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Unified communication and collaboration trends for 2023 (By David Meintjes)

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Omni channel communication

Omni channel communications, as predicted for the past few years, has seen rapid uptake, with businesses using websites and social media channels alongside email and audio

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, January 16, 2023/APO Group/ — 

By David Meintjes, CEO of Telviva (www.Telviva.co.za)

As businesses continue evolving to meet changing customer behaviour, the uptake and investment in cloud unified communications platforms and tools will continue to soar. Businesses are increasingly realising that they must meet customers at a time and digital channel of their choosing, which leads to increased adoption of fully fledged Omni Channel solutions (https://bit.ly/3IRq9hI). This adoption augments two core strategies in most businesses, firstly in enhancing a customer intimacy strategy and extending the lifetime value of a customer and secondly in operational efficiency which enables greater automation and integration with underlying systems.

Microsoft Teams has bedded down as a de facto internal communications tool and video conferencing as the external leg but are well behind with phone deployments. According to BMI research, only one in 25 South African Teams users make use of the phone system. This is mostly due to a higher cost than alternatives as well as a lower feature set. 

Trends that gained the most momentum in 2022

  • There was an increased reliance and need to invest in cloud security. This trend will not slow down, as high-profile breaches make cloud security one of the most important considerations for all businesses.
  • CRM platforms have evolved into fully fledged ERP solutions, with two of the most obvious examples being Salesforce and Zoho. This means that cloud-native systems such as these are going head-to-head with legacy ERP systems such as SAP and Oracle. The main driver of this is that reliance on legacy becomes a handbrake on organisations in that their time to change is too slow for the ever-evolving environment.
  • Omni channel communications, as predicted for the past few years, has seen rapid uptake, with businesses using websites and social media channels alongside email and audio (https://bit.ly/3WemQUN)
  • What started as remote working during the pandemic has shifted into “work from anywhere”. A Steelcase survey found that 87% of employees around the world prefer to work from home for one day a week. Businesses need to plan with this in mind.
  • While automation has long been touted as the biggest trend, it has seen somewhat lacklustre uptake. This is not through any disinterest or a lack of desire, but has everything to do with the underlying infrastructure and systems it relies on not being ready to support automation fully.

Looking ahead – trends for 2023

  • Voice-activated shopping to change the game

Voice-activated shopping has enjoyed huge global growth. Last year, it was expected that its value would increase from $5-billion to a staggering $19,4-billion by next year. Any business that is planning an ecommerce strategy and overlooking this will clearly be missing out on a massive opportunity. Remember, customers want to engage when and where they choose, and voice-activated shopping means they can search for, and buy, products while on the move or performing another task.

Retailers that have kiosks or showrooms in retail centres may well look at installing voice-activated systems for walk-in customers so they don’t have to wait to be helped by a person, or interact with touchscreens in the aftermath of Covid-19. For the ever-digital savvy shopper, this is an appealing channel.

  • Social buying to reach younger shoppers

This trend has been building momentum and is expected to speed up rapidly in the coming year. This is where shoppers can buy through a brand’s own website or through social platforms themselves. Live stream shopping is an interesting trend that is gaining momentum around the world and businesses should consider spending more time investigating and including social buying in their ecommerce strategies.

  • Demand for asynchronous communication to surge

Demand for Asynchronous communication will continue to increase. If we cast our minds back to when we only had email as a means of text communication with customers, it was acceptable to reply the following day. The text generation has ended this. Today, the first five minutes are crucial. If you fail to respond within those golden five minutes, there is a 90% drop-off of engagement. This need to strike while the iron is hot has opened the window for asynchronous communication systems with the ability to respond almost immediately.

  • Silos to fall faster

As noted for 2022, the move of cloud-native CRM systems into fully-fledged ERP solutions is changing the landscape. This may not be the case for some industries, such as manufacturing, but definitely is the case in businesses relying on customer engagement. The cloud-native solutions will replace traditional legacy ERP systems at an increasing pace.

  • Security security security

As noted for 2022, 2023 is no different in that cloud security will continue to be one of the biggest priorities for businesses (https://bit.ly/3WfX0Qd). Cyber criminals and high-profile breaches will keep all providers on their toes to improve and invest in security solutions. Equally, compliance will continue to attract attention due to the large amount of data being harvested. As it stands, there are clear regulations protecting consumers on some channels but not on others.

The regulation will continue to play catch up.

  • A rush to omni channel to meet changing buying behaviours

Omni channel platforms are going to become more sought after as businesses race to keep up with their ever-evolving customers. Omni channel solutions aren’t just for selling, but are crucial in information gathering in the lead-up to the buying decision. This necessitates the seamless integration of email, chat, voice, social media, and more. 2023 will see increased reliance on integrated systems that can interoperate with other cloud solutions.

  • Increased engagement via website

As this new era of communications comes fully into effect, the future uses of API integrations are becoming more clear. Many businesses are embedding pivotal unified communication features in their websites (https://bit.ly/3XbOV05) and applications. API integrations to unified communications will become more sophisticated throughout 2023 and beyond, and will expand as time progresses.

  • Rise of the machines? Not yet

Both the process and automation layers of robot process automation (RPA) will become more integrated with other technologies as end-users and RPA vendors look to build on the basic capabilities of RPA software. The concept of the digital assistant will continue evolving, whether in the form of virtual assistance or actual physical assistants, as seen in restaurants in Japan and other areas, for example. The key here, as mentioned previously, is that this technology relies heavily on the underlying systems.

Machine learning and AI-powered technology has given chatbots greater power than ever before. Currently, it is estimated that chatbots could handle up to 69% of chats from start to finish, but if businesses want to exploit this then they need to ensure that their underlying operation support systems and business support systems can support machine learning and artificial intelligence capabilities. The poor use/deployment of chatbots remains an obstacle to full scale adoption.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Telviva.

Business

Tamchy Special Financial Investment Territory on Issyk-Kul Launched in Kyrgyzstan

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Tamchy

By 2035, Tamchy aims to attract around 4,000 resident companies and create over 10,000 jobs. The expected contribution of Tamchy to the country’s economy between 2026 and 2035 is estimated at $20 bn

TAMCHY, Kyrgyzstan, July 4, 2026/APO Group/ –The President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Sadyr Japarov, has inaugurated the Tamchy Special Financial Investment Territory (SFIT) (www.TamchySFIT.com), a new international jurisdiction on the shores of alpine Lake Issyk-Kul. The first residents of Tamchy, who joined during the launch ceremony, were companies from South Korea, the UAE, Hong Kong, Switzerland and Kazakhstan. Twenty companies from across the globe are in the process of establishing residency at Tamchy SFIT.

 

The ceremony culminated with President Japarov symbolically activating a geotag-shaped switch, thus putting Tamchy SFIT, quite literally, on the global financial map.

Changes in the global economy are driving demand for new centers of business activity where international standards are supported by true freedom of innovation and long-term investment. Tamchy SFIT is our national project and our response to the needs of international businesses. We are building a financial center from scratch — with an independent court, a modern regulator, and rules that won’t change with shifting trends.I have no doubt that Tamchy SFIT will open a new chapter in the history of Kyrgyzstan,” said President Japarov.

Operating on the principles of English common law, Tamchy SFIT has its own financial regulator, an International Dispute Resolution Centre, and a single-window digital registrar. A special tax regime guarantees a 0% rate of tax on profits, dividends, capital gains, and VAT for 49 years and allows 100% foreign ownership and unrestricted profit repatriation.

 

Covering an area of about 6,000 ha, Tamchy SFIT can already boast a fully operational business center, while hotels and residential buildings are under construction. Issyk-Kul International Airport is within walking distance.

Tamchy SFIT is our national project and our response to the needs of international businesses

 

Great financial centres are built by understanding what international capital and businesses require. Tamchy SFIT offers exactly that — a trusted, flexible, and investor-ready platform for businesses seeking sustainable growth. Benchmarked to international gold standards, grounded in English common law, and positioned at the intersection of five EAEU economies and the Eurasian corridor, it offers a jurisdiction that is neutral, independent, and built to last,” said Ali Ijaz Ahmad, First Deputy Chairman of the Tamchy SFIT Management Council.

 

One of the first executives who decided to set up in Tamchy SFIT was Seo Dong Hyun, CEO of Serim.

 

“Over the past thirty years of investing in the semiconductor industry, high technology, and energy, I have come to appreciate that legal certainty and trust in the regulatory system are the foundation of long-term investment. These are the very principles on which the Tamchy SFIT was established. What is particularly remarkable is that a project of this scale was delivered in just one year—faster than in any other jurisdiction I know. Today, I registered my family holding company here. For me, this is not an investment for years, but for generations,” he said.

 

By 2035, Tamchy aims to attract around 4,000 resident companies and create over 10,000 jobs. The expected contribution of Tamchy to the country’s economy between 2026 and 2035 is estimated at $20 bn.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Tamchy Special Financial Investment Territory (SFIT).

 

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African Trade & Investment Development Insurance (ATIDI) Marks 25 Years of impact at its 2026 Annual General Meeting

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African Trade

The 2026 gathering also marks a significant milestone in ATIDI’s history, celebrating 25 years since the organisation’s establishment and recognising a quarter century of supporting trade, investment and economic transformation across Africa

NAIROBI, Kenya, July 6, 2026/APO Group/ –The African Trade & Investment Development Insurance (ATIDI) (www.ATIDI.Africa) will convene its 26th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Nairobi, Kenya, from 30 June to 3 July 2026, bringing together heads of state, government officials, investors, development finance institutions and private sector leaders from across Africa and beyond.

 

Held under the theme “Empowering Africa: Risk Managed, Growth Unlocked”, the AGM comes at a pivotal moment for the continent as African institutions seek to mobilise greater levels of investment, strengthen economic resilience and accelerate sustainable development.

 

The 2026 gathering also marks a significant milestone in ATIDI’s history, celebrating 25 years since the organisation’s establishment and recognising a quarter century of supporting trade, investment and economic transformation across Africa.

 

Hosted by the Government of Kenya, the event will provide a platform for high-level dialogue on the future of African development finance, bringing together leaders from across the public and private sectors to explore how innovative financing, risk mitigation solutions and stronger African institutions can unlock investment and accelerate growth across the continent.

 

A central feature of the programme will be the Leaders’ Panel, which will examine how Africa can build a more resilient and self-sustaining development finance ecosystem in response to shifting global capital flows, rising debt pressures and growing demand for infrastructure and industrial investment.

 

Bringing together senior political leaders, development finance institutions and trade and investment organisations, the discussion will explore how governments, regional institutions and multilateral partners can work together to mobilise domestic and international capital, reduce the cost of financing and support investment in the sectors that will define Africa’s next phase of development, including energy, manufacturing, SMEs and green infrastructure.

This is a good opportunity to celebrate 25 years of delivering African solutions to African challenges

 

The Opening Ceremony will feature addresses from senior government officials and ATIDI leadership, including Professor Kelly Mua Kingsly, Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Manuel Moses, Chief Executive Officer of ATIDI. Delegates will also hear from senior representatives of the Government of Kenya, including Cabinet Secretaries responsible for finance, trade and investment.

 

As part of the celebrations marking ATIDI’s 25th anniversary, the programme will recognise the institution’s founding members and reflect on the organisation’s evolution over the past quarter century. Since its establishment, ATIDI has facilitated over USD93 billion in critical economic sectors across Africa.

 

Alongside the policy discussions, the AGM will place a strong emphasis on investment promotion and business development. The Investor Showcase will bring together representatives from government, commercial banks, multilateral development banks and the private sector to highlight investment opportunities and strengthen engagement between investors and African markets.

 

The programme will also include a series of curated Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-Government (B2G) meetings designed to connect investors, businesses and public sector stakeholders, helping to facilitate partnerships, unlock opportunities and support long-term economic growth.

 

Professor Kelly Mua Kingsly, Chairman of the Board of Directors, ATIDI, said: “This is a good opportunity to celebrate 25 years of delivering African solutions to African challenges. As the continent seeks to mobilise greater levels of investment and accelerate development, African institutions have an increasingly important role to play. This AGM will bring together leaders from across the continent and beyond to explore how partnerships, innovation and risk mitigation can help unlock the capital needed to support Africa’s future.”

 

Manuel Moses, Chief Executive Officer of ATIDI, said: “African Solutions for Africa reflects our belief that the continent’s development ambitions will be achieved through strong institutions, innovative thinking and effective collaboration. This AGM provides a unique opportunity for policymakers, investors and development partners to come together and discuss practical solutions that can help mobilise investment at scale, strengthen resilience and support sustainable economic transformation across Africa

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Trade and Investment Development Insurance (ATIDI).

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Ghana, Seychelles and São Tomé to Spotlight Energy Investment Pipelines at Power Africa Today 2026

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African Energy Chamber

Energy ministers from Ghana, Seychelles and São Tomé and Príncipe will outline national power sector investment pipelines spanning generation, grids, renewables and supporting infrastructure at Power Africa Today during AEW 2026

CAPE TOWN , South Africa, July 6, 2026/APO Group/ –Ghana, Seychelles and São Tomé and Príncipe are advancing distinct but converging energy transition pathways, as governments shift from policy design to execution-ready infrastructure and investable project pipelines. These national strategies will be presented at the Power Africa Today conference during African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 in Cape Town from October 12–16.

 

At the center of the dialogue, Ghana’s Minister of Energy and Green Transition, Dr. John Abdulai Jinapor; Seychelles’ Minister for Environment, Climate, Energy and Natural Resources, Marie-May Jeremie; and São Tomé and Príncipe’s Minister of Infrastructure and Natural Resources, Nelson Cardoso, will outline how their respective countries are mobilizing investment across hydrocarbons, renewables and infrastructure.

In Ghana, the delivery of Jubilee crude to the Sentuo Oil Refinery in Tema marks an early step toward strengthening domestic refining capacity and reducing import dependence, supporting broader energy security and industrial fuel supply. This downstream integration is being complemented by an upstream recovery program anchored by a $3.5 billion investment drive, including a $1.5 billion agreement with Eni and a $2 billion framework with Jubilee Partners aimed at stabilizing production and ensuring reliable hydrocarbon supply for both export revenues and domestic energy needs, including gas-to-power development.

Investors are responding in kind, backing clearly structured, bankable energy projects that are ready to deliver impact at scale

At the same time, Ghana is addressing structural grid challenges through a $182 million efficiency and transmission upgrade program led by the Electricity Company of Ghana, alongside tariff adjustments aimed at stabilizing the power sector. Together, these reforms reflect a broader strategy that integrates upstream recovery, downstream expansion and grid reform within a just transition framework focused on industrialisation and job creation.

Seychelles is advancing a small-island energy transition model anchored in its Renewable Energy Accelerated Program, targeting 15% renewable penetration by 2030 through grid modernization and de-risked investment structures. Complementary reforms within the Public Utilities Corporation, including upgrades to the Roche Caiman generation facility, support broader efforts to strengthen energy resilience and diversify the island economy through blue economy initiatives.

In São Tomé and Príncipe, macroeconomic stabilization under an IMF Extended Credit Facility is enabling a more structured infrastructure investment environment. This is being reinforced by a $24.5 million African Development Bank grant, part of a broader clean energy investment package aimed at accelerating the country’s transition from diesel-based generation toward renewable energy and improved grid reliability. Recent renewable integration efforts, including small-scale solar deployment and hybrid generation systems, are supporting grid stability as the country works to reduce reliance on imported fuels and strengthen system performance.

Alongside a €72 million AfDB-supported portfolio, planned hydroelectric concessions along the Adabe River and solar development at Água Casada are being structured to attract private capital through de-risked public-private partnership frameworks, supporting efforts to expand reliable electricity access and build a more resilient power system.

“Across Africa, governments are moving decisively from policy design to implementation, turning ambition into execution on the ground,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. “Investors are responding in kind, backing clearly structured, bankable energy projects that are ready to deliver impact at scale. The Power Africa Today conference at AEW 2026 reflects this shift, bringing together governments and investors focused on moving projects from concept to execution.”

As African energy markets continue shifting from policy ambition toward execution-driven, investable project pipelines, Power Africa Today at  AEW 2026 will provide a platform for governments and investors to engage directly on strategies that can accelerate project delivery and unlock new capital flows across the continent.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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