Author: Contributor
In 2018, the Mail & Guardian ran a story under the headline “Who the fax is still sending faxes?” Surprisingly they found “it still has a ‘massive’ user base”, particularly in the health care and financial services sectors. Government is also big on faxing. This is backed up by a 2019 article in The Conversation “Why do people still use fax machines?”, which states that, “Millions of people, businesses and community groups send millions of faxed pages every day… It turns out that in many cases, faxing is more secure, easier to use and better suited to existing work habits…
By Larry Edsall As part of the rollout of its e-2008 all-electric sport utility vehicle, Peugeot reminds that it has nearly 80 years of experience with electric vehicles. Peugeot’s first EV wasn’t planned but was the result of what the French automaker terms “simply ingenuity.” In 1941, faced with the German occupation of France and fuel shortages as Europe went to war, Peugeot developed “a unique alternative for the time. That alternative was the VLV, short for Véhicule Léger de Ville, or “Light City Vehicle.” The VLV was a small cabriolet with two offset seats and an electric drivetrain. Peugeot traces its EV…
by George Thabit Ayad Thomas Cloud services are critical for SMEs in the current environment, but they require experienced advisory and a comprehensive offering. The COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown has effectively demobilised the global economy – and it’s no different here in South Africa. Production has plunged and unemployment is at critical levels. National GDP is set to shrink across the globe, with the associated multiplier impacts on small business. Even as we ease into the reopening stage of the crisis, the question remains, what kind of an economy will we be returning to? Many business processes will be…
by Rob Hare and Aneria Bouwer SARS has recently announced the relevant dates in respect of the 2020 filing season for individuals. There are some significant procedural changes this year, most noteworthy of which is the new auto-assessment procedure for non-provisional taxpayers. The fact that SARS branches may not be visited without an appointment is also important for those taxpayers who must visit a SARS branch in order to submit their tax returns. 2020 Filing Season for Individuals Individuals can start submitting their income tax returns on 1 September 2020. However, unlike previous years, provision is now being made for…
by Jean-Louis Nel Earlier this month, the Pretoria High Court granted a small business owner an urgent basis for relief against the South African Revenue Service (SARS) who depleted his bank account without following due process. The court ordered SARS to set aside the third appointment of Absa who collected R1.3-million on behalf of SARS from the taxpayer’s bank account in terms of Section 179 of the Tax Administration Act (TAA). The Court further ordered SARS to repay the amount collected from the taxpayer’s bank account, together with the costs of the application on a punitive scale within three business…
By Dalene Deale South Africa’s rapidly-growing FinTech sector could play a key role in helping the country’s SMMEs recover from the impact of COVID-19 while bringing millions of ‘credit invisible’ consumers into the formal economy at the same time. The spread of the pandemic has already seen a surge in digital payments as businesses and consumers seek contactless ways to send and receive money. Now, the ability of FinTechs to use a wide range of alternative data sources to quickly assess risk and issue loans could be just what micro-businesses and consumers need to survive the current crisis and unlock…
At a time when the whole world has been forced to make drastic changes to the way in which it operates, one has to wonder whether being at the helm of any organisation is an enviable position. As the cumulative effects of South Africa’s recent economic downturn and current world events make themselves felt, the ability to adapt to new models of working has been the fundamental driver of maintaining operations. Canon South Africa MD, David Preston, has been working from his home country in England when lockdown took effect, and when asked what challenges he’s had to overcome in…
As he told the National Assembly of the arrival of the COVID-19 storm, Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, says the department has started implementing a “surge strategy” in anticipation of the peak. Leading a debate on COVID-19, Mkhize said the storm has arrived and while government works tirelessly to ensure that the system is ready to manage the peak, South Africans have a duty to take the necessary precautions to ensure that they protect themselves and the lives of those around them. “The Department of Health has developed and is implementing the Surge Strategy, in anticipation of the peak. “This…
MyBroadband Insights has released the Q2 2020 Mobile Network Quality Report, which shows that MTN had the best mobile network in South Africa during the lockdown. The report is based on 278,890 speed tests which were performed by thousands of MyBroadband Speed Test App users across South Africa between 1 April and 30 June 2020. The research shows that South Africa had an average mobile download speed of 27.13Mbps and an average upload speed of 10.53Mbps. MTN had the highest average download speed at 52.28Mbps, followed by Vodacom on 29.08Mbps, Telkom on 20.16Mbps, Cell C on 17.62Mbps and Rain on…
by Sustainability Experts, Lungile Manzini and Lerato Moja While no one would choose to go through the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, researchers worldwide are keen to investigate the effects of this crisis global experiment. Around half of the world’s population is on lockdown in an attempt to stop the spread of COVID-19, a public health emergency that has claimed thousands of lives and sparked fears of the worst global recession since the Great Depression. This has brought about a profound change in the quality of air, water as well as the environment. Globally, people have been on lockdown which has brought…