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Bangalore, India, May 18, 2020: Borderless Access, the digital market research company, has announced the appointment of Mahesh Lingaiah, as Associate Vice President- Healthcare Services with its aim to expand its healthcare research and analytics portfolio further. A healthcare research expert and a strategist, Mahesh comes with over 18 years of experience, in the verticals of business research and analytics, pharmaceutical manufacturing, KPO, and BPO, with experience in the global healthcare industry spanning the US, EU, Japan, Africa, and South Asia.

Nigeria, the largest economy in the continent of Africa, still remains a largely cash-dominated society. As per one report by Access Bank Plc, over 40 million Nigerians do not have a bank account. However, the Central Bank of Nigeria has implemented several measures to encourage people to become part of the country’s regulated financial system, including implementing the National Financial Inclusion Strategy and launching of Payment Service Banks. Thanks to these measures, financial inclusion has improved, with an 11% increase in active bank accounts as of early 2020.

Festive celebrations amid the lockdown have been very different and unusual this year with people adopting new habits and new ways of celebrations. We noticed the impact of lockdown on Ramadan and the people celebrating it with our recent study. Hence, we continued our study to understand the effects of lockdown on Eid celebrations in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt.

The world under lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic has been unusual for all living beings across the globe, be it the changes in habits of working professionals or the consumer expectations from brands or the unintended but positive changes that it brought in our lives. So, how can festive celebrations not be unusual? Muslims worldwide are experiencing a very unusual Ramadan this year. The impact of COVID-19 and the lockdown have naturally resulted in vast changes to the holy month globally.

Das Coronavirus, international auch unter COVID-19 bekannt, hält seit Wochen die Welt in Atem und diktiert jeher sämtliche Bereiche gesellschaftlichen und wirtschaftlichen Lebens. Wie reagieren Verbraucher und welche Auswirkungen hat COVID-19 auf ihr Konsumverhalten? Max Czycholl von Borderless Access ist diesen und weiteren Fragen in einer globalen Studie nachgegangen.

The global economy, accustomed to continuous growth has been caught unawares and unprepared by the suddenness of these unprecedented circumstances. Like most industries, the market research space is also facing hardships and uncertainty. However, as market researchers, we have the unique capacity and capability to understand the world. At a time of uncertainty, market researchers are in a unique position to contribute towards helping others rebuild.

As digitization makes its way into Africa across sectors and industries, digital payment methods are being offered as safe and convenient alternatives to traditional options.

One of the fastest growing digital payments markets in Africa, Ghana, gives the digital revolution a new meaning. The unprecedented growth of the digital economy in Ghana in recent years, especially its penetration in rural areas, speaks of the opportunities it offers in terms of social inclusion and accessibility. This is furthermore important now, where the world has adopted ‘safe distancing and digital lifestyle’ as the new normal.

This past month's lockdown has had an interesting impact on how South Africans consume media. Coupled with the millions of South Africans staying home and the need for ongoing information about the coronavirus, South African media expectations have changed. By the end of March 2020, South Africa had a total of 1,353 COVID-19 cases and five deaths. One month on, we enter stage four of the South African lockdown with these numbers soaring to 5,350 cases and 103 deaths.