Small businesses - The African Mirror

Jun

2023

Nigeria’s small businesses feel squeeze after petrol subsidy scrapped

IN a small factory in Nigeria's northern Kano city, Muhammad Khamis Umar stares at stacks of plastic products that have not been sold for over a week since new President Bola Tinubu scrapped a fuel subsidy, sharply driving up the cost of petrol. Most of Umar's customers came from across Nigeria's northern states to buy plastic plates, bowls and buckets in bulk, but demand has fallen since transport fares and the cost of filling a vehicle's tank surged after gasoline prices nearly tripled on May 31. "More than 80% of my customers have stopped coming to take products from us because of…

Jul

2022

By NQOBILE DLUDLA and ANAIT MIRIDZHANIAN

South Africa’s small firms take strain during severe power cuts

NEWS

SOUTH AFRICA'S small businesses, still reeling from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and squeezed by inflation at a five-year peak, are now under further strain during the worst power cuts in over two years. Struggling state electricity company Eskom implemented so-called "Stage 6" outages, meaning at least six hours of power cuts a day for most South Africans, for the first time since December 2019 on Tuesday and again on Wednesday. Business owners in Johannesburg's sprawling Soweto township said they were feeling an immediate impact as the power cuts were eating into their daily sales. "If we (normally) sell…

Feb

2021

By The African Mirror

How small businesses are making education more accessible online

EDUCATION

TANYA McCLEAN THERE is no doubt that the Covid-19 pandemic has seen a massive surge in online education, but according to two South African tech companies, the focus should also be on the quality of education and the science of learning. Zibuza.net is an online community platform for teachers which was developed by Marvel Technologies founder, Malcolm Mooi who said that while their platform was for teachers to share, collaborate and improve professional development, his team had to rapidly expand it to learners and their parents during lockdown. Mooi, a computer system engineer left the comfort of the corporate bubble…

Nov

2020

By The African Mirror

UK regulator, insurers, set for November court battle over COVID-19 case

WORLD

KIRSTIN RIDLEY and CAROLYN COHN THE UK Supreme Court will hear an appeal on November 16 of the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) test case over which insurance companies should offer payouts to small businesses battered by the coronavirus pandemic. The hearing is expected to last four days, the court said in a statement. Small businesses – from cafes and wedding planners to events businesses – have said they faced ruin after attempts to claim compensation for business losses during the pandemic, which prompted a three-month national lockdown in March followed by other restrictive measures, were rejected by insurers. The FCA,…