Page 30 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 10

ECONOMY

We need to build or incorporate
systems that allow us to grow
without crashing us in the process
and the only thing that can happen
is we need to take online solutions
seriously. Our websites need to
stop being brochures and become
management tools to help us to
grow and even manage our teams. If
after two weeks or three weeks your
orders are too many and so you add
staff and you can’t manage them, or
you want to do. So anyone in the payments. You can accept cash, you you don’t know where what is, and
world is able to get the solution. can accept Visa, and you can accept documents get lost… we need to
any other solution that’s usable in look into some of these solutions.
What happens with many solutions your local situation. It makes it very
in the market is they normally give flexible. We are in a position to help you out.
you a free plan to start that gives When it comes to shipping it’s the
you an opportunity to test the same thing you create shipping What you’re talking about is the
product and see how it can work options. If you’re using bikes, then solution that Afrika needs right
for you. It’s the same with OpenEA you can create a section for Safe- now especially as we’re preparing
online shop solution. You can come Boda, for example. You can create for the launching of the African
on board on the free plan, load your free shipping, or add all the other Continental Free Trade Area in
products, test it, connect it to Face- international options and their rates January 2021 which is literally
book and then as you grow you go even if there are rates based on a few weeks from now. So what
to the premium version. On the free weights. The system can even use I am hearing you saying is that
plan the whole thing is functional barcodes. Almost everything on the Open Markets East Africa or
but the checkout is disabled. That’s system is customizable it makes it OpenEa as the brand is called
a good place to start for people so quite flexible regardless of where is actually right bang just there
that they can test get used to it and someone is. ready to strengthen every Afrikan
then upgrade for more features. business to be able to open with-
I love it. It’s so versatile it means in this continental free trade area.
How will I in Ethiopia get paid that in an instant everything in Yes and our economies are made up
by my customers and how do I Afrika is connected to itself. I can of small and medium enterprises;
get them products? be Conakry and I’m selling to we need a solution that is not too
Depending on the country we have somebody in Cape Town. expensive. The solution cannot be
different payment solutions. Cash As long as you know how to ship higher than the rent you pay in your
on delivery has always been there, and you have the shipping logis- mall or your physical location. We
that is standard for all, but many tics in order, you are sorted. And are looking at situations where we
countries now are taking advantage since we’re all looking at growing have solutions that are affordable
of mobile payment solutions, so our businesses and going global at enough to allow you to become
you can use MPesa, MTN, Airtel, the end of the day then it makes a actually profitable with whatever
whatever works in your country. lot of sense taking the businesses else you’re doing. Working online
Locally we have decided to work online. We need to try and embrace is not an option for us. Someone
with a company called GoPay. Go- some of these solutions. For exam- was saying that if your grandmother
Pay is doing online processing with ple we normally pray for blessings, is on Whatsapp just know that we
QR codes. It’s actually so efficient. you wake up and say God to bless have passed that place of not being
You get records, invoices all that my business. If today you’re han- online.
and every individual has a unique dling five clients per day and if God When I meet a new client, when I
QR code so that means if I don’t answers your prayer tomorrow and meet a new prospect, the first thing
want to receive cash, for example, I brings 50 you know you can crash if I do is ask for their name and what
tell people to use GoPay to process you don’t have systems in place? they do. When they give me their
business card the first thing I do is

30 | Heal . Restore . Rebirth . Afrika