Category: Blog

Online webinar

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by

Jack Miles

Delivered by PolitePaul service

by

Dr. Julia Mittermayr

Delivered by PolitePaul service

RIWI has announced a reshuffle of its board as part of efforts to strengthen governance and align leadership with its evolving strategic priorities.

The changes involve adjustments to board composition, aimed at supporting the company’s positioning within the global data and insights market. While RIWI has not indicated a fundamental shift in its business model, the restructuring reflects a need to align leadership with ongoing developments in data collection, analytics, and digital research capabilities.

Board-level changes are becoming more common across the insights industry as companies respond to rapid shifts in technology and client expectations. The increasing importance of real-time data, digital methodologies, and scalable research solutions is placing new demands on leadership structures. Companies are seeking boards that can provide oversight not only on governance but also on innovation and strategic direction.

For RIWI, which operates a global network for collecting real-time data across diverse markets, maintaining credibility and reliability is central to its value proposition. Strengthening governance can support this by reinforcing accountability and ensuring that operational practices remain aligned with both client expectations and regulatory requirements.

The reshuffle also reflects a broader trend where insights companies are positioning themselves within a more competitive and technologically driven landscape. As data becomes a more strategic asset, leadership decisions play a critical role in determining how effectively companies can scale, differentiate, and maintain trust.

In this context, the board changes at RIWI are not only an internal adjustment. They are part of a wider industry pattern where governance, capability, and strategic alignment are becoming increasingly interconnected.

The post RIWI Reshuffles Board as It Aligns Leadership With Data and Growth Priorities appeared first on Afrikan Insights.

SurveyMonkey has introduced guided research programmes as part of a broader shift toward providing more structured and outcome-driven research solutions.

The new programmes are designed to take users beyond basic survey creation by offering predefined frameworks tailored to specific business needs. These include areas such as customer experience tracking, brand perception measurement, and employee engagement. The platform now guides users through key stages of the research process, including question design, data collection, and interpretation.

This move reflects a wider trend in the research technology space, where platforms are evolving from tools into integrated systems that combine methodology, execution, and analysis. Historically, survey platforms have relied on users having some level of research expertise. By embedding guidance directly into the product, SurveyMonkey is reducing that dependency and opening up research capabilities to a broader set of users within organisations.

The development is also linked to how demand for insights is changing. Businesses are under pressure to generate faster and more actionable insights, often without expanding internal research teams. This has increased demand for tools that can simplify research processes while maintaining a level of methodological structure.

At the same time, this shift raises questions about the balance between accessibility and rigour. While guided programmes can improve consistency and usability, they may also standardise approaches in ways that limit flexibility for more complex or nuanced research needs. This places greater importance on how such tools are used within organisations and whether they are complemented by deeper analytical capability.

SurveyMonkey’s expansion, therefore, highlights a broader industry direction, where the boundary between research expertise and technology continues to narrow. Platforms are increasingly taking on roles that were traditionally held by research professionals, reshaping how insights are generated and applied within businesses.

The post SurveyMonkey Expands Into Structured Research With Guided Programmes appeared first on Afrikan Insights.

Residential house cleaning is now a $17 billion U.S. business. Maid services have enjoyed fairly steady growth, as an aging U.S. population, time-pressed consumers and Millennials boost demand. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects continued growth for this occupation, although recessions do affect the business.

 

by

Ray Poynter

by

Mark Lemon

A three-part webinar series hosted by Pierrine Consulting has surfaced a significant shift in consumer behaviour across key African markets, pointing to a transition from impulse-driven consumption toward more deliberate, value-oriented decision-making. The sessions, which covered Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya, formed part of Pierrine’s ongoing Consumer Pulse Study and brought together market data, economic context, and expert perspectives to examine how consumers are adapting to sustained economic pressure.

Across all three markets, a consistent pattern emerged. Consumers are not withdrawing from the market; rather, they are restructuring how they participate in it. Spending continues, but it is increasingly defined by control, evaluation, and financial resilience, reflecting a deeper recalibration of how households navigate uncertainty.

Setting the analytical foundation during the Ghana session, Ibukun Badejo of Pierrine Consulting highlighted the relationship between economic conditions and consumer sentiment, noting that “there’s a strong correlation between the happiness index and economic headwinds.” This framing positioned consumer sentiment not as an abstract measure, but as a direct reflection of economic reality over time.

However, the discussions also revealed a more complex dynamic. Improvements in macroeconomic indicators are not always translating into perceived relief at the household level. In Ghana, for instance, declining inflation has not fully alleviated cost pressures on everyday goods and services, leading to a situation where, as Badejo observed, “even though inflation rate dropped, we are yet to really feel it.”

This divergence between economic recovery and lived experience was echoed across markets, albeit in different forms. In Nigeria, the conversation—featuring Wole Ogundare, Managing Partner at Carthena Advisory—highlighted how sustained economic pressure has led to a disciplined restructuring of consumer behaviour. Households are increasingly focused on efficiency, making deliberate trade-offs across categories and prioritising essential needs while maintaining tightly controlled discretionary spending.

In Kenya, the discussion introduced an additional dimension, where optimism remains relatively strong despite ongoing structural constraints. However, as emphasised during the session, this optimism is not merely reflective of improving conditions. It functions as a behavioural mechanism that enables continued engagement in the economy. As one insight captured during the session noted, “optimism… is not just a vibe… it is a survival strategy.”

Across all three webinars, a recurring theme was the adaptive nature of the African consumer. Nimyrah Caesar, Strategy Director at Ogilvy Africa Ghana, articulated this clearly, stating that “Ghanaian consumers haven’t stopped spending. They’ve changed how they survive.” This perspective reflects a broader shift from passive consumption to active financial management, where households are increasingly constructing stability through multiple income streams, structured budgeting, and deliberate planning.

This transformation is also reshaping how demand is formed. Consumption is no longer driven primarily by availability or aspiration, but by a more rigorous evaluation of value. Consumers are placing greater emphasis on functional performance, price justification, and immediate relevance, leading to more selective and intentional purchasing decisions.

At the same time, the discussions highlighted a growing fluidity in brand relationships. Consumers are no longer consistently loyal to single brands, but instead navigate across options depending on context and affordability. In Kenya, this shift was described in more direct terms, with the observation that “brand loyalty is actually dead,” underscoring the increasing importance of continuous relevance in a competitive environment.

The role of digital platforms also emerged as a critical factor shaping consumer behaviour. Across markets, consumers are increasingly discovering, evaluating, and validating products online, even when final transactions occur through traditional retail channels. This hybrid journey introduces new complexities in how trust is built and maintained.

Taken together, the insights from the Pierrine Consumer Pulse webinar series suggest that African consumer markets are entering a new phase, characterised by heightened value sensitivity, increased behavioural adaptation, and a more complex relationship between economic indicators and lived experience.

What emerges is not a narrative of declining demand, but one of restructured demand. Consumers remain active participants in the market, but their engagement is now defined by discipline, intention, and resilience. For businesses, this signals a shift in how growth must be approached, requiring closer alignment with the realities consumers are navigating daily.

The post African Consumers Are Shifting Toward More Deliberate Spending – Consumer Pulse Report appeared first on Afrikan Insights.

The Ghana edition of Pierrine Consulting’s Consumer Pulse webinar series has highlighted a growing disconnect between improving macroeconomic indicators and the lived experiences of consumers, pointing to a shift in how spending decisions are being made across the market.

The session featured insights from Pierrine’s Consumer Pulse data alongside strategic perspectives from Nimyrah Caesar, Strategy Director at Ogilvy Africa Ghana. Together, the discussion examined how Ghanaian consumers are responding to recent economic developments, including declining inflation and improved currency stability.

While these indicators suggest progress at a national level, the conversation revealed that many consumers have yet to experience tangible relief in their daily lives. As noted during the session, “even though the inflation rate dropped, we are yet to really feel it,” highlighting the persistence of high costs across essential categories such as food and transportation.

This gap between economic recovery and consumer experience is shaping behaviour in significant ways. Consumers continue to spend, but are doing so with increased caution and deliberation. Purchases are more carefully evaluated, with greater emphasis placed on managing expenses and ensuring that spending aligns with immediate needs.

Ibukun Badejo further contextualised this dynamic by linking consumer sentiment directly to economic conditions, noting that “there’s a strong correlation between the happiness index and economic headwinds.” This relationship underscores the extent to which consumer behaviour is influenced by lived experience rather than macroeconomic data alone.

At the same time, the session highlighted the presence of optimism within the market. However, this optimism is grounded in adaptation rather than certainty. Consumers are actively seeking ways to improve their financial outlook, often through multiple income streams and more structured financial planning.

Nimyrah Caesar captured this shift succinctly during the discussion, stating that “Ghanaian consumers haven’t stopped spending. They’ve changed how they survive.” This perspective reflects a broader transformation in consumption, where spending continues but is increasingly intentional and controlled.

One of the most notable behavioural changes discussed was the move toward planned consumption. Discretionary spending has not disappeared, but it is no longer impulsive. Instead, consumers are budgeting for non-essential purchases in advance, integrating them into longer-term financial plans.

The session also explored the role of trust and economic memory in shaping behaviour. Past periods of instability have left a lasting impression, influencing how consumers interpret current improvements. This has led to more conservative financial practices, including increased savings and a tendency to delay major expenditures.

Despite these constraints, the Ghanaian consumer remains active and adaptive. The findings suggest a market that is engaged, but operating within a framework defined by evaluation, control, and a focus on tangible value.

The post Recent Consumer Pulse Study Reveals Gap in Ghana’s Reported Economic Recovery appeared first on Afrikan Insights.