Sourced from Redbubble and iStock. In a rare television broadcast Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, described the COVID-19 pandemic as “Germany’s biggest challenge since the Second World War”. It has indeed proved to be a crisis of global proportion with material implications for the economies and livelihoods of all. Governments across the globe have locked down cities, towns, villages and townships to curb the spread of the virus. Massive fiscal stimuli have been enacted to cushion the economic and humanitarian impact of the pandemic. The World Bank and International Monetary Fund have set aside a large quantum of emergency financial support for countries to tap into. African countries have implemented strong containment measures to avoid further spread of COVID-19. For countries in W...
Ericsson has announced the appointment of Todd Ashton as the Vice President and Head of Ericsson South & East Africa. Prior to assuming this role, Ashton served as the Head of Ericsson Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and Global Customer Unit Axiata within Ericsson in Market Area South East Asia Oceania & India. “We are committed to our customers’ success in Africa while also building a strong position in the continent as the market evolves to 4G and 5G. Throughout his years of experience, Todd has demonstrated strong leadership and has been successful in driving growth in very competitive environments. I am confident Todd has the right background and experience to lead the customer unit and deliver on our customers’ commitments,” says Fadi Pharaon, President of Ericsson Middle E...
Sourced from SAP The outbreak of COVID-19 has caused disruption across the globe and has led to two simultaneous crises. The first is the illness itself – with tens of thousands of fatalities globally and healthcare systems strained, or at capacity. The second is an economic slump, resulting from the closing of borders and supply chain disruptions. Many countries have also imposed strict lockdown and social distancing measures. While vital to prevent the spread of the virus, it is worth remembering the very real economic impact measures like this can and are having in South Africa, and around the world. Unlike large enterprises, which often have a level of resilience built-in, many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) still rely on having customers physically present in the shop, rest...