Google: Kenya's potential for growth is mind-boggling

Meir Brand

NAIROBI: Technology is helping big and small companies adapt to the fast-changing business environment, and Google has been a big part of this revolution. We spoke to the firm’s head of sales for sub-Saharan Africa, Israel, Turkey, Greece and Russia, Meir Brand, on the future of business in Kenya and the role he sees his firm playing.

You’ve been working with Google for 11 years — how did you get to head such a broad docket?

I started my journey in Israel, a small but very tech-savvy nation whose GDP is largely driven by exports. I have been helping start-ups become big global corporations by leveraging technology and marketing. I’ve also been working with countries that have been devastated by the downturn in the global market, such as Greece. Two years ago, I was asked to run emerging markets in the Middle East, Africa, Russia, Turkey and Israel. These regions are very similar in that they have low budgets but a high need and potential for growth.

What do you think of the business environment today, and what do you consider critical for growth in Kenya?

Kenya belongs to the above-mentioned emerging markets, which collectively have about 1.5 billion people — they are essentially the growth engine of the global economy.

These people also constitute 30 per cent of the global online presence, and any new customers coming online will most likely come from this region. I am passionate about this region because its the one region where technology can be used to have the largest impact — in some respects, even larger than what we see in developed markets.

What role do you see technology playing in corporate Kenya?

The Internet, as we know, is a major driver of technology and innovation today. Yet, much as we might take it for granted, only three billion of the world’s seven billion people have access to the Internet, and most of them access it through mobile platforms.

It is projected that the number of Internet users will essentially double by 2020. We at Google see this as huge potential for business growth, especially in emerging markets.

This is very exciting for us because when you think about the Internet and its contribution to innovations around the world, this kind of growth sets the stage for an unprecedented acceleration in innovation in just four years.

A key indicator of the impact of a technology is the billion-units-sold mark. How are mobile phones doing?

The mobile phone reached a billion units sold in just under five years. This is remarkable when you consider that radio, TV and the personal computer reached the same goal in 72, 67 and 33 years, respectively.

Using our phones, we can communicate, research, create and consume data on an unprecedented scale. The idea that billions of people can be empowered with equal access to learn, discover and create content for the betterment of their lives boggles my mind.

What role is Google hoping to play going forward?

As a major player in technology, we see the challenge of bringing the next three billion users online as a key responsibility.

We recognise that we cannot do it alone, so we are working with other stakeholders, specifically governments and private companies like telcos, to provide users with an amazing experience once they get online. The faster we do this, the sooner we can uplift the quality of people’s lives. For me, access to the Internet should be a basic human right.

What would you change about how businesses engage with technology?

The current thinking in most business circles is that the digital platform is for tech companies. We need to move past this kind of thinking as a business community and embrace digital platforms. This shift of traditional companies to online platforms will make them faster, more agile and more data-oriented, not to mention more relevant and accessible to their clients who, as we’ve seen, are moving online at a very fast pace.

This, we expect, will drive higher margins, higher returns on investment, and ultimately make more profitable companies.

With smartphone users pegged at 44 per cent, up from 27 per cent two years ago, businesses in Kenya will soon be able to reach the masses in a data-oriented way that can be measured and targeted.

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