Author: Contributor
Fundrr, South Africa’s small business lender startup aiming to provide financing at the most affordable, flexible and transparent way, plans to disrupt the market for the next five years by funding R1 billion worth of South African business growth in the next five years. This is aimed at making Fundrr the preferred alternative lenders for SMEs. There are 2.4 million SMEs in South Africa that employ around 60 – 70% of the working population, but this market experiences a dearth of funding, causing R86 billion credit gap for small businesses. Each year, the number of SMEs in the country decreases…
MTN’s support of the South African national rugby team was further bolstered today following the announcement that the country’s rugby fans will be given the chance to join the Springboks in Japan later this year. These lucky fans will have the experience of a lifetime; travelling to Japan where they will explore the country’s rich cultural history – before the highlight of the trip where they will cheer for our nation with pride. Mapula Bodibe, Consumer Business Unit Executive at MTN SA says: “We are beyond proud to be the brand behind the Springboks as they take on what is…
by Tolu Olarewaju Corruption can have a crippling effect on a country’s economy. This is why African businesses have described ending corruption as “priority number one”. Take Nigeria, where the basic infrastructure deficit is huge but funds to improve its infrastructure always seem to end up missing or misallocated. In addition, projects are started and never finished. As a result the country’s roads, rail and ports are in a deplorable state. Nigerians also suffer from persistent electricity shortages. They lack pipe-borne water and proper sanitation facilities. Housing provision is a problem too. The country has spent billions of US dollars…
by Mayank Batavia These days it’s difficult to read about artificial intelligence (AI) without a mention of how China plans to dominate the AI industry worldwide and how it’s going to relegate the U.S. to a distant second position. While it’s not safe to make predictions about whether China will be successful in pushing the U.S. to second position in the AI industry in the coming years, one can easily say China is putting its best chip forward when it comes to AI. China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) came out with a very detailed document in 2017 that…
by Jelena Kecmanovic More than one-third of American adults view social media as harmful to their mental health, according to a new survey from the American Psychiatric Association. Just 5% view social media as being positive for their mental health, the survey found. Another 45% say it has both positive and negative effects. Two-thirds of the survey’s respondents believe that social media usage is related to social isolation and loneliness. There is a strong body of research linking social media use with depression. Other studies have linked it to envy, lower self-esteem and social anxiety. As a psychologist who has…
by Michael Guihot Australia is among 42 countries that last week signed up to a new set of policy guidelines for the development of artificial intelligence (AI) systems. Yet Australia has its own draft guidelines for ethics in AI out for public consultation, and a number of other countries and industry bodies have developed their own AI guidelines. So why do we need so many guidelines, and are any of them enforceable? Read more: Artificial intelligence in Australia needs to get ethical, so we have a plan The new principles The latest set of policy guidelines is the Recommendation on…
by Bram Jansen There are various interesting things on the internet today that you can enjoy watching but you might not be aware that there is much more on the web that you actually see. To see the stuff you cannot see, VPN connection can be used. 1. Stream content that is blocked in your region Not all the content from the major streaming media providers like Netflix & Hulu is allowed to be broadcasted outside USA reason being the copyright agreements. This implies that a large number of Movies & TV Shows which are accessible to those living…
By Tammy Hodgskiss, University of the Witwatersrand Digital technology has become an integral part of our everyday lives. So it was only a matter of time before the ways people interact with the past and ancient artefacts in museum settings became digital, too. The problem is that technology can be extremely expensive. Many museums just don’t have the funding to obtain, develop and maintain fancy devices or interactive digital gadgets. Some big European and North American museums, which receive millions of visitors each year, have been able to afford virtual reality (VR) and various other digital technologies. These are an…
By Staff Writer Software firm SAP announced on Friday that it will provide an update on the investigation into allegations of wrongdoing in its South African business during the last week of October 2017. The company initiated an investigation spearheaded by international law firm Baker McKenzie on July 12, 2017. At the same time, SAP placed four senior executives on administrative leave pending the finalization of this investigation. The German-based firm said in a statement that the team from Baker McKenzie has been reviewing and scrutinizing large volumes of data, talking to a variety of stakeholders and conducting interviews with…
by Steve Tzikakis, SAP President EMEA South We all face an exciting – but uncertain – time ahead. The disruption of the Fourth Industrial Revolution will change every facet of work and life over the coming decades. We will need to confront global challenges such as the socio-economic effects of workplace automation. climate change and the rise of new diseases and superbugs. Improvements in medicine will extend the human lifespan, leading to ageing populations and swelling populations. This will put a strain on our natural resources and force us to develop innovative new ways to meet basic human needs such…
By Martin Walshaw, Senior Systems Engineer at F5 Networks Biometrics are quickly gaining momentum both in the global and local financial services sector, making the security of the technology behind these mechanisms increasingly important. For financial institutions, the primary goal of digitisation is making banking simpler and more intuitive for customers. Biometric identification has huge potential, offering convenience, simplifying password management and providing a frictionless authentication process. However, combining the desire for ease of use with the need to improve security is a difficult balancing act. With biometrics in banking rapidly gaining momentum, it is equally becoming an area of…
By Hey Jude Move over Elon Musk and Amber Heard, we are introducing the 2017 partnership that will turn everyone green. But before we get to the juicy hookup, where did it all start? Just when you thought Cape Town was all beaches, bars, biltong and breath-taking views, South Africa’s Mother City stakes its claim as Africa’s tech hub too. The 2nd best City to visit in 2017 as voted by Lonely Planet has also been labelled “Silicon Cape”, so it made sense to conceive, develop and perfect the Hey Jude app here. So what is Hey Jude? Just another…
By Nissan Nissan has reached a new milestone with 150 million vehicles produced globally. It took 73 years for Nissan to produce its first 100 million vehicles after the company was founded in 1933, and another 11 years to build the last 50 million. Nissan sees this achievement as the result of 84 years of continued support from all of its stakeholders worldwide, including employees, dealers, suppliers and local communities, as well as the numerous customers who have chosen cars produced by Nissan. When Nissan reached the 100 million vehicle milestone in 2006, 76.5% of the total vehicles had been…
By Staff Writer Cell C announced on Tuesday that is introducing a new range of LTE-A data products aimed at customers who consume larger amounts of data due to the increased data speeds available on its LTE network. The new data prices are on promotion from 1 October. Customers signing up for any of Cell C’s LTE-A data promotional deals before the end of December 2017 will enjoy massive discounts on their monthly subscription fees of the already well-priced LTE data plans. The 15GB LTE-A offer will cost R149 per month instead of R299 per month. The 25GB LTE-A deal…
By Staff Writer Global bitcoin platform Luno announced on Tuesday that it has received R120 million investment and revealed its expansion plans into 35 new markets across Europe. The company said the R120 million Series B funding round was led by London-based Balderton Capital, one of Europe’s leading venture capital firms. Rand Merchant Investments, through its fintech investment arm, AlphaCode, and existing investors Digital Currency Group also participated in the round. This follows Luno’s R60 million Series A round, which was led by emerging market tech giant Naspers. Luno is one of the world’s most popular Bitcoin platforms, making it…
By Byron Clatterbuck, CEO, SEACOM Since 2009, the African telecoms industry has come a long way in connecting people and businesses to reliable, affordable and fast Internet services. The new submarine cables that started to land off the continent’s east and west coasts from 2009 onwards brought with them more affordable and plentiful international bandwidth. They now circle the continent, offering a reliable and resilient ring of connectivity at faster and faster speeds. Meanwhile, telecoms players have also invested in connecting metropolitan areas in most major economies with fibre as well as in building national and regional fibre backbones to…
By Staff Writer The increasing incidence of situations requiring cellphone users to record unfolding events on their mobile devices has prompted the launch of MiBlackBox. The service is a virtual witness to volatile and emergency situations by enabling mobile users to record calls, images and videos at the touch of a button. MiBlackBox’s standout feature is that it automatically encrypts and stores all voice recorded on secure servers. “We’ve all viewed cellphone footage where those caught in the act attempt to seize victims’ mobile phones. With MiBlackBox’s offsite secure server, once incriminating files are recorded, it doesn’t matter what happens…
by Ben Dickson Early this month, the widely ridiculed juice-squeezing company Juicer, which managed to raise the absurd amount of $120 million in funding from Silicon Valley investors, declared its shutdown. The startup’s demise, which is another manifestation of solutions to non-problems, also points out another endemic problem with our increasingly connected world: the fate of connected devices after the end of their companies. 20 years ago, when you bought a fridge or dishwasher or washing machine for your home, it wouldn’t make much of a difference to you if the company that created the appliance would go bankrupt or remained in…
By Sergey Bratus, Dartmouth College and Anna Shubina, Dartmouth College It’s troubling to think that at any moment you might open an email that looks like it comes from your employer, a relative or your bank, only to fall for a phishing scam. Any one of the endless stream of innocent-looking emails you receive throughout the day could be trying to con you into handing over your login credentials and give criminals control of your confidential data or your identity. Most people tend to think that it’s users’ fault when they fall for phishing scams: Someone just clicked on the wrong…
It seems that now is the time for cyber-security experts to join forces to bring about a new awareness of cyber threats in the country. The statistics are not altogether unbelievable when you consider that in 2016, ransomware attacks increased by a whopping 400%. That translates to an average of 4 000 ransomware attacks each day, and that’s just the attacks that are reported and that we are aware of. While the USA is in total despair over the millions of dollars being wasted on cyber-attacks, South Africa should take heed and raise the levels of security threat awareness. In…
By Staff Writer South Africa’s ex-convicts Kenny Kunene and Gayton McKenzie are linked to a R5 billion empowerment transaction with Russian oil firm Rosgeo, according to a report in the Sunday Times. The newspaper reported that the ‘New Guptas’ allegedly travelled to Russia at the same time as State Security Minister David Mahlobo, to meet with Rosgeo to discuss the deal. Kunene and McKenzie have an “increasingly cozy relationship” with President Jacob Zuma and have a strong influence on him, according to the report. According to the newspaper, Kunene and McKenzie were introduced to Rosgeo CEO Roman Panov, in the…
By Marwan Elnakat, digital banking solutions director for the CISMEA region at Gemalto With Capitec’s latest trading update making a case for what consumers in emerging markets want – and need – the time for “one-size-fits-all” banking looks set to be over. As the bank continues attracting up to 150 000 new customers each month, it’s redefining the “typical banking experience”. A similar evolution is underway in the digital banking space. While banks have responded well for the most part, offering new digital services such as mobile apps and online portals, next generation users are already demanding a move away from…
By Staff Writer Econet, the owners of Liquid Telecom, has introduced its Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) service Kwesé Play in South Africa. The firm through Econet Media is bringing Kwesé Play video streaming service to the country. The company will leverage Africa’s largest fibre network, available through sister company Liquid Telecom which concluded its acquisition of Neotel last year. Neotel holds leading-edge 4G and 5G LTE spectrum capability which is being configured to carry video content. Rather than building its own VOD business, Econet Media has taken a different approach and invested in building the best platform to house some of…
By Staff Writer VOOV is a social live streaming app which allows you to be the star of your own live show, and discover, connect and engage with your favourite celebrities and friends. It gives users the unique opportunity to discover, connect and interact with any other South African user’s live streams. At the touch of a button, ‘VOOVers’ can also become the stars of their own live show. Whether it is a magnificent voice that never got the chance to take centre stage, an everyday teenager who wants to entertain an audience, or an aspiring celebrity offering fans insight…
By Staff Writer Cell C, South Africa’s mobile phone operator, has reduced out-of-bundle data rate for prepaid customers on its lowest tariff plan to 15c per MB. The mobile phone operator said the reduction of out-of-bundle data rate is effective 1 October 2017. On the postpaid side, Cell C said customers can take advantage of any of the Connector plans that cap the out-of-bundle data rate to 15c per MB. The second challenge Cell C is addressing is the expiry of unused data by allowing customers to extend the validity of their data bundles by purchasing a new bundle before…