Author: Contributor
By Staff Writer The Democratic Alliance will lay charges of money laundering and corruption against the South African component of global software giant, SAP, and Gupta-affiliated company CAD House. The South African office of the German software giant SAP is believed to have paid the Gupta front about R100 million “kickbacks” for state business. The AmaBhungane and Scorpio said on Tuesday in a report that evidence suggests SAP used the Gupta influence network to drive sales of a billion rand to Transnet and other state-owned companies. In August 2015, SAP signed a “sales commission agreement” with a small Gupta-controlled company that…
By Staff Writer The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) announced on Monday that it laid charges of treason against former Minister of Communications Faith Muthambi. Charges were laid at the Brixton police station in Johannesburg. “When the court finds Faith Muthambi guilty, this should mean a sentence of life imprisonment,” Dominique Msibi, OUTA’s Portfolio Director for Special Projects, said in a statement. In 2015, the Western Cape High Court found that Muthambi acted irrationally and unlawfully in her appointment of Hlaudi Motsoeneng as Chief Operating Officer of the SABC because of the Public Protector’s findings against him of abuses of…
By Kroshlen Moodley, GM: Public Sector and Utilities at SAS On 22 May, the Western Cape was declared a disaster area as the ongoing drought saw dam levels drop below 10%. This prompted the local government to implement level 4 water restrictions amid warnings that the drought could continue well into 2018. Here’s what we know about the water crisis in the Western Cape: The province contributes 24% to SA’s GDP. Agriculture makes up 4% of that figure and provides 18% of employment opportunities in the province. No rain means farmers will not employ as many seasonal workers, which will…
By Darrel Orsmond, financial services industry head at SAP Africa Banks are finding it increasingly difficult to reach and ensure value to their customers in light of the challenge by existing and new fintech competitors who are muscling in on the ‘offer’ – the point at which a customer’s process of research and assimilation culminates in the customer acting. Before our mobile and Internet-driven world, customers would collect information, talk to friends, respond to advertising and, in the case of a loan, approach their bank manager for a facility. This reasonably well-defined process has changed dramatically over the past ten…
By Staff Writer South Africa’s power utility is sitting on its last R20-billion but wants bonuses to be paid to axed CEO Brian Molefe, suspended acting chief executive Matshela Koko and others, Sunday Times reported. The newspaper reported that this means that, unless something is done urgently, the parastatal could find itself unable to pay November salaries. However, Eskom proposes that Molefe be paid a R2.1-million bonus for the eight months he served as CEO in the 2016-17 financial year, said the newspaper. Earlier this year, Eskom attempted to secure a R30-million pension payout for Molefe – who was CEO…
By Martin Walshaw, F5 Networks Senior Systems Engineer Rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are about to revolutionise society in ways we cannot yet imagine. Many will welcome the possibilities brought about by the technological shake-up, but there is also growing uncertainty about the long-term impact on jobs. The Future of Apps – an F5-commissioned report by the Foresight Factory – recently reported that 30% of South Africans between the ages of 16 and 25 believe their current job could be replaced by AI or robots within the next decade. While fear of the technological unknown is understandable,…
By Staff Writer South African payments company Yoco announced on Thursday that it now has 10 000 SMEs in South Africa using its point-of-sale payments platform to accept card payments. Yoco, which was launched at the end of 2015, said it was adding over 1 000 new SMEs to its base every month, “making it the largest independent mobile point-of-sale player in South Africa by number of merchants”. SMEs are big business in South Africa, contributing close to 50% to GDP and driving most of employment. However, due to their small size, fragmented nature, and general unpredictability, they remain overlooked…
by Ben Dickson Why would Amazon, one of the biggest tech companies in the world, spend $13.4 billion to acquire Whole Foods, a grocery chain? Some analysts believe this is Bezos’ response to Walmart’s inroads into online retail. But I think the bigger picture is about data, the new oil, the new gold, the subject of a not-so-secret battle between the leading tech companies (Apple, Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Amazon). While you scroll through our social media timeline, search the web, watch videos online and do a lot of different things on your smartphones and computers—and all of it without paying a dime—the companies…
By Sara Behdad, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York Traditionally, when a car breaks down, the solution has been to fix it. Repair manuals, knowledgeable mechanics and auto parts stores make car repairs common, quick and relatively inexpensive. Even with modern computer-equipped vehicles, regular people have plenty they can do: change oil, change tires and many more advanced upgrades. But when a computer or smartphone breaks, it’s hard to get it fixed, and much more common to throw the broken device away. Even small electronic devices can add up to massive amounts of electronic waste – between…
By News Agency Staff The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) has reached yet another milestone, with a significant development that cements the way towards the second phase construction of the colossal telescope. The Ghanaian and South African governments on Thursday announced the combination of ‘first light’ science observations, which confirm the successful conversion of the Ghana communications antenna from a redundant telecoms instrument into a functioning Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) radio telescope. Ghana is the first partner country of the African Very Large Baseline Interferometer (VLBI) Network (AVN) to complete the conversion of a communications antenna into a functioning radio…
By Staff Writer SAP, German-based software firm, has has initiated an independent investigation spearheaded by a multinational law firm and overseen by executive board member Adaire Fox-Martin to vigorously review contracts awarded by SAP South Africa. Fox-Martin is currently traveling to South Africa to address the concerns of customers, partners and employees. The German-based firm has placed the current management team on administrative leave pending the findings of the review. The South African office of the German software giant SAP is believed to have paid the Gupta front about R100 million “kickbacks” for state business. The AmaBhungane and Scorpio said…
By NewsAgency Staff South Africa must build its skills base in the Information Communication Technology (ICT) industry if it is to cement its position in the fourth industrial revolution. “As we exist in the digital age and in the midst of a universe that is continuously shrinking to become a global village, ICT and innovation are elements that underpin our future growth and development. “If we are to dream of a brighter future for our country, it is essential that training in ICT and business development become integral in our education system. That is the best way we can cultivate…
By Staff Writer Times are financially tough for many South Africans, making special offers and opportunities to save more appealing than ever. So why is it that SA’s ‘big four’ retail banks are sitting with more than R2 billion in unspent loyalty points? Surely the discounts redeemable through these points should be sought after as consumers attempt to make hard-earned money go further? The financial services industry, specifically the big four banks, have offered loyalty programmes for a number of years now and have acquired important customer transactional data in the process. But is this data being analysed effectively to…
By Staff Writer South Africa’s Vox is calling all wireless internet service providers (WISPS) in towns where broadband coverage is limited, or where ADSL is old, over-subscribed and unlikely to be extended, to partner with the integrated ICT and connectivity provider, to drive enhanced connectivity experiences for their customers. Leveraging its investment in its national long-distance fibre project, which was launched in October 2016, Vox is deploying wireless links via a high capacity backhaul that it anticipates will assist WISPS to convert what were previously best effort basic services to a more inclusive, far-reaching broadband connectivity experience for businesses and…
By Staff Writer The Tambour Horizon smartwatch is Louis Vuitton’s first foray into the connected watch game Its sister brand TAG Heuer has been one of the earliest among the traditional houses to have a smart watch in the collection. The high-end fashion retailer worked with Google and Qualcomm for the Tambour Horizon. What sets the Tambour Horizon apart from other connected watches are the applications available. First the skins of the dials are all reflective of the various models from Louis Vuitton. Also unique is the City Guide, which Louis Vuitton now currently publishes as small booklets which is not…
By Staff Writer German carmaker Audi claims the new Audi A8’s artificial intelligence (AI) traffic jam pilot takes charge of driving in slow-moving traffic at up to 60 km/h on freeways and highways where a physical barrier separates the two carriageways. The carmaker says the system is activated using the AI button on the centre console. The traffic jam pilot manages starting, accelerating, steering, and braking, said the company, adding that the driver no longer needs to monitor the car permanently. “They can take their hands off the steering wheel permanently and, depending on the national laws, focus on a different activity…
By Staff Writer The South African office of the German software giant SAP is believed to have paid the Gupta front about R100 million “kickbacks” for state business. The AmaBhungane and Scorpio said on Tuesday in a report that evidence suggests SAP used the Gupta influence network to drive sales of a billion rand to Transnet and other state-owned companies. In August 2015, SAP signed a “sales commission agreement” with a small Gupta-controlled company that specialises in selling 3D printers, according to AmaBhungane and Scorpio in a report published on Tuesday. The report revealed that the terms suggest a…
By Staff Writer Digital Cabinet, South Africa’s cloud storage startup, has mandated HAVAÍC to undertake a R5m capital raise, which includes the conversion of the convertible loan, extended in July 2016, into equity. The capital raise is based on the Company’s estimated valuation having doubled in the intervening period, said HAVAÍC, which is investment and advisory firm that specialises in early-stage, high-growth African businesses with proven concepts and global prospects. Several of the convertible loan participants and all the HAVAÍC principals have committed to subscribe for additional equity. HAVAÍC is now engaging with its wider investment community to close the…
By Staff Writer Dark, washed out and altogether mediocre photographs of real estate with vague descriptions appearing online are a memory best left in the past thanks to a new, highly visual property portal enabling home-seekers to shop for – and walk through – properties online. South Africa’s e-commerce platform, PriceCheck, has launched its latest offering, a Property Portal, on the popular e-commerce website. Kevin Tucker, founder of PriceCheck, said that recent changes in the online real estate space, including the merger of two large incumbents, have made room for another player, “one which prioritises innovation and can digitally walk…
By Staff Writer Siemens, a Germany-based technology company, is planning to buy Crabtree Electrical Accessories (Crabtree) from Powertech for an undisclosed amount. Powertech is a subsidiary of South Africa’s JSE-listed Altron, which is in a process of cleaning up its balance sheet. The JSE-listed firm informed investors on Monday morning that it has entered into an agreement whereby it will dispose of Crabtree to Siemens AG. “The disposal of Crabtree is part of the implementation of Altron’s business strategy to focus on its information technology and telecommunications business and exit its manufacturing operations,” the company said in a statement. The…
By News Agency Staff Hamburg – Chinese President Xi Jinping says the Group of 20 (G20) members should build a digital economy that is friendly to growth and employment. He made the remarks while attending the two-day G20 summit in the German port city of Hamburg. “We should actively adapt ourselves to digital evolution, foster new economic drives, advance structural reforms and promote integrated development of digital and real economy,” said President Xi. To this end, he proposed to implement the G20 Digital Economy Development and Cooperation Initiative and the New Industrial Revolution Action Plan, both adopted at last year’s summit in Hangzhou,…
By Staff Writer Amazon, one of the world’s largest tech companies, is looking at opening a data centre in South Africa to service its large customer base, its chief technology officer, Werner Vogels, told Business Times on the sidelines of the company’s summit in Cape Town. Billionaire Jeff Bezos founded Amazon. Some of the companies using Amazon Web Services’ includes Absa, Pick n Pay and Zapper. Amazon will compete with rival Microsoft, which recently announced news to build data centre in Cape Town. In May, Microsoft announced plans to deliver the Microsoft Cloud — including Microsoft Azure, Office 365 and…
By Staff Writer The company that makes high-end cameras for Hollywood movies RED is making a premium smartphone called ‘Hydrogen One’, which features hydrogen holographic display. The Hydrogen One – which uses nanotechnology to seamlessly switch between 2D content, holographic multi-view content, 3D content and interactive – will support VR and AR content, and includes a built-in algorithm. The smartphone maker said the device will ship in early 2018. It is currently available for pre-order on RED’s website. The phone starts at $1,195 (R16, 135.00) for the aluminium version, and $1,595 (R21, 536.00) for the titanium version. Also read: Dual camera…
By Staff Writer Urgent intervention to bring down the price of mobile data is an obvious priority for South African consumers and the country’s Minister of Telecommunications & Postal Services, but not equally so for the country’s telecommunications regulator. While 87% of South African households use mobile exclusively to communicate, the Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) has placed intervention in one of the world’s least competitive mobile data spaces on the back burner while it sets out to determine what its priorities should be. According to the latest StatsSA General Household Survey, the exclusive use of cellphones was most…
By Viresh Harduth Tax filing seaso kicked off this week and millions of South Africans are planning to file their annual returns in the given time frame. If you’re one of the many people who have left corporate employment to start a home-based business or join the gig economy, you may be facing the challenge of filing a return under your new status for the first time. “Whether they’re driving for Uber, offering freelance programming or graphic design services, or making artisanal crafts and cuisine at home, we’re seeing more and more South Africans pursue their entrepreneurial passions as a full-time…