Author: Gugu Lourie
Leep Africa, a Johannesburg-based South African company, has developed the world’s first Internet of Things (IoT) mobile hotspot network. Its product, Leep Connect, will be piloted in select Bolt vehicles and in independent minibus taxis to provide free internet to passengers and drivers alike. The company said commuters are provided with free internet access on their daily travels which they can use at their discretion. It added that users are not offered with cached content but rather pure internet access. This provides commuters across socioeconomic lines in South Africa reliable access to the internet. George Georgiades, Industrial Engineer, co-founder of…
Checkers Sixty60 picked up a gold award in the Service Design category at the 2020 Loerie Awards. Sixty60, the first one hour grocery delivery service from a South African supermarket chain, also recently won at the 2020 MTN Business App of the Year Awards and the 2020 BCX Digital Innovation Awards. “We are thrilled to have won a gold Loerie in our first year of operation,” commented Neil Schreuder, Chief of Strategy and Innovation for the Shoprite Group. “It’s an amazing achievement and illustrates our team’s unwavering commitment to ensure a truly customer-centric, seamless online shopping experience.” The Loeries, now…
Xago announced on Wednesday that it had received a substantial investment from Imvelo Ventures. Xago is an innovative South African FinTech that focuses on an all-inclusive approach to moving money rapidly across Africa. Imvelo Ventures is a venture capital investment company founded by Capitec Bank and Empowerment Capital Investment Partners. The company said it would use the funds to continue to expand its cryptocurrency services and products into African markets. Xago was co-founded in 2016 by Jurgen Kuhnel, Sonya Kuhnel and Mark Chirnside. “Xago changes the way money flows, what it costs and how long it takes to reach a destination…
Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) sounds too good to be true, especially as Black Friday and the festive season approaches. There are a number of innovative retail models that have emerged to assist conscientious shoppers that are looking for more flexible and responsible ways to pay. BNPL financial service providers like PayJustNow.com are disrupting the retail payment space as they offer shoppers an interest free alternative to costly credit card purchases. This powerful facility, empowers the consumer to conveniently pay for their online and in-store splurges without the burden of Interest. PayJustNow.com CEO Craig Newborn says consumers are getting excited…
Naspers announced today that it has invested R45 million in The Student Hub, a local online learning platform. The Student Hub increases access to vocational education to students whilst reducing the costs of delivery of education and training. The Student Hub Delivers Courses Online The company helps overcome the constraints of limited physical infrastructure and related resources. It partners with government accredited Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges to help them deliver their courses online. “We are delighted to be partnering with Naspers given their deep international experience in the EdTech sector,” Hertzy Kabeya, Founder and CEO, The Student…
The new CloudGate X mini PC may be tiny, but it is packed with features that can more than match any conventional desktop. Weighing only 240 grams, this portable mini PC with built-in high-speed wireless and Bluetooth 4.2 is a powerful replacement solution for most tower computers. Developed in South Africa, the mini PC was designed to meet user needs in any environment. Measuring 120x120mm the CloudGate X mini PC is suitable for home use, call centres, and many other enterprises. The mini PC can also be used as an education tool. CloudGate was founded in 2010 by Brian Timperley.…
Vodacom reported on Monday that its financial services customers, including Safaricom, rose 12.6% or 6.1 million to 54.8 million in the six months to end-September. The Vodafone-owned group also reported that Financial Services business revenue rose 3.1% to R9.2 billion. The company’s key market of South Africa contributed R1.1 billion in revenues after experiencing a 15% increase on the back of its popular Airtime Advance, insurance and VodaPay services (direct airtime, prepaid electricity, bills). The company advanced R5.7 billion in airtime (38% of total recharges) via Airtime Advance platform to 10.1 million customers in South Africa. Insurance policies increased 23.4%…
Vodacom, South Africa’s mobile phone operator that is transforming itself into a technology company, is well-positioned to weather the coronavirus storm as it got into this crisis with a strong balance sheet. Vodacom reported on Monday that it was sitting on R13.9 billion in cash and cash equivalents as at 30 September 2020. Since March 2020, the World Health Organisation, officially declared the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, a pandemic, triggering various government interventions to stem the spread The Vodafone-owned company, which is led by Shameel Joosub, believes the strength of its financial position will continue to allow it to conduct its…
Health and social care in the UK can benefit from the roll-out of 5G and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, according to new research from Vodafone, a parent company of South Africa’s Vodacom. The report stated that the UK government has committed to building 40 new National Health Service (NHS) hospitals by 2030, with six NHS Trusts already earmarked to receive funding to completely rebuild existing acute hospitals by 2025. “This is an unmissable opportunity to remodel the whole NHS estate, designing in new 5G and IoT technology from the ground up to optimise everything from patient experience, to clinical collaboration,…
Showmax, the internet TV service owned by MultiChoice, is gaining traction in South Africa. Internet TV is taking off across South Africa with several local and international services now available in the country. This week Mondia, a Dubai-based tech firm, announced the launch of its time-based entertainment platform Monsooq in South Africa. Monsooq is a first-of-its kind model where time is the currency and users pay only for the time they spend consuming content. The benefit of internet TV versus traditional services is that subscribers are able to choose from a catalogue of TV shows and movies and then start, pause…