TCS | GG Alcock on the digitisation of the township economy

In this episode of the TechCentral Show, author, marketer and consultant GG Alcock chats to Nkosinathi Ndlovu about how South Africa’s informal economy is being digitised. Alcock’s background as a white boy growing up in rural Msinga, KwaZulu-Natal has helped him develop a deep cultural understanding of township life and the way business is conducted there. Indeed, he has built his career as a marketer and consultant based on his intimate understanding of the township economies. In the show, Alcock shares some of his personal history, speaks about his earliest innovations and gives detailed insight into how the adoption of digital technologies has progressed in South Africa’s informal economy in recent years. The conversation delves into: • How the Covid-19 pandemic influenced the adoption of digital payments in the informal economy; • Why card payments are outpacing banking apps, third-party payment platforms like Zapper and even PayShap in townships; • Data-driven insights about what informal business owners really think about ditching cash for digital; and • The outlook for digitisation and payments in the informal economy. Don’t miss a fascinating conversation!