19 minute read
Meet the Sisters Changing the Narrative Around Chocolate in Ghana
Meet the Sisters Changing the Narrative round Chocolate in Ghana
Nasha Smith
the natural resource, the cocoa grown here, to create a high quality chocolate product that would be available globally, and locally, as well.”
The result is ’57 Chocolate, an artisanal bean to bar chocolate business based in Accra, Ghana. The name is a nod to the country’s independence as well as the revolutionary spirit of the people. The beans are sourced from local farmers. All the confections are free of artifi cial fl avors, colors, or preservatives and retain the integrity of the cocoa.
In addition to their signature chocolate bars, ’57 Chocolate also produces both dark and milk chocolate chips as well as bite-sized Adinkra
bars featuring engraved symbols originally
created by the Ashanti of Ghana. Priscilla is partial to milk chocolate with almonds and sea salt, but dabbles in their moringa chocolate with toasted coconut when she craves something “a little bit earthy and peppery.”
Kimberly’s tastes vary depending on her mood. She prefers a dark chocolate post-dinner or mocha latte coff ee-fl avored bar in the mornings. The
company has retailers in France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and certain locations in the United States including New York and Texas.
But the process hasn’t been without its challenges. The two grew up in Senegal, were partly educated in the US and spent many years living in Switzerland. Before moving to Ghana in 2014, they visited once a year or every couple of years with their paraents. They needed to adjust to a new dynamic.
“One of the major challenges was just understanding the business environment in Ghana, learning the ropes, speaking to people and understanding how systems work,” said Priscilla. “Another thing would be electricity. When we
fi rst arrived in Ghana, there was this thing called dumsor, which means light on light off . There are a lot of power outages, and in order to make chocolate, you need machines that constantly run on electricity. We’d be getting up at odd hours of the night, sometimes at three in the morning, to turn on machines to continue our chocolate making process.”
Another hurdle was fi nding equipment that was manufactured or available locally to avoid the heavy duties associated with importing machinery. And while feedback has been positive, the duo needed to overcome the stigma of inferiority surrounding locally produced goods.
“People were quite skeptical at fi rst,” admitted Kimberly. “That’s something that we’re also trying to change because there has been a stigma towards ‘made in Ghana’ chocolate, or ‘made in Africa’ chocolate or even ‘made in Africa’ products. They typically are seen as being of lesser quality. When we fi rst told people this is what we’re going to do, people were a little skeptical. But then when they tried the product, a lot of people were shocked and were surprised that this chocolate is actually being made in Ghana.”
Since the inception of ’57 Chocolate, their operation has grown from two to ten people in a larger space, producing an estimated 1,000 bars weekly. The sisters are working on launching an e-commerce site with greater ease of use and expanding their presence in other markets. Not everyone is able to work so intimately with a sibling but it works for the Addisons because they each bring a diff erent skillset to the partnership.
“Kim and I, we make a really great team,” shared Priscilla. “We complement each other, and we have diff erent strengths. But of course, we also have diff erent weaknesses. So places where I’m weak, Kim is stronger, and vice versa.”
They also recognize that their business is a constant learning process and encourage other aspiring entrepreneurs to immerse themselves in their fi eld. “Just because you have a product doesn’t mean you can’t improve upon that product,” Kimberly chimed in. “And it doesn’t mean that you can’t learn more about it. Make sure you understand the industry you’re getting into. Entrepreneurship is a very fancy, luxurious word. But it’s not always all that fancy when you’re on the inside. So you have to spend a lot of time learning.”
She added, “A lot of people don’t realize this, but the idea came to us in 2014, and we only made our fi rst batch of chocolate in 2016. So we spent a year and a half, almost two years, actually just learning everything we know about chocolate, learning the industry, learning the fi eld, and that learning still hasn’t stopped today.”
Learn more about ’57 Chocolate and their products on the website or follow them on Instagram. https://travelnoire.com/sisters-changingnarrative-around-chocolate-ghanaImage credit: korantenglaw.com
Women Can Add $14.58Bn to E-Commerce in Africa – Report
By Chike Onwuegbuchi
A NEW REPORT, published yesterday by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in partnership with Africa’s leading e-commerce fi rm Jumia, has said Africa’s e-commerce market could grow by more than $14.5 billion between 2025 and 2030.
The report says this can be achieved by increasing the number of women selling on online platforms and by providing them with better training and fi nancial support to help them match sales made by men.
The report shows that women comprise half of all active e-commerce vendors in Africa, though they tend to run smaller-scale businesses and feature prominently in high-competition, low-value segments like beauty. On the Jumia platform, just over a third of businesses in Côte d’Ivoire and over half in Kenya and Nigeria are owned by women.
Juliet Anammah, Chairwoman Jumia Nigeria and Group Head of Institutional Aff airs, said, “It is absolutely essential for women to be factored in, given the future of e-commerce. Africa is just at the start of its e-commerce growth trajectory. Now is the time to ensure women entrepreneurs are the leaders of Africa’s digital journey.”
The report, Women and E-commerce in Africa, found that COVID-19 has accelerated the growth of e-commerce and digital entrepreneurship in Africa and that more women have embraced digital business.
However, it also noted that more can be done to promote women’s entrepreneurship and help women overcome e-commerce challenges. For example, e-commerce marketplace platforms are well-positioned to target women-owned businesses with training, and to encourage women’s participation in higher-value segments such as electronics.
Women could also strengthen their businesses by taking advantage of emerging fintech offerings, such as inplatform loans, which women currently access at much lower rates than men. The report leveraged data from leading e-commerce fi rm Jumia, as well as from surveys of vendors in Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, and Nigeria.
“E-commerce in Africa is thriving, yet we are already seeing a widening gender gap in the sector. IFC’s report not only highlights the gap, but also shows how it might be addressed so that women entrepreneurs can succeed in this important and rapidly growing marketplace,” said Sérgio Pimenta, IFC Vice President for the Middle East and Africa.
Supporting women entrepreneurs has taken on renewed urgency since the outbreak of COVID-19. In the fi rst year of the pandemic, women-owned businesses in the three countries studied suff ered reduced sales of 39%, compared to only a 28% drop for men-owned businesses.
The research was undertaken by Digital2Equal, an IFC-led initiative conducted in partnership with the European Commission, which brought together 17 leading technology companies operating across the global online marketplace to boost opportunities for women in emerging markets. Additional funding was provided by the Umbrella Fund for Gender Equality. The research was carried out by IFC in partnership with global advisory fi rm Kantar Public. www.msn.com/en-xl/africa/other/women-can-add1458bn-to-e-commerce-in-africa-report/ar-AAKswix Image credit: Women and E-commerce in Africa
Chair Summary Following “COVID-19 and Vaccine Equity: What Can the WTO Contribute?”
ONE THING THAT CAME OUT of today's (21-0608) discussions is that it was only through working together across borders that scientists developed safe and eff ective vaccines in record time. And it is only by working together, across borders, that we'll be able to solve the problems [of vaccine scarcity and equitable access] discussed today. This is a
problem of the global commons, and we have to solve it together.
Our purpose today was to contribute to eff orts to increase vaccine production and broaden access, starting with the immediate term.
Specifi cally we had three goals:
The fi rst was to pinpoint the obstacles, particularly the trade-related obstacles, to ramping up production, and to equitably distributing and administering vaccines — and we looked at how the WTO could contribute to these solutions.
The second was to bring together people who are able to increase and to scale up manufacturing, people in a position to share technology and knowhow, and people willing to fi nance additional manufacturing capacity.
And third, to think about the road ahead, including on the TRIPS waiver and incentives for research and development, so that we get the medical technologies we need, and no country is left at the back of the line waiting. If there is one refrain we heard continuously from everyone today it is that no one is safe until everyone is safe.
We heard fi rst-hand from governments and vaccine manufacturers from developed, developing, and least developed countries, as well as a wide range of other stakeholders from international organizations, civil society and development fi nance institutions.
And we heard good news: that supplies are ramping up and companies are learning by doing, that there have been major gains in productivity, and that there is still capacity. We also heard that there is a willingness to fi nance investment in vaccine manufacturing both in the short- and long-term, and there are ideas and energy to do things diff erently.
However, we heard from many that we need to do more. It hasn't really been business as usual, so we may need to move on to “business unusual” to solve the problems before us.
In the discussions today we heard a great deal of agreement. We agree that it's not acceptable for people and countries to have to wait indefi nitely for vaccines. We do not want to repeat experiences of the past.
We heard a consensus on the urgent need to scale up production and vaccinate everyone, because every day the shortage continues, scope for dangerous new variants will increase, and the number of preventable deaths will grow. The economic impact of these delays can and has been quantifi ed by many institutions, including the IMF, the World Bank, and the WTO.
It was agreed that production capacity needs to be expanded, particularly in developing and least developed countries and emerging markets. And that vaccine distribution needs to be more eff ective and more equitable.
We heard that open cross-border trade in raw materials, and other inputs, was essential for maintaining and scaling up production, and that
supply chains in these inputs must be maintained.
Also widely shared was the view that innovation, research and development will be vital for dealing with COVID-19 variants and in other health crises.
We had useful exchanges on issues where some perspectives were diff erent, such as on the future shape of vaccine supply chains, on the appropriate role for intellectual property protections, on issues of vaccine contract transparency — which was pointed to by many as an important factor in appropriate pricing and distribution and a critical part of access and equity.
Concerns expressed by some about crossborder supply chain operations, including export restrictions and shortages of skilled personnel reinforced my view, and hopefully that of members, that the WTO must and can play a central part in the response to this crisis.
Various perspectives about the TRIPS Agreement, and whether the existing fl exibilities are enough to address developing country needs were put on the table. These echoed the discussions on the waiver proposal going on in the TRIPS Council, and I want to reiterate that today is a way of contributing to that discussion.
I agree with the view that the WTO is a logical forum for fi nding a way forward on these issues, and I hope that the ideas raised here will contribute to convergence in the TRIPS Council on meaningful results that can contribute to the goals that we have. I hope that the discussion today, listening to each other, seeing that we all share a common goal, and that we may not be so far apart, will lead to the willingness to come to the middle, and work out something that will be acceptable to all. Participants were generally of the view that ramping up vaccine manufacturing capacity is a complex process. It requires Okonjo-Iweala provided this summary at the end of the event. large, long-term investment and sustainable business models. It relies on open international supply lines for ingredients and equipment. We heard how shortages of even a single piece of equipment, fi lters, can halt operations at a production facility. Vaccine manufacturing necessitates collaboration, and the movement of skilled labour, to facilitate transfer of technology and knowhow. Safety is a paramount consideration, and quality is the other part of safety. This demands eff ective regulatory capacity and stringent compliance, down to the factory fl oor. Indeed we heard this is a big risk companies factor in when making decisions as to where to produce, and how to produce. I hope that they've heard suffi cient encouragement today, to enable us to move towards leveraging the existing capacities in emerging markets and developing countries mentioned repeatedly today, which could actually help to take care of the shortages talked about. Turning capacity around to produce COVID-19 vaccines is not only about the physical space alone. We heard repeatedly that it requires transfer of technology and knowhow, together with investment and support for quality assurance. see page 20
WTO from page 19
We also learned about how existing licensing arrangements have operated — including an example of how skills transfer was carried out in a few as six months. We also heard calls for support to build human capital, and to help build regulatory cooperation.
Some participants suggested more active matchmaking to connect companies that have the investment capacity with those that have potential for expanding production capacity, even in the short term.
We also heard about ongoing eff orts to build new manufacturing capacity, and the lessons that can be learned from that.
We also began to see the aspects of the collaboration we need to make things happen. We had many international organizations show they are willing to work together to bring to fruition things like putting in place technical expertise, helping with capacity building and quality control, and investing directly in production.
I believe that today's exchanges have advanced our understanding of the challenges we face for scaling up vaccine production, and that working together is the only way ahead.
In the coming weeks and months, we expect concrete follow-up action. These issues are not easy, but the political will and engagement from the private sector displayed today, suggests it is possible.
As we move forward, I expect:
From WTO members:
Action to further reduce export restrictions
and supply chain barriers, and to work with other organizations to facilitate logistics and customs procedures. We are monitoring this as part of our regular work, and we'll continue doing so to increase supplies and maintain robust supply chains. Trade has been underlined as a critical factor in production; it is incumbent upon WTO members to act.
Advance negotiations in the TRIPS Council on the waiver proposal and incentives for
research and innovation. I hope that the ideas and the open dialogue heard will move us closer to agreement.
For vaccine manufacturers:
Concrete moves to scale up vaccine manufacturing, both short-term turnaround of existing capacities, milking whatever productivity gains we can from current facilities, and taking steps to invest.
Increased technology and knowhow transfer, which many participants stressed would be necessary to make additional production work. We need transparency
in contract agreements
and product pricing. We hope to continue this dialogue and to help monitoring steps in that direction.
For international organisations and fi nancial institutions:
We noted your willingness to fi nance, both existing and new capacity, your willingness to work on capacity building for regulatory issues, not just for vaccines, but also for therapeutics and diagnostics, which are equally important.
I trust that we have found a good basis to deliver concrete action, and to continue this discussion that we've had today.
This should not be a one-off , we should continue to talk to each other, and make sure that we can deliver.
I hope that besides concrete action to increase capacity, this discussion has given us elements of a framework on trade and health that we can put together at the WTO, and that can be put before ministers at the 12th Ministerial Conference in mid-December. Such a framework should provide for trade-related preparedness to handle this pandemic, and the next one. www.wto.org/english/news_e/spno_e/spno7_e.htm Image credit: emonewsdm.com
Report: Focus More on Facebook, Customer Service Efforts on Social in 2021
By Sophie Maerowitz
FACEBOOK IS CRITICIZED on many fronts. Still, its importance for brands seems solid. Unexpectedly, nearly 80% of consumers choose it as their go-to vehicle for following brands, according to a Sprout Social survey detailing consumer and marketer trends on social media. In addition, Facebook tops the charts as consumers' most-used platform (87%).
These fi ndings serve as a reminder to social media communicators to revisit Facebook as a platform for driving business, despite a groundswell of buzz for newer platforms like TikTok and Clubhouse.
When consumers follow a brand on social, 91% say they are likely to visit its website or app. This high level of conversion is surprising, given social platforms' (particularly Facebook) aim of keeping social media users onplatform.
For its survey, Sprout Social questioned 1,002 U.S. consumers and 1,001 U.S. marketers in early April 2020. Also included was an analysis of 782 million messages from 534,000 public social profi les that were active between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020.
Customers expect service
In terms of customer service, consumer expectations for responses from brands on social to queries remain strong. When asked what they think makes a brand best-in-class on social, consumers ranked “they off er strong customer service” at the top of the list of criteria out of nine
Sprout listing of top social platforms consumers follow brands on in 2021 Source: Sprout Social
Listing of what consumers think makes a brand best in class on social vs. what marketers think Source: Sprout Social
Social Media from page 21
categories. The rest of the list included storytelling, “distinct personality” and “the fi rst to join a social network.”
This is in stark contrast to the survey’s marketer respondents, who ranked customer service sixth. Higher on the priority list for marketers is brands that “engage their audience.”
While 'audience engagement' arguably is an umbrella term that includes customer service, 'engagement' usually refers to the good stuff —how often audiences interact with content in a positive way, through likes, views and comments.
But customer-support questions, which often drip negative sentiment, also are a good place to strengthen audience interest and loyalty. "Whether someone is asking a question, requesting customer support or simply sharing their opinion or experience, every interaction represents an opportunity for brands to connect with their audience and build a deeper relationship,” Jamie Gilpen, CMO of Sprout Social, told PRNEWS.
Follow the followers
Sprout’s analysis concludes follower counts are no longer a vanity metric, considering that most business-critical actions consumers take appear to result from following brands on social fi rst.
Nine of ten consumers said they’d buy products or services from brands they follow on social, with 86 percent of respondents sharing that they would purchase from a brand they follow over a competitor. This would indicate that social media practitioners would do well to place a renewed emphasis on recruiting followers (or poaching them from the competition).
Upward momentum
The report’s usage statistics are unsurprising. Consumer use of social continues to increase (spurred on, no doubt, by the pandemic). Moreover, Sprout reported a 54 percent increase in Boomer usage of social media, and Gen Z upping usage a whopping 78%.
The survey makes a case for leaning on social media for competitive advantage. Nearly all (93%) marketers say social media accelerated competition in their industry. In other words, competitors’ social media strategy—from creative, to response time when a customer complains—is an open book, and with smart analysis, can help brands establish consumers’ baseline expectations and preferences. Studying competitors’ posts and metrics helps 86 percent of marketers “identify new business opportunities,” according to the survey.
Social, mental health and communication
In addition to social media's prowess as a business tool and role in personal communication, social is associated with depression, anxiety and other mental health issues. Yet it’s more complicated than ‘too much social media leads to mental health problems,’ according to a survey of 1,000 U.S. adults.
Released last month, the survey from PR fi rm EvolveMKD and Ipsos includes some surprising fi ndings. For example, half of Americans say social media doesn’t infl uence their mental health. And of those who say it does, 3 in 4 believe social media is a positive infl uence.
There’s a gender gap, though. More women (30%) than men (18%) say social media impacts their mental health in a negative way. The survey suggests the culprit perhaps is how the sexes spend time on social. Men and women spend comparable time on social. Yet women (54%) devote more eff ort to scrolling through their feeds than men (40%).
One reason to look at social media and mental health is that women’s mental health has declined during the past decade, especially in the pandemic. 75% of women who reported changes in mental health said it got worse in 2020, compared to 49% of men.
Moreover, there’s a connection to communication. The survey found 7 in 10 respondents believe how they communicate is linked directly to their mental health.
Certainly, communicators will continue to follow links between communication, gender and social media.. www.prnewsonline.com/report-focus-more-onfacebook-customer-service-eff orts-on-social-in2021/?oly_enc_id=7910C8518789D0B Image credit: 360africa.news
