Author: Gugu Lourie
Pick n Pay announced on Wednesday that it has completed the integration of Bottles – the on-demand delivery app – as the on-demand service of Pick n Pay Online. The retailer said this allows customers to get their online grocery and liquor order delivered within as little as 60 minutes. This offering adds to the retailer’s two other successful services – an online scheduled delivery service, and Click n Collect. The retailer further said that the app will soon be integrated with Pick n Pay’s Smart Shopper loyalty programme. “By early next year, on-demand customers will earn Smart Shopper points…
MTN has dished out more than R135 million in ordinary shares to executive directors due to Africa’s largest mobile phone operator’s Performance Share Plan. “In accordance with paragraph 3.63 of the JSE Limited Listings Requirements, shareholders are advised that the following directors of MTN as well as of major subsidiaries of MTN were awarded and accepted shares, which are subject to performance conditions, in accordance with the MTN Performance Share Plan,” the company informed investors on Tuesday. MTN CEO Ralph Mupita received 530 800 shares at a value of R33.5 million with a vesting period of three years from 21 December…
PremierCredit, an online microlending platform operating in Zambia and Zimbabwe, has raised $650 000 (R9.7 million) from South Africa’s Enygma Ventures. Branded as a unique purpose fund, Enygma Ventures is a Venture Capital Fund that invests in female founders and entrepreneurs in Southern Africa. PremierCredit has extensive plans to grow and serve the SADC (Southern African Development Community), a Regional Economic Community comprising 16 Member States. Since 2019 PremierCredit has been offering microloans in Zambia, supporting local entrepreneurs and small scale traders, many of whom are women, increasing their access to capital and the ability to grow their businesses. “After…
The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) has opened a criminal case against Mirror Trading International (MTI), a South African registered company offering Forex trading services by using an automated system to trade. The company, which is founded by Johann Steynberg from Polokwane, claims on its website to have more than 90 000 active members in 177 countries. The company’s head office is in Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa. There are two satellite offices – one in Randburg, Gauteng and one in Strand, Western Cape, South Africa. Using Bitcoin as its base currency, the company claims it uses advanced digital software and artificial…
NTT Ltd., the global technology services provider, today announced that Abhijit Dubey will succeed Jason Goodall as Global CEO for NTT Ltd. Dubey takes the role following over 20 years with global advisory firm McKinsey & Company. “We are looking forward to welcoming Abhijit to the NTT family in 2021 to lead the next generation of our business,” Goodall, current Global CEO for NTT Ltd. said. “He shares our passion for the technology industry and the role that technology can play in helping make the world a better place. He brings many years’ experience of our industry and context, as well…
Vodafone-backed AST SpaceMobile is preparing to launch a space-based mobile network targeting 49 largest countries in the equatorial regions, including Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ghana, Mozambique, Kenya, and Tanzania – from 2023. These markets are served by Vodafone affiliates Safaricom and Vodacom. The AST SpaceMobile project launched in March is backed by Vodafone and Rakuten. AST SpaceMobile will be the first service of its kind to connect standard mobile phones at 4G and 5G speeds using AST SpaceMobile’s patented space-based network. The first tranche of AST SpaceMobile’s launch plans will involve the use of 20 satellites to offer seamless,…
Zimbabwean telecoms billionaire Strive Masiyiwa has been appointed to the board of Netflix, says the streaming giant. Masiyiwa replaces Susan Rice who has resigned to join US president-elect Joe Biden’s administration. He owns Liquid Group, Liquid Telecom South Africa, and the Econet Group – a telecommunications and technology group with operations and investments in 29 countries in Africa and Europe. Also recognised globally for his leadership contributions in a number of areas outside of business including his mentorship of millions of young entrepreneurs across Africa, who will create jobs for the next generation. “We are delighted to welcome Strive to the…
Telkom announced on Monday that it is supporting the green economy in the township of Khayelitsha in Cape Town. South Africa views a green economy as a sustainable development path based on addressing the interdependence between economic growth, social protection, and natural ecosystem. Telkom has made a commitment to keep four Buy Back Centres in Khayelitsha connected to the internet in order to remain operational after the launch of a recycling project called GreenUp. A buy back centre is a depot where individual waste collectors, reclaimers and street waste pickers can sell their recyclable waste. GreenUp is a tripartite initiative between the…
Absa has partnered with local training NGO WeThinkCode_(WTC_) to probe the transformation of South Africa’s digital skills landscape by focusing on practical ways of reforming youth employability. Together, they are rewriting the future of technology students by focusing on candidate selection and matching, a demand-led curriculum, retention and ultimately the employment of graduates. This collaboration looks beyond potential candidates being strong in maths and science, for example, to see if they show other aptitudes for coding and programme design. The relationship between Absa and WeThinkCode_ has deepened since they first partnered in 2016 and the collaboration is tailored to become…
The Nigerian government has initiated a review of subscriber registration and ordered mobile operators, such as MTN, to suspend sale of new SIM cards. In a statement on its website, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said in line with the government desire to consolidate the achievement of the SIM Card registration exercise of September, 2019, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), has directed the NCC to embark on another audit of the Subscriber Registration Database again. “The objective of the audit exercise is to verify and ensure compliance by Mobile Network Operators with the…