Author: Contributor

Despite significant investments in battery backup systems and generators, MTN’s mobile sites continue to face significant threats, due to Eskom’s ongoing load shedding and in particular the introduction of stage six load shedding. The majority of MTN’s sites have been equipped with battery backup systems to ensure there is enough power on-site to run the systems for several hours when local power goes down. However, the frequency of load shedding is resulting in batteries not having enough time to recharge. “These batteries generally have a capacity of six to 12 hours, depending on the site category and require 12 to…

The world of crypto in 2019 has brought more price fluctuation, many announcements that indicate cryptocurrency is becoming increasingly mainstream and tighter regulatory scrutiny. As the world moves towards a new financial system, cryptocurrency ownership has grown this year along with the number of use cases, including stablecoins and crypto lending. Marius Reitz, Luno GM for Africa, provides an overview of the important stories of the year. Crypto being taken seriously  Facebook’s announcement of an asset-backed stablecoin, Libra, dominated headlines this year. With access to a massive user base, Libra has the potential to bring cryptocurrency into the mainstream. The…

Altron, a JSE-listed technology company, has acquired identity security company, Ubusha Technologies in a deal worth R360-million. The deal is effective 1 March 2020. Founded in 2003, Ubusha, as a next-generation IT security services provider enables dynamic authentication and authorisation, identity management and governance and privileged account security for leading local and international banking, financial services, insurance, telecommunications and retail customers. Ubusha is the largest identity security company in Africa. The deal is pending Competition Commission approval. Identity security is an essential foundation for customers’ digital transformation strategies and governance structures. “By acquiring Ubusha we are enhancing our capability in…

by Nic Haralambous I am in no way a financial advisor. I do, however, understand the basics of diversified investments and one that people still ignore is the new market of cryptocurrencies. South Africans are notoriously bad at saving for their own future and planning for their kids financial future. No matter how many times you do it, buying Christmas gifts for your kids can be daunting. Too little, too much, too small or too big – the possibilities (for disaster) are endless. This year, I’m suggesting you spend less on toys and things your kids will throw away and…

by Sara James, and Sarah Midford If recent television shows are anything to go by, we’re a little concerned about the consequences of technological development. Dystopian narratives abound. Black Mirror projects the negative consequences of social media, while artificial intelligence turns rogue in The 100 and Better Than Us. The potential extinction of the human race is up for grabs in Travellers, and Altered Carbon frets over the separation of human consciousness from the body. And Humans and Westworld see trouble ahead for human-android relations. Narratives like these have a long lineage. Science fiction has been articulating our hopes and…

by Kathryn Smith and Caroline Wilkinson Facial reconstruction is best known as a forensic tool that can help identify human remains and reconnect them with families for burial or memorialisation. The technique has a potent claim on our imaginations. These images are usually produced when other identification methods have failed. It’s usually a last resort with very high stakes. This is perhaps why, when forensic depictions lead to recognition in spite of their own technical limitations, it can feel like a miracle, providing an essential, often long-awaited, piece of an investigative puzzle. Facial reconstruction becomes most culturally visible when it…

Aqua Air Africa, a subsidiary of Moipone Group Investments, has launched Africa’s first atmospheric water generating plant in Ga-Rankuwa, Pretoria. The plant is aimed at tackling the critical scarcity of potable water in South Africa. The plant, which is based in the old Ga-Rankuwa Industrial Zone, produces 10 000 litres of clean potable water from air daily. Aqua Air Africa plans to expand production to 100 000 litres per day; thus, creating a sustainable water technology solution to address South Africa’s looming water shortage crisis. Aqua Air Africa, founded in 2018 and led by CEO Keamogetswe Matsho, is a BBB-EE…

by Sonwabise Sebata Time and again it has been proven that companies that foster gender diversity at board, executive and employee levels outperform and produce greater value for their shareholders than homogeneous companies. In fact, colleagues in the investment community share that when selecting companies for their portfolios one of their top priorities is the considerations of companies that have equal (or more) female representation. Despite this, statistics tell a different story. In South Africa, for instance, we have less than 23% of female representation in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) employment environment. In Europe, the female representation is…

by Eugenia Ha Rim Rho Whether you’re a conservative or a liberal, you have most likely come across a political hashtag in an article, a tweet or a personal story shared on Facebook. A hashtag is a functional tag widely used in search engines and social networking services that allow people to search for content that falls under the word or phrase, followed by the # sign. First popularized by Twitter in 2009, the use of hashtags has become widespread. Nearly anything political with the intent of attracting a wide audience is now branded with a catchy hashtag. Take for…

by Christelle Colman With over 16 million Facebook users alone in South Africa, social interaction increasingly involves the conscious – and also unconscious – exchange of personal information online. Apart from the obvious security risks, social media users often don’t realise that insurers also view social media platforms and posts to verify client information and claims data. In time the industry is also likely to begin using the vast pool of personal information that exists online, to build risk profiles and even to price cover. Thanks to Kim Kardashian’s much-publicised diamond jewellery heist people are generally aware that posting pics…