Author: Contributor

By Staff Writer Internet Solutions, a pan-African telecommunications service provider, has deployed the company’s first Point of Presence (PoP) in Madagascar. Further expanding their African footprint, Internet Solutions has also commissioned a second PoP in Zambia. Internet Solutions now has 68 PoPs in 16 African markets, with operating offices in South Africa, Mozambique, Uganda, Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria, as well as international PoPs. “We can boast a significant managed services network on the continent because of our investment in both infrastructure assets and partnerships with trusted, in-country service providers,” says Murray Steyn, executive head: Wholesale at Internet Solutions. “This, along…

By Staff Writer JSE and Nasdaq-listed tech firm Datatec announced on Tuesday that its subsidiary Logicalis has acquired 51% stake in NubeliU, a South America based company specialising in cloud computing projects based on OpenStack. The South African-based firm said the acquisition is part of Logicalis’ strategy to position itself as a cloud integrator, and strengthens its commitment to the opensource community, in particular with OpenStack, which is essential for large SDx (Software Defined everything) and cloud computing projects. NubeliU was founded in January 2015 by the team that deployed the first production clouds in OpenStack which is seen as…

By Staff Writer A South African startup is simplifying the process to establish and verify the identities of clients. This South African start-up ThisIsMe, which has innovation that’s “giving a heartbeat to your identity” is making it easy and affordable for corporates and clients to comply with the Financial Intelligence Centre Amendment (FICA) Act 2017. Conceptualised in 2013 and formally established in 2014, ThisIsMe verifies an individual’s identity to other individuals, businesses, financial institutions, and regulators. It does so using links to Home Affairs data and the major banks. ThisIsMe has set an African record for the FICA process, which used…

By Staff Writer Vodacom is spending R260 million ($20 million) to offer its more than 30 million subscribers  free mobile games. South Africa’s biggest mobile phone operator has entered into a strategic partnership with a US-based mobile game publisher, GameMine. The partnership will provide GameMine’s diverse range of subscription-based mobile games to Vodacom’s large South African mobile market. GameMine is providing a selection of its ad-free mobile games, which include more than 175 titles spanning all major mobile gaming genres, free of charge to Vodacom subscribers during a promotional trial period. The deal is part of Vodacom new promotion to…

By Dr Saahier Parker, Human Sciences Research Council From the microchips in smart phones to the largest jumbo jets, science and technology influences the way people interact with the world around them. It brings them closer to friends and family, enhances health care, secures assets and keeps the world moving forward. Traditionally, people have turned to science for certainty and confirmation. But in a sea of social media and allegations of fake news, it has become increasingly harder for people to distinguish fact from fiction. As a result, science’s authoritative place in society is being questioned more and more. This…

By News Agency Staff The Gauteng Provincial Government will in the next three months introduce a pilot project for a single e-ticket for public transport users. A similar card-based pilot project was introduced in Pretoria last year by the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) for minibus taxi commuters on the Johannesburg, Pretoria and Mabopane (JPM) route. However, according to the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport, the project to be introduced by the provincial government will encompass all modes of public transport including taxis, buses and possibly trains. The department will launch the pilot project for a single e-ticket…

By Staff Writer Naspers, Africa’s biggest tech firm, announced late on Thursday that it has invested $30 million (R393 million) in Movile, a mobile marketplaces based in Brazil. The tech firm said the funds will be used to fuel growth in food delivery, tickets and education apps as well as in Rapiddo, an Online-to-Offline (O2O) platform recently launched in Latin America that consolidates several popular consumer services in one convenient place. Innova Capital, a private equity fund focused on high-growth innovative companies in Latin America and the US, also invested $23 million in Movile. Some of Innova Capital’s largest current…

By Mervin Miemoukanda, senior research analyst: Software and Market Intelligence in Africa at International Data Corporation  While businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa have steadily been adopting 3rd Platform technologies such as cloud, mobility, big data analytics and social business, there has now been a shift in focus towards the uptake of innovation accelerators. These innovation accelerators are disruptive technologies that enable companies to enhance the way they engage with customers and deliver services and experience, as they move to transform their business operations. At IDC, we define the core innovation accelerators as the Internet of Things (IoT), cognitive systems, 3D printing, robotics,…

By News Agency Communications Minister Ayanda Dlodlo says South Africa’s media space can no longer afford to be dominated by only a few big players and that more emerging media players need to be supported to ensure diversity. Government would do everything possible to throw its weight behind small media companies and new entrants in the industry,” the Minister said on Wednesday night. She was speaking at the launch of a new opinions and news analysis online publication called Real Politik. The publication, started by former journalists, is wholy black-owned and will give a chance to the “unheard voices” in…

By Brian Richardson, CEO and Co-Founder, WIZZIT International In Africa, banking the unbanked remains a pressing need. Roughly 700 million people in Africa are financially excluded – denied economic citizenship. Discussions on the issue beg the same question, time and again: why aren’t traditional banks offering mobile solutions to potential customers who desperately need it? The American Bankers Association claims it costs between $150 USD and $250 USD to open an individual bank account through tradition channels. Over more than a decade, around the world, it’s been proven that alternative, disruptive technology such as mobile and branchless banking can reduce…