Author: Gugu Lourie
When the draft of a Supreme Court decision that would overturn Roe v. Wade was leaked to the press, many of us who have been studying privacy for vulnerable individuals came to a troubling realization: The marginalized and vulnerable populations whose online risks have been the subject of our attention are likely to grow exponentially. These groups are poised to encompass all women of child-bearing age, regardless of how secure and how privileged they may have imagined themselves to be. In overturning Roe, the anticipated decision would not merely deprive women of reproductive control and physical agency as a matter…
THElatest data released today shows that the value of Vodacom’s mobile money platform, M-PESA, continues to scale at an impressive rate with transaction values exceeding R5.3 trillion in 2022 financial year. “Alongside M-Pesa, which is expected to further establish itself as Africa’s largest fintech provider through the implementation of an enhanced product roadmap, VodaPay will be instrumental in our quest in connecting the next 100 million African customers so that no one is left behind,” said Shameel Joosub, Vodacom CEO. “M-Pesa across our markets has grown to serve more than 47.1 million customers and 550 000 merchants through 510 000 agents…
Vodacom announced today that its Super App, VodaPay, is gaining traction as more customers sign up to use the platform. The VodaPay super app is available for download from Apple and Android app stores. VodaPay delivers a digital shopping, lifestyle and financial platform for consumers and businesses. “Through our sustained investments into financial, digital and lifestyle services, we remain focused on providing opportunities to enhance our relationship with the 129.6 million customers we serve across our footprint,” said Shameel Joosub, Vodacom’s CEO. “I am particularly excited about VodaPay’s high adoption rate since its launch in South Africa in October last year…
Shareholders of Vodacom Group are set to receive hefty rewards following the Vodafone-owned group’s financial performance in the 2022 financial year, which saw revenue climbed 4.5% to R102.7-billion. Vodacom will pay a final dividend of R7.9 billion withholding tax to its investors. The company paid an interim dividend in half-year and took the total dividend to R8.50 a share, up 3% to R15.6 billion total disbursement to shareholders. But the company said that since the financial year ended 31 March 2013, the board has maintained its dividend policy of paying at least 90% of adjusted headline earnings, excluding the contribution…
MTN Group, Africa’s largest mobile phone company, has navigated the impacts of COVID-19 to deliver a solid Q1 2022 performance. To investors, MTN Group said in a statement that FinTech revenue rose by 21.2% year-on-year (YoY). Mobile Money (MoMo) active monthly users grew by 25.9% YoY. “The volume of transactions processed through our fintech platform was up 32.5% in Q1 2022 YoY to 2.9 billion transactions. “The value of transactions increased by 12.6% YoY to $59.9 billion (up 18.9% in constant currency).” MTN Group said new commission-earning rules were implemented in Ghana during Q3 2021 to improve margins, which impacted…
The Bethulie Regional Court in the Free State province has sentenced three men to 30 years’ imprisonment each for theft and damaging Vodacom’s network infrastructure. Patrick Chirambandare, 34, Washington Khoza, 32, and Cliff Hove, 28, were sentenced to 15 years each for tampering with a Vodacom tower near Springfontein and an additional 15 years for stealing 12 Narada batteries valued at R78 000 belonging to Vodacom. On 9 June 2021, police responded to a call at two cellphone towers close to the N1, where the was a signal of a break-in. “The police, together with private security, found the accused…
The new Lexus NX Hybrid Range has been confirmed for the South African market and orders are open despite the carmaker experiencing supply constraints like all motoring brands. Lexus is fully committed to its carbon-neutral strategy and focusing on lowering fuel emissions by taking yet another confident step on the path to providing realistic electrified motoring. The Lexus NX hybrid range joins its petrol grade siblings – the 2.5-litre normally-aspirated eight-speed automatic EX grade and the 2.4-litre turbocharged petrol grade which comes in F Sport guise. In the newly-minted hybrid range, the models comprise three derivatives, namely: NX 350h EX…
Mercedes and will.i.am have teamed up to create “The Flip”, a vehicle dubbed the “WILL.I.AMG” which is described as a one-off automotive vehicle designed by a multi-platinum American musician and tech entrepreneur turned philanthropist. In their sixth project together, will.i.am teamed up again with West Coast Customs to execute his fearless vision for “The Flip.” It also sets an example for the future: the mission of this joint project “The Flip – Innovation for Purpose” is to give more students from disadvantaged communities access to STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) education in order to be equipped with the…
Ralph Mupita, the boss of Africa’s largest mobile phone firm MTN, was paid R84.2 million in the 2021 financial year. The total package of R84.2 million was made up of a R15.4 million salary and a R28.9 million in short-term incentives, plus more than R37.7 million in reflected long term incentive bonus. Mupita was paid R36 million in 2020. The company informed investors that the difference in Mupita’s remuneration received in 2021 compared to 2020 was attributed to improved performance outcomes between the two years and his promotion to group CEO effective from 1 September 2020. Tsholofelo Molefe, MTN’s Group Chief…
JSE-listed technology group SilverBridge is likely to delist from the JSE if UK-based private equity firm Rox Equity Partners’s unsolicited offer is accepted by shareholders. Rox has tabled a revised R2.00 a share offer to buy SiilverBridge and delist it from the JSE. The private equity firm had previously offered R1.525/share to buy the company. The implementation of the Offer is subject to fulfilment or waiver by no later than 17h00 on 31 August 2022. Rox is a private equity investment holding company headquartered in the United Kingdom taking material interests in established global companies at the forefront of disrupting…