Katlego Sekete - Baadaye Agency

Transforming entry-level jobs: How digital innovation can drive skilled workforce development

Introduction:

The creation of entry-level positions plays a pivotal role in transforming unskilled workers into competent and skilled professionals. These positions often act as stepping stones, providing valuable training and experience for individuals entering the workforce. In many cases, entrepreneurship programs play a crucial role in offering such opportunities and then guiding skilled workers to larger enterprises. In this blog post, we will explore how digital innovation can enhance this process, driving workforce development and empowering individuals to thrive in their careers.

The Significance of Entry-Level Positions:

Entry-level positions serve as essential building blocks for individuals starting their careers. They provide a platform for learning and developing practical skills within a professional setting. By offering training, mentorship, and hands-on experience, these positions enable workers to acquire the necessary knowledge and competencies required for future success. Moreover, entry-level jobs can act as a bridge, connecting individuals from different backgrounds to larger enterprises and opening doors to a wide range of opportunities.

The Role of Entrepreneurship Programs:

Entrepreneurship programs are instrumental in creating entry-level positions and providing individuals with the skills needed to excel in their chosen fields. These programs often focus on nurturing entrepreneurial spirit, innovation, and business acumen. They equip participants with foundational knowledge in areas such as marketing, finance, operations, and leadership, preparing them for the challenges of the business world. By offering practical experiences and exposure to real-world scenarios, entrepreneurship programs lay the groundwork for individuals to transition into skilled workers and contribute effectively to larger enterprises.

Digital Innovation Driving Workforce Development:

Digital innovation has the potential to revolutionize the way entry-level positions are created and supported, thereby driving workforce development. Here are a few ways digital innovation can make a significant impact:

Online Training and Upskilling:

Digital platforms and e-learning technologies can provide accessible and affordable training opportunities for aspiring workers. Online courses, webinars, and virtual mentorship programs can equip individuals with industry-specific skills and knowledge, enabling them to enhance their employability and contribute effectively in entry-level positions.

Virtual Internships and Apprenticeships:

Digital innovation can facilitate virtual internships and apprenticeships, enabling individuals to gain practical experience remotely. Through virtual collaboration tools, online projects, and mentorship programs, participants can engage in hands-on learning, work on real-world assignments, and build relationships with industry professionals, regardless of geographical constraints.

Skill Matching Platforms:

Digital platforms can connect skilled workers from entrepreneurship programs with larger enterprises seeking talent. Skill matching platforms, job portals, and online recruitment platforms can bridge the gap between skilled workers and potential employers, facilitating smoother transitions and increasing opportunities for career growth.

Gamification and Simulations:

Digital innovation allows for the integration of gamification and simulations in training programs. By gamifying learning experiences, individuals can engage in interactive and immersive activities that enhance their skills and understanding of complex concepts. Simulations can provide a safe space for practicing decision-making, problem-solving, and critical thinking, preparing individuals for the challenges they may encounter in entry-level positions.

Data Analytics for Talent Development:

Digital tools and data analytics can be utilized to assess and monitor the progress and performance of individuals in entry-level positions. This data-driven approach can help identify areas for improvement, personalize training programs, and provide targeted support to optimize skill development and career growth.

Conclusion:

Digital innovation holds immense potential for driving workforce development and transforming entry-level positions into pathways for success. By leveraging online training, virtual internships, skill matching platforms, gamification, and data analytics, digital innovation can empower individuals who have gone through entrepreneurship programs to become skilled workers who thrive in larger enterprises. As we embrace digital transformation, it is essential to harness these innovative solutions to bridge the gap between unskilled workers and competent professionals, ultimately creating a skilled workforce that drives economic growth and societal progress.

Source of Inspiration: Duke Stanford

Bridging the education gap: How Digital Marketing can help Families in poverty

Families living in poverty often face a difficult choice between meeting their child’s basic needs and providing them with an education. Even when tuition fees are waived, additional costs associated with schooling, such as uniforms, books, and supplies, can create significant financial burdens. However, digital marketing holds the potential to alleviate some of these challenges and help bridge the education gap for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. In this blog post, we will explore how digital marketing strategies can assist families in poverty by promoting education and providing access to resources.

Raising Awareness and Mobilizing Support:

Digital marketing offers a powerful platform to raise awareness about the challenges faced by families living in poverty and the importance of education for their children’s future. Through targeted campaigns on social media, websites, and online communities, organizations can highlight the specific financial barriers that families encounter when sending their children to school. By sharing stories, statistics, and personal testimonies, digital marketing can engage and mobilize support from individuals, businesses, and government agencies. By rallying behind the cause, communities can come together to provide financial assistance, scholarships, and resources to help alleviate the burden on families and enable children to access quality education.

Crowdfunding and Online Donations:

Digital marketing can facilitate crowdfunding campaigns and online donations to support families in poverty. Through dedicated platforms and social media channels, organizations and individuals can create fundraising initiatives specifically aimed at covering educational expenses for underprivileged children. These campaigns can reach a wider audience, harness the power of social sharing, and enable direct contributions from concerned individuals who want to make a difference. Digital marketing can play a crucial role in promoting these initiatives, generating awareness, and motivating people to contribute to the cause.

Partnerships with Corporations and NGOs:

Digital marketing can facilitate partnerships between corporations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and educational institutions to support families in need. By leveraging digital platforms, these partnerships can raise funds, collect donations of supplies, and provide scholarships to alleviate the financial burden on families living in poverty. Digital marketing campaigns can engage corporate sponsors and NGOs to participate in these initiatives, promoting their involvement and generating further support. Such collaborations can provide long-term solutions by addressing the various costs associated with schooling, including uniforms, books, and supplies.

Access to Educational Resources:

Digital marketing can also play a crucial role in providing families in poverty with access to educational resources. Through targeted online advertising, families can be directed to platforms, websites, and applications that offer free or discounted educational materials. E-books, online libraries, educational apps, and open educational resources can be made accessible to underprivileged families, enabling their children to access educational content at little to no cost. Digital marketing can be used to spread awareness about these resources and guide families to the platforms that can support their child’s learning journey.

Education Sponsorship Programs:

Digital marketing can be instrumental in promoting education sponsorship programs that connect sponsors with children in need. By leveraging social media platforms and online communities, organizations can raise awareness about these programs and encourage individuals or businesses to support a child’s education financially. Digital marketing campaigns can showcase success stories, highlight the impact of sponsorship, and provide avenues for interested sponsors to get involved. Through transparent communication and regular updates, sponsors can witness the positive changes they make in a child’s life, fostering a sense of fulfillment and encouraging continued support.

Digital marketing presents a valuable opportunity to address the educational challenges faced by families living in poverty. By raising awareness, mobilizing support, facilitating crowdfunding initiatives, and promoting partnerships, digital marketing can help alleviate the financial burden associated with schooling. Moreover, by providing access to educational resources and facilitating education sponsorship programs, digital marketing can enable underprivileged children to access quality education and pursue brighter futures. By harnessing the power of digital platforms, we can work collectively to bridge the education gap and empower families in poverty to provide their children with the education they deserve.

Source of Inspiration: Global Citizen

5 Key trends to look out for in Africa’s growing digital economy

Millions of people’s lives are being improved by the growth of an African digital economy, which is rapidly reshaping societies. Instead of relying on antiquated technologies that consume fossil fuels, Africa has a unique potential to become more sustainable and generate economic growth by better utilizing data.

Invest in Mobile-First Experiences: Mobile devices are the most prevalent way for people in Africa to access the Internet to consume information or to purchase products and services. It’s been said that an up-to-date UX (user-experience) & enabled offline working is the future as stats show internet users in Africa will grow by 11% within the next 10 years.
Make your services available to the informal sector: The informal sector accounts for a large amount of economic activity. The vast majority of workers in the informal sector, which is neither taxed or regulated by the government, own a cellphone, which they frequently use for both personal and professional purposes.The widespread adoption of mobile money in various African countries, including Kenya, the Ivory Coast, Mali, and Dakar, is one example of why such an investment would be beneficial for a company.
Africa is rapidly urbanizing; Position your company smartly: We generally know that urbanization can help a country’s economy grow. In Africa’s major cities, spending on consumer goods and services is typically 79% higher than the national average. Due to enhanced connectivity in urban areas, those who aspire to relocate to cities will have more access to breakthrough technology. This may expand work opportunities and marketplaces, allowing more people to benefit from financial and social inclusion.
Consumption is fueled by Africa’s demographic surge — be socially conscious: Young African consumers are becoming more wealthy and globalized as they age into family decision-makers. The proportion of the population in working age is set to rise much further. This boosts the continent’s competitiveness in both skilled and unskilled labor, allowing consumers to spend more money. It’s not just the right thing to do as customer demand grows, but it’s also good business, as people respect a company’s environmental and social stance.
The tech-talent population in Africa is young and rising: It’s time to reconsider your hiring practices. The continent’s tech talent is at an all-time high, and it’s just going to get better. The rise of Africa’s technology ecosystem, talent pool, and innovation clusters coincides with the emergence of indigenous developer skills.

Software development and information technology are rising exponentially and impacting the way businesses are run all around the world, especially in Africa. Because of the rise of informal education channels, increasing gender diversity, and more proactive government support, software development is becoming more accessible to a wider audience.

As a result, we believe that brands should adopt digital-first business strategies to reach the hundreds of customers who were previously unattainable owing to their geographies or affordability. Africa has the potential to use the digital economy as a growth-and-innovation engine. The time is now!

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in marketing

Consumers are paying more attention to DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion). According to a 2019 Adobe survey, 61% of the surveyed people believe that diversity in marketing is essential. Furthermore, it’s said that 38% of consumers are more likely to trust brands that use diversity in their advertising effectively.

It’s crucial to keep a watch over trends that showcase how companies approach things like inclusive marketing campaigns, shoppable content, and other topics that can help generate demand, sales, and loyal engagement.

Brands should take a more intelligent and holistic approach when it comes to key topics such as diversity, equity, and inclusion. To be really representative, it’s important to understand the various identities and nuisances that are significant to people in your market, and then focus your efforts on the hyper-local level.

Each person’s discriminative experiences are unique, and it’s key to examine everything that has the potential to marginalize people. People aren’t defined by a single characteristic, thus this can overlap. Customers are more likely to engage with your brand if they perceive themselves reflected in a nuanced way that resonates with them.

The following are 5 global companies that are proudly embracing diversity and inclusion:

“Diversity & Inclusion: J&J have pumped a lot of resources into ensuring that all employees help to create an inclusive environment. The organisation’s Global Diversity and Inclusion vision is “to maximise the global power of diversity and inclusion, to drive superior business results and sustainable competitive advantage.”

How they’re making this happen is through employee resource groups, mentoring programmes and ‘Diversity University’, which is a dynamic website that helps employees to understand the benefits of working collaboratively.”

“Diversity & Inclusion: Mastercard consistently makes it into the Top 10 of DiversityInc’s 50 Best Companies for Diversity list. They believe that “diversity is what drives better insights, better decisions, and better products. It is the backbone of innovation”.

A particularly unique project that Mastercard has executed over the past few years involves getting older employees in the company more active when it comes to social media.”

“Diversity & Inclusion: At EY, they believe that “only the highest-performing teams, which maximise the power of different opinions, perspectives, and cultural references, will succeed in the global marketplace.”

The organisation was the first of the Big Four to assign full-time, partner-level leadership to diversity recruiting. Ever since, the number of women in top executive management positions has increased by more than 20%.”

“Diversity & Inclusion: At Coca-Cola, diversity is seen “as more than just policies and practices. It is an integral part of who we are as a company, how we operate and how we see our future.”

Diversity education programmes

include Diversity Training, a Diversity Speaker Series and a Diversity Library. In 2017, a new parental benefits policy was implemented, whereby 6 weeks of paid leave is extended to all new mothers and fathers.”

“Diversity & Inclusion: Novartis believes that diversity is integral to their success, because it helps them to understand the unique needs of their patients and find innovative ways of addressing those needs.

Within the organisation, the word ‘disability’ has been replaced with ‘diverse-ability’ because they don’t view people living with disabilities as having a lack of ability, but rather having diverse skills and proficiencies.”

Source: Social Talent

Here are the top 2 tips for to consider:

Learn what your brand identity involves and what it means for the people it serves. Then, throughout the creative process, implement what is learnt, including modifying things like language, tone, imagery and designs from within the company first.
Be more purposeful in defining the brand value and true purpose in order to stand out in 2022. It’s important to create messages and experiences that are true to the brand while still being relevant to the demands of the intended audience. In this case, relevance is just as important as reach. Leaning into brand purpose and delivering value in an honest and consistent manner may help brands connect effectively with consumers and produce business benefits

Stay ahead and put your best foot forward moving forward in 2022. These tips will definitely put you ahead of your competitors and connect your brand in a truly authentic and humanized way.

Focusing on DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) should be one of your digital marketing strategies for 2022 and beyond. Consumers will no longer be able to support brands they believe are unethical or indifferent.

Baadaye Agency. The future of Africa redefined!

Our new and exciting rebranding.

As the world changes, it is more important than ever to be a part of it rather than being left behind. We have repositioned and refocused our new brand into a look and feel that drives creativity, adapts to a narrative that is steered by purpose, and puts the ‘future’ first, staying true to our name, which means future in Swahili.

It’s safe to say we’re putting ourselves on the map with our new identity, which includes a new logo, colour palette, clean lines, and a distinct aesthetic. Our logo is an infinity symbol; the symbol depicts who we are, what we are working towards, and our impact — which is eternal.

The sentimentality of the colour palette creates a sense of openness while also providing a sense of freshness, making you feel that Baadaye Agency is the new kid-on-the-block, eagerly aiming to be the breath of fresh air that companies and brands need. Our flawlessly curated workmanship and creativity are highlighted by the clean lines and aesthetics, while our breadth of in-demand services and winning attitude tie everything together, elevating our agency above other industry players.

Our story and vision

In 2020, our future appeared to be in threat, amidst unprecedented uncertainty and global fear. In the midst of the uncertainty, however, Baadaye Agency saw a gleam of optimism. We evolved from that hope into something that allows us to look beyond the pandemic’s challenges and position ourselves in a way that allows us to look to the future while focusing on improving our present circumstances into what we imagine a better world to look and feel like.

At Baadaye, our mission is to be agents of change, with a focus on long-term sustainability and positive societal impact. We aim to emphasise our values of working hand-in-hand with marketing and technology to ensure that future generations are equipped with the right skills, ambitions, and enthusiasm to become tomorrow’s leaders and game changers.

As we take this step ahead, we are reminded of the advantage we have in being able to lead and guide our vision, as well as determining the competencies necessary to achieve our objectives.

“We have to do the right things today for the sake of the next generation!” — Katlego Sekete.

Final thoughts

We plan to be more intentional not only with our work, but also with our brand and vision as we move forward into the future. Our new rebranding gives us the ability to convey our narrative more effectively and to focus our service offerings and in-house tech platforms around our clients and community. Our work exemplifies this and demonstrates our commitment to our clients and mission. Always keep in mind that Baadaye Agency is where the future is redefined. Doing the little changes, to make a big difference.

The impact of Digital Marketing in the agricultural sector

The agricultural sector should not be an afterthought in our new digital environment. This sector has expanded over the years to include industries like agricultural machinery, precision agriculture, pesticides, farm equipment, crop production, supply-chain services, and many others. As such, with the advent of digital marketing in the agriculture sector, businesses now have more opportunities to increase visibility and generate business-to-business leads than ever before.

The agricultural industry, however, is said to have the lowest digital marketing adoption rate at 78% which is much lower than the industry average of 88%. For organizations and suppliers looking to increase their reach within the industry, digital marketing can provide an opportunity to boost organic site traffic, improve search engine rankings, and promote perceived industry authority.

Social Media:

One of the internet’s fastest-growing and most popular digital marketing methods is advertising on social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, which proves that there is still potential for B2B and eCommerce growth in these areas.

Websites:

Agriculture websites still have an opportunity to develop their online visibility and consumer base as a result of this. Social media outreach, social media content, SEO, and digital marketing as a whole have created an unusual opportunity for fresh growth within a relatively new channel in the agriculture sector. Businesses with an online presence can reap the most advantageous benefits when all of these tactics are applied together.

With that, we are confident that our digital marketing agency can contribute to the growth of businesses in agriculture, an essential sector that forms the backbone of any economy in the world.

A farmer does not simply plant seeds and hope for the best. Our creative team can put your message in front of the correct audience and help you flourish online, so your business can expand.

Digital Black Friday is approaching. Put your best foot forward.

Following COVID-19, buyers are turning to virtual stores to satisfy their insatiable appetites for low prices, bargain hunting, and the latest products. All of this without having to deal with long queues or being overwhelmed by a stampede of eager consumers. According to BankservAfrica, South Africans spent a total of R2.9 billion on Black Friday 2018, up 15.92 percent from the previous year.

While many brands will have started planning ahead of time for the year’s largest sales event, don’t worry if you haven’t yet missed the Black Friday Frenzy! Mobile eCommerce has made shopping so much easier for digital consumers and it has become a commonplace for almost everyone, with quick accessibility as well as extensive lists of various items at the touch of your fingertips.

Here are a few marketing ideas to help you stand out in the Black Friday craziness:

Try Email Marketing:

Black Friday is a great time to use email marketing to reach out to potential customers. Email marketing may be quite effective because it is a time when consumers are much more present, waiting for the latest deals from their favourite brands to appear in their inbox. You may take advantage of this by enticing customers with discount teasers and live deals that can be redeemed in-store or online, resulting in increased traffic and exposure.

Maximum the power of Social Media:

Consider enticing your consumers before Black Friday by presenting them with real-time offers as they become available. Increase the frequency with which you post intriguing content on social media. Make your offerings appealing to clients by highlighting your promotions. Create gift guides for your customers, providing them with ideas and support while they look for the ideal present for their loved ones.

Partner with micro-influencers:

Micro-influencers can help in the promotion of a brand and upcoming sales promotions. They don’t need a huge following to be effective. They have high engagement rates and are excellent for increasing conversion rates. If their followers are members of your target demographic, they are more likely to engage with your brand and keep an eye out for upcoming sales.

Setup a Landing Page:

Create a one-of-a-kind Black Friday landing page that your clients will appreciate. Include all important information, such as when the offer expires, current stock availability, and the number of people who have looked at the products that are being promoted. You should also use high-quality graphics to promote your products.

Encourage Sharing:

Offer rewards for sharing — discount codes or free give-aways can be a strong motivation for sharing, and the more people who hear about your offers, the more customers you’ll receive, so take advantage of the Black Friday traffic by encouraging them to bring a buddy. In order to successfully approach this global phenomenon, retailers and marketers should be aware of three crucial factors:

Consider personalisation of mobile-focused consumptions for customers.To maximise sales, utilise under-used features of social media such as marketplaces, which provide a number of outlets and accessibility options to reach a wider audience of potential customers who don’t follow your business page or profile on social media.

Remember that younger people (the born-digitals) are becoming more aware of the importance of sustainable consumerism. Adapting and targeting the right products and services, at the right time and for the right reasons is critical. Lastly, keep in mind that digital landscapes are constantly changing, so be prepared for the busiest shopping season of the year.

Take advantage of this wonderful time as it marks the beginning of the holiday season.

Meta launches an education platform, above what anyone could have imagined!

Mark Zuckerberg announced the launch of the 2021 version of his digital literacy program just weeks after renaming his shared online 3D virtual space Meta or rather the “Meta-verse.” The literacy program ‘My Digital World’ was originally launched in June 2020, but with the shift into the metaverse, now looked like the ideal time to deploy, expand, and enhance it.

The new websites feature content that is relevant to today’s realities in Sub-Saharan Africa, from Nigeria to Zambia. It contains modules and training tools for teachers to use in providing information and skills to their students (ages 13 to 18 years old) in order for them to adapt to the ever-increasingly interconnected and digitally complicated environment. The curriculum is geared toward pupils who live in technologically challenged communities.

“The lessons help participants learn tangible skills such as protecting personal information, identifying reputable sources, understanding misinformation themes, and recognising healthy online relationships.”

Phil Oduor, policy programs manager for economic impact and digital literacy at Meta.

Thousands of African pupils have benefited from this approach in recent years through existing programs such as the ‘Ilizwe Lam’ program in South Africa and many others in other African countries. The future of learning is digital, and Meta has done a fantastic job of empowering Africa’s future leaders, our youth.

Meta has been labeled “the internet’s future,” and with empowered African youth as the future’s leading minds, it’s a future we’re excited to be a part of.

Is the future of South Africa on the verge of a major shift and transformation?

According to the most recent figures, support for major parties has dipped below 50%, owing to a considerable number of voter withdrawals. This has made people think about what this signifies for South Africans. Has our government’s reputation suffered such a blow as a result of inadequate service delivery, as evidenced by the soaring number of unemployed youth? For the average South African, the deterioration of local governments’ ability to provide basic municipal services, which extends to their open acts of corruption that jeopardise our livelihoods, demonstrates a lack of optimal function and accountability from our local government and municipalities, with resources mismanaged poorly.

Companies and businesses bear the brunt to maintain the overwhelming costs of failing municipalities. People in their respective communities can No longer rely on simple services such as running clean water because of it being infested with dirt and sewerage making them ill, unmaintained infrastructure endangering lives, the interruption of power-cuts which have a severe impact on our economy. All these ailments leave South Africa in a state of peril.

The hope is that this low turnout has awakened citizens and the government to take significant steps and acts to regain our trust, but at the current state of affairs, the next national elections will be far worse. Is the future of South Africa on the verge of a major shift and transformation?

Baadaye Agency

All posts by : Katlego Sekete