Author: Contributor
by Moses Ngware Almost universally, one of the first measures taken to contain the spread of COVID-19 was the closure of schools, colleges and universities. This has affected over 1.576 billion learners, constituting slightly over 91% of enrolment. In Africa, about 297 million learners have been affected. Their teachers and resources, will remain underutilised for a while. The question for society is, “what next”? This is a valid concern given that no one is certain how long the health crisis will last. At the national and school levels, education technology (also known as EdTech) is closing the learning gap. In…
SA’s Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA) is advising members that hosting so-called ‘fake news’ websites is prohibited by Clause 11(5) of the Disaster Management Act regulations which makes it an offence to publish any statement with the intention to deceive about COVID-19, someone’s infection status or steps taken by the government to deal with COVID-19. ISPA says the regulations specific to the ICT define deceptive statements as “fake news” and place an obligation on ECS licensees and ISPs to “remove fake news related to COVID-19 from their platforms.” Any ISPA member hosting a fake news site should act expeditiously to…
by Stefan Nalletamby As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a devastating impact globally, the African continent, while less affected, is preparing to undergo its own severe social and economic crisis. As of April 7, over 10,000 cases have been reported across 52 countries in Africa (less than 1% of cases globally). Yet despite the slow onset, Africa’s fragile health systems will be overwhelmed if the virus continues to spread. To avoid this scenario, governments are implementing contingency measures with striking collateral damage in the form of shops and factories closing, workers being sent home, and jobs being cut, with the effect that an…
by Dr Gilad Isaacs As government, economists, activists, business leaders and the public debate the size and scope of government support to the COVID-19 hit economy, it is worth asking a simple question: what is the impact of government spending? This forms part of a wider debate over whether South Africa should continue on the path of austerity – cutting expenditure with the aim of reducing debt – or undertake a fiscal stimulus – spending with the aim of growing the economy. Recent research by Professors Enno Schröder and Servaas Storm from Delft University of Technology throws useful light on…
The House of David Tlale on Monday, April 13, will launch a new sustainability-friendly and COVID-19 compliant Autumn/Winter “Fashion Trend” launch with an entirely digital agenda of content, including a fashion showcase and brand collaborations. For the first time the fashion maestro that is David Tlale will work in partnership with Boschendal Wines and Avon South Africa to digitally showcase his latest Autumn/Winter 2020/21 Collection titled, “Classica Icons”. You are invited to watch the streamed show at 19H15 on www.davidtlale.com, Avon’s digital platforms and across all David Tlale social media platforms. The pre-recorded virtual fashion showcase will serve as a call-to-action…
by Stanley Shanapinda, La Trobe University A conspiracy theory claiming 5G can spread the coronavirus is making the rounds on social media. The myth supposedly gained traction when a Belgian doctor linked the “dangers” of 5G technology to the virus during an interview in January. Closer to home, Facebook group Stop5G Australia (with more than 31,700 members) has various posts linking the disease’s spread to 5G technology. Members of the Stop5G Australia Facebook group share posts and videos claiming 5G helps spread COVID-19. Facebook Peddling such misinformation is not only wrong, it’s destructive. The Guardian reported that since Thursday at…
BTC predicted to reach highs of $15,499 by year’s end However, the coin may have lost it’s ‘safe-haven investment’ status Bitcoin halving a non-event Bitcoin is predicted to reach highs of $15,499 by year’s end, according to a new report from financial comparison website Finder.com. The figure is the average of 10 FinTech leaders’ individual predictions, who speculated what might be in store for the coin in 2020. With Bitcoin’s recent price decline nearly everyone on the panel (90%) agreed Bitcoin has not been immune to corona-triggered asset sell-offs. Technologist and Futurist at Thomson Reuters, Joseph Racynski, noted that in…
Standard Bank has acquired a 40% stake in the digital fuel management solutions and telematics company Payment24 Group. Payment24 Group is a technology development firm that supports companies with large fleets. Launched just over five years ago to fill a gap in the fleet fuel payment space, Payment24 operates across Africa and has already seen wide adoption of its fuel management app in South Africa. It has partnerships with major filling stations in the country. The company’s solutions – including the Payment24 fuel management platform, fleet fuel management solutions, mobile fuelling solutions, vehicle tracking, telematics and geofencing solutions – are…
In line with its stated intention of strengthening governance and board independence, the specialist investment bank, Grindrod announced today that it has appointed Zizipho Nyanga as a non-executive board director. Nyanga’s announcement follows the recent appointment of Amanda Dambuza as the chairperson of the board effective 1 March 2020. David Polkinghorne, Chief Executive Officer of Grindrod Bank said, “Zizipho brings not only a wealth of experience in the financial services sector, but a passion to empower SMEs and truly see entrepreneurs grow and prosper.” Nyanga is a Chartered Accountant and has recently obtained the GIBS Global Executive Development certificate, with…
by Niema Moshiri When you hear the term “evolutionary tree,” you may think of Charles Darwin and the study of the relationships between different species over the span of millions of years. While the concept of an “evolutionary tree” originated in Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species,” one can apply this concept to anything that evolves, including viruses. Scientists can study the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 to learn more about how the genes of the virus function. It is also useful to make inferences about the spread of the virus around the world, and what type of vaccine may be most…