Contact-free economies could be the norm

The current pandemic is teaching us many things, and very quickly, right now - not least of which is the need to adapt to the changing world we all find ourselves in. What is interesting to see is the rapid move towards contact-free economies. Retailers are rethinking their strategies, moving away from in-person and in-store sales models, and instead looking at digital business models. Three business sectors that are leading the way in this trend are digital commerce, telemedicine, and automation. In Africa, more and more businesses are moving their sales models online to adapt to lockdowns and restricted trading opportunities. Telemedicine companies are bringing health and wellbeing advice and diagnosis direct to patients digitally. And factories are looking at ways of automating certain production processes to minimize human contact risk whilst  maximizing outputs. No-one knows how long these trends will last, but contact-free economies could be the norm in the future.