More than 95% of employees in South African companies rely on the use of mobile devices to do business. This is according to research by Dell into the use of mobile devices by South African businesses, carried out in association with Microsoft, which surveyed IT professionals from companies with more than 250 employees.
Social unrest, political turmoil, frequent power outages and other economic headwinds have all combined to bring South African consumer sentiment to a 14,5-year low. Results from the 2Q2015 FNB/BER Consumer Confidence Survey show that consumer sentiment booked its largest drop since 2008 to reach a level of -15 in the second quarter. Consumer confidence had already declined from zero to -4 index points during the first quarter of 2015. The latest index number is not only far lower than the lowest reading recorded during the 2008/09 financial crisis and recession (-6), but it is also only the second time since South Africa’s first democratic election in 1994 that the CCI has dropped below -12 index points.
While unemployment across the board in South Africa is increasing, the youth aged 15 to 34 have borne the brunt of the global economic crisis and the subsequent sluggish employment recovery with a higher unemployment rate than adults. According to Statistics SA’s report, National and provincial labour market: Youth – Q1: 2008 – Q1: 2015, the unemployment rate among youth rose from 32,7% in 2008 to 36,1% in 2011, and has remained between 35% and 37% every year.