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Please describe the expectations of the end customers that you address . What are their pain points today ?
Kyosk ’ s customers expect access to products and services relevant to their needs for running a successful small business in the communities that they serve . The right product and service catalogue must be backed by stock availability , competitive prices , on-time delivery , excellent customer support , and access to credit . These are all problems ripe for solving with innovative technology and partnerships brought together by a comprehensive platform and world-class operations that are suitable for the tough conditions faced in Africa .
To build the network effect , Kyosk ’ s digital first and data led platform must appeal to the supply side as well as the demand side of commerce in Africa . For FMCG and other physical goods suppliers the primary pain points Kyosk solves is visibility of demand in the traditional retail sector , and a way generating and fulfilling orders from a large network of traditional micro retailers across the continent .
Lastly , smallholder farmers are important economic players on the continent . Their number one pain point is lack of access to markets and means of distributing their agricultural outputs to those markets .
Which technologies and innovations can make a difference to your end customers business ?
Widespread access to mobile phones regardless of socio-economic status represent a relatively ubiquitous channel through which to aggregate demand for B2B and B2C e-commerce services . Fintechs and neobanks are making more financial products and services available to individuals and communities that have previously been excluded from the formal banking sector .
Digital payments are systematically displacing cash . Digitising identities and reputations on the blockchain are seeing early-stage development but hold great potential to facilitate more trust-based
Digital payments are systematically displacing cash . transactions despite the often absent formal identities and credit history .
The network-effect made possible by quicker adoptions via digital channels will help drive down overall cost of products and service delivery . Of course , the opportunities for AI and data science are endless if targeted carefully and responsibly .
Which non-competitive business in the region do you admire for innovative usage of technology ?
Harvett admires any business that uses technology to improve people ’ s lives . And particularly admires digitalonly banks that help people better manage their money and finances 24 / 7 exclusively from their smart phones and without ever having to visit a branch , while at the same time rewarding them for responsible financial behaviour . The overall level of innovation in fintech and blockchain has the potential to transform the economic status of individuals , companies , nations and even the entire African continent .
Which aspects of your job role do you find rewarding and which challenging ?
At Kyosk the reward definitely comes from seeing how technology helps traditional micro-retailers run their businesses better and meet the needs of their customers . The most challenging aspect is finding and keeping technical talent , especially at the midmanagement level .
How do you best like to de-stress and re-charge off work ?
I enjoy hiking or riding my mountain bike in the Cape winelands where I live , and also gardening and watching sport on TV . For longer breaks I enjoy family road trips with my wife and two teenage sons .
How do you think time-off will transform in the metaverse and in the digital world , say in the next 5 – 10 years ?
The purpose of time-off is to recharge . The ways in which humans ’ recharge are bound to evolve as technology evolves and generational preferences change . Travel will be less frequent and when it happens it might be part physical part virtual . People will not need to be physically together in order to be virtually together , and when physically together each person can explore music , entertainment , virtual worlds that they find most enjoyable and relaxing in order to recharge . p
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