business
‘‘
TALKING
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Look at how you can use digital technologies
for marketing and customer service. For
example, tools like Piktochart and Canva
let you create wonderful content for your
website like reports and infographics. Live
chatbots can be a great way to answer
customer queries in real-time and quickly.
And you can use a Google My Business
Account to create a free online listing for
your company so that you come up in the
search results when people are looking for a
local business like yours.
Doors to trade swing wide open
There isn’t yet as much intra-Africa trade as
there should be, but that is changing with
the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) set
to make importing and exporting much
easier across the continent. More than 40
countries are part of the agreement and
most of the few that haven’t signed up
yet are likely to join. This could help spur
economic growth continent-wide and reduce
costs as we start to begin to use more
products from our neighbouring countries
rather than those shipped from the other
side of the world.
32
INTELLIGENTCIO
Now is the time to start thinking about the
opportunities of cross-border trade for your
supply chain – find out about the customers
and suppliers you can build relationships
within other countries. Contact chambers of
business and international trade departments
to find out about the opportunities.
Fourth Industrial Revolution –
hope and hype
As a business owner, you may have seen
a lot of hype about the Fourth Industrial
Revolution and Industry 4.0 or 4IR. This
Fourth Industrial Revolution is driven
by connected devices and sensors (the
so-called Internet of Things), cloud
computing, advanced robotics, intelligent
software, AI, 3D printing, virtual and
augmented reality, fast mobile data (5G)
and a range of other technologies.
How does this affect me when I can’t get
reliable electricity or fibre in my city? You
might ask. But these technologies are
increasingly accessible and affordable,
allowing smaller businesses to compete
more effectively and efficiently with larger
companies. The trick is to come on board
at just the right time – not too soon for
your customers and not too late to catch
the wave.
Investigate what’s in the market as well as
how small businesses in Africa and the rest
of the world are using the technology.
Could robots and 3D printing enable new
manufacturing models for your company?
And what opportunities could cloud-based
business solutions or AI unlock for you? And
importantly, what could this all mean for
your customers and employees?
Leading Africa’s growth
Small and medium businesses in Sub-
Saharan Africa are nimble and resilient – so
this time of changing consumer behaviour,
rapidly shifting economic and social
trends, and evolving technology is ripe
with opportunity for your small business.
It’s an exciting time to be an entrepreneur
in Africa – a continent that will rise with
the help of its hardworking and dynamic
business owners. n
www.intelligentcio.com