Page 10 - Forbes - Africa (March 2020)

FORBES AFRICA
EDITOR’S NOTE
THE FUTURE
WE ARE
FACED WITH
HERE’S PESSIMISM IN THE AIR, LITERALLY.
A new decade has just begun and there’s pande-
monium over a planet-ravaging virus spreading faster
than the news on it. Conferences are being cancelled,
T business travel is taking a back seat, and airlines are
cutting back operations.
Inanarticle,Forbesreportsglobalaviationmoniestofallbyatleast
$5billioninthefirstquarterof2020,withtheexpectedimpactonthe
industrytobegreaterthanthe2003SARSepidemic.
Theglobe’speripatetictribeofcorporatetravelersareeitherreign-
ingthemselvesinorcompaniesarecancellingbusinesstrips.The
suitcaseischangingitscharacterandturningintoglorifiedfirst-aidkits
withreinforcementstokeepthevirusatbay.Thisincludesindustrial
handsanitizers,Betadinethroatgargles,facemasks,gloves,wetwipes
andubiquitousclinicalliteratureoncombating2019-nCoV,withsuch
instructionsas“whensomeonesneezesinfrontofyou,beware,butit
willtakeagreatthree meters before it drops to the ground and is no
longer airborne”.
Views expressed by commentators in this publication are not necessarily those held by FORBES AFRICA or its members of staff. All facts printed in FORBES AFRICA were confirmed as being
correct at the time of going to press. Note: Dollar prices in the magazine are approximate figures and based on exchange rates at the time of going to press.
8 | FORBES AFRICA MARCH 2020
Youcertainlywanttobelightyearsawayfrombeingairbornewith
acoughingco-passenger;themetaltubethatisaplaneisnotoneofthe
bestplacestobeinrightnow.
Medicalsuppliersandentrepreneurstryingtomilkthemomentare
undeniablyseeinganunprecedentedriseinthesalesofsuchclinical
supplies.
Inaway,themaskhasunveiledthenewfaceofglobaltravel,andis
anuncanny,unsettlingmetaphorfortheairwecannottrust,thepeople
wecannolongershakehandswith,thecultureswecannotgreet.We
havebecomeunwittingvictimsofavirusstaringusintheface.
Iamguiltytoo,runningtothepharmacytograballthesanitizersin
Johannesburg,asIpreparedtotravelonassignmenttoBarcelonafor
theMobileWorldCongress,supposedtotakeplacelastmonth.The
multi-milliondollarglobalsmartphoneconferencewascancelled,for
thefirsttimeinits14-yearhistory,stallingsignificantglobalproduct
launches.
Closerhome,inSouthAfrica,the2019-nCoVhasthankfullynot
reareditsuglyhead,butthehard-hittingrealitythatisHIV/Aidshas
beenaconstantthreat.AtourphotoshootprofilingAfrica’s50Most
PowerfulWomen,ourfirst-of-its-kindassemblageofthecontinent’s
leadingwomen,WinnieByanyima,theExecutiveDirectorofUNAIDS,
whoflewindirectlyfromGenevafortheinterview,relatedthestartling
factthat1,500younggirlsareinfectedbyHIVeverydayinSouthAf-
rica.Everyday!“That’sunacceptable,theyaresovulnerable.Sadly,the
faceofHIVinAfricaisfemale,”sheemphasized.
Ifwecontinueonwiththistirade,wearefacedwithafuturethatis
completelyunfathomable.
It’shardtobeanoptimist.Andthisisbeingmirroredinthecorpo-
rateworldaswell.
ThekeyfindingsofanewPricewaterhouseCooperssurveysaythat
asweenteranewdecade,“CEOsareshowingrecordlevelsofpes-
simismintheglobaleconomy,with53%predictingadeclineintherate
ofeconomicgrowthin2020.CEOsinSouthAfricaarealsopessimistic
abouttherateofglobaleconomicgrowthwith44%(compared to 35%
in 2019) believing that it will decline over the next 12 months”.
Amid all the doom and gloom, as we battle global crises and trade
wars, I am hoping we will find comfort in humanity and brotherhood
that will eventually prevail for the panacea we are all looking for.
RENUKA METHIL,
MANAGING EDITOR
letters@abn360.com
www.forbesafrica.com Photo by Motlabana Monnakgotla
FORBESAFRICA.COM