Ziningi izinto ezizobuyela ‘kokwejwayelekile’ emhlabeni uma sekudlule iCOVID-19 kodwa kuyacaca ukuthi indlela abantu abathenga ngayo akuyona enye yazo, kuloba uPhillip Moepya

U-SOCRATES wathi: “Ushinto ngeke ulugweme, ngakho into engcono wukuluhlelela.” Wumbono omuhle kodwa ababaningi abantu emhlabeni abebengazilungiselela iCOVID-19 nazo zonke izinguquko ezinqala efike nazo.

Uma sibheka kwezobuchwepheshe sekuneminyaka sikhona isisekelo sokugqugquzela ukuthembela kakhulu ebuxhakaxhakeni esikubone kwenzeka ngo-2020. Ngisho ingakahlaseli iCOVID-19, abantu bese bevele beqalile ukusukumela ukufaka “umoya” abadonsa ngawo i-internet emakhaya kanti izinkampani eziningi bese ziqalile ukufaka imikhiqizo yazo kwi-internet.

Imboni yezokudayisa ibisivele izijwayezile loku kanti ngo-2019 bekukhula ngamandla ukudayiswa kwezimpahla kwi-internet, lokhu okwaziwa nge-e-commerce. Kube sekufika iCOVID-19 ethuthele abathengi kuloku kakhulu kunakuqala.

Ohulumeni emhlabeni jikelele nase-Afrika bakhiphe umyalelo wokuthi abantu abahlale emakhaya futhi baqhelelane. Loku kwenze zasetshenziswa kakhulu izindlela zokuthenga nge-internet; nokukhule ngamandla kuleli zwekazi.

Labo bathengi abebevele bethenga ngokusebenzisa ubuchwepheshe bakwenze kakhulu, kwathi labo abebesamanqika baphoqeleka ukuthi abathi ukuzijwayeza ngenxa yemithetho eqinile yokuvalwa kwezwe. Sinyukile nesibalo sabantu abaqala ngokuya kwi-internet bayocwaninga abafisa ukukuthenga ngaphambi kokuphuma baye esitolo qobo nokunciphisa isikhathi abathengi abasisebenzisayo bebheka abakufunayo. 

Njengoba kuza uLwesihlanu lodumo yendali olwaziwa ngeBlack Friday eNingizimu Afrika, zizohlala obala izinkomba zokuthi indlela abathengi abenza ngayo isishintshe kanjani. Njengoba kunemigomo ngesibalo sabantu, izitolo zizothembela kwezobuchwepheshe ukunyusa ukuthengwa kwezimpahla zazo. 

Yize ukuthenga nge-internet kunedumela kodwa kukhona omunye umkhuba oqaphelekayo nokungenzeka ushintshe indlela abantu abathenga ngayo besebenzisa ubuchwepheshe ngomuso. 

ENigeria siqaphele ukuthi iningi lamakhasimende ethu lisebenzisa i-app yomakhalekhukhwini kunokungena kwi-internet banking lisebenzisa ama-laptop nokukhombisa ukuthi ayanda amakhasimende ancamela ucingo kunekhompyutha.

Ukwenza izinto zasebhange usebenzisa ucingo yikona osekumandla uma kuqhathaniswa naseminyakeni emithathu noma emine edlule. Silindele ukubona lo mkhuba udlulela nakwezinye izimboni okubalwa ne-e-commerce uma kwanda isibalo sabantu abancamela ukusebenzisa izingcingo zabo uma bethenga kwi-internet kunama-laptop.

Nakuba iCOVID-19 isishintshe indlela abathengi abenza ngayo, izitolo zizofuna indlela yokuqinisekisa ukuthi lokhu kuyaqhubeka, ukwenza abathengi babambelele kule ndlela entsha. 

Ukhiye ekwenzeni abantu babambelele kule ndlela wukubalethela imikhiqizo ngendlela ezozwana nokwazi ukukwenza ngokuthi uwaqonde kahle amakhasimende akho usizwa wubuchwepheshe obucubungula indlela abantu abaziphatha ngayo kwi-internet, abakuthandayo nabahlale bekubheka okufana no-artificial intelligence, algorithms no-cloud computing.

I-COVID-19 ayizukuguqula nje indlela abathengi abenza ngayo kodwa izoguqula nanendlela amabhizinisi ahlelwa ngayo. Izinkampani ezinkulu ekudayisweni kwempahla kwi-internet ezifana ne-Amazon sekunesikhathi zihleka zodwa kanti lolu bhubhane lwenze inani lamasheya alo akhula asampula.

Sibona sanda isibalo samakhasimende akhethe le ndlela yokuthenga, ikakhulukazi ezinkampanini ezidayisa izimonyo nemithi njengoDischem lapho abantu bencamela khona ukuthenga nge-internet, ikakhulukazi uma bethenga imithi engadingi incwadi kadokotela.  

Nasembonini yalabo abasafufusa futhi abapatanisayo bungenisile ubuchwepheshe. Ukusetshenziswa kwamaselula kanjalo nokukhokhela impahla kungasetshenziswa ikhadi. Loku sekusize osomabhizinisi ukuthi bakwazi nokufaka izicelo zokuboleka imali besenzisa izindlela ezifana ne-USSD namaselula. 

Loku kushintsha kwendlela abathengi abenza ngayo kulethela amabhange ithuba elihle lokusiza ngezinto eziningi ukulekelela abathengi nosomabhizinisi. Sesivele sesiqalile ukubuyekeza indlela esenza ngayo ukuze sizoba wusizo kakhulu kubathengi bethu ukweseka izinqumo abazenzayo zokuthenga. 

Sizosondela nakosomabhizinisi abasafufusa nokusho ukuthi sizoqonda kangcono izidingo zabo nokuzokwenza sibalethele loko abakudingayo. 

Amabhange awasancintisani wodwa kuphela. Kuqala bekuyithina kuphela esikwazi ukubolekisa ngemali kodwa manje ziyanda izinkampani ezenza loku, njengalezo zokuxhumana ngamaselula ezingenisayo kule mboni nezinye zobuchwepheshe.

Siyabambisana nezinkampani zobuchwepheshe ukuze silethele amakhasimende ethu lokho akudingayo ngayo yonke indlela. I-COVID-19 isishintshe mawala indlela esisebenzisa ngayo ubuchwepheshe futhi isiyenze ukuthi abantu abaningi batshale ekuthuthukiseni ubuchwepheshe emabhizinisini nasemakhaya abo.

Ziningi izinto ezizobuyela “kokwejwayelekile” emhlabeni uma sekudlule iCOVID-19 kodwa kuyacaca ukuthi indlela abantu abathenga ngayo akuyona enye yazo. 

• _{UMoepya uyi-Group Head – Experience Design eStandard Bank}