Google moves to help providers of Africa’s 80% employments thrive after COVID-19 blow
Today, Google kicks off a series of programmes, rolling out throughout the month of June with a view to helping small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in Africa’s recover from CVID-19 impact as well as help them thrive.
The tech giant explained in a press statement available to Business Metrics that on the continent, SMBs account for around 90 per cent of all businesses forming the backbone of the economy.
According to Google, while these businesses account for 80 per cent of the region’s employment, the COVID-19 pandemic and restricted business activity over the past year have had, and continue to have, a significant impact on them and the livelihoods of millions.
Mojolaoluwa Aderemi-Makinde, Google’s head of brand and reputation for Africa says: “As more consumers start their journey looking for products and services online, we want to do more to help retail small businesses digitise and better leverage online tools for growth. One thing we know for sure is that when small businesses recover, African economies rebound and do well and this benefits everyone”.
Activities planned by Google for International Small Business Month include:
The Google for Small Business portal has been developed as a one-stop shop for small businesses to get started on the web and to grow their digital presence, helping them choose the appropriate tools for online success and the achievement of their business goals.
“This portal is all about supporting businesses as they get online. In a competitive business environment, digital technology helps to drive economic growth and job creation, while delivering valuable services to people in Africa,” continues Aderemi-Makinde.
This move comes less than a year after Google committed to helping more than 500, 000 businesses, jobseekers and vulnerable people with support packages including free business tools, training and grants.
These programmes are an illustration of Google’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that small retail businesses on the continent have the right tools and skills to bounce back from the impact of the pandemic and drive the continent’s economy once again.
