Insyte Weekly: IKEA's New Customer Loyalty Initiatives, SA's Tourism Industry Growth, Apple's Battle Against Fraud, and more

Media & Entertainment

Since its launch in 2008, Apple’s App Store has prioritised user safety and developer integrity. In 2024 alone, Apple prevented over $2 billion in fraudulent transactions and blocked 4.6 million attempts to install illicit apps. Apple terminated over 146,000 fraudulent developer accounts and rejected more than 711 million fraudulent customer account creations. Through its App Review process, Apple vetted 7.7 million app submissions, rejecting nearly 2 million for security and quality violations. The company also removed over 320,000 apps that were misleading or spam-like, 400,000 for privacy violations, and 17,000 for bait-and-switch tactics. In its crackdown on discovery fraud, Apple processed 1.2 billion ratings and reviews, removing 143 million fraudulent ones, and eliminated thousands of deceptive apps from charts and search results. Additionally, Apple strengthened its payment fraud defences by blocking nearly 4.7 million stolen credit cards and 1.6 million fraudulent accounts, while continuing to offer developers secure tools like StoreKit and Apple Pay. These measures underscore Apple’s commitment to a trustworthy and secure marketplace, benefiting both users and ethical developers.

The global music industry, which reached a revenue of $29.6 billion in 2024, is facing a growing threat from artificial streaming fraud, now supercharged by AI technologies. Fraudsters use AI-generated music and bots to create streaming farms, uploading millions of fake tracks and manipulating streaming numbers just enough to earn royalties without raising alarms. This new method undermines the royalty-based business model of streaming platforms like Spotify, Deezer, and Apple Music, resulting in estimated financial losses of over $1 billion annually. The problem not only reduces the revenue available to legitimate artists and labels but also disrupts platform algorithms and data used by artists for promotion and touring. In response, platforms like Deezer are fighting back with AI-powered detection tools and innovations like capping royalty generation at 1,000 streams per user account to limit bot effectiveness. However, the arms race between fraudsters and the industry continues to escalate, raising concerns about fairness, innovation funding, and the integrity of the music ecosystem.

Edtech

Faced with a post-pandemic reduction in instructional coaching staff due to budget shifts and increased intervention demands, a school district in the U.S. introduced AI-powered coaching as an alternative method of professional development for teachers. In 2022, the district implemented AI Coach by Edthena, allowing educators to self-reflect through a structured, self-paced cycle involving video analysis and goal setting. The platform supports teacher growth even in schools lacking in-person coaches, and complements traditional coaching where available. Adoption has been voluntary and well-received, with the district seeing AI coaching used not only by teachers but also by specialists and instructional coaches. It has helped broaden coaching access, engage hesitant teachers, and enhance practices like microteaching and PLCs, all while aligning with school improvement strategies.

Coursiv is a mobile-first AI learning platform designed to upskill users by delivering hands-on, practical AI training accessible anytime, anywhere. As industries rapidly integrate artificial intelligence, Coursiv addresses the global demand for professionals who can use these tools effectively. With mobile learning growing in popularity due to its flexibility and inclusiveness, Coursiv positions itself as a modern solution that breaks traditional barriers in education. Launched in 2023, the app offers daily micro-lessons, gamified 28-day challenges, and multilingual support to accommodate diverse, global learners. Unlike traditional e-learning platforms, Coursiv emphasises experiential learning through real-life applications such as using ChatGPT for writing or DALL-E for content creation. The platform has gained popularity, earning a spot in the top 10 U.S. EdTech apps with a 4.6-star rating, and it aims to help individuals and organisations align learning with productivity and business goals.

Fintech

The buy now, pay later (BNPL) sector continues to evolve from its original “pay in 4” model to a more expansive credit alternative ecosystem. While debit remains dominant for everyday transactions like groceries, BNPL usage is surging, with 128 million Americans using some form of BNPL in the last year, totalling $175 billion in transactions. Companies such as Affirm, Klarna, and Sezzle are broadening their models by introducing flexible payment credentials, BNPL-linked debit cards, and targeting higher-income users and new verticals like grocery and B2B. Notably, major payment networks like Visa and Mastercard are integrating embedded BNPL options, offering users more flexibility at checkout. Traditional banks and fintechs are also participating—JPMorganChase and Galileo Financial Technologies have launched instalment offerings linked to debit cards. Affirm’s debit card, for instance, lets users choose between full payment and instalments, with its card-related merchandise volume growing 115% year-over-year.

Mastercard has launched the Small Business Navigator program in the U.S., a comprehensive suite of digital tools, data resources, and educational content aimed at supporting small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). The program includes an AI-powered chatbot mentor, actionable business insights from Mastercard’s economic research, and educational resources on cybersecurity, marketing, and digital tools. It also offers access to My Cyber Risk powered by RiskRecon, Biz2Credit’s Virtual CFO services for financial planning, and marketing exposure through Mastercard’s social media. This initiative follows Mastercard’s broader strategy to expand its value to SMBs, which has included launching Business Builder credit/debit cards and Mastercard Biz360, a platform consolidating business tools for SMBs.

Tourism

The Travel & Tourism industry in South Africa is on track for a strong post-pandemic recovery. By 2025, it is expected to support a record 1.9 million jobs, contribute ZAR 659.8 billion to the economy (8.9% of GDP), and see domestic visitor spending reach ZAR 445 billion, exceeding 2019 levels. However, international visitor spending remains below pre-COVID levels, projected at ZAR 128.4 billion—still ZAR 37.7 billion shy of 2019. By 2035, the sector could add 620,000 more jobs and reach ZAR 911.7 billion in GDP contribution (10.3% of GDP), provided public-private collaboration continues effectively.

On May 29, 2025, Morocco and the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) signed a financial agreement to establish Africa’s first UNWTO thematic office in Rabat. The office will focus on tourism innovation and investment, helping African nations develop sustainable and digitally advanced tourism systems. This initiative aligns with the UNWTO 2030 Agenda and supports South-South cooperation, positioning Morocco as a central hub for tourism transformation across the continent.

Retail

IKEA U.S. has launched a customer rewards program that allows customers to earn and redeem points across the entire shopping journey—from planning and wishlist creation to purchasing. Customers earn 1 point per $1 spent, with bonus points for actions like sharing a gift registry or saving a drawing. Rewards include discounts and small perks, starting at just 60 points for a frozen treat. The initiative is part of enhancing the IKEA Family loyalty program, offering personalised value and deeper engagement.

A global study of nearly 8,000 business and technical leaders reveals strong demand for agentic AI in retail: 93% believe agentic AI will improve services and efficiency, and 56% expect widespread adoption within a year, rising to 68% in three years. However, the research also highlights the importance of maintaining human connection (valued by 96% of respondents) and the necessity of ethical governance, with 99% emphasizing the need for transparency, fairness, and data integrity in AI deployment. The findings call on technology vendors to accelerate their agentic AI strategies while balancing automation with empathy and strong governance.

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