<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-style-large is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">“Let us rather see Africa not as a land of humanitarian emergencies and a recipient of public aid for development but as a continent on the build, a pole on the cusp of progress. Such is the Africa of roads and highways, of bridges and railways, an Africa of dams and power plants, of industrial parks and agricultural farms. We will realize this ambition not through aid but by massive and urgent investments in those sectors that bring growth and development” <cite>President Macky Sall</cite></blockquote>



Senegal has been described as one of the most welcoming, peaceful, tolerant and friendly countries on the continent, with the World Economic Forum ranking it sixth most welcoming country in the world. Driven by its philosophy of teranga, the Wolof word for hospitality, Senegal has focused on boosting trade and investment opportunities on the West African regional market while prioritising a consistent improvement of its business climate.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/FORBES-SENEGAL_2021_26pags_v09_online-1-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="591" height="591" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/SENEGAL-MPU-NEW-01-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-51707" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/SENEGAL-MPU-NEW-01-1.jpg 591w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/SENEGAL-MPU-NEW-01-1-300x300.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/SENEGAL-MPU-NEW-01-1-150x150.jpg 150w" sizes="(max-width: 591px) 100vw, 591px" /></a><figcaption><a href="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/FORBES-SENEGAL_2021_26pags_v09_online-1-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Download the report here</a></figcaption></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plan-s-n-gal-mergent-pse">Plan Sénégal Émergent (PSE)</h3>



The nation’s high level of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) is irrevocably linked to President Macky Sall’s Emerging Senegal Plan (Plan Sénégal Émergent, PSE) launched in 2014. The Plan aims to drive the national economy with a new impetus and direction, growing the GDP 8%, creating 600,000 formal jobs and becoming a middle-income nation by 2035. In order to do this, the PSE has focused on boosting four key sectors of its economy: agriculture, ICT, transport and energy. Indeed, regarding the latter, Senelec’s MD, Pape Mademba Biteye, states: “Senegal&#8217;s energy sector is currently a booming sector and is an essential engine for improving the country&#8217;s economic performance, as seen in the PSE.”



In April 2021, President Macky Sall launched a US$ 827 million youth employment scheme as part of the government’s emergency programme for the socioeconomic integration of the nation’s youths. Spread over a time period of three years, it includes initiatives such as: the recruitment of 5,000 youths in the education sector, recruitments in the road maintenance and paving sectors, 15,000 jobs for subsidised jobs through the state-employer agreement with the private sector, the injection of CFAF 15 billion into the agribusiness, the creation of 25,950 jobs as part of the National Agency for Integration and Agricultural Development (ANIDA)’s numerous projects, training of 30,000 young people and a further 40,000 youths targeted for vocational training, amongst others.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-technological-hub">A Technological Hub</h3>



With Dakar placed amongst the top 10 digital cities in Africa with incubators for start-ups, Senegal is well placed to become a technological hub for the whole of West Africa as its business landscape flourishes under its digitalised telecommunications network. “If this is the century of Big Data, Africa is the place to be because we have a population that is mostly made of young people,” affirms Samba Bathily, Chairman of ADS Group. “It is up to us, the business people and government, to come together to prepare the ground for these innovators to innovate.” The government has also launched a plan to create 35,000 new jobs in the field of technology by 2025, with the nation’s youths and women playing a key role in driving the technological revolution.



In June 2021, President Macky Sall also announced governmental intention to move all government data and digital platforms from foreign servers to a new national data centre in a bid to strengthen digital sovereignty. The state-of-the-art data centre will be built in Senegal’s Digital Technology Park in the city of Diamniadio and will tap into global networks through an undersea cable and Senegal’s existent 6,000 kilometre fibre optic network.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-regional-business-hub">A Regional Business Hub</h3>



Over recent years, Senegal has significantly invested in the upgrade of all of its transport infrastructure in order to further promote its potential as regional business hub for logistics, services and industries, providing Africa with the link to the rest of the world. With the Autonomous Port of Dakar at the crossroads of three key trade routes, Senegal serves major shipping lines as well as a transhipment centre for landlocked counties in West Africa. Major modernisation and extension plans are currently underway while a US$ 1 billion investment is developing a colossal new deep-water port at Ndayane. Alongside large-scale road construction and rehabilitation projects, Senegal is also looking into improving connectivity through rail with work on the Regional Express Train (TER) currently underhand. “This is the flagship project for the PSE and will connect the city centre of Dakar to the Blaise Diagne International Airport in 45 minutes,” explains Mountaga Sy, CEO of APIX. “This train will be operational at the end of 2021.”



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-economic-diversity-sustainability-and-inclusion">Economic Diversity, Sustainability And Inclusion</h3>



Senegal’s large range of economic drivers, including mining, renewable energy and agriculture, are of great attraction to investors and the PSE Priority Action Plan has identified a funding gap of US$ five billion spread across several diverse projects. “The private sector is pivotal for the industrial development of the country,” says Youssef Omaïs, CEO of Patisen. “We have gold, gas and oil, which will increase the purchasing power of our young population and contribute to our targeted growth.”



Senegal is a land of opportunity and abundance offering ideal living and working conditions, access to advanced technology, ease of doing business, modern infrastructure interlocked in an ambitious vision that has proved successful in unlatching economic transformation and growth while enhancing prosperity to both Senegal and West Africa. “I am convinced that the PSE will secure Senegal as one of the pillars of Africa,” declares Omar Cissé, CEO of InTouch. “It will be key to our operations, development and future.” There is no doubt that Senegal is a nation burgeoning with opportunity for all, while driving economic growth and development in the region.”

african-renaissance-monument-de-la-renaissance-africaine-senegal

FOCUS ON SENEGAL: Welcoming Opportunity And Promoting Emergence

In a world reeling from the Covid-19 pandemic, the role of science has been brought into sharp focus. Chief scientific advisors, epidemiologists and infectious disease experts have become household names around the world; all hopes pinned on pioneers of modern medicine to provide the escape route: a vaccine. We are guzzling up information with newfound gusto, hungry for the facts of science over the disorientation of hearsay, rumor and rhetoric.



Yet, this spotlight doesn’t extend to the wider context and opportunities built on the foundations of scientific understanding to advance humanity are being missed. When science is not leveraged to its full potential—when the public and government officials are denied access to accurate, easy-to- understand, and non-misleading scientific information—a gap is created that allows ideology, politics, and unsubstantiated beliefs to take precedence over facts. This impedes progress. A recent Philip Morris International (PMI) white paper, “<a href="https://pmidotcom3-prd.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/default-source/uym/pmi-white-paper-primacy-of-science.pdf?sfvrsn=a845efb4_2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">In Support of the Primacy of Science,” </a>revealed that 77 percent of people polled across 19 countries, including South Africa, are hopeful that advances in science will ultimately solve many of the world’s most pressing problems.



With over 1 billion smokers in the world today, and 11 million in South Africa, smoking-related diseases are among these pressing problems. How can science help?



While tobacco control measures aimed at preventing smoking initiation and encouraging cessation are in place, there is growing consensus that more can be done to decrease smoking prevalence and that tobacco harm reduction (THR) can complement these measures. THR involves strategies to provide adults who would otherwise continue smoking with access to and accurate, non-misleading information about less harmful alternatives.



The scientific evidence demonstrates that nicotine, while addictive and not risk-free, is not the primary cause of smoking-related diseases. Rather they are caused by the harmful chemicals present in smoke which is produced when burning tobacco. Through science and technology, nicotine delivery has been decoupled from burning tobacco to create smoke-free products such as heated tobacco products, e-cigarettes and other innovations, which significantly can reduce the formation of harmful chemicals and the body’s exposure to these toxicants compared to cigarette smoke.



To be clear, these products are not risk-free and contain nicotine which is addictive. The best choice any smoker can make is to quit tobacco and nicotine altogether. However most don’t. Changing to scientifically substantiated smoke-free products is a better choice than continued smoking and can represent a public health opportunity to accelerate the decline in smoking prevalence and smoking-related population harm.



But this can’t happen if adults who smoke are unable to get accurate information about or access to these products.



According to the white paper, while 87 percent of South African respondents seek more in-depth information about scientific developments, only 18 percent find it very easy to access reliable information about the latest scientific developments and studies. In the case of smoke-free products, reliable information is perhaps tougher to come by given the barrage of misinformation spread by those ideologically opposed to the idea that adult smokers should have access to better alternatives.



This behaviour and misinformation must be challenged because it maintains the status quo, that is smoking cigarettes which is the most harmful form of nicotine consumption.



According to the whitepaper 84 percent of people polled across all countries want their governments to take recent findings into account when crafting policy. However, just 51 percent of those individuals believe their leaders are doing so. Moreover just over half (54 percent) believe that their government does a good job of communicating unbiased and reliable information about the latest scientific developments and studies.



This implies that beyond looking for objective facts and assessing the totality of available evidence to inform their decisions, it is equally important for policymakers to debate the data openly and transparently. Moreover, when policymakers are guided by robust science, it is in their interests to provide access to science content that explains and justifies their policy decisions.



Regulatory frameworks that put science and evidence at the heart of decision-making and differentiate smoke-free alternatives from combustible cigarettes in order to promote the public health already exist. For instance, the U.S. FDA Modified Risk Tobacco Product Application process, sets a clear pathway for the assessment of and potential authorization of claims relating to tobacco and nicotine-containing products that are scientifically substantiated to be a better choice than cigarettes for adults who would otherwise continue to smoke.



Scientifically substantiated smoke-free products represent a public health opportunity and regulating these products differently to cigarettes is the key to ensuring that adult smokers know about and can obtain reliable information to make better choices than continued smoking.



The scientific evidence regarding smoke-free products should be trusted to inform regulations that encourage adults who would otherwise continue smoking cigarettes to choose better alternatives. However in South Africa all tobacco products are regulated in the same way as cigarettes, despite some being fundamentally different, which raises a very important question: ‘What scientific evidence is being considered or reviewed when evaluating how these products should be regulated?’

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In Science We Trust: Regulating smoke-free products differently to cigarettes

INSEAD is a school that promises cultural diversity, career development, and a network beyond comparison. With more than 60,000 alumni spread across over 170 countries around the world, both past and present students have been empowered to prosper in business globally. This has also allowed students from the African diaspora to use this synergy for business growth on the continent.&nbsp;



Imagine a school that brings people together.&nbsp; A place that builds and develops leaders who transform business and society. Enter the place of higher education and learning, INSEAD. Their <a href="https://www.insead.edu/master-programmes?AdId=Website&amp;SiteId=DP_PaidMedia_ThirdParty&amp;elqTrack=true&amp;elqTrackId=E59F1C141317035E44D2DED16A46A074&amp;marketingSource=DP_ForbesAfricaEDM&amp;utm_campaign=DP_ForbesAfricaEDM&amp;utm_medium=PaidMedia&amp;utm_source=ThirdParty">Master programmes</a> are creating positive change with people globally, from different generations and from all walks of life.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fast-track-to-the-top">Fast Track to the Top</h3>



INSEAD’s Master programmes offer a state of readiness.&nbsp;



Rudolph Bella, an Ivorian Director at Emerging Capital Partners (ECP), started his career at a “Big Four in France”. After moving to Africa in the mid-2000s, he found himself managing finance teams in more than ten countries including Senegal, Tanzania, South Africa and Cameroun.&nbsp;



“This made me realize the many opportunities offered by our vibrant continent, but also the diverse African cultures one needs to adapt to when we have regional responsibilities,” he says to FORBES AFRICA.&nbsp;



This is when Bella began to think about the next steps in his career and INSEAD’s Global Executive MBA (GEMBA) programme sat at the top of his mind.&nbsp;



“&#8230;Given my work seniority I decided to join the GEMBA programme, which allowed me to meet with peers of similar and more working experience,” Bella says who graduated in 2011.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-citizens-of-the-world">Citizens of the World&nbsp;</h3>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cezanne-pic-1024x683.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-51578" width="338" height="226" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cezanne-pic-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cezanne-pic-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cezanne-pic-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cezanne-pic-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cezanne-pic.jpeg 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 338px) 100vw, 338px" /><figcaption>Cezanne Maherali</figcaption></figure></div>



Kenyan Alumna Cezanne Maherali, Head of Policy for Uber in the Middle East and Africa, sits down with FORBES AFRICA and attests to how INSEAD has prepared her to become fearless in venturing out into the world of business.&nbsp;&nbsp;



After graduating from her MBA with INSEAD in 2010, she recalls how she had a “once in a lifetime opportunity” to move to Nairobi to be part of the founding team to launch the Kenyan offices for McKinsey &amp; Company.&nbsp;



A few years later, in 2015 when Uber had just moved into the city, she was headhunted by a fellow INSEAD graduate from South Africa, who had just set up their offices in London. She was told about an opportunity to join the business, and though she had no transport industry experience, she “dived in headfirst”.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“This is the thing that INSEAD prepares and trains you for,” Maherali says. “You&#8217;re not afraid of the unknown. You just jump in with both feet and you say ‘okay, sink or swim, let&#8217;s figure this out’.”&nbsp;



Bella also states that despite more than ten years’ of working experience, INSEAD has added value to roles he has had procured in private equity.&nbsp;



“Being able to assess all potential risks and decide what to invest in or not, requires complete skillsets in various disciplines, which are usually built by experience in PE. But with programmes like those at INSEAD, the knowledge and learning you gain can also help fast-track these skillsets, especially in Africa, where investments have more growth stories than financial leverage,” he explains.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rigour-and-relevance-of-the-curriculum">Rigour and Relevance of the Curriculum</h3>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Abdulhameed.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-51501" width="293" height="293" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Abdulhameed.jpg 200w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Abdulhameed-150x150.jpg 150w" sizes="(max-width: 293px) 100vw, 293px" /><figcaption>Abdulhameed Obileye</figcaption></figure></div>



Fearless is not only the name of the game when you leave INSEAD but even while you are actively studying there. Speaking to FORBES AFRICA from Singapore, Master in Management (MIM) Nigerian student Abdulhameed Obileye agrees with Maherali’s sentiment.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The MIM programme, in its first year, was an aspiration for Obileye as INSEAD has always been his “dream school”. So much so that he was willing to take the risk of being part of the first year of the programme at “one of the finest global business schools in the world”.&nbsp;



“I think part of being a pioneer means that we were willing to take the risk on a programme that wasn&#8217;t tested. But then, based on INSEAD’s reputation and the quality of their faculty, it was well worth it,” Obileye says.&nbsp;&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-value-of-diversity">The Value of Diversity&nbsp;</h3>



Aside from being advert risk-takers, other advantages that come through when pursuing any of the master’s programmes at INSEAD is that you are exposed to diversity beyond measure.



“One of the most important things that you come out of INSEAD with is learning how to work with people from diverse backgrounds. In the first section of our course at INSEAD, we were put into study groups with people from different countries, as well as different personal and professional backgrounds. This taught us how to navigate diverse business situations, taking individual cultures and experiences into account,” Cezanne Maherali says.



“INSEAD helps you think globally,” Obileye adds.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-power-of-the-network">The Power of the Network&nbsp;</h3>



The alumni network is something the business school prides itself in. 



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="300" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/rudolph-bella.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-51602" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/rudolph-bella.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/rudolph-bella-150x150.jpg 150w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption>Rudolph Bella</figcaption></figure></div>



“The network at INSEAD is very broad, which is unique and special about the school, as they have infiltrated all of these other different networks that I&#8217;m a part of,” Maherali says who explains that there was a group of INSEAD alumni who were part of the McKinsey network as well.&nbsp;&nbsp;



For Obileye, the network he has gained so far has given him a range of opportunities that even he knows will have a long impact, even after he graduates from the MIM.&nbsp;



“It’s difficult to quantify how amazing the network is,” he says. “It’s a tight-knit community.”&nbsp;&nbsp;



Bella adds to this by stating: “I guess once you have gone through the INSEAD ranks, people are convinced that real leaders should always try to alleviate others. This is a lesson that one learns at INSEAD: Business should be a force for good.”

EMBA class (2)

INSEAD- A Business School for the World

Launching from a garage 18 years ago, SMSPortal has grown into a billion-rand business, remaining ahead by focusing on what it does best – delivering SMS marketing to consumers.



It is something of a stereotype that successful entrepreneurs tend to launch their businesses from their garage, but even stereotypes have a grain of truth in them. This has certainly been the case for Charles Stretch and James Pearce, co-founders of SMSPortal. Some 18 years ago, the two then-university students launched a side business from a place where cars are traditionally parked in order to earn some extra cash, only to find they had stumbled onto a concept that could be turned into a career.



Today, SMSPortal has over 10 000 customers across the continent and beyond, is the largest business of its kind in Africa, and has an annual turnover in excess of R1 billion.



Pearce explains that the company was born out of another business the two initially launched, Blue World.co.za. At the time, he explains, digital cameras had recently hit the market, and the idea was to visit clubs and festivals, take photos of those attending and then post these to a website. People who had been at the event were then required to register and log onto the site to view their photos. “What this created for us was a substantial database of people and the areas where they lived. We soon had pubs, clubs, functions and festivals contacting us, asking us to assist in marketing their event to our database. After considering several approaches, we decided on SMS as the most suitable tool,” he notes.



“SMS was the logical channel of choice, so we built a rudimentary SMS gateway that could load sets of numbers and the message the client wanted, could be disseminated to people in the area and we began sending these out on behalf of our new clients.”



This was the foundation for SMSPortal, although plenty of work was still required to make it the huge enterprise it is today. The business needed to work on not only better dissemination of the message, but also the speed at which messages could be pushed through. For comparison, Pearce points out that in the beginning, the company was processing around one SMS every eight seconds, compared to the present, where the company can send between three and four thousand messages a second.



Once they had made these improvements, they began to diversify away from the clubs that had been their bread and butter, moving into a range of new fields, including lead generation, debt collection, banking and marketing for a number of blue-chip organisations and stock exchange companies – anyone, he says, that had a message they needed to get out at scale.



Keys to success



Stretch suggests that one of the keys to their success was that, as two naive students, they approached their challenges with the simple mantra of putting one foot in front of the other. “We had no massive capital behind us, no board of directors or business advisors to assist. We merely took it a step at a time and as we found we needed more for the business – whether it was new premises, staff or dedicated servers – we worked on acquiring it.”



“We had the distinct advantage of having come straight out of university, so we had no dependents or any of the other additional expenses people find themselves facing in later life. Our overheads were low and our cost base was non-existent, so we could afford to take bigger risks,” he points out.



This approach to the business has enabled it to achieve steady, organic growth throughout the years, although Stretch adds that since this was essentially their first real job, their



business credentials are effectively ‘qualified by experience’. “We had no real plan to take over the world originally, we just saw a demand for this service and decided to do what we could to meet it. Obviously, we have learned some hard lessons along way, and made our mistakes, but overall, the journey has been great.”



Pearce adds that SMSPortal has achieved the kind of growth now that the next step is to begin looking beyond SA. The company does go where its clients require, he says, growing with them into new territories, but adds that not every other region has a network infrastructure that is as advanced or comprehensive as SA’s, which adds to the complexity.



Asked about the advent of services like Whatsapp and whether these pose a threat to their business model, he suggests not. This is because these services tend to focus on person-to-person messaging, which is not the space in which SMSPortal plays.



“We are an app-to-peer (A2P) messaging service, ideal for commercial entities that need to disseminate millions of messages quickly. SMS is the only ubiquitous technology for this purpose that doesn’t require the installation of an app, it doesn’t need data connectivity, or Wi-Fi, or even a smart phone, and it remains carrier-agnostic. If you have a number, regardless of the phone you use, we can communicate with you – I think this is the key reason our business continues to grow,” notes Pearce.



Staying ahead of the pack



Stretch suggests that the partners thrive on success and went into the business with a view to being successful and providing a good service. “For us it has always been about passion for the business – the money has followed, but it was never the central goal.”



“Of course, we aim to remain successful, and our goal is to continue to be the number one SMS aggregator in Africa. This is actually more difficult than becoming the number one in your field, because of course, the tallest tree gets the most wind and is the one everyone wants to cut down to size. Nonetheless, we continue to have fun as we work to retain this position.”



He adds that one of the keys to their ongoing success has been retaining a tight focus on what they do well. They have always remained focused on their core business, without being greatly concerned about what the competition does. He explains that although they are not ignorant as to what their rivals are doing, they never undertake kneejerk responses to something new the competition does.



“By keeping focused and believing in our business we have risen to top,” states Pearce, “rather than buying into the hype narrative that is so often prevalent in the ICT space. We also know there are plenty of legs in our business – internationally, some competitors who play in this space are listed on the New York or London stock exchanges, so we still have a long way to go to emulate this level of success. Nonetheless, we have achieved continuous growth for 18 years, simply because we have attended to our bird in the hand, rather than chasing the two in the bush.”



So what words of advice do they have for entrepreneurs who are only now looking to launch a business?



The two are adamant about one thing: “Always focus on your passion. Don’t do it only for the money. People can see when you are passionate, and that is an attractive quality to customers. If you enjoy what you do and give 110%, you are more likely to succeed than if you are simply trying to get rich. Besides, you can have a ton of money in the bank and still be miserable if you are doing something you don’t really love &#8211; and that’s no way to live life!”

Co-founders

From student entrepreneurs to billion-rand business

In that famous line from the 1967 film “The Graduate,” an older man gives Benjamin Braddock that one word of advice. Now, the economic future belongs to “sustainable” because of consumer demand driven by an overwhelming desire to do right by society, economy and the environment.



This underscores a need for new models of housing, as the older ones will not hold their value by today’s Renewable Energy Standard. Meaning the next generation of home buyers, who are mostly urban with trendy lifestyles, will be quickly drawn to a more energy efficient model of living.



Considering the post-pandemic effect, many young and future buyers will want and are attracted to houses with smart functional spaces fit for work-from-home lifestyle, a central bar area and coffee nook, large windows for ample light, energy star appliances with large open table areas to encourage social interactions and family time.



The quest for modern solutions led 28-year-old Noah Ibrahim, a graduate of Mechanical Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Osun State, Nigeria to setup Novarick Homes and Properties in 2019. 



The company was selected twice (2019 &amp; 2020) among the Top 100 fastest-growing SMEs by Businessday Nigeria and inducted as a Member of the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) on July 23, 2020.



As described by Wikipedia, sustainable living is a lifestyle that attempts to reduce an individual’s or society’s use of the Earth’s natural resources and one’s personal resources. This means prioritizing the use of natural and renewable resources instead of creating excess waste and depleting the resources for future generations.



So in 2020, the real estate firm commenced the development of a green building with IFC Edge Certification at Ruby Apartments after initiating the Nova Gardens, WAZOBIA Court and Earl’s Court in the heart of Ibeju-Lekki. The premium private green project when completed will run on renewable energy supply with fantastic architecture, interlocked roads, underground electrification backed by very good drainage system.



During an interview, CEO of Novarick Homes, Noah Ibrahim shared the company’s plan to deliver 300 units of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom bungalows by the end of 2022, using a newly acquired 3D House Printing Technology which has the capacity to produce a single unit within 48 hours.



Ibrahim elaborated on the plan to revolutionize the real estate industry using an advanced construction technology. The new 3D House Printing will not only reduce construction time, but also save the cost of construction by over 45% per unit without compromising quality and standards.



Novarick Homes and Property is driven by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals &#8211; to provide affordable and clean energy, 



innovation and infrastructure, funds for industries, build sustainable cities and communities. By 2025, the company aspires to have become truly Pan-African, with well-grounded investments in commercial and industrial real estate across different African Countries. 



Novarick plans to provide eco-friendly houses for over 1000 homeowners and partner with the Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK) in Nigeria to plant 5000 trees in the next 5 years. Finally, research has shown that the homes of the future will offer a combination of renewable energy solutions with the ability to harness electricity especially in remote locations which are not connected to a national grid. Innovation has also shown that solar panels can be installed on rooftops to eliminate the challenge of finding space around the house for equipment.

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Creating A Renewable And Sustainable Lifestyle The Novarick Way

Ordering online should be as simple as clicking through a checkout page of an ecommerce site, but as we know, waiting on delivery can flip the convenience of online shopping into a logistical nightmare.



Even if a courier informs you that delivery will take place on a specific day, figuring out when it will actually take place generally feels impossible. So, you hit pause on your day, wait on delivery and just when you think it’s ok to slip out for an errand, you get the ill-timed delivery text — your courier is outside. And that’s just if you live in the city.



For those living in townships, smaller towns, villages and rural areas, online shopping comes with even more potential frustrations. Informal housing, inconclusive addresses and poor infrastructure characterise these environments and excludes a large portion of the population from affordable access to the wealth of goods available online.



Such an unpredictable delivery landscape has made it challenging for businesses to deliver the convenience ecommerce is premised on. But as with all things where there is need, innovation is not far off.



It is precisely this challenge that entrepreneurs, Lars Veul and Derk Hoekert, set out to solve by starting the logistics company Pargo in 2015.



“Both Lars and I have a background in the ecommerce space. We initially moved to South Africa to assist with the expansion of Groupon in 2012. Back then, most ecommerce companies were deterred from using the national Post Office due to poor digital integrations, frequent strikes and service shutdowns; just as unreliable were the independent courier services, which couldn’t afford to make door-to-door deliveries to remote, nevermind unmarked addresses. We soon realised that the problems for ecommerce posed by the country were about as great as its promises and thus Pargo was born.”, says Derk Hoekert, co-founder of Pargo.



Pargo is a smart logistics technology platform that offers businesses a choice of data-led delivery services all aimed at making the delivery process more accessible, affordable and convenient. The core of Pargo’s business is a network of over 3,000 branded pickup points that are located strategically across the country.



This network offers businesses a distribution infrastructure covering over 87% of South Africa’s postal codes, which they can leverage to reach any customer easily, no matter where they live. The pickup points function as Click and Collect delivery hubs that online shoppers can visit to collect their orders.



Though the concept of Click and Collect as an alternative delivery method quickly entered the broader lexicon, selling it to the public in 2015 proved just as challenging as the problem Pargo initially sought to solve. Lars explains,



“The problem with starting Pargo was twofold. First, we needed to find stores that would agree to become Pargo Pickup Points and second, we needed retailers to buy into our click and collect model to send customers to the stores. We tried everything from pitching to all the large retail groups in the country to literally driving around towns on our bikes and ‘cold walking’ into stores at random, but we just got no after no after no.”



“Our big break finally came when the Media 24 company, Leisurebooks, started looking for an alternative to SAPO, and Freshstop at Caltex and Vee’s Video agreed to partner with us as our first pickup points.”



“The first twelve months soared! We accomplished a 49% month-on-month order growth, and our network of pickup points rocketed to 500 across South Africa in a matter of months. It was a hectic time on the road. I recall pitching in Soweto one day, flying out to Durban the next day for a client meeting and then driving around small towns in the Western Cape like Clanwilliam, Robertson and Villiersdorp over the weekend looking for potential local pickup point partners. Though it was a crazy time, it gave me invaluable insight into many of the infrastructural challenges South Africans face daily.”



Though the early months set Pargo on a blazing trail, disrupting the logistics industry in South Africa in their way, the company also succumbed to many of the hardships startups face.



“In 2016, we were dealt a devastating blow when Leisurebooks, which was our largest client and currently generating around 90% of our revenue, liquidated.”



Derk recalls,



“We scrambled the following months getting Pargo back on track, and for a while, it looked really bad. But luckily, during the 2nd half of 2016, companies started buying into our model. We signed big client, like Spree, OneDayOnly and Clicks who is still an important pickup point partner till today. Thanks to these partnerships, we raised our first round of capital in 2017 — we’ve had high growth since.“



In 2021, Pargo reported that their <a href="https://www.moneyweb.co.za/news/south-africa/delivery-pick-up-points-on-the-rise-as-ecommerce-grows/">Click and Collect orders grew by 153% over the prior year</a>, indicating that there is a growing need for alternative methods of delivery in South Africa. This trend is confirmed by many South African businesses, including The Foschini Group, Mr Price and Takealot, who have also started offering Click and Collect as a delivery method.



“We’ve noticed that the main reason why our Click and Collect model is so popular is that it addresses the unique challenge of access in South Africa head-on. Many South Africans are precluded from the ease at which goods can be bought online because they, for instance, live in informal housing, don’t have recognisable addresses or call far outlying areas home. For them, it can be much easier and less expensive to simply visit their local store to collect their online shopping.”



2020 catapulted many businesses into the digital sphere for the first time, and with COVID-19 and its accompanying national lockdowns still influencing consumer behaviour, this trend is likely to continue.



As a result, more people are buying online and with it comes a new set of expectations. According to a study published by Accenture, 60% of consumers choose a retailer based on the availability of their delivery options. Businesses need to take these expectations into consideration when going digital and account for the unique logistics landscape of South Africa if they want to be successful in ecommerce.



On Pargo’s plans for the future, Lars elaborates



“This year, we are expanding our network of pickup points even further, especially in townships, and planning the launch of several new products all aimed at giving businesses greater flexibility in their last-mile logistics strategy. These products will ensure that businesses can offer all their customers the full extent of the convenience online shopping promises.”



“Ultimately, we envision a time when there will be a Pargo Pickup Point around the corner of every African to realise our mission of creating access for anybody in Africa.”



Interested in using Pargo Pickup Points for your business? Get in touch with <a href="https://pargo.co.za/business-sign-up/">Pargo</a>.

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“Smart Logistics Make South African Ecommerce Accessible To All”

For you and me, and millions of people worldwide, we have the means to prove who we are. Via ID cards, driver licenses, birth or marriage certificates, household bills, an officially recognized document is never farther than arm&#8217;s length for most of us.



But there are over 1bn people out there who do not have this privilege. Because <a href="https://blogs.worldbank.org/voices/global-identification-challenge-who-are-1-billion-people-without-proof-identity">according to the World Bank</a>, an estimated 1bn of the world’s population face substantial challenges proving who they are. And because of this, they can encounter issues in getting access to work, education, finance, e-commerce, and many other facets of daily life that most of us&nbsp; take for granted.



In fact, much of the structural and institutionalized inequality in the developing world can be linked to a lack of verifiable identity. With blockchain, this no longer needs to be the case. By enabling someone to prove who they are, blockchain technology can provide the gateway to equality, and the key to unlocking economic growth and levelling up opportunity.



Blockchain-based ecosystems are fertile grounds for solutions to longstanding technological and societal challenges, and the provision of identity is just the beginning. We recently unveiled the largest –and the most significant – blockchain technology deployment ever. Our partnership with the Ethiopian Ministry of Education will provide a blockchain-based digital identity for 5 million students and teachers. Using our Atala PRISM digital ID solution built on theCardano blockchain, we’re creating a nationwide attainment recording system that will verify attendance, grades, monitor school performance, and boost education across the country.



This novel application of blockchain technology in education is focused on improving academic outcomes. Yet by providing verifiable proof of qualifications and identity, beyond education, it will open up work opportunities both locally and abroad.



Atala PRISM is built on the principle of Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI), which refers to an individual&#8217;s ability and entitlement to have and retain control over their credentials, without being forced to use a centralized, third-party authority as an intermediary. This &#8216;gatekeeper&#8217; role is removed, handing control of the individual&#8217;s identity credentials back to the individual and giving them a way to securely store their identity data.



SSI places the individual, rather than the organization, at the center of the identity framework. This means that SSI is the new paradigm for any user-centric identity management solutions, and cannot be locked down (centralized) to any one entity, locale, or geographical location.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-next-for-blockchain">What&#8217;s next for blockchain?</h4>



Effectively, a decentralized identity built on the blockchain to common and agreed standards acts like an identity passport, opening up access to a host of services never available to an individual before. Blockchain pushes power to the edges, empowering thousands and potentially millions on equal identity terms, providing access to education, work, proof of ownership credit, and much more. Blockchain connects, but also liberates. It connects people with each other, and with opportunities to grow and develop as individuals. And this technology liberates the individuals from the constraints imposed by lack of identity, opening up a range of possibilities that had hitherto remained just beyond their reach.



Access to education and identity are just two of blockchain&#8217;s many enabling powers. The decision by the Ethiopian Government to utilise the Cardano blockchain to deliver key government services is just a seed that can grow into that all-encompassing connectedness that blockchain technology can generate. Future expansions into other aspects of society, such as civil registries, micro-loans, transport, etc., could very well place Ethiopia on the world&#8217;s pole position for the blockchain race.

Forbes-Facebook_V2A

ID, The Unlikely Key to Economic Growth in The Developing World

Celebrating its two-year anniversary, the Lusaka-based Medland Hospital continues to deliver affordable, accessible and patient-centred healthcare throughout the pandemic.



Access is still the greatest challenge to health care delivery in Africa. Fewer than 50% of Africans have access to modern health facilities. Many African countries spend less than 10% of their GDP on health care. As a land-linked country with a young population, Zambia’s need to increase and improve its medical services have amplified with the rise of non-communicable diseases, lifestyle changes and rapid urbanisation.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/WhatsApp-Image-2021-05-09-at-4.49.20-PM-1024x768.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-51172" width="665" height="499" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/WhatsApp-Image-2021-05-09-at-4.49.20-PM-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/WhatsApp-Image-2021-05-09-at-4.49.20-PM-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/WhatsApp-Image-2021-05-09-at-4.49.20-PM-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/WhatsApp-Image-2021-05-09-at-4.49.20-PM-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/WhatsApp-Image-2021-05-09-at-4.49.20-PM-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 665px) 100vw, 665px" /></figure></div>



Medland Hospital was launched in June 2019 to provide highly specialised medical services for Zambians and citizens within the region. Medland is the first private facility to introduce a full time operational cardiovascular surgery department in addition to advanced surgical oncology and orthopaedic services. Other medical, surgical and anti-aging specialties are also available using cutting edge technology.



By providing a sustainable infrastructure that delivers international standards across all levels of the healthcare system, Medland ensures that the patient experience in their facilities can match any facility outside the continent. “The International Standards and the National guidelines are key drivers in our daily operations,” states Dr Mohamed El Sahili, CEO of Medland Health Services. “However, what differentiates our facility is the fact that we deliver affordable, accessible and high quality healthcare to everyone in Zambia and the region.”



While the COVID-19 pandemic has affected every facet of the economy, Medland was affected just eight months after its opening. Nevertheless, the hospital responded swiftly setting up a COVID-19 response committee well before the World Health Organisation declared the outbreak a pandemic. They immediately moved into putting together an anticipated list of challenges; looking closely at the areas of supply chain, human resources and other details which would affect the overall day-to-day running of the hospital. With the guidance of public authorities, Medland became one of the first accredited hospitals in Zambia to conduct PCR screening tests through its existing PCR laboratory.



With the advent of international travel bans, Medland Hospital quickly became the facility of choice for services that patients used to seek abroad, fulfilling one of their chief objectives. The hospital benefitted from the increased contact with locals, cultivating a solid bond built on trust and accountability with patients and the community. To strengthen this communal bond, in May 2021, Medland sent its Q-Medland Units to decentralise access to COVID-19 related services. “In two years, these units may be serving our communities, specifically those in rural areas, by



addressing health issues and assisting in raising awareness among the general population,” points out Dr El Sahili.



Dr El Sahili believes strongly in partnerships and teamwork to provide the highest patient-centred care. The School of Mental Health at Johns Hopkins University now implements a programme to support people with mental health issues while other relationships have been developed with oncology research institutions to provide updated protocols when it comes to chemotherapy. Medland Hospital is also a member at the International Hospital Federation and one of the first 100 signatories to Ethical Principles in Healthcare (EPIHC) worldwide. Dr. El Sahili himself sits on the board of the Africa Healthcare Federation and the Corporate Council on Africa, lending further credibility to Medland’s prestige.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/medland-health-1024x493.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-51173" width="671" height="323" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/medland-health-1024x493.jpeg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/medland-health-300x144.jpeg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/medland-health-768x370.jpeg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/medland-health-1536x739.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/medland-health.jpeg 2001w" sizes="(max-width: 671px) 100vw, 671px" /></figure></div>



As Medland Hospital looks forward to its two-year anniversary on June 29, it is proud to have raised the bar for healthcare services in the country and region, especially during this unprecedented and tumultuous period. Never settling for ordinary, the hospital has just launched its education programme, improving its capacity building and allowing a more technical transfer of skills across its team. “After two years, we have stayed true to our mission and vision,” states Dr. El Sahili. “Today, through our partnerships with the Ministry of Health and the multiple local and foreign insurers, Medland Hospital is giving affordable access to quality medical services to everyone.”



As the world slowly charts its exit from the COVID-19 pandemic, attention has been turned towards enhanced global collaboration to ensure health systems emerge from it stronger, more prepared and more people-centred. Within its two short years, Medland Hospital has utilised its partnerships and innovative services to become a benchmark for patient-centred healthcare on the continent. Through its visionary leadership, the Lusaka-based facility has demonstrated it is well-suited to answer to the many healthcare needs of the Zambian people, and those in neighbouring countries. “We have learned that a clear, futuristic and innovative vision must always be put in place for the organisation to succeed,” states Dr El Sahili. “At Medland Hospital, we know how to listen and fulfil our patients’ needs and expectations.”



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/PK_5000-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-51170" width="510" height="339" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/PK_5000-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/PK_5000-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/PK_5000-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/PK_5000-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/PK_5000-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 510px) 100vw, 510px" /></figure></div>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">&#8220;What differentiates our facility is the fact that we deliver affordable, accessible and high-quality healthcare to everyone in Zambia and the region.” -Dr Mohamed El Sahili, CEO of Medland Health Services</blockquote>

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Medland Hospital: Fit-for-Future Healthcare in Africa

The pandemic has wrought a huge gap in conservation funding across Africa. A British philanthropist is taking up the challenge. 



The pandemic&nbsp;has&nbsp;had severe&nbsp;repercussions&nbsp;on&nbsp;the&nbsp;resources&nbsp;available to&nbsp;environmental&nbsp;conservation efforts&nbsp;across the globe, though the problem is particularly acute in Africa.&nbsp;In&nbsp;March, the&nbsp;<a href="about:blank">BBC&nbsp;reported&nbsp;</a>that&nbsp;conservation efforts have been reduced in&nbsp;a quarter of protected areas in&nbsp;Asia&nbsp;but in&nbsp;over half of&nbsp;protected areas in Africa.&nbsp;



Funding gaps have overwhelmingly arisen from declining tourism, which has had a drastic impact on African conservation efforts. The collapse of the international tourism industry in South Africa has effectively shut down conservation activities and caused a full-blown “conservation crisis” in the country.



The&nbsp;dearth in&nbsp;funding&nbsp;also&nbsp;stems&nbsp;from the closures of zoological and safari parks across&nbsp;the continent,&nbsp;traditionally&nbsp;substantive&nbsp;donors&nbsp;to conservation initiatives. The problem is compounded by the fact that Africa is also hit by closures across the globe.&nbsp;



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">“We want to understand the relationship between animals and the climate, and fund projects which can protect both simultaneously.”  <cite>Nick Maughan, Founder of the Nick Maughan Foundation</cite></blockquote>







The UK’s The Independent newspaper <a href="about:blank">reported</a> that losses of upwards of £200 million for UK zoos, aquariums and safari parks have forced cuts to budgets that would otherwise have been allocated to African projects. 



To add insult to injury, those usually dependent on eco-tourism have been forced into illegal poaching,&nbsp;hurting populations of already threatened species.&nbsp;According to&nbsp;<a href="about:blank">Charles Mayhew</a>, the co-founder and CEO of the&nbsp;<a href="about:blank">Tusk Trust</a> –&nbsp;a&nbsp;UK&nbsp;non-profit advancing wildlife conservation in Africa&nbsp;–&nbsp;the economic decline across the continent has created a “significant upsurge” in poaching for people “simply trying to put food on the table”.



Some&nbsp;conservationists are aiming&nbsp;to&nbsp;take up the challenge. One is Nick Maughan, whose foundation (the Nick Maughan Foundation, or ‘NMF’) works to promote progressive conservation efforts across Africa and is one of Tusk’s major donors.



Progressive conservation&nbsp;focuses on&nbsp;the&nbsp;interdependence of disparate parts of the environmental ecosystem and emphasises the potential of&nbsp;technology&nbsp;to&nbsp;protect nature&nbsp;in more sustainable ways,&nbsp;helping&nbsp;to make conservation efforts less reliant on the ebbs and flows of traditional funding cycles.&nbsp;This includes practices such as high-tech carbon sequestration schemes or the monitoring of endangered species populations by remote satellite to help the crackdown on illegal poaching.



Conservation technology has been championed by some of the world’s leading conservation organisations.&nbsp;The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) suggests that camera traps, satellites and drones can help maximise the effectiveness of conservation efforts, ecological research and citizen science. With&nbsp;more&nbsp;traditional conservation efforts hampered&nbsp;by the pandemic,&nbsp;the next decade&nbsp;is likely to see more&nbsp;progressive solutions take centre stage.&nbsp;



Maughan highlights&nbsp;that&nbsp;the protection of endangered species, though of course an end in itself, also has benefits for the environment, such that species protection and the fight against climate change can be seen as two sides of the same coin. &nbsp;



“Elephant populations in Africa&nbsp;are important to the protection of trees and foliage. At the Nick Maughan Foundation, we&nbsp;want to understand the relationship between animals and the climate and fund projects which can protect both simultaneously.”&nbsp;



Research published by&nbsp;<a href="about:blank">Science magazine&nbsp;</a>suggests that&nbsp;one&nbsp;elephant per square kilometre could increase the amount of plant mass in the forest by up to 60 tons per hectare, or&nbsp; <a href="about:blank">“enough to suck up more than 10 billion tons of carbon dioxide across Africa”.</a>&nbsp;For Maughan, the approach must be holistic. ‘Environment’ is just one of NMF’s three pillars, the others being ‘education’ and ‘community’. NMF has committed&nbsp;over&nbsp;£1m to Tusk&nbsp;supporting&nbsp;its&nbsp;wildlife conservation, community development and education efforts across Africa and much more to other conservation initiatives.



Progressive conservation means cultivating the next generation of&nbsp;environmental leaders through inspiration as well as education.&nbsp;Through its sponsorship of Tusk’s annual Wildlife Ranger Award,&nbsp;NMF seeks to&nbsp;recognise&nbsp;the&nbsp;heroes of today&nbsp;as a means of inspiring the leaders of tomorrow.&nbsp;Last year’s winner was&nbsp;<a href="about:blank">Amos Gwema</a>, a&nbsp;wildlife intelligence&nbsp;officer working with local communities throughout Zimbabwe to&nbsp;map and dismantle&nbsp;poaching networks.



NMF&nbsp;has&nbsp;big&nbsp;ambitions to&nbsp;help overcome funding gaps across the continent, and is understood to be in the process of identifying a range of further organisations with whom to collaborate for the most long-term impact.&nbsp;

Nick Maughan

Environmentalism 2.0 – Why We Need Progressive Conservation

The world is waking up to Africa’s creative power, and it is more important than ever for us to take this opportunity as we continue developing our creative industries. As we mark Africa Week, Yolisa Phahle, CEO General Entertainment and Connected Video at MultiChoice, emphasises the economic benefits of investing in our local industry and the need for people to see themselves represented in the entertainment they watch. 



Africa’s star is rising. The continent is taking its place on the global stage as demand for our unique and exciting contribution to the world increases. Africa’s presence is finding expression in numerous fields, but in few areas has it been as pronounced as in the creative arts and entertainment.



Who did not celebrate the appearance of African brands like Maxhosa by Laduma at New York Fashion Week?



Who, indeed was not excited to see our cultures taking pride of place in movies like Black Panther, or in Beyonce’s extended video for Spirit + Bigger?



Listen to the Alicia Keys Wasted Energy remix featuring Tanzania’s Diamond Platnumz, and tell me it doesn’t warm your African heart!



These are real signs of African achievement, and an acknowledgement of the rich culture that has inspired people in so many other parts of the world. Authentic representation matters: global audiences are hungry for new voices and being positively acknowledged at home and abroad inspires us to create even more.



However, these are small steps and there remains a lot to do to ensure that Africa’s true potential is realised. While seeing ourselves on screen is certainly progress, it is not yet true representation when it is through the eyes of others. It is unbelievable that our pre-colonial history has still barely been told from the African perspective.&nbsp;&nbsp; The story of Vikings, of Columbus and many western historical dramas have been used to educate audiences whilst so many of our stories remain untold.



There is much work to be done to ensure that Africa’s people see themselves accurately reflected in the content that they consume. And that’s where we as consumers, producers, broadcasters, teachers and as a community have a role to play.



Much as Africa is underrepresented in the rest of the world, there is still room for more African content to be shared on Africa’s own media platforms.



At Multichoice, we are proud to be a part of this journey, helping to create platforms and make investments that support this evolution.



As content producers, we also understand how critical it is that we not only tell our own stories, but that we do so using the highest possible standards and production values. We need to raise the bar so that we can also play on the international stage alongside countries like Brazil, India, Turkey, and South Korea. But more importantly we need to be the best we can for our audiences who deserve nothing less and are highly appreciative of the added enjoyment that quality, locally resonant storytelling provides. Quite rightly they are also unforgiving of anything that falls short of the high standards they have come to expect.



To help to realise this vision, we take a “hyperlocal” approach, producing relevant content within the respective regions of our continent, as opposed to a one-size-fits-all strategy with generic African and international content.



We have found an almost insatiable appetite for authentic local content. The more local entertainment we serve, the less international content audiences choose to watch! African audiences, like others across the world, respond enthusiastically to seeing themselves, and their communities represented by homegrown productions in their language. In the last few months we have launched the first Pan African lifestyle channel.&nbsp; Honey celebrates how we live, how we aspire to live and brings style makers from across the continent to a single destination. &nbsp;We now carry programming in 41 languages and recently added channels in Amharic and Akan.



A hyperlocal approach to content creation also often makes business sense, as even commoditised American studio content is expensive when it must be paid for in US dollars.



A rule of thumb is that content will be most successful when it reflects the values, culture, and language of its audience. It’s worth remembering that even United States content is “local” in the US. The fact that it travels internationally is largely because audiences have become accustomed to the culture after decades of the US building and driving demand for their language and cultural norms.



Homegrown, hyperlocal content strikes a blow against this homogenisation of culture by celebrating what makes us unique. At the same time, it creates opportunities for entire industries. Every time we create local content instead of simply purchasing an international series, hundreds of opportunities are created for African writers, actors, directors, producers, show-runners, caterers, stylists and others.



In South Africa, the local filmmaking industry has been facilitating international movies, series and commercials for decades. The country already exports talent and productions to the rest of the world, especially in commercial production. Now it’s time to work with our talented industries to take African &nbsp;stories further afield.



In other territories, such as Kenya, Ghana, Uganda and Nigeria, similar nodes of creative and professional excellence are taking root. We look forward to a time when every country on the continent is producing world-class, authentic, and locally relevant African content for its own audiences, and the diaspora.



As we mark Unesco Africa Week – fittingly, with the theme &#8220;Peace, innovation and sustainable development in Africa&#8221; – we celebrate African excellence in all creative fields. Already, our fascinating, vibrant and powerful continent is reclaiming its rightful place on the world stage. The future looks even brighter as we strive to take African stories to the world.



Let us all claim that place in the spotlight. Our people deserve to see themselves reflected in our own content, produced by our own people. That change is happening right beneath our feet. Long may it continue, and may the world come to appreciate the true value of Africa.



*Unesco Africa Week runs from May 24-30.



For more information on the MultiChoice Group’s African content offering visit  <a href="https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.multichoice.com%2Four-africa-2021%2F&amp;data=04%7C01%7CElizabeth.Fourie%40multichoice.co.za%7Ce62048bd784c47ff0ccd08d91ec7afa9%7C01ea1ee80c1541609922f383f39a19be%7C0%7C0%7C637574666327436941%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=Cd6sctquJYLkujlBZkDW6pLF7eirLpCbKQ71IxOgAyc%3D&amp;reserved=0">https://www.multichoice.com/our-africa-2021/</a>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="538" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Facebook-LinkedIn-1024x538.png" alt="" class="wp-image-51158" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Facebook-LinkedIn-1024x538.png 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Facebook-LinkedIn-300x158.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Facebook-LinkedIn-768x403.png 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Facebook-LinkedIn.png 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>

Yolisa in Black edit

African content for African people!

“By&nbsp;<a href="http://africalive.net/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AfricaLive.net</a>”



The COVID-19 pandemic unearthed the fault lines for what could be a generational catastrophe in education. Even before the pandemic resulted in school closures affecting o<a href="https://www.un.org/en/coronavirus/future-education-here">ver 1.6 billion students in at least 161 countries, more than 250 million school-age children</a> were out of school globally. 



In much of the developing world, the gap between the levels of learning that education systems provide, and the needs of students, communities and countries, has been steadily growing over the years.



Barriers to education in developing countries include political and security instability, costs, health and nutrition, distance to school, insufficient budgetary allocations to education, and poor-quality environments, content and processes. And now, even more school-age individuals are at risk of falling behind or dropping out of school permanently as the pandemic persists. This would widen inequality across an already unequal region with stark wealth, gender and social disparities, as well as stymie opportunity, innovation, and economic growth prospects—education is the cornerstone of building human capital. 



In a recent interview with <a href="http://africalive.net/interview/dr-nicos-nicolaou/">AfricaLive.net</a> Dr Nicos Nicolaou, the founder and CEO of <a href="https://www.unicaf.org/">Unicaf</a>, a leading higher education online platform with students in 158 countries, set out his vision for a more robust education sector supported by digital infrastructure.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Dr_nicolau-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-51126" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Dr_nicolau-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Dr_nicolau-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Dr_nicolau-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Dr_nicolau-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Dr_nicolau.jpg 1546w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



“In August last year, the UN Secretary-General stated that the education sector must invest in digital literacy and infrastructure and look to evolve towards learning how to learn, rejuvenate lifelong learning, and strengthen links between formal and non-formal education,” said Dr Nicolaou.



“He suggested the need to draw on flexible delivery methods, digital technologies and modernized curricula while ensuring sustained support for teachers and communities.”



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-optimising-higher-education">Optimising Higher Education</h3>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/MG_9901-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-51127" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/MG_9901-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/MG_9901-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/MG_9901-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/MG_9901-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/MG_9901-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>



A sustained increase in demand for access to education across Africa is unavoidable as populations grow, and given the role of education in modernisation and development, it is critical that governments increase higher education opportunities.



“Central to the discussion on sustainable development is the imperative of equality in higher education opportunities. Universities should offer holistic and transformational education with high-level quality content. Learning should be stimulating, engaging and learner-centric, leading to successful outcomes for the learners. Universities should inspire learners to be global citizens, assume active roles in the society they live in, and contribute to a more peaceful and sustainable world,” says Dr Nicolaou.



“Taking into consideration that tens of millions of additional students will become of university age in the next decade and the fact that there are no plans to build hundreds of new universities in the continent, the only solution is online learning,” he adds.



“The skilful use of modern technologies can enhance teaching and learning effectiveness and, thus, may substantially contribute towards the goals and objectives associated with sustainable, inclusive growth and development.”



“Distance education can eliminate current barriers to higher education in Africa, imposed by space and time, and can dramatically expand access to lifelong learning. Using flexible delivery models, students will no longer have to visit a physical location at specific times and days. A modern higher education institution, such as Unicaf University, no longer has to be at any specific physical location but, through the use of technology, can exist anywhere, anytime for students who wish to access study materials and complete a particular academic program fully online.”



COVID-19 Has Changed Education Forever



There has been a high growth and adoption in education technology around the world in recent years, with edtech investments of up to USD <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/2019-global-edtech-investments-reach-a-staggering-18-66-billion-1028800669">18.66 billion in 2019,</a> and projections for the online education market expected to reach <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/12/17/1961785/0/en/Online-Education-Market-Study-2019-World-Market-Projected-to-Reach-350-Billion-by-2025-Dominated-by-the-United-States-and-China.html">USD 350 billion by 2025</a>. COVID-19 has accelerated the transition to the wider use of technology in delivering education.



“Because of COVID-19 online learning expanded dramatically. Almost all universities had to shift to remote learning to serve their students. In a very short time, everyone had to shift from face-to-face teaching to online, using a variety of technologies. The pandemic provided the catalyst needed for universities to move online and to use digital platforms for teaching and learning,” says Dr Nicolaou.



“What was considered to be the future has been accelerated to become the present; and my expectation is that this shift is here to stay, in one form or another. Various technologies, which are employed for online teaching, will reshape learning, both inside the classroom and beyond, well after the present pandemic subsides. In the same token, regulators have realised how crucial online education is and started encouraging universities to offer online programmes,” he adds.



The Future of Online Education in Africa



Africa accounts for about 20 per cent of the world’s youth population (aged 15-24), which is also the fastest growing in the world; however, there is a dearth of quality and affordable higher education. School enrolment rates at the tertiary level stand at 8 per cent, according to the <a href="http://data.uis.unesco.org/">UNESCO Institute of Statistics</a>, significantly below the global average of 32 per cent. Online education has the potential to increase access to higher education, making it cheaper, more flexible and more accessible to a wider range of students, and that is what Unicaf does.



“Founded in 2012 and with headquarters in Europe, Unicaf is a leading higher education online platform with students in 158 countries, and also a scholarship programme, facilitating higher education studies at affordable cost. The state-of-the-art Unicaf digital platform provides access to quality university degree programmes and professional courses from reputable partner institutions in the UK, the USA and Africa, and is addressing an underserved part of the higher education market through an affordable and flexible online learning model,” says Dr Nicolaou. 



The platform’s current <a href="https://www.unicaf.org/partners/">partners</a> include Liverpool John Moores University (UK), the University of East London (UK), the University of Suffolk (UK), the University of California, Riverside Extension (USA), and a multi-campus Unicaf University in Africa—offering high-quality Bachelor, Master’s and Doctoral degrees at a fraction of the cost.



“During the pandemic, Unicaf has been able to demonstrate its capabilities and increase its reach. Unicaf’s state-of-the-art digital platform has helped thousands of students to study online towards an internationally recognised degree without being affected by lockdowns and other restrictive measures. Within the last 12 months, we have received thousands of applications from students interested to study through online programmes. This is additional proof of Unicaf’s dominance in Africa’s online education market and the strengthening of its brand and reach,” says Dr Nicolaou.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-spotlight-on-africa-s-largest-online-university">Spotlight on Africa’s Largest Online University</h3>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/CAPE-TOWN-ALL-ESSAY-WINNERS-PLUS-KEVIN-STAGE-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-51129" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/CAPE-TOWN-ALL-ESSAY-WINNERS-PLUS-KEVIN-STAGE-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/CAPE-TOWN-ALL-ESSAY-WINNERS-PLUS-KEVIN-STAGE-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/CAPE-TOWN-ALL-ESSAY-WINNERS-PLUS-KEVIN-STAGE-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/CAPE-TOWN-ALL-ESSAY-WINNERS-PLUS-KEVIN-STAGE-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/CAPE-TOWN-ALL-ESSAY-WINNERS-PLUS-KEVIN-STAGE-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>



Developments in technology and changes to the global approach to teaching—including collaborative and project-based learning, mobile-friendly learning platforms, and adaptive personal learning—are not yet used at scale in Africa. Unicaf is expanding across the continent through a growing network of university campuses and learning centres offering blended and open learning options. Unicaf currently has a physical presence in 12 African countries and has plans to expand to five additional countries within the next two years. 



“Unicaf and <a href="https://unicafuniversity.com/">Unicaf University’</a>s strategy is to continue expanding throughout Africa by obtaining additional university licences in new countries and enriching the portfolio of programmes they are offering. Along with its partner universities, Unicaf has already served more than 40,000 students, by awarding them over USD 100 million worth of scholarships to study for internationally recognised degrees at a fraction of the cost, and to positively transform their lives,” says Dr Nicolaou.



“Our software development team will continue developing new state-of-the-art technologies, aiming towards enhancing the existing technologies we use in our digital platform. Such technologies help all our operations become more efficient and more scalable,” he adds.



Unicaf’s platform provides students with several key benefits, including:



● Flexible delivery allows students to accommodate work and family responsibilities. Everything students need to complete their studies is embedded into the platform, including a digital library, e-books and other learning resources.



● Qualifications: Students can earn internationally recognised degrees from Unicaf University, or its British partner universities, at a fraction of the cost. It is accredited by the British Accreditation Council for Independent Further and Higher Education in the UK as an Independent Higher Education Provider. Students are therefore given the opportunity to earn degrees with international recognition and obtain valuable skills and credentials to enrich their professional qualities and help them advance in their careers.



● Scholarships considerably reduce the cost of fees, and any remaining balance can be paid in easy monthly instalments.



● Employment: Most students declare that they were able to find a better job, get a promotion in their current job and/or earn more money as a result of their studies with Unicaf. Unicaf University programmes are developed in collaboration with employers to meet their specific needs.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-accelerating-online-teaching-through-partnerships-between-universities-and-edtech-companies">Accelerating Online Teaching Through Partnerships Between Universities and EdTech Companies</h3>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/CAPE-TOWN-GROUP-W-URSULA-JUMP-ON-THE-WATER-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-51128" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/CAPE-TOWN-GROUP-W-URSULA-JUMP-ON-THE-WATER-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/CAPE-TOWN-GROUP-W-URSULA-JUMP-ON-THE-WATER-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/CAPE-TOWN-GROUP-W-URSULA-JUMP-ON-THE-WATER-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/CAPE-TOWN-GROUP-W-URSULA-JUMP-ON-THE-WATER-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/CAPE-TOWN-GROUP-W-URSULA-JUMP-ON-THE-WATER-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>



Unicaf has been a pioneer in international partnerships to provide opportunities for students in Africa to earn internationally recognised degrees for almost a decade. Dr Nicolaou believes that the success of such partnerships depends on “a shared understanding of the market, goodwill, close collaboration and shared interests and goals.”



The launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) this year will facilitate pan-African collaboration in higher education.



“With a population of 1.2 billion projected to reach 1.4 billion by 2040, Africa will become one of the biggest free trade areas with a very high commercial significance. This is good news for higher education too, and will heighten collaboration opportunities among universities in Africa in the areas of teaching, learning and research,” says Dr Nicolaou.



“For the African leaders of the future, Agenda 2063 sets out the need to refocus and reprioritise Africa’s agenda. Educating Africa’s future leaders is very important, as they are the ones who will strive to reposition Africa as a dominant global player. To support this goal, Unicaf continues to develop a suite of modern and affordable programmes, which offer specialist knowledge, underpinned by values-based ethical principles and practices.”



“Employability is vital for university students in Africa and is central to the mission and operation of Unicaf University.”

20190822_080032_edited-wide-1024×415-1

UNICAF Sets Out Plan To Expand to 17 African Countries Following UN Call for Investment In Digital Education

Global technology company <a href="https://www.hcltech.com/">HCL </a>Technologies has been active in South Africa since 2009. Inside a decade it has become a key component in South Africa’s economic renaissance. What is unusual is how it has done this. HCL only signs up clients who are a good fit for its unique way of working. That approach has suited South African businesses very well.



Ashish Kumar Gupta, <a href="https://www.hcltech.com/">HCL’s </a>Corporate Vice President and Head for Europe and Africa, has witnessed these developments at first hand. He describes the journey <a href="https://www.hcltech.com/">HCL </a>has undertaken and the results it has delivered for South Africa’s economy and people.



We are working right across the South African private sector, from mines to financial services and telecoms, helping our South African customers leapfrog into the future and adapt to digital technology. This country is on a path that will see it transformed into a powerhouse of multiple products and services to the global economy and HCL is investing in South Africa based on the long term.



At HCL we believe in digital transformation, giving our clients strategies that allow them to remain competitive in a global digital economy. Cloud computing is a great example of this. It uses masses of remote processing power dialled up over the internet. So, our corporate clients in sectors like oil and gas gain huge efficiencies by moving all of their IT into the cloud.



Our experience of scaling up technology in large organisations means we are active participants in South Africa’s journey to sustained economic growth with a wealthier society for all. That’s what we do at HCL and we do it well.



Technology is moving into every area of South African business and that means that the country can take advantage of its unique location, superior talent base and abundance of natural resources to play an important part in Africa and the world. Take the example of mining, a huge industry in South Africa. HCL has worked with customers to create smart mines where technology is moving people out of potentially dangerous parts of the site and managing these devices from a control centre in a safer location at the site.



Quality Service



We are selective in our clients. Our approach is not to try and win a million customers, but to keep the customer numbers low and service them in a way that drives retention and deep relationships of mutual value to the client and HCL.



HCL has just passed the milestone of $10bn in revenues because of this model, building profound alliances with customers. You could say that we are a patient organisation. We service customers in a way they haven’t seen before and we help them to grow while HCL grows.



We use centres of excellence to spread our knowledge in specialist domains. In South Africa we have established centres of excellence for SAP for Retail and CPG and for the retail and minerals and metals sectors. And our professional expertise is on display through our digital labs scheme. This creates spaces where our customers can work with us to solve any problems they encounter.



Everything comes back to our partnership model and we never forget that this is the cornerstone of HCL’s success as a business.



Energetic Employees



South Africa’s economic prospects spell out a lot of opportunities for people and that fits with our own worldview. Our Employee First philosophy means we work with our people to make their lives as hassle free as possible. Keeping employees happy and motivated means they get the time to focus on how to promote the best interests of the client and make him successful.



We tap into that positive energy through our Ideapreneurship philosophy. This allows employees to get together and work on ideas that will improve the way we deliver services to a customer. It means going above and beyond our contractual obligations and it’s one of the things that really sets HCL apart in the technology services world.



HCL is a business with a big heart. Supporting our employees and their families matters to us. Obviously the pandemic has been tough on everyone. But the positive lesson of this tragedy is that technology is more powerful than we imagined. At HCL we have helped our staff to work from home without any dip in their productivity, we have worked to ensure the employees and their families can manage the mental health issues arising out of lockdown. Technology really can change the world for the better and our people are the living proof of that.



Technology can look like a very specialised industry. But for us it’s the big picture that counts, we take a wider view of how technology fits into society. So we work with the Safe-Hub programme in South Africa, providing quality after-school training for young people. Obviously we can contribute a lot of knowledge around digital education and we want to see these students equipped with the IT skills that South Africa needs for its growth and their personal futures.



Building up a robust and also socially aware business is a priority for HCL in any country. We always set out to be a net contributor to the host economy and to have an impact on the wider community around us.



Confident Nation



From a personal perspective I have to say South Africa is absolutely the most stunning country. The people here are absolutely brilliant. They have the hunger and the attitude to succeed and the right infrastructure is here too. It’s a winning formula.



Our Johannesburg centre is now servicing clients across Africa and we plan to use it for European and US clients. So South Africa is a springboard for HCL, an energetic nation that opens doors to the world.



The South African economy will just get stronger and stronger and so will its people. We are currently hiring and training a lot of apprentices and we have a great staff retention rate. When South Africa’s bright young people come to work at HCL they stick around.



South Africa is a nation we believe in and we’re here for the long-term. We are convinced that the appetite for true partners in technology will only increase as the local IT sector expands. I’m very optimistic about South Africa and HCL’s part in its future.

Ashish Kumar Gupta, HCL’s Corporate Vice President and Head for Europe and Africa

How A High-Tech Partner Is Fuelling South Africa’s Future

It would be an understatement to say that the global working population has been through a traumatic year. Working from home (WFH) is tough on people who have school-age children and limited space to use as an office. And not everyone lives with the best technology and fastest internet connection.



Global technology company <a href="https://www.hcltech.com/">HCL </a>Technologies confronted this reality head-on. The $10 bn company has over 150,000 employees and came up with smart and generous innovative measures to keep them productive and fully engaged while adjusting to a new WFH world. During this journey, it won the Forbes award for being one of the World’s Top 30 Employers and was recognized as a Top Employer 2021 in 11 countries globally, including South Africa.



HCL Technologies Chief Human Resources Officer Apparao Venkata Varre, known as Appa to his colleagues, looks at this massive effort and tells us where the world of work is headed.



Our working worlds changed dramatically during 2020. But HCL’s experience shows how a global workforce can be empowered during a pandemic.



HCL prides itself on the duty of care and I knew that there would be a lot more on how they navigated to beating the pandemic situation, which would go beyond just distributing the hardware required to work from home. And so, the duty of care was extended to the employee’s family members as well.



So, we provided laptops, and shipped desktops along with back-up power supplies. But we also created policies that made the whole situation a lot more convenient – like additional allowance for mobile / internet data and back-up power supplies. Personal space is important, and we understand that. Which is why we offered employees the Flexi-time benefit so that they could take some time off to attend to personal commitments, because managing a home, a family and navigating this new work culture is hard.



A new leave – Pandemic leave was introduced, in which the employee can take leave up to 14 days if they or their family member was sick.



A 24/7 helpline managed by in-house HCL Healthcare clinics was put in place. Doctors and nurses provided clinical and non-clinical advisory services and emergency care to employees and family members.



Navigating this new work from home was not easy on mental health. Many found themselves stressed, anxious, and even frustrated. So, we signed up Life Coaches to care for the emotional and mental wellbeing of our employees and their families in addition to virtual events such as yoga sessions and meditation. These helped to keep spirits up in a time when things were shaky.



Constant Attention



Communication is even more important in a crisis. When a crisis occurs, you cannot say to your employees. ‘I’ll get back to you later on this matter’. We had a strategy on how we would communicate with our employees throughout the pandemic with a specially curated communication campaign &#8211; #TakeCareHCL and a COVID-19 resource microsite. And an employee volunteering program – like the buddy system, where an employee would call another employee and keep in constant touch with them to make sure they are safe and comfortable. Indigenous technology and apps helped us monitor, track and update at-scale.



But, for a lot of people who could work from home, there were many who could not. Not everyone can work from home. HCL’s own IT support staff for example, had to be running company data centres to keep the entire technology ecosystem of our clients going. So, they were provided with hotel accommodation and meals close to these HCL sites.



Employee feedback matters to HCL. Many businesses might be content to hear that 90% of their people were happy, but when this statistic crossed my desk it concerned me. What about the other 10%? You must be self-critical in pursuit of a human-centric approach to business.



This pandemic has changed our way of working. Looking ahead, I believe that by early 2022 no more than half of my colleagues will be working from their old offices on any given day. But people will still need to be part of a team wherever they are located. They must be able to collaborate with their colleagues, as that collaboration is what delivers service. So, I can see people coming to office for at least two days a week.



It is hard to say how work will evolve. There is no silver bullet. The world has never been in this situation before, it is a kind of a blank canvass. But people do need the experience of working together. I predict we will see a balance between the pre-pandemic world and the new WFH practices that have emerged worldwide.



Unique Approach



That all-important team spirit is about interacting with other people in a productive way. HCL has pioneered an approach to teamwork that we call Ideapreneurship. To anyone schooled in traditional IT services it sounds bizarre. Rather than stick to the letter of the service agreement with the customer, HCL encourages employees to work together and find ways to go further.



They search out ideas that will help the client, regardless of whether that takes HCL outside of its contracted boundaries. And if those ideas are taken up by the customer the teams who came up with them reap financial rewards.



Over 17,000 employees have contributed ideas to this program, proving that going above and beyond its contracted obligations to clients is part of HCL’s identity. It all comes down to employee involvement and passion for the job. We are all part of a virtuous circle and it scores highly with customers, who tell HCL just how much they appreciate a different level of support from a service provider.



That level of service to customers also reflects the willingness of HCL employees to go the extra mile for each other. For instance, this meant driving around delivering laptops to their colleagues during the pandemic. A lot of people have gone beyond the call of duty.



Human Priority



HCL is in the technology business, and technology does give leeway to innovation. However, it is human application that finally drives transformation. People are the key to everything.



HCL’s ongoing involvement in employee welfare extends to financial support. Not a single employee has spent their own money on hospitalization due to COVID-19. And this means their families as well. This again, goes back to our duty of care.



I am truly proud at the scale of our efforts in such an eventful year. We have done a humungous amount of work and our people have been relentless in supporting our customers too.



That positive approach meant the pandemic had no impact on HCL’s bottom line, in fact 2020 was the year we passed the milestone of $10 bn in revenues. Delivering constant support to our customers through the most difficult of times has seen revenues remain untouched by the storm that has hit global business. It pays to put people first.

Apparao VV – Chief Human Resources Officer

How a tech giant beat the pandemic by putting People First.

NESCAFÉ RICOFFY has been a part of South African lives for over 50 years, and we are taking steps to ensure that we will be around for many years to come. To us, sustainability means more than knowing the origin of our coffee beans. It means we take great pride in being able to contribute toward creating and enriching shared moments that stir pride in people’s hearts. Small victories that can go on to uplift communities and create long lasting impact from beginning to end. We are proud to announce that from source to cup, our coffee beans are now 100% responsibly sourced. South Africans can still enjoy our rich chicory and coffee blend, but now it comes with the added benefit of building a better world. Our commitment to farmers, coffee communities and the planet has never been stronger. However, the challenges of sustainability don’t end with sourcing; there is a need to renovate and rehabilitate coffee farms, as well as improve labour practices and supply chains within the industry, and these are challenges that NESCAFÉ RICOFFY is proud to step up to.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/dcaf39f7-75d5-40cd-9c1f-534c5a08571d-819x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-50676" width="412" height="515" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/dcaf39f7-75d5-40cd-9c1f-534c5a08571d-819x1024.jpg 819w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/dcaf39f7-75d5-40cd-9c1f-534c5a08571d-240x300.jpg 240w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/dcaf39f7-75d5-40cd-9c1f-534c5a08571d-768x960.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/dcaf39f7-75d5-40cd-9c1f-534c5a08571d.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 412px) 100vw, 412px" /></figure></div>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rising-to-the-occasion">RISING TO THE OCCASION</h4>



Nestlé recently launched the RE sustainability initiative in South Africa, which is aimed at reinforcing all its sustainability initiatives, strategies and resources to help mitigate sustainability challenges and strengthen its contribution to a waste-free future. The initiative will focus on three key pillars to tackle the sustainability issues: Rethink, Reduce, and Repurpose. The initiative encourages everyone – industry, civil society, consumers, and government &#8211; to rethink, reduce and repurpose in their own ways by making sustainability more practical, accessible, motivating and rewarding. We know that addressing sustainability challenges cannot be resolved without collaboration and therefore it becomes important to work with like-minded partners to drive more circular initiatives and strive for zero environmental impact.



Rethink:



This pillar speaks to rethinking and encouraging broader society to rethink their relationship with the environment. On our part, we intend to drive this by educating the public about ways in which their behaviours can be shifted to better serve the environment. Some examples include water conversation, recycling and creating responsible practices.



Reduce:



The second pillar speaks to our commitment towards reducing our environmental impact to zero. This is part of our global ambition to strive for zero impact on the environment by 2030. Therefore, we will achieve this by driving reduction across our value chain; for example, food and plastic waste, as well as operational efficiencies to reduce waste.



Repurpose:



The third pillar of the initiative focuses on upcycling and reusing materials. This is where we accelerate our circular economy business models and projects to show commitment and leadership in this space, by facilitating the elimination of single-use plastic items that cannot be recycled. Responsible sourcing is a voluntary commitment made by companies to take environmental and social factors into account when managing relationships with suppliers. This approach is an indispensable component of the NESCAFÉ RICOFFY brand strategy,



highlighting the importance of an ethically and responsibly sourced product. It’s a move that forms part of our commitment to establishing a culture of corporate responsibility. To get the best end product we needed to start at the source, because the future of great quality coffee and chicory begins with sustainable farms. Nescafé runs the largest private coffee plantlet distribution program in the world, distributing more than 180 million coffee plantlets since 2010. The venture is instrumental in driving the growth and sustainability of the industry. Responsible sourcing adds to that impact, because we know where 100% of our coffee and chicory comes from, and that it is produced in a way that makes a positive contribution to individuals, communities and the planet.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-respecting-the-bean">RESPECTING THE BEAN</h3>



Coffee has the potential to be a sustainable commodity that provides great climate benefits while ensuring improved livelihoods for coffee communities around the world. It is precisely because of these benefits that our coffee beans are now 100% responsibly sourced. All of our coffee beans can be traced back to a reputable group of supplying farmers – farmers we are actively working with in 15 different countries across the globe. Through our network of approximately 300 agronomists, we are able to visit more than 30,000 coffee farms per year, where we provide training and assistance that improves their operations and output. The production of our chicory and coffee mixture helps the industry grow by improving the abilities of our partners in the value chain, and ultimately results in a better, more sustainable product.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-plan-powered-by-pride">A PLAN POWERED BY PRIDE</h4>



To further our support for sustainable farming and the environment, the NESCAFÉ Plan is a tangible effort to Create Shared Value for farmers and communities in the coffee sector. It also allows us to consistently increase the functionality and sustainability of the value chain. In short, it’s about being more responsible to improve more lives. The NESCAFÉ Plan consists of three platforms: respecting farmers, respecting communities, and respecting our planet. Our objective is to positively contribute towards the future of great quality coffee, and that means uplifting the environment and everyone in it. Another of the plan’s focal points is to make coffee farming a more attractive activity for present and future generations of coffee farmers. The strategy has accelerated and expanded the work we had been doing for decades to ensure a long-term supply of quality green coffee and chicory.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-raising-the-cup">RAISING THE CUP</h4>



Responsible sourcing is improving the environmental footprint of both coffee farming and our own operations. From the farm to your freshly brewed cup of NESCAFÉ RICOFFY, even the chicory and sugar that we use is sourced responsibly. We continue to collaborate with expert partners and agricultural suppliers to fully understand the challenges on the ground, where changes can drive transformation, transparency and full traceability. When it comes to responsible sourcing, there are no half measures here. We thank our loyal customers for supporting our efforts to contribute to a more sustainable world. From bean to cup, there’s shared pride in every step of the process.



NESCAFÉ RICOFFY – sharing moments that stir pride.



@NESCAFERICOFFY | #NESCAFERICOFFYRESPONSIBLYSOURCED

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TASTE THE PRIDE IN EVERY CUP

“The Inside Story”



Some of the most beautiful things in life are born out of chaos, and an involuntary retrenchment for Kara-Leigh Baker in 2017, was the catalyst that propelled the dynamic mother and daughter duo, Vanessa Ralston and Kara-Leigh to pursue their passion for natural and organic products. Creating the French Lemon brand, that South Africans know and love today, was fuelled by the adoption of their beloved Russian-born bulldog Ian, who has not only become the inspiration behind the brand, but also the face on their environmentally friendly packaging.



With collective backgrounds in the corporate world, what started out as a pursuit to become purveyors of preserved lemons and other lemon edibles for mom Vanessa and daughter Kara-Leigh; soon evolved into the passionate production of 100% natural, vegan and animal friendly bath and body products. Three years later, Vanessa and Kara-Leigh have built their fledgling business into a profitable venture that has created employment and skills development for their team of ten, as well as established a respected and reputable proudly South African cruelty-free brand.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1O9A1640-683x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-50637" width="443" height="664" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1O9A1640-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1O9A1640-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1O9A1640-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1O9A1640-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1O9A1640-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1O9A1640-scaled.jpg 1707w" sizes="(max-width: 443px) 100vw, 443px" /><figcaption>Genevieve Fundaro Fine Art international wedding photographer</figcaption></figure></div>



As more people call for better ethical practices; advocates of beauty without cruelty, Vanessa and Kara-Leigh, together with their French Lemon team, are continually developing, trying and testing products that cleanse, nourish, moisturise and soothe skin from head to toe.



Vanessa has developed a series of secret recipes; their scrubs, steamers and signature scents are made to order, with their bestseller for men and women being their pumice bar. Each product in the Collection is handmade with love, and their inspiration is drawn from vigorous research, and the exploration of essential oils and the various responses that they trigger. This process results in the development of products with a purpose, that Vanessa and Kara-Leigh know their clientele would love to purchase and use.



Going back to basics, and birthed out of personal skin sensitivity, French Lemon embodies an ethos of kindness and compassion. Fanatical about what is found inside their products, their entire Collection is SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulphate) free. A surfactant found in bath and body products; and not only bad for your body, but for the environment and animals too, French Lemon uses coconut as a natural alternative foaming agent; and their products contain kaolin clay, coconut oil and shea butter. Their Collection is also palm oil free, and they do not support deforestation and the animals that are affected. Committed to the cause, their packaging is also bio-degradable, and made possible by local suppliers that provide sustainable environmentally-friendly options.



From their very first market in March 2017, French Lemon has spread their wings into Mauritius, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and while still operating a boutique production line from home in Bryanston, their plans include growing into a bigger space to accommodate their 2020 vision.



Natural and pure, the Collections, which are reimagined and reinvented every year, are suitable for women, men and children who are conscious about cruelty-free products and who also want to prevent absorbing toxins through their skin, bath and body routines.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1O9A2115-683x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-50638" width="436" height="654" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1O9A2115-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1O9A2115-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1O9A2115-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1O9A2115-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1O9A2115-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1O9A2115-scaled.jpg 1707w" sizes="(max-width: 436px) 100vw, 436px" /><figcaption>Genevieve Fundaro Fine Art international wedding photographer</figcaption></figure></div>



Vanessa and Kara-Leigh’s creativity is contagious, and with an indomitable spirit and entrepreneurial outlook, this mother and daughter team is a powerful force to be reckoned with. French Lemon has branched out into DIY scrub and lotion stations for events and parties; where the handmade process is shared with guests, who can build their own bath bombs and create signature soaps and scrubs.



The ultimate gifting solution, and a decidedly different take on soaps, scrubs, salts and scents, there is something for everyone at French Lemon.



The French Lemon Collection is available exclusively online at <a href="http://www.frenchlemon.co.za">www.frenchlemon.co.za</a>



For all Media Enquiries and PR Communication please contact Jillian Grogor on zebrasquare@global.co.za or Claudia Henkel on <a href="mailto:admin4@zebrasquare.co.za">admin4@zebrasquare.co.za</a>  +27 11 784 8112



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1O9A2244-683x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-50639" width="423" height="634" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1O9A2244-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1O9A2244-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1O9A2244-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1O9A2244-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1O9A2244-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1O9A2244-scaled.jpg 1707w" sizes="(max-width: 423px) 100vw, 423px" /><figcaption>Genevieve Fundaro Fine Art international wedding photographer</figcaption></figure></div>

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