for learners but offers the possibility of reaching those who might otherwise not be able to participate in a traditional face-to-face classroom.



Ultimately, building high performing education systems is a decades long process, but it can be done. Countries around the world and in Africa have launched significant reforms with impressive results and we have learned from their examples.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1015" height="1024" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/MastercardFdn_SEA_Kenya-1015x1024.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-47463" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/MastercardFdn_SEA_Kenya-1015x1024.jpeg 1015w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/MastercardFdn_SEA_Kenya-300x303.jpeg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/MastercardFdn_SEA_Kenya-100x100.jpeg 100w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/MastercardFdn_SEA_Kenya-600x605.jpeg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/MastercardFdn_SEA_Kenya-297x300.jpeg 297w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/MastercardFdn_SEA_Kenya-150x150.jpeg 150w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/MastercardFdn_SEA_Kenya-768x775.jpeg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/MastercardFdn_SEA_Kenya-1523x1536.jpeg 1523w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/MastercardFdn_SEA_Kenya-2030x2048.jpeg 2030w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/MastercardFdn_SEA_Kenya-80x80.jpeg 80w" sizes="(max-width: 1015px) 100vw, 1015px" /><figcaption> Students during science class in Nairobi, Kenya, as part of a Mastercard Foundation partnership with Global E-Schools and Communities Initiative to improve student learning in science, math, and English.</figcaption></figure>



Research from these efforts shows that successful reform starts at the top, with demonstrated political will coupled with investment that spans years and continues across successive administrations.&nbsp; Leaders must provide a well-articulated vision for reform, and education ministries should adopt clear plans and priorities. Importantly, governments must allocate the resources needed by education systems to meet these targets.



Yet political will and clear plans with financial backing are not enough.&nbsp; Successful reform requires defined roles and responsibilities for all stakeholders in the education system—everyone from ministry officials to school district leaders, school principals and teachers.&nbsp; Yet those responsible must have incentives to change. Rewards don’t have to be monetary —they can include public recognition of improvement, promotion, or access to professional development training. Having both clear plans and the incentives to implement them helps diverse constituencies align around shared goals and become accountable for outcomes.



Rwanda in recent years has implemented significant reforms, introducing a competency-based curriculum that emphasizes using knowledge in the real world. It also trained teachers to offer an innovative entrepreneurship program in all secondary schools, helping youth to build business and financial skills. Rwanda is not alone. Across Africa, the majority of secondary school systems have introduced or plan to introduce competency-based curricula. Many are embarking on additional reforms as well and promising practices in the areas of curricula reform, teacher recruitment and training, and the introduction of flexible pathways are emerging.



As we re-think education in light of the pandemic, there is a clear need for innovation. In the last few months, we have seen that governments can drive innovation at the national level. Looking forward, Ministries of education can build on this momentum by creating an environment that fosters innovation and signaling support for new thinking at the highest levels. They can develop capacity to pilot, adapt and scale new initiatives and programs, in collaboration with the private sector and non-governmental organizations.&nbsp; Forging stronger links with the private sector can also help ensure that learning is relevant to labor market needs and scale up successful models across school systems.&nbsp;



Now is the time to invest in and commit to reform and innovation in our secondary school systems. Allowing youth to develop the skills they need for the future or work will increase their productivity, helping to drive economic growth and harness the potential benefits of a demographic dividend. The young people we educate today will solve the global challenges of tomorrow—whether that is how best to sequester carbon, develop new agricultural techniques, or create a vaccine to stop the next global pandemic.



Peter Materu is the Chief Programs Officer Mastercard Foundation.

MastercardFdn_SEA_Tanzania

Reforming secondary education systems to prepare youth for the future of work has become more urgent

MTN is adding its voice to the global drive to raise awareness about the importance of wearing masks with today’s launch of the #WearItForMe campaign across its 21 African and Middle Eastern markets.&nbsp;



To help drive this much-needed change in behaviour, MTN is committing its September 2020 marketing resources to encouraging everyone to do more to save lives. 



As our Africa and Middle East markets continue to navigate the “new normal” brought about by COVID-19, wearing masks remains one of the most effective preventative measures to slow the spread of the virus and accelerate recovery. However, many people refuse to wear them, wear them incorrectly, or still feel it is not important.



“COVID-19 has had profound health and socioeconomic impacts across the markets in which we operate. We empathise and mourn the loss of lives lost to the pandemic. With statistics revealing that infection rates are expected to reach a peak between now and September 2020 across our markets, now is not the time to be complacent,” says MTN’s incoming group president and CEO Ralph Mupita.



“With the increasing evidence indicating that masks can prevent the spread of COVID-19, and eventually eliminate the disease if worn by 80-90% of the population, we need to do whatever we can to make a meaningful difference and flatten the curve. Wearing a mask is not only about protecting oneself, but about respecting and protecting others within our communities,” says Mupita.



#WearItForMe is the next phase in MTN’s COVID-19 response under Y’ello Hope &#8211; MTN’s umbrella initiative which provides much-needed support during times of societal need.



It is a powerful call-to-action using the voice of some of the most influential figures within our communities and across the continent; our mothers, and mother-figures. The initiative will see mothers and mother-figures sending heartfelt messages to their children, and all the children of Africa, to wear their masks and &#8220;wear it for me’’ – saving lives.



MTN’s #WearItForMe campaign will build on the work already carried out under Y’ello Hope to brighten lives and limit the impact of the pandemic. During this time, MTN has prioritised looking after its people, customers, communities and networks while focusing on efficiencies to help navigate the pandemic and its effects.



Initiatives ranged from free data lifelines and zero-rated access to educational sites. In addition, utilising technological solutions for contact tracing and dissemination of information through the Africa COVID Communication &amp; Information Platform across our 21 markets. &nbsp;&nbsp;



“Wearing a mask is, of course, not all that needs to happen to slow the spread of the virus. Sanitisation, hand-washing and social-distancing are just as important and should be done in conjunction with wearing a mask,” concludes Mupita.



#WearItForMe will run throughout the month of September. Visit <a href="http://www.wearitfor.me">www.wearitfor.me</a> to send a message to someone encouraging them to do the right thing. #WearItForMe: Because when we all wear masks, we protect each other.

MTN_Ralph Mupita

MTN promotes wearing a mask in new campaign

Fortinet will host its first Africa Virtual Security Day on 16 September 2020, bringing to pan-African CEOs, CIOs and CISOs the latest updates on building a dynamic security strategy and how to securely enable digital innovation.



As more organisations accelerate their digital innovation initiatives, their evolving infrastructure exposes them to new security risks. “Organisations must cope with attack surface growth, advanced threats, and increased management complexity,” Perry Hutton Regional VP &#8211; Africa at Fortinet, says.



At the first Fortinet Africa Virtual Security Day, international experts will give customers and partners an overview of the key trends and challenges facing Africa’s CIOs, CEOs and CISOs right now. Featuring strategy-focused plenary sessions, deep dive technology tracks and channel tracks, this event will present thought leadership, the latest technology insights, and business development information.



In the plenary session, experts will cover the need for accelerated security for accelerated digitisation, security as a business enabler, and trends in AI-enabled security. The technology sessions will address developments in cloud, SD-WAN and SASE, OT, EDR, Zero Trust models and Security Operations. For channel partners and potential partners, a dedicated channel track will outline how to grow a SMB security footprint with Fortinet, building a renewal and expansion strategy, why partners should specialise, deal registration, the value of the partner portal and current promotions. The day will round off with Fortinet’s regional channel awards.



Hutton says: “By hosting this as a virtual event, Fortinet is now able to give thousands of delegates from across Africa a taste of our hugely popular Accelerate events. Our global customer and partner events are renowned for keeping attendees up to date with the latest threat trends, solutions and information security business opportunities. This virtual event will be no different, and enhanced by the fact that its virtual nature allows us to hear content from a larger number of expert international presenters.”



Of key interest to Africa’s CIOs and CISOs will be Fortinet’s progress in integrating Artificial Intelligence into cyber security to improve prevention, detection and response capabilities and address the alarming lack of cybersecurity experts. We will also focus on SD-WAN and how it’s transforming wide area networks as well as Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), an emerging framework designed to integrate networking and security. While SASE is generally classified as a cloud-delivered service, we will outline Fortinet’s approach, outlining situations where organisations may require a combination of physical and cloud-based solutions for SASE to work effectively.



For more information, and to register for this event, please go to <a href="https://secure.fortinet.com/LP=9106?utm_source=Africa%20Wire&amp;utm_medium=Press%20Release&amp;utm_campaign=Africa%20Virtual%20Security%20Day&amp;utm_term=16%20September%202020">Fortinet Africa Virtual Security Day</a>.

Perry Hutton_Fortinet Africa regional vice president_Final

Fortinet brings best of Accelerate to pan-Africa in first Africa Virtual Security Day

Born and brought up in Delhi, India, Mr Prateek Suri, founder and CEO of UAE based TV firm Maser, received a BE in mechanical engineering from BITS Pilani (Dubai campus) in 2010.



He started his career in the trading sector, supplying goods across the MENA region, an invaluable experience as he had the opportunity to research and understand customers.



Discerning a gap in the market for consumer electronics aimed at budget- and quality-conscious consumers in the Middle East and Africa markets, Mr Suri decided to start his own business.



“In 2014, I founded Maser and has succeeded in growing the company exponentially, on the basis of word-of-mouth recommendations from satisfied customers. MASER’s range of affordable LED TVs, including 4k Smart TVs, with top-notch specifications and sold through leading e-commerce platforms have proved to be extremely popular with value-conscious public sector entities and consumers in the Middle East and Africa,” he says.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="682" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/CEO-Maser-Mr.-Prateek-Suri-poses-for-a-photo-with-a-client-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-47343" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/CEO-Maser-Mr.-Prateek-Suri-poses-for-a-photo-with-a-client-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/CEO-Maser-Mr.-Prateek-Suri-poses-for-a-photo-with-a-client-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/CEO-Maser-Mr.-Prateek-Suri-poses-for-a-photo-with-a-client-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/CEO-Maser-Mr.-Prateek-Suri-poses-for-a-photo-with-a-client-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/CEO-Maser-Mr.-Prateek-Suri-poses-for-a-photo-with-a-client.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption>Mr. Prateek Suri &#8211; CEO Maser Dubai</figcaption></figure>



He steered Maser’s successful expansion to the UAE in 2019. In 2020, he was instrumental in MASER receiving funding from a UK-based private finance company for investing in a state-of-the-art, 100% export facility to boost its manufacturing capacity and meet growing customer demand.&nbsp;



Under his leadership as CEO, Maser has registered strong sales and sustained growth even in a challenging business environment. For his entrepreneurial vision and leadership, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in international business in December 2019.



His company started with a vision to provide high quality electronic products at affordable prices. The first products that were rolled out were LED TVs, distributing them into Tier 2 and 3 cities across the Middle East and Africa.&nbsp;



“Our vision has been to make them so affordable that each home could have a big-screen LED TV and enjoy their favourite channels at home. Encouraged by overwhelming positive response and feedback, we expanded our portfolio to include audio systems and air conditioners,” he explains.&nbsp;



Maser, a dynamic start-up that is driven by technological innovation and a passion to make high-quality products that are affordable and accessible to all, runs on the ambition to become a global leader in the affordable consumer electronics segment.



Currently, it has a product portfolio that spans LED televisions, display televisions for outdoor use, home theatre systems, sound bars and power banks. With strong sales and sustained growth, the company is now poised to enter an ambitious phase of expansion into the larger African market, starting with Kenya.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="700" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Mr.-Prateek-Suri-CEO-Maser-Dubai.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-47341" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Mr.-Prateek-Suri-CEO-Maser-Dubai.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Mr.-Prateek-Suri-CEO-Maser-Dubai-300x205.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Mr.-Prateek-Suri-CEO-Maser-Dubai-600x410.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Mr.-Prateek-Suri-CEO-Maser-Dubai-768x525.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption>Mr. Prateek Suri &#8211; CEO Maser Dubai</figcaption></figure>



“I got much inspiration from the response which we got after redistributing from Jebel Ali Area and re-export our products to African countries like Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and Gambia.&nbsp;



“Kenya was one of the places where customers approached us through email and direct contact and for that reason, we understood the market potential of Kenya. Later on some customers told us about the business potential of e-commerce platform Jumia,” he expounds.



After that, the firm’s approach changed and soon it intends to open up office in Kenya for e-commerce business. This project, he says, will in turn create jobs for local people in Kenya and the neighbouring countries.&nbsp;



But for the African Market, the company will retain its warehousing facilities in the Jebel Ali Free Zone for redistribution to the continent.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="682" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/CEO-Maser-Mr.-Prateek-Suri-poses-for-a-photo-with-a-client-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-47343" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/CEO-Maser-Mr.-Prateek-Suri-poses-for-a-photo-with-a-client-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/CEO-Maser-Mr.-Prateek-Suri-poses-for-a-photo-with-a-client-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/CEO-Maser-Mr.-Prateek-Suri-poses-for-a-photo-with-a-client-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/CEO-Maser-Mr.-Prateek-Suri-poses-for-a-photo-with-a-client-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/CEO-Maser-Mr.-Prateek-Suri-poses-for-a-photo-with-a-client.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption>CEO Maser Mr. Prateek Suri poses for a photo with a client</figcaption></figure>



“Maser is planning to invest USD 300 Million in LED TVs, Aircon, washing machines for sale in the Middle East, and Africa over the next 3 years. We will be bringing new products such as display TVs for outdoor use and educational TVs. We have also done trial sampling for split air conditioners for the Middle East market and Africa. Later on, depending on the size of the market we have captured, we intend to do warehousing in Kenya,” the company says in a statement.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">Maser is planning to invest USD 300 Million in LED TVs, Aircon, washing machines for sale in the Middle East, and Africa over the next 3 years. We will be bringing new products such as display TVs for outdoor use and educational TVs. We have also done trial sampling for split air conditioners for the Middle East market and Africa. Later on, depending on the size of the market we have captured, we intend to do warehousing in Kenya</blockquote>



But what is the secret to business survival especially for young entrepreneurs like Mr Suri?



“First you must know your finances. The proposed business should be scalable, which can be calculated by CMA (Credit Monitoring Arrangement) data. Before approaching an angel investor, ensure you are well versed with all the financial aspects of the business. Secondly, your business vision, strategy and the road map should be clearly articulated as an entrepreneur,” he advises.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="682" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Mr.-Prateek-Suri-CEO-Maser-Dubai-with-some-products-at-the-warehouse-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-47340" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Mr.-Prateek-Suri-CEO-Maser-Dubai-with-some-products-at-the-warehouse-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Mr.-Prateek-Suri-CEO-Maser-Dubai-with-some-products-at-the-warehouse-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Mr.-Prateek-Suri-CEO-Maser-Dubai-with-some-products-at-the-warehouse-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Mr.-Prateek-Suri-CEO-Maser-Dubai-with-some-products-at-the-warehouse-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Mr.-Prateek-Suri-CEO-Maser-Dubai-with-some-products-at-the-warehouse.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption>Mr.-Prateek-Suri-CEO-Maser Dubai with some products at the Maser warehouse 
</figcaption></figure>



He advises businesses to insert key milestones in their business plans, for scalability, since investors need confidence in a firm’s ability to deliver results.&nbsp;



“If you don’t identify measurable goals, how can they trust you’ll execute bigger plans? Or even know when you have arrived where you want to go?” he wonders.



However, like businesses and communities around the world, the COVID-19 outbreak has also had an impact on the company’s supply chain and exports on account of countries being under lockdown.&nbsp;



But Mr Suri says the firm has witnessed strong demand of smart TVs from retail consumers under lockdowns, as people at home keep streaming content from digital platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime.&nbsp;



“We have been working from home for the past few months. It has been a good opportunity to fine-tune our strategy, evaluate our performance, and develop a roadmap for the future. The past few months presented many businesses with a steep learning curve. For the redistribution market, it will all depend on how sales resume post-COVID,” he says.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="682" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Mr.-Prateek-Suri-CEO-Maser-explains-products-to-a-client-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-47342" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Mr.-Prateek-Suri-CEO-Maser-explains-products-to-a-client-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Mr.-Prateek-Suri-CEO-Maser-explains-products-to-a-client-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Mr.-Prateek-Suri-CEO-Maser-explains-products-to-a-client-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Mr.-Prateek-Suri-CEO-Maser-explains-products-to-a-client-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Mr.-Prateek-Suri-CEO-Maser-explains-products-to-a-client.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption>Mr.-Prateek-Suri CEO Maser explains products to a client</figcaption></figure>



There has been a surge in online sales, and the company expects that to continue as people refrain from going outside and streaming platforms acquire exclusive content for smart TVs.&nbsp;



“Once all lockdowns are lifted, I foresee another huge spike in demand as supply lines have been constrained the past few months. The challenge would be is to fill this dry out gap. This unprecedented situation has forced companies to relook strategies.”



People interested in stocking Maser’s products in Africa can reach the TV firm through its email addresses info@maser-india.com and info@maser.io. They can further call via +91 (011) 49029132 any time of the day.

Mr. Prateek Suri CEO Maser Dubai

DUBAI BASED FIRM MASER EYES THE AFRICAN MARKET TO OFFER AFFORDABLE TV SETS

By Aida Diarra, Senior Vice President and Head of Sub-Saharan Africa at Visa



Supporting women entrepreneurs is just good business. Gender equality is important. Societies, where opportunities for women are on par with men, have fewer child deaths, fewer conflicts, and better public services and health, <a href="https://share.america.gov/10-reasons-invest-women-girls/">data show</a>. There are also strong economic incentives to close the gender gap.



Research shows that where women-owned businesses thrive, the community wins. The country’s GDP grows and the global economy benefits. In places where women’s entrepreneurship is restricted or limited, the opposite happens — individuals, communities, countries and the global economy miss out on unrealised economic gains.



In recent years, across the developing world, the rate of new business formation by women has significantly outpaced the rate of that of men.&nbsp;



 According to the 2019/2020 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), millions of women across the globe have started businesses over the last five years alone. Tellingly, the highest percentage of these women reside in Africa.&nbsp;



 That being said, women still own and manage significantly fewer businesses than the opposite sex. &nbsp; The reasons behind it are complex and multifaceted and female behavioural traits, motivations, and success rates, and their gender-related distinctiveness are just a few of these.



 Despite growing research and more reports on the subject matter, much more needs to be learnt and understood around the female entrepreneur,&nbsp;especially in developing countries where the number of initiatives aimed at promoting and empowering women is on the increase.&nbsp;This reflects greater interest in the role played by entrepreneurship in the economic development process.&nbsp;



 Women have been assigned a special role not only because they stand to benefit from entrepreneurship being the poorer and more discriminated against gender, but also because they are seen as a critical driver of entrepreneurship in light of their unique role in the household and the rise in female-headed households.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="683" height="1024" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/L1570863-683x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-47316" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/L1570863-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/L1570863-scaled-300x450.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/L1570863-scaled-600x900.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/L1570863-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/L1570863-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/L1570863-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/L1570863-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/L1570863-scaled.jpg 1707w" sizes="(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /><figcaption>Aida Diarra, Senior Vice President and Head of Sub-Saharan Africa at Visa</figcaption></figure>



 At the World Economic Forum on Africa in Cape Town last year, Visa highlighted the importance of creating a favourable environment for the business success of African women.&nbsp;



As the backbone of local economies, African women entrepreneurs face a myriad of challenges. Ranging from cultural barriers that require overcoming the narrow classification of child-bearer and/or home manager, to a shortage of role models, inadequate access to financial assistance, and limited educational opportunities, there are too many reasons why female-led organisations fail to flourish.&nbsp;



The World Bank confirms this disparity through data collected in ten African countries: on average, male-owned enterprises have six times more capital than female-owned enterprises. This, together with the challenges listed above equates to female-owned enterprises posting monthly profits that are, on average, 38% lower than those of male-owned businesses.&nbsp;&nbsp;



In response to these worrying figures, Visa commissioned a study this year to investigate the role of technologies in enabling African women entrepreneurship. The research, conducted by marketing insights company 4SIGHT Africa Research and Analytics, surveyed South African, Kenyan and Nigerian women SME business owners with between 2 and 15 employees.&nbsp;



While the sentiment among the respondents was overwhelmingly optimistic – 70% of the women interviewed indicated that they believe they are financially independent, and almost 90% admitted to feeling more empowered as a female business owner than they did five years ago – the struggles they face are still significant.



A key insight of the research indicates that, overall, market competition and a lack of funding pose the biggest threat to the sustainability of businesses in Africa. Added to this, South Africa and Nigeria face additional challenges due to regulation, a fluctuating economy and a lack of viable mentorship.&nbsp;



Paradoxically, Africa has the highest number of female entrepreneurs but the least supportive entrepreneurial frameworks. This means that the design and roll-out of unique, innovative financial solutions that offer women access to markets and bring them into the formal financial system, can be key to breaking barriers for women-led businesses.&nbsp;



COVID-19 has also thrown the global economy into freefall and disrupted everything. It has changed the way we work and how we interact with friends, families, neighbours and our communities. The pandemic is also impacting what we buy, where we buy, and ultimately, how we pay and get paid.



Visa is committed to helping the world adapt to these shifts by applying our network, products, services and expertise to get everyone back to business. Visa was founded on the idea that safe, fast and reliable digital payments should be available to everyone, everywhere.



This idea underpins our mission to connect the world of business, but also enable women, female-run businesses to thrive.&nbsp;



Over the next few months Visa will be partnering with organisations and initiatives across the continent that give African female entrepreneurs the community, information and tools they need to create thriving businesses –for our Where you Shop Matters campaign.



Visa’s Where You Shop Matters campaign was launched in June in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact it has had on small businesses.&nbsp; It is an initiativethat aims to champion and enable entrepreneurs across Africa while encouraging consumers to support small businesses.



Visa’s initiative is helping to support small businesses through the<a href="https://www.visa.co.za/run-your-business/small-business-tools/small-business-hub.html"> Visa Small Business Hub</a>, a merchant platform providing tools and information on how to start, run and grow small businesses. The platform will also feature leading merchants who embody the passion and entrepreneurship of small businesses across the continent.



Closing the gender gap requires persistent hard work and support from individuals, businesses and governments on the continent but the increased financial inclusion of female entrepreneurs is well worth the effort. We all – men and women – have a part to play in progressing women on the continent. After all, the future is female.

AE0Q0667

African Women Entrepreneurs: The Hope of a Continent

The tangible changes needed in society to achieve gender equality have been staggered and delayed, and now it cannot wait any longer. This is a continent-wide call, and an anguished demand, for more to be done because there is always more to do. &nbsp;



By Nontando Mthethwa



As a woman who is pursuing a career in a male-dominated industry, I have had my fair share of experiences which were shaped by my gender. These experiences were often (if not always) unwarranted, out of my control and normalized by my peers. They were not a reflection of my knowledge, my ability and my talent. The danger here is the prevalence of normalization when it comes to the challenges that women face and the clear lack of support from institutional structures in addressing this in a way that I can SEE and TOUCH and rely on in moments such as these.



It should not be normal that women are confronted with gender inequality, in one way or another, every single day of their existence. It is also not normal that we cannot easily name a number of institutions that are actively addressing this in a way that is trusted, effective and accountable. Those in power have a responsibility to the female population to make sure that something is done and it must be done now.



Policy that has come to be up until now in response to this, has been lacklustre and has failed to understand exactly what women are asking for. There is a tendency to mute and mince the experiences of women in our society and this will ultimately stop the growth of all aspects in our communities for everyone. We need to close the gender gap so that Africa’s women can thrive. If Africa’s women are thriving, Africa is thriving.



Gender equality is not a woman’s issue; it is humanity’s issue. The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, also known as UN Women, has evidence that society is better off where women are stronger and more powerful where they work. Society is stronger where women have equal access, are equally educated and equally able. Where women lead in business, more people are employed and where women earn more income, communities are richer. The simple intent of investing in developing more women in the workplace has a direct impact to create stronger economies. This, I think, is something we can all benefit from. In areas where a woman’s status is considered as highly as a man’s, is where there is growth. This is where young girls grow up more empowered and more able to be better innovators, leaders, and mothers. Today, this is not our reality and that needs to change.



We cannot continue to ignore the reality. Fully capable, fully competent and fully knowledgeable women are hiding from their own potential because systems do not exist to support them. Where there is support, it is limited and wrapped in conditions which fail time and time again to do what they are intended for. We have seen this play out right before our eyes many times in the past.



I have said this for women’s rights issues before: Injustices related to gender inequality are usually ‘dealt’ with by launching investigations and reviews, followed by an issuing of a statement and then a resignation which resembles a mutual separation. This way of ‘dealing’ with things adds nothing to the war against gender inequality because the truth is buried. Accountability is easily overlooked and the course of recovery is warped. Everyone carries on with their day and often nothing changes for the woman directly affected. This is the unfortunate nature of speaking out against gender disparity. Those in power have not been in full support of those wronged in efforts to save face and maintain what is a politically correct and gender conscious image.



I am speaking to you. Governments, policy makers, large corporations and institutions of society. You tread too carefully, are too afraid and are worried about losing too much to the extent that the gender remains unheard and unseen. That is the essence of the injustices constantly depriving women of the successes that men so easily have access to. Successes in their career, in their personal lives and in instances where they have a right to demand more.



Your written statements and female-focused committee talk shops are not enough. There was never a time where this was adequate for the struggles that African women face. And, when you think you’ve done enough, take the time to learn, unlearn and learn again because this particular struggle will never end. Africa’s women, children and LGBTQIA community, remain the most vulnerable simply because of the structures you have built. As long as those structures exist, we will need your continued support. Without this support, you may be hindering the development of the next female president of an African nation or the next Shakira Choonara.



What I am calling for instead is disruption, an absolute upheaval of the very foundation that allowed these injustices to occur. Remove the roots that grow gender inequality into the organization with swift action. Step down, boycott and disassociate from all who perpetrate the oppression of women’s growth completely and immediately. In cases where it is warranted, unveil those guilty from the protection of anonymity and expose them to society and the law for judgement that is equally as damaging as the trauma and career-stopping hindrance that women have to face.



Transformation has just become the latest buzz word when speaking on the call for gender inequality. It needs to move from a buzz word to real-life policy that women can turn to, to know their rights and to know when enough is enough. Buzz words are nowhere near enough, and uttering them at fancy corporate events and fundraising initiatives is not the change that women are asking for. Now that we’ve established that there is an issue, let’s use our power and resources to create things that will make a change.



Let us start now, while the COVID-19 pandemic is ravaging our society. Women, in disproportionate levels to their male counterparts, face a greater burden of unpaid household chores and childcare in their homes. At health systems, they now face a disruption of sexual and reproductive health services. The common reality of being the lower-paid gender has left them in positions where they have fewer stable jobs. Men have some of these problems too but women face the possibility of experiencing even greater strain.



A good place to start is by positioning women’s voices in a more prominent way. Ask and listen. Not just listen, but listen carefully and listen to act. All too often, government, policy makers and powers in the private and public sector are eager to speak to women but not to stand behind these conversations in a way that counts. We need you to take a stand. Put your money where your mouth is and make it happen for millions of women, who make life happen for many of you no matter the odds. It is now time, to even those odds.



Nontando Mthethwa is the head Head of Public Affairs and Communications at Allan Gray Orbis Foundation.

Nontando Mthethwa

Enough is still not enough when it comes to fighting for gender equality

By Charmaine Mabuza, Group CEO of ITHUBA Holdings



Every functional business has business continuity plans in place, ready to implement in a time of crisis. However, the truth is very few of us imagined a disruptive pandemic such as the COVID-19 virus to be a likelihood occurrence.



On 27 March 2020, a countrywide lockdown was announced in South Africa, a necessity that had to be implemented in order to save lives. But as many businesses shut their doors, the livelihood of many South Africans were at stake, some still are as businesses propel to get back to their feet.



As an employer, I can relate to the anxiety of fellow corporate and business leaders, to be uncertain of the future and worrying about the work stability of your staff and their families who depend on their income, has become a hard reality. We really do exist in an extraordinary time, which some business experts describe as the VUCA World. ‘VUCA’ is an acronym for Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous. How fitting is this description of today’s business world and especially the economy!



The President took bold steps in implementing measures that aim to preserve our health and safety as citizens of this country. However as employers, we have to take it a step further and safeguard the livelihood of the people we employ. We have an obligation to keep business afloat by being innovative and proactive, amid the crisis — our economy depends on it.&nbsp;



For ITHUBA, the South African National Lottery operator, innovative technology is what has kept our ship sailing. &nbsp;Looking back, I am so glad that we made a decision to move the National Lottery to a digital realm. Players can access Lottery products on the National Lottery website, the Mobile APP and through the digital platforms of our banking channel partners namely Absa, FNB, Standard bank and Nedbank. We implemented the Random Number Generator (RNG), in line with international best practice, as the procedure of selecting winning numbers, which are televised in a form of a digital draw show. &nbsp;This process has remained uninterrupted throughout the lockdown period. We saw a significant increase in on-line participation and 4 jackpot winners including the winner of R153Million PowerBall PLUS jackpot from the Friday 10 July 2020 draw. This player, who played via the Standard Bank App, became the biggest on-line winner in the history of the South African Lottery, and Africa at large.



I am not oblivious to the fact that there are many South Africans who do not have access to the relevant resources and the required digital literacy to be able to play on-line, I fully comprehend the challenges faced particularly by communities in previously disadvantaged areas. The National Lottery belongs to the people and it has always been ITHUBA’s intention to offer equal access to the National Lottery for everyone.&nbsp; To come to terms with the reality that during the lockdown restrictions, there was a group of people that could not play the Lottery, really unsettled me.



However, some of the best ideas have been born out of the most challenging times. On 30 June 2020, ITHUBA was excited to announce its partnership with 1Voucher &#8211; a card less, bank less top-up payment solution that allows customers to turn their cash into an on-line balance. This partnership is part of ITHUBA’s strategy to offer players convenient access to the National Lottery products. It enables players who do not have access to on-line banking infrastructure to top up their National Lottery wallets to purchase Lottery tickets via their mobile devices. We could not sit back and give up on our mandate because in-store ticket sales were paused. In fact, growing on-line gaming is one of the best things we can do for our economy. The global on-line Lottery market has seen significant growth and is projected to generate a revenue of $183.1 billion by 2026, growing at a healthy CAGR of 11.7% throughout the forecast period. Africa deserves a piece of this pie.



E-commerce is certainly one of the most innovative ways to keep trading. But for e-commerce to thrive, businesses must be willing to go an extra mile and address elements that hinder the growth of e-commerce platforms. Digital literacy is one of the factors affecting on-line participation. But the good thing about customers is that they are teachable, and once they understand the convenience of on-line shopping, it becomes their new norm.



One way in which ITHUBA addresses digital literacy, is by rolling out educational marketing campaigns. Once the new on-line players are on our e-commerce platforms, they are met by chatbots who assist them on a step by step basis.



The second biggest factor that affects on-line shopping is the fact that not everyone has credit cards that allow for on-line payment. It is therefore critical that we become flexible in our payment options in order to help bridge the digital divide.



I advocate for e-commerce as part of the innovation that will save us. South Africa’s on-line retail industry accounts for just 1.4% of total retail, while the United States and China is close to 20%. We have a long way to go. As leaders in our respective industries, we need to play our role in advancing e-commerce and ensuring that we catch up with the rest of the world.



A lot of industries around the globe suffered a loss as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown, with no exception to the Gaming industry world-wide. In South Africa, National Lottery sales declined by 18% during the time in-store ticket sales were paused, while countries such as China for an example, recorded a dreadful decrease of 64.5% in Lottery sales, according to the research conducted by the World Lotteries Association (WLA). This is alarming, considering their advanced technology and a generally higher e-commerce participation in that country. On our side, we recorded an increase of 11.5% in on-line participation, where new players registered and played across all National Lottery on-line platforms. This peak is not too far off from the 16% increase in European countries such France and Norway – one of the leading countries in the digitization of Lottery games globally.



I know that there had been arguments that allowing e-commerce trading during the COVID-19 regulations is unfair to smaller, informal businesses such as spaza shops and other businesses that rely on face to face trading to make sales. In my view, we are better off utilizing e-commerce than we are when we don’t. Our first priority should be saving our lapsing economy and preserving the livelihood of our employees – that is our role and mandate as business owners.



I urge my fellow business leaders to think out of the box and push the innovation boundaries. Let us not forget to integrate women and youth entrepreneurs, whose wisdom and revolution should not be taken for granted. It is our combined efforts that will help bring back to life the deteriorating economy.

Charmaine Mabuza

An Innovative Approach is what will save us.

By:&nbsp;Mathieu Mandeng



In the current complex and challenging circumstances that are testing the resilience of our economies and its foundations, I believe Mauritius remains in a unique position to create a partnership for shared prosperity with African countries.&nbsp; Mauritius is leveraging its unique selling proposition of being the only investment grade international financial centre “ IFC” in sub Saharan Africa to drive trade and investment in mainland Africa.



An IFC is fundamentally a response to the complexity, inefficiency and hardship of doing business in mainland by leveraging the five factors of competitiveness that are business environment, financial sector development, infrastructure, human capital and reputation. A quick health check shows that Mauritius that now ranks 13th globally in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business is a conducive jurisdiction that upholds the rule of law with the UK Privy Council as the ultimate court of appeal. Mauritius has a high transparency index, the 3rd in Africa and ranks number one in the Mo Ibrahim Index of good governance. The Financial Services sector is well developed and highly regulated while allowing free flow of capital; total bank assets as a percentage of GDP is more than 300% and banking penetration rate is 90%. The infrastructure that includes digital, transport and energy is world class and keeps developing with the recent construction of the light metro. Human capital is highly skilled and bilingual, able to serve both anglophone and francophone Africa. The country is therefore playing on its key strengths as a centre of excellence, leveraging its solid regulatory and legal framework as well as its reputation&nbsp; to provide a unified platform to direct investments into key projects that can relaunch the Continent’s fragilized economies.



The country developed itself by creating markets outside of its insularity,&nbsp; diversifying its economic model from a monocrop economy, the sugar industry, back in 1968 with a GDP per capita of around USD 200 to a high-income country with a GNI per capita of USD 12,740 in 2019 for a threshold of USD 12,535, according to the World Bank report released on July 1st, 2020. The industrialization process in the 70s and 80s &nbsp;and the rapid growth of the hospitality industry in the 80s and 90s, the development of financial services in the 90s and ICT and professional services more recently, have all contributed to its success. Today the sugar industry only represents 2% of the GDP compared to financial services, that is nearing 13% of GDP, aiming at doubling its contribution within the next ten years.



The Mauritian global business sector has been a key contributor to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows in India over the past fifteen years backed by solid&nbsp; bilateral relationship and investment agreements. India received more than USD 300 billion in terms of FDI, a third of which went through Mauritius, contributing directly and indirectly to India’s economic and industrial development. With financial flows come also the invisible flows such as expertise, technology, know-how, training, etc. The renegotiation of the bilateral agreements a few years back offered Mauritius the opportunity to reinvent its model that was too heavily reliant on India. The country is now looking towards mainland Africa to migrate best practice, building on its experience to channel funds, skills and expertise. With a high literacy rate and a number of talents that are bilingual, Mauritius can export its human resources to contribute to the development of sectors such as financial services on the Continent. Tourism and Sugar are the other mature industries that have generated a number of talents with the depth and expertise that can help these sectors develop in Africa.



A concrete example to illustrate how Mauritius is driving this agenda, is the creation of the Mauritius Africa Fund in 2014 worth Rs 500 million (USD13m), to develop “Special Economic Zones”, with pioneering countries that include Ivory Coast, Senegal, Ghana and Madagascar. In doing so, Mauritius is&nbsp; asserting its ability to manage the risks associated with issues related to lack of good governance, conducive business environment, poor infrastructure and lack of regional integration that are key challenges when investing into the Continent.&nbsp; Mauritius is taking advantage of its share of development in Africa, where the growth is driven by the three “Cs” that are “commodities”, “consumption” and “corridors”. And the latter is a powerful lever as we are describing here the emerging corridors, that are facilitating trade and investment coming from Asia, Turkey and Brazil. As for the first corridor, Mauritius, through its agreements with India, in the case of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA), and China, with the FTA (Free Trade Agreement), but also the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has a fundamental role to play in facilitating trade and investment between Asia and Africa, and within&nbsp; Africa. These avenues of collaboration and growth can help both Mauritius and mainland Africa navigate the aftermath of this pandemic resiliently.



With its unique selling proposition of being the only global bank bullish on the African with a presence of more than 18 years in Mauritius, Standard Chartered is leveraging its unique coverage of the Continent and its global products suit to deliver high value-added solutions to network clients. The case in point is the Regional Treasury Centre (RTC) value proposition that provides solutions for liquidity management, procurement and shared service centres to clients managing their regional operations out of their regional office in Mauritius.&nbsp;



As Africa embarks on its own industrialization journey to create value derived from the abundance of minerals and other resources, it would be beneficial for the Continent to engage in diversifying its economies. The current crisis offers an opportunity to accelerate this key agenda for its sustainable development. Mauritius can play a strategic and catalytic role in this process by creating the right conditions for investors to access the opportunities that arise. While the unprecedent COVID-19 crisis has heavily disturbed the global value chains and presents real challenges to African nations that need to balance the act of preserving the health of populations and relaunching their economic development, this is the right opportunity for them to cast away the overdependence on commodities’ exportations and overreliance on imported manufactured products by diversifying their economies. And Mauritius is uniquely placed to develop win-win solutions in a partnership for shared prosperity with mainland Africa by leveraging its experience and key differentiating capabilities.

Mathieu-Mandeng-1

Mauritius-Africa, a partnership for shared prosperity

THE COVID-19 GLOBAL pandemic has brought forward the future. It has brought about humanity’s biggest challenge in a century, to choose between life and livelihoods. In the immediate aftermath of the pandemic, banks have played a supporting role to clients and communities. Standard Chartered announced a commitment of US$1 billion globally to support companies in the health delivery supply chain to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, and an additional US$50 million to assist communities in presence markets, especially Africa.&nbsp;



Generally, banks have entered the COVID crisis much stronger and resilient than they did before the global ﬁnancial crisis of 2008. This resilience is owed in part to the raft of regulatory reforms and stronger supervision since 2008, aimed at ensuring adequate capital and liquidity buffers against market-wide stress and also to avoid future taxpayer bailouts. Bank resilience notwithstanding, there is a catch! Well, several!



Many jurisdictions have placed ﬁghting this pandemic at par with war by employing emergency measures and massive ﬁscal stimulus packages to provide relief to businesses and households and hopefully to bring the public health crisis under control. Relative to Q1 2020, total lockdown is now perceived as a blunt instrument in responding to the pandemic due to its potential for economic destruction and jeopardizing livelihoods. There is some convergence of views towards recalibrating easing of lockdown alongside placing high emphasis on both corporate and individual responsibility to obey public health recommendations and to observe good hygiene.



As the world emerges from lockdown, the nature and shape of the recovery is an important variable. Whether the recovery is a V-shape, U-shape or a W- shape makes a world of a difference to how banks will respond. We are only beginning to understand and measure the true economic cost of the pandemic, transmitted through lockdown and the deleterious effects on growth and the viability of some sectors. Many companies around the world face the grim prospect of possible collapse, necessitating tough survival decisions on rationalizations, write-downs of asset values and other corporate actions.



National governments need to determine the right balance between restarting economic activity and growth without compromising the capacity of healthcare infrastructure. The ability to do so would in turn inﬂuence the nature and shape of the recovery as well as which companies or sectors can survive the new reality, and which would fail. Then there is digitization. Digitization and the new ways of working will deﬁne who stays competitive, productive and can survive. Almost every sector or industry and even governments will need to invest in digital solutions to future-proof their survival and relevance.



While banks certainly have a critical role to play during and post crisis, the reality is there is no certainty or clarity on how events might unfold. In the meantime, a better understanding of the nature, virulence and measures to conquer the invisible enemy remains elusive, thereby drawing parallels with the expression “fog of war”.&nbsp; The unfolding challenges and after-effects of the pandemic are not sequential or in any particular order. Neither will the responses be. Responses need to be diligent, intelligent and wise in order to safeguard the future. The pre-COVID bank resilience is a necessary and comforting condition but insufficient for post-COVID recovery unless banks themselves can successfully navigate the fog of this new war to avoid joining the casualty list that is beginning to grow around the world. They will certainly be dealing with elevated credit risk, strains to capital and liquidity and heightened operational and cyber security risk, among others. Livelihoods and economic security look fragile in the short run as the pandemic exposes cracks, ﬁssures and chasms in the existing socio-economic order globally. This systemic stress could precipitate a repurposing of legacy political, economic, social and security arrangements by national governments which could be consequential to businesses recovery and viability, household incomes and social cohesion. For the banks, it becomes a waiting game!

Kweku-new-image-sta-1110×740

THE FUTURE JUST ARRIVED: THE ROLE OF BANKS IN A POST-COVID WORLD

By- Ruth Kagia and Siddharth Chatterjee



Africa’s demographic boom has been hailed as its biggest promise for transforming the continent’s economic and social outcomes, but only if the right investments are made to prepare its youthful population for tomorrow’s world.



Consider this.&nbsp;Every 24 hours, nearly 33,000 youth across Africa join the search for employment. About 60% will be joining the army of the unemployed. Africa’s&nbsp;youth population is growing rapidly and is expected to reach over 830 million by 2050. <a href="https://news.trust.org/item/20170810142204-j0nwd/">Whether this&nbsp;spells promise or peril&nbsp;depends on how the continent manages its “youth bulge</a>”.&nbsp;



President Kenyatta <a href="https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2016-05-06-uhuru-directs-treasury-to-exempt-low-income-earners-from-taxation/">once said</a> that “The crisis of mass youth unemployment is a threat to the stability and prosperity of Africa, and it can amount to a fundamental and existential threat”.



Investing in young people especially so that they are prepared for the world of work is the main mission of <a href="https://www.generationunlimited.org/">Generation Unlimited</a> (GenU),&nbsp;a global multi-sector partnership established to meet the urgent need for expanded education, training and employment opportunities for young people aged 10 to 24.



On 05 August 2020, Kenya will launch the Generation Unlimited initiative. This initiative will bring together key actors from the public and private sector as well as development partners to help put into a higher gear this defining agenda of our time to ensure that we have prepared our children for a prosperous future by giving them the education, training and job opportunities that fully harnesses their potential. With a median age of 18, Kenya’s youthful population represents a real potential to reap a demographic dividend and accelerate its economic progress.



Kenya has one of the youngest populations in the world. With the right investment in their talents, skills, and entrepreneurial spirit, young people present an extraordinary opportunity for transformation, growth, and change.



Three quarters Kenya’s population is under the age of 35. Across Africa there are 200 million people between the ages of 15 and 24, a demographic that is expected to double by 2045.



One of the greatest challenges facing governments and policymakers in Africa is how to provide opportunities for the continent’s youth, in order to provide them with decent lives and allow them to contribute to the economic development of their countries. As things stand, around 70% of Africa’s young people live below the poverty line.



In Kenya, the pillars for achieving GenU objectives are in place, with various initiatives for instance to strengthen education system through the recently-launched competency based curriculum and government promotion of programmes to enhance technical and digital skills.



The fruits of such initiatives can be seen through numerous youthful innovations from Kenya that continue to receive international attention.&nbsp; For instance, inspired by his great urge to communicate&nbsp;with his 6-year-old niece who was born deaf,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.boredpanda.com/signio-smart-gloves-sign-language-into-audio-speech-roy-allela/?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_campaign=organic">Roy Allela, a 25-year-old Kenyan</a> invented Sign-10, a pair of smart gloves with flex sensors to aid his cousin&#8217;s&nbsp;communication with the other members of the family.



The flex sensors stitched to each finger aid in quantifying the letters formed from the curve of each finger of the glove’s wearer. The gloves are then connected through&nbsp;Bluetooth&nbsp;to a mobile phone application that vocalizes the hand movements.&nbsp;&nbsp; This innovation won him the Trailblazer Award&nbsp;by the&nbsp;American Society of Mechanical Engineers.



Gen U’s solution is to forge innovative collaborations with young people themselves. Since launching in 2018, the movement has brought onboard leaders from governments, foundations, and the private sector around the world. Its launch in Kenya underscores its government’s commitment to engage young people in pursuit of the <a href="https://www.president.go.ke/">Big 4 Development Agenda</a> as well as Vision 2030.



President Uhuru Kenyatta is a global leader for the Generation Unlimited initiative. In Kenya, Gen U’s activities are coordinated by the Office of the President and the United Nations.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-style-default"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/uhuru-1024x683.jpg" alt="President Uhuru Kenyatta with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Kenyatta was on Monday unanimously endorsed by world leaders to champion a new UN intervention on youth education, training and employment." class="wp-image-46820" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/uhuru-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/uhuru-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/uhuru-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/uhuru-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/uhuru.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption><a href="https://theexchange.africa/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/UK_Guterres_PSCU.jpg">President Uhuru Kenyatta and the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres were unanimously endorsed by world leaders to champion a new UN intervention on youth education, training, and employment at the UN General Assembly in 2018. [Photo/PSCU]</a></figcaption></figure>



<a href="https://theexchange.africa/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/UK_Guterres_PSCU.jpg"></a>



<a href="https://theexchange.africa/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/UK_Guterres_PSCU.jpg"></a>



Shifts in today’s global economy demand that young people acquire skills aligned with dynamic labour needs, but local education systems have been slow to adapt. In many countries in Africa, school enrolment is up, but learning outcomes for young people remain poor. Most leave school without the skills the contemporary job market needs, and are ill-prepared for a world in which low-skilled jobs are increasingly automated.



A million young people join the workforce every year in Kenya, applying for jobs in a formal sector that can only absorb one in five of them. Some, however, find work at least intermittently in Kenya’s vibrant informal sector, which accounts for more than 80% of the country’s economy according to the World Bank.



Rather than focusing on opportunities in the formal sector, partners in the Gen U movement will look at strategies for supporting the informal sector with better infrastructure and an improved business environment. In doing so, it is hoped that it will be transformed into a recognised and legitimate sector.



Such initiatives have the full support of the recently launched Kenya Youth Development Policy, which seeks to underscore issues affecting young people. Technology will play a central role, and sector-based strategies will be central to the government’s approach.



The Kenya Youth Agribusiness Strategy, for example, will enable Kenya’s youth to access information technology for various value-addition ventures in Africa’s agribusiness sector set to be worth $1 trillion by 2030.



The Coronavirus pandemic has seen countries face changes in entire social and economic systems. Key industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, public services, retail, transportation, food supply, tourism, media and entertainment have been hard hit by the pandemic. The pandemic is an inflection point that is giving the old system a nudge. The post-COVID-19 world will be founded on a tech-savvy workforce that will inevitably comprise young people.



Calling on urgent action for young people, <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/04/1062682">UN&nbsp;Secretary-General António Guterres&nbsp;</a>has called on governments to “do far more to tap their talents as we tackle the pandemic and chart a recovery that leads to a more peaceful, sustainable and equitable future for all”.



In the run-up to the end of the SDGs era, we must ramp up the current level of investment in young people’s economic and social potential. As the vision of Generation Unlimited states, if the largest generation of young people in history is prepared for the transition to work, the potential for global progress is unlimited.



As President Kenyatta <a href="https://www.capitalfm.co.ke/business/2019/11/african-leaders-have-a-duty-to-empower-the-youth-president-kenyatta/">has noted</a>, “the current generation of young people has the potential of expanding Africa’s productive workforce, promoting entrepreneurship and becoming genuine instruments of change to reverse the devastation caused by climate change.”&nbsp;



<a href="https://live.worldbank.org/experts/ruth-kagia"></a>



<a href="https://live.worldbank.org/experts/ruth-kagia">Ruth Kagia</a> is the Deputy Chief of Staff to President Kenyatta. <a href="https://twitter.com/sidchat1?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">Siddharth Chatterjee</a> is the United Nations Resident Coordinator to Kenya. Mrs Kagia and Mr Chatterjee co-chair the Generation Unlimited Steering Committee in Kenya.

kenya

With proper investment in youth, Kenya’s potential for progress is unlimited

Looking at Covid-19 through a gender lens



Our world has undoubtedly been changed forever by the Covid-19 pandemic, as all efforts are focused on slowing down the increase and mitigating the impact of this silent enemy that has spread across the world like wildfire. Not only have there been many lives lost, but there have also been many businesses and millions of jobs impacted, which in turn directly affects millions of families. It doesn’t help that most countries around the world were already in distress with high levels of unemployment and devastating droughts as a result of climate change, which were already making it very difficult for families to put food on the table.  As the world tries to deal with this pandemic, I can’t help but think about what will happen to the efforts that have been made to help empower adolescent girls over the past few years.



Empowering girls, empowering communities



What makes this demographic more important than all the others? This is not just about the fight for women’s equal rights or the fight for equal pay, although those are valid and ongoing necessary discussions. This is about giving the adolescent girl a decent and fair start in her life, so she can have a better shot at being successful. So, with the current global crisis we find ourselves in, will the cause to empower young women remain on the world’s agenda or will this slide down to the bottom of the priority list?&nbsp;



Standard Chartered Bank has been running a young girls’ empowerment programme called Goal, which is our flagship programme under Futuremakers.&nbsp; Futuremakers by Standard Chartered is our global initiative to tackle inequality and promote greater economic inclusion for young people in our communities, especially those who are disadvantaged. The Goal programme specifically aims to equip young girls with the confidence, knowledge and skills they need to fulfil their economic potential. The programme was launched in New Delhi in 2006 with just 70 girls. I count myself fortunate to have been part of the team that was involved in the launch of the pilot programme, along with my colleagues and a very perceptive NGO partner who believed that together we could make an impact on these young girls and their community.



Developing confidence and vital life skills



Sometimes when the challenge seems insurmountable, what you need are individuals and partners who simply believe that you can still make a difference, regardless of the arduous journey ahead of you. In a country of over a billion people, what impact can you really make by reaching just 70 girls? Fourteen years later, Goal is now active in 24 countries, including South Africa (since 2015), and has impacted nearly 600,000 adolescent girls globally between 2006 and 2019 – and that number is growing.&nbsp; This means that over half a million families are also impacted, as these girls carry the message back home. When you empower a girl, you empower a community. &nbsp;



Goal is based on face-to-face interaction with these young women, which presents a challenge during a pandemic. The programme is run by Goal Champions who have graduated from the programme themselves and this is one of the elements that makes Goal sustainable, as it focuses on the ‘train the trainer’ approach. After completing the one-year programme, the girls come out with confidence and skills that they would otherwise have not acquired – our post programme scores have proved that every single time. In 2019, we commissioned a global development think tank called Overseas Development Institute (ODI) to assess Goal’s impact. Over 18,000 girls were surveyed and there were over 300 interviews and focus groups with the young girls, parents, teachers, community leaders and the&nbsp; boys in those communities. The research found strong evidence of Goal’s positive and lasting impact on the girls, as the results showed a 14 percent increase in self-confidence, a 28 percent increase in knowledge about health and an 18 percent increase in knowledge about savings and finance.



The gender gap and GDP



Then Covid-19 happened to all of us, accompanied by varying levels of lockdowns, and along with that a halt to the valuable regular face-to-face sessions that a lot of these young Goal girls look forward to – an opportunity to be in a safe environment, playing sport with their peers, and learning about their rights, the importance of understanding reproductive health, saving money, and many other life skills.



Data is always important when presenting such arguments. According to one of the Goldman Sachs Global Economic papers, GDP growth rates rise if education pushes more women into the labour force. This makes gender equality not just an imperative but a valid economic argument.&nbsp; It seems the ‘poorer’ a country, the higher the literacy differential between females and males.&nbsp;



Apart from the inhumane forced child marriages that are still happening in this modern day and age in some countries, research also tells us that most girls without a secondary education are likely to have their first baby at a younger age, and in turn, there is a higher chance that this child will die before they are five years old. Chances are also higher that these young girls will have many more children than they can afford to raise in a way that they would like to. It becomes an ongoing vicious cycle and we need to do everything in our power to break that cycle – one girl at a time.



Looking toward the future



We need to remember that these adolescent girls are still very much a vulnerable group and we should not divert our attention away from them as we try and manage the ongoing pandemic. The two need not be exclusive.&nbsp; In fact, we have seen how gender-based violence has escalated during the lockdowns in many countries, including here in South Africa, and I shudder to think how much of this has been directed towards young girls by the very people who are meant to take care of and protect them.



In the last few years, there has been an ongoing debate in some quarters that we mustn’t leave the boys behind as we empower the young girls and this a valid discussion to have. As a mother to a teenage son, I totally agree – my intention is to raise a well-rounded young man who will be a responsible member of society and who respects women.



In fact, in some of our markets where Goal has advanced, we do have boys on the programme, but the reality is we need to double our efforts in uplifting adolescent girls to get them just to be on an ‘equal footing’ with the boys. Research has also proved that in countries where education levels are low, the economic performance of that country is equally impacted.  What is the saying – when you empower and educate a girl, you empower a community.  What’s not to love about that?



&#8211; Geraldine Matchaba, Head of Corporate Affairs and Brand &amp; Marketing at Standard Chartered.

thumbnail_Geraldine Matchaba Head of Corporate Affairs and Brand & Marketing at Standard Chartered

Op-Ed: Women Empowerment During The Covid-19 Pandemic

Covid-19 led eCommerce revolution



The Covid-19 crisis has redefined the retail playing field.&nbsp; This has seen retailers scrambling to accommodate changed consumer behaviour as shopping surges online.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The pandemic has exposed the precariousness of a solely bricks and mortar model.&nbsp;&nbsp;According to a recent report by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/survey-south-african-consumer-sentiment-during-the-coronavirus-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">McKinsey</a>,&nbsp;consumers expect a relative shift to online shopping in most categories in the short term,&nbsp; driven primarily by a sharp decrease in in-store shopping. In the longer term, 40 percent of consumers plan to increase online shopping once the crisis is over.



Fear of infection drives move to online



“Previous epidemics have foreshadowed this online trend,”&nbsp;&nbsp;says Derek Cikes, Commercial Director at buy now pay later fintech, Payflex.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“The<a href="http://weforum.org/agenda/2020/05/digital-payments-cash-and-covid-19-pandemics/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;SARS epidemic in 2003</a>&nbsp;expedited China’s path in launching digital payments and eCommerce in the country, creating a permanent shift in consumer behaviour.&nbsp; Similarly, the Coronavirus has caused a marked change in South Africa’s consumer behaviour and habits, with social distancing, hygiene measures and self-quarantine now integral parts of our everyday realities,” says Cikes.



With the crisis expected to remain for the foreseeable future, these behaviours are anticipated to become further entrenched and remain even as the crisis eventually ebbs.



Shopping:&nbsp; an altered reality



Shopping is no longer a leisurely, sensory-filled experience.&nbsp; Instead, retailers have replaced sampling of beauty items or delightful food temptations with an antibacterial touch averse world of hand sanitizers and plexiglass barriers.&nbsp;&nbsp;



This interaction or rather fear of interaction is driving new shopping behaviour, with consumers opting for the safety and convenience of eCommerce. And retailers are hastening to adapt to what they view as lasting changes in the way that people choose to shop as millions of consumers choose online as their preferred medium of shopping.



Epidemics’&nbsp;impact on retail



According to a&nbsp;<a href="https://public.tableau.com/profile/salesforcecommercecloud#!/vizhome/SalesforceShoppingIndex/SalesforceShoppingIndex" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Global Shopping Index</a>&nbsp;published by Salesforce, the number of unique digital shoppers rose 40% year-over-year for Q1 2020.&nbsp;



In a South African context, 29% of online consumers say they are doing far more shopping online than before the coronavirus outbreak while 65% say they are visiting physical stores less, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nielsen.com/za/en/insights/article/2020/overcoming-online-shopping-obstacles-amid-lockdowns-in-africa-and-the-middle-east-is-not-only-retailer-driven/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nielsen study</a>&nbsp;of 10 markets in Africa and the Middle East, including South Africa.&nbsp;



“The pandemic has fast-tracked trends that were already budding in the eCommerce space including digital and alternative payments.&nbsp;The 40% increase in shoppers and 25% increase in eCommerce merchant sign-ups to our platforms highlights this monumental shift towards digital as an increasingly preferred avenue of shopping and transacting,”&nbsp; says Cikes.



Cikes says the increased availability of click-and-collect models, digital payment models like buy now pay later platforms and other alternative payment options,&nbsp; as well as faster delivery models, are anticipated to further fuel this online revolution.&nbsp;



Global players wake up to eCommerce opportunity



Major tech and retailer stores are waking up to the huge potential of eCommerce as millions of consumers choose online space for their shopping. Facebook is making a major push into e-commerce with the launch of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/business/shops" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shops</a>,&nbsp;a way for businesses to set up free storefronts on Facebook and Instagram.&nbsp;



While<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/10/business/zara-inditex-online-investment/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;Zara-owner Inditex&nbsp;</a>recently announced plans to close up to 1,200 smaller-sized stores, and to invest 3 billion dollars in digital commerce.&nbsp;



“Retailers and tech companies are recognising the significance, need and value to move online in order to accommodate consumer behaviour and sentiment for safer, seamless shopping alternatives.&nbsp; It will be interesting to see the kind of personalised, targeted spin they can put on it based on their collected user data around interests and geolocation,” says Cikes.



How SA retailers can harness this opportunity



The consumer mindset has changed in terms of their relationship to eCommerce.&nbsp; Online has become an accepted, go-to shopping alternative with the digital environment providing consumers with convenience, safety and access to a wide range of shopping options.



And while hygiene and safety concerns have provided the initial impetus in driving consumers online, shoppers have now experienced this environment as a feasible option with its accompanying convenience and benefits. This is entrenching the shift to online shopping, extending its impact to long after the pandemic has passed.



“We’re reaching a tipping point for eCommerce.&nbsp; Standalone bricks and mortar are no longer sufficient as consumers demand more rapid digitisation solutions.&nbsp; The fact that more people than ever are relying on the internet to shop for their everyday needs makes it imperative to have an online shopping model in order to remain competitive and viable.



The eCommerce revolution is here.&nbsp; Those that will survive will be retailers who have a multichannel approach to sales that provides customers with an option for a seamless shopping experience from the comfort of their own homes.&nbsp; This is no longer a luxury. It’s critical,” concludes Cikes.&nbsp;



&#8211; Paul Behrmann, Founder &amp; CEO of Payflex

Author: Contributor

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA