Reports and Coverage

By Sean D. Yates

Introduction

Comparative lawyers have for over a century examined the ways different legal orders organize their laws. They have observed how law travels, how rather than reinvent the wheel, lawmakers will often copy or borrow legal ideas from another place (or time) and use it themselves. Law, however, doesn’t always fit. That is, it doesn’t always do what it is supposed to do. It may fail to achieve its intended purpose, may do better than expected, or may end up fulfilling an unintended purpose. Comparatists have also therefore highlighted the importance of the social context from which law is taken and into which it is placed, and how the transplanting exercise inevitably results in the law in question undergoing a transformation. It is no longer the same law because it operates differently in a different social context.

What COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the most is the importance of digital transformation. The latter was key to overcome the challenges brought about by the pandemic. With a new normal in the horizon, ICT companies should leverage the current situation to come out of it stronger and more resilient.

Emirates has announced a collaboration with Huawei to promote the Emirates app to Huawei phone users and build a more convenient and rewarding experience for passengers as travel demand recovers in the post-pandemic era.

Mondia Pay, Mondia’s digital payment entity, announced that it recently onboarded a series of new clients and is fast becoming the preferred digital payment solutions provider for telecom operators across Africa. Mondia Pay registered 5.3 billion transactions on its platform last year with telcos across the continent.

CSG announced that Bret Griess, president and chief executive officer of the company has shared his plans to step down at the end of the year, following nearly 25 years of service with the company. Brian Shepherd, executive vice president and group president has been selected to succeed Griess as president and chief executive officer of the company, effective January 1, 2021. In addition, Shepherd will be appointed to the Board on the same date.

Over the past few years, Huawei has been under fire due to several baseless allegations made by the US government which has caused a ripple effect across the rest of the world and has made the company collateral damage in a trade war between the US and China.

The best business strategy is the one that can turn a mess into a success story. What businesses have learned so far from the COVID-19 crisis is that digital transformation was key to overcome the challenges brought about by the pandemic. With a new normal in the horizon, ICT companies should leverage the current situation to come out of it stronger and more resilient.

By George Thabit Ayad Thomas, Senior Solutions Manager of HUAWEI CLOUD Africa Region

The COVID-19 pandemic has had such a fundamentally destabilising impact on the planet that it transcends public health concerns. It has triggered social and economic disasters in several countries, paralyzing entire industries, separating families and bringing companies to their knees.

It has become clear by now that Africa is ready to seize the opportunities presented by digital technologies. Emerging technologies are set to drive the continent’s digital economy, including artificial intelligence. However, challenges are still undermining the rapid adoption of AI in all sectors and preventing it from harnessing the full potential of transformative technologies.

Benya Capital, a leader in ICT infrastructure, technology solutions and digital transformation enablement in Egypt and the region, has launched the platform “Benya Raqmeyal” to accompany businesses in their digital transformation journey.