Africa has started riding on the new wave of a
digital revolution. From the travel industry to retail, transportation and
entertainment,
digital disruption is changing the face of several industries.
The retail industry has in recent times been rattled by the gradual shift to
online shopping. Several brick and motar stores have been hit by this giant
wave, resulting in the folding up of multiple businesses.
Using the music industry as a case study, an
industry that has enjoyed the rewards of digital disruption. A practical
example, Sony went from selling vinyl record albums to selling CDs at walk-in
stores and moved to the sales of digital music to costumers via smart phones.
This type of “digital disruption” is hitting all industries and you have to
find out whether you and your company are prepared for the transformation.
Another dramatic change in the last few years
has been how companies now look forward to a different type of leadership.
Several companies are now looking toward leaders who are willing to embrace new
technologies. Therefore, it is imperative that today’s leaders be prepared
(dynamic and forward thinking), as companies make a shift from traditional ways
of doing business to undergoing a digital makeover.
According to several recent studies,
despite the multiple calls from economic, political and
societal experts to promote the inclusion of women in business, the future of
many women in the workforce is uncertain.
While digital disruption means an increase in
the number of opportunities, this also means a number of jobs are in line
to be restructured or entirely replaced by technology in coming years,
women in low skilled occupations such as sales are more
likely to be impacted by automation and artificial intelligence
technology.
Therefore it is necessary to equip and prepare
women in business to understand the fundamentals of technology and gain
new skill-sets which will keep them relevant in today’s workforce.
Although women are increasingly becoming key
drivers in the rapid expansion and increasing development of a tech driven
market and economy, there is still a long way to go. A few of the large tech
driven companies like Omatek, Mainstreet Technologies and Jumia Group
Nigeria boast of female Nigeria managing directors and CEOs.
Omatek (founded by the late Florence Seriki,
the first Nigerian IT firm to be listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.)
Juliet Anammah is the CEO of Jumia Nigeria,
Africa’s e commerce giant.
Omolara Adagunodo is the MD of Jumia Travel
Nigeria, Africa’s largest hotel booking portal that connect you to hotels in Nigeria and
several other countries across Africa.
Olamide Bada is the MD of Jumia Food, a food
delivery service that connects you to restaurants in Nigeria and over 40
countries.
Funke Opeke of Mainstreet Technologies
is the CEO of MainOne Cable Company, a submarine communications cable
stretching from Portugal to South Africa with landings along the route in Accra
, Ghana and Lagos, Nigeria.
Nimi Akinkugbe is the CEO of Bestman Games, the
leading African games company and distributor of Hasbro games for over 40
African countries.
These are key examples of women who have risen
against all odds to become the face of some of the giant
technology driven brands in the country with influence across Africa.
The ability to adapt is critical in a
constantly changing environment. Women should seek out mentors who have the
knowledge base required to coach them in new technologies. So that when
equipped, women can join the digital revolution and the world in
making quicker, better and more informed decisions.
Written by:
Comments