Some bumper sticker wisdom: "You shouldn't really worry when the competition's trying to copy you, you should worry when they’re not." You’ve seen them, right? The so-called Facebooks or Amazons of Africa. Notoriously known as clones, emerging markets have their fair share of them, each with its own degree of success and unique challenges. If you think about it, isn't it only natural for a working solution to be applied elsewhere? Are they then as bad as their reputation holds them ...

Advertising giant WPP has acquired a majority stake in strategic communications agency Cerebra, believed to be worth around R40-million. A source close to the deal confirmed that it will see WPP take a 75% stake in the company while Cerebra CEO Mike Stopforth and MD Craig Rodney will retain the remaining 25%. The R40-million deal is believed to have been valued on a P/E of about 8x EBIDTA. The structure of the deal will apparently see the shareholders receive a R20-million ...

By some predictions the global beauty care products industry is set to grow to US$265-billion by 2017. VC firms are aware of the trend. Abroad, Andreessen Horowitz, Jay-Z’s VC company, poured US$10-million into cosmetics startup Julep, while Ipsy, the monthly beauty box subscription service of vlogging sensation slash entrepreneur, Michelle Phan, pocketed US$3.8 million from Crosscut Ventures and Amalfi Capital. Closer to home, South African beauty box success story Rubybox, received funding from HPV Africa, and virtual beauty advisor startup, Kaboose, is ...

If you're an entrepreneur looking for mentorship, funding, and a co-working space, then we've got good news for you. Startup accelerator and private fund 88mph has opened applications for its 2014 Cape Town programme -- and the application promises to be a quick and painless process in the guise of a simple 20 question form that needs to be completed for entry. 88mph describes itself as a business accelerator for early-stage companies with a mobile-web focus. The programme offers funding -- up ...

Russia's ecommerce landscape is best described as a cocktail made up of one part growing middle class, two parts Europe's most internet users (more than 60 million), and a dash of Russian search engine Yandex. That's what part one of Search Laboratory's two-part series of infographics on Russian's burgeoning ecommerce scene suggested, and now we have part two. According to Search Laboratory's second infographic, Russia is a great ecommerce opportunity for foreign online retailers, but to achieve success such retailers ...

So here are some staggering statistics: By 2030 India’s urban population will reach 590 million. That’s almost twice the entire population of the United States. The number of urban middle-class households will rise by over 300% to 91 million and the working-age population will increase by 270 million people. What’s more, in order to meet forecast demand from India’s cities, US$1.2 trillion of capital investment is required. India has made some spectacular progress. According to the World Bank, from 2005 to 2012, poverty ...

The Microsoft 4Afrika Initiative -- the effort through which Microsoft "will actively engage in Africa's economic development to improve its global competitiveness" -- has teamed up with African Business magazine and the Africa Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) to lead the Innovative Africa Forum, which takes the format of a roundtable discussion on 27 November 2013 in Kampala, Uganda. Taking part in the discussion will be leading experts "driving innovation" in Africa, including Su Kahumba, founder of iCow, Simon Rweyongoza, of ...

It was announced today that Project Isizwe has successfully rolled out Phase one of its programme in the city of Tshwane, South Africa. By providing free Wi-Fi hotspots to low-income communities, the aim of this non-profit initiative is to harness the power of the internet to further education and economic upliftment throughout Africa. Project Isizwe is an initiative founded and headed by former Mxit CEO, Alan Knot-Craig Jr., and is strongly supported by the city of Tshwane's plan to provide greater ...

Companies are confronted with big problems every day. An agrarian society looking for new business models to compete more effectively, a bank needing new growth sources to combat the effects of a declining market, a courier firm pressured to transport with zero defect to protect sensitive cargo, a technology company looking to be first to market –- these are by no means outlandish dilemmas. But solving them, even when the correct strategy is apparent (as in these examples), often requires ...

The tech scene in South Africa is a hot spot for opportunities. Don't believe me? That's okay because the kind folks over at jobs platform Adzuna have sent Ventureburn their latest report, this one on job specifics in technology startups in South Africa -- so you can believe them. The report looks at current vacancies, the skills in demand, the locations of the startups, and the industry the product or service is in, to determine an overall view of the ...