Author: Editor
From hair salons to food stalls, women are building township economies every day. What if tech could help them grow even faster? We’re looking for fresh ideas on how technology and AI can support women entrepreneurs and micro-businesses in SA’s townships. Whether it’s access to finance, digital tools, smart logistics, or better visibility, your solution could make a real impact. The Empire Partner Foundation (EPF) and TechFinancials (TFS News) are back with an exciting Q&A Competition, offering brilliant minds the chance to showcase bold ideas and win R5,000! This month’s challenge (#Solve4X) focuses on a critical question: How can technology and AI empower women entrepreneurs…
Calling all innovators and forward-thinkers! The Empire Partner Foundation (EPF) and TechFinancials (TFS News) are back with an exciting Q&A Competition, offering brilliant minds the chance to showcase bold ideas and win R5,000! This month’s challenge (#Solve4X) focuses on a critical question: “How can AI and technology help South Africa use more renewable energy?” How to Enter & Win: Apply via the competition link. Complete your profile for eligibility. Answer the assessment with your best AI & renewable energy solution. Stay tuned—you could be the next winner! Don’t miss out – submit your entry today and stand a chance to win R5,000. Click here to enter now! Who Won Last…
The Judicial Service Commission’s recommendation that Gauteng judge president Dunstan Mlambo be appointed deputy chief justice comes at a critical juncture for the Constitutional Court, writes Gugu Lourie in the Sunday Times. Once celebrated as a pillar of post-apartheid justice, the apex court is at risk of becoming a symbol of institutional failure. Outdated systems and little transparency conspire to delay justice for the poor and needy. The recent discussions between President Cyril Ramaphosa and US President Donald Trump, where Cosatu’s president Zingiswa Losi indirectly highlighted the country’s judicial inefficiencies, revealed a grim reality: our justice system moves at a…
Dear Mr. President, it is time to fire Minister Nkabane with immediate effect – An open letter from the DA Dear Mr. President, The past weeks have revealed a series of lies to Parliament by Minister Nobuhle Nkabane. She has used a strategy of lying to Parliament to try and cover up her tracks, after she made a brazen ANC cadre deployment appointment to the boards of the Sectoral Education and Training Authorities. South Africans were rightfully outraged about this. Once exposed, and once public pressure mounted, Minister Nkabane made an effective admission to her infringements, by withdrawing the appointments.…
TymeBank has issued a strongly worded open letter to the Minister of Home Affairs, calling on the Department to urgently reverse its gazetted decision to implement a 6,500% increase in identity verification fees, effective 1 July 2025. The bank describes the move as a “crippling” blow to financial inclusion and digital progress in South Africa. The open letter highlights the critical role of the Department of Home Affairs’ identity verification services in onboarding customers, ensuring anti-money laundering compliance, and expanding financial services to excluded populations. Open Letter to Dr Leon Schreiber, Minister of Home Affairs An urgent appeal to reverse…
The National Health Insurance (NHI) plan is not a lifeline for South Africa’s broken health care system. It is a carefully engineered ploy to centralise control of more than R1-trillion, ostensibly for universal health care, writes Gugu Lourie in the Sunday Times. South Africans are expected to trust the process led by a government incapable of managing a post office, let alone an entire nation’s compulsory health insurance. This is not progress; this is state capture 2.0, and it will dwarf the Eskom disaster in both scale and devastation. The ANC, the largest party in the government of national unity,…
The moment the minister in the presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, declared Chinese low orbit satellite tech superior to Elon Musk’s Starlink, she revealed more than personal bias, writes Gugu Lourie. As Chinese smartphones flood our markets and Huawei’s towers, antennas and 5G tech dominate our skyline, we must ask: are we making strategic decisions or sleepwalking into digital dependency? The reality is that South Africa faces stark choices. Walk into any South African home and you’ll find it powered by Chinese tech: routers, TV boxes, power banks, solar panels and soon electric vehicles. Jonathan E Hillman, in his book, The Digital Silk…
My wife, family, and friends – all Vodacom investors – have questioned why I insist the company must pay Nkosana Makate billions for his “Please Call Me” (PCM) invention, writes Gugu Lourie in the Sunday Times. I argue that R9.4bn is fair compensation, yet Vodacom has fought Makate in court for 25 years. Meanwhile, Vodacom’s auditors, Ernst & Young (E&Y), claim the potential PCM liability is “immaterial” in audited financial statements. Vodacom’s reports state: “Vodacom is continuing to challenge the level of compensation payable to Makate and a provision immaterial to the financial statements has been recorded.” To explain this to my loved…
The South African Post Office (Sapo) has the potential to become a digital lifeline for rural communities by offering Wi-Fi, e-government services, and e-commerce access, writes Gugu Lourie in the Sunday Times. With its vast infrastructure – including 657 branches, a 160,000km fibre network, and a Postbank financial arm -Sapo is uniquely positioned to bridge the digital divide. Why Sapo? Private telecom operators often neglect rural areas due to low profitability, leaving millions offline. However, Sapo, as a state-owned entity, has a social obligation to ensure no community is excluded from the digital economy. Unlocking Rural Potential Sapo’s existing assets…
The mobile operator must just settle the ‘please call me’ saga already — it can easily afford to; writes Gugu Lourie in the Sunday Times. In recent days, I’ve faced criticism and accusations from Vodacom employees, business partners and concerned individuals. Some accused me of advocating for Vodacom’s demise in my previous column, in which I argued that the company’s 25-year legal battle against Nkosana Makate must end with fair compensation for the “please call me” (PCM) inventor. My critics claim that paying Makate the R9.4bn he is demanding and rightfully deserves would cripple the mobile operator, leading to mass…