Author: Gugu Lourie

South Africa will be moved to a level 2 lockdown next week, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Saturday evening. “As South Africa moves to lockdown Level 2 on August 18, prohibitions on the sale of alcohol and tobacco products will be lifted. Gyms and fitness centres will be permitted to reopen. Appropriate restrictions and safety precautions will apply to protect public health,” said Ramaphosa. Ramaphosa was addressing South Africans on developments in our country’s risk-adjusted strategy to manage the spread of COVID-19. A hard lockdown was imposed at the end of March to curb the spread of COVID-19 while giving the…

South Africa to lift alcohol and cigarette ban as the country is moved to level 2 lockdown. A hard lockdown was imposed at the end of March to curb the spread of COVID-19 while giving the government time to prepare the healthcare system for the expected spike in virus infections. Level 3 of the lockdown began on 1 June and enabled the sale of alcohol. The South African government implemented an alcohol sales ban early on when COVID-19 hit the country, as part of its public health response to contain the spread of the virus. The ban was intended to reduce the…

To understand the new smart monitors and other pro devices of tech health, we should look to Silicon Valley and the quantified movement of the latest generation. Apple’s Watch records exercise, tracks our moves throughout the day, assesses the amount of time we are stood up and reminds us to get up and move around if we have been sat for too long – let’s not forget Tim Cook’s “sitting is the new factor” line. Routinely evaluating your risk factors for various medical conditions, screening for cancer and other diseases, and assessing your lifestyle habits helps you stay healthy. It’s…

Mobile operators refrain from investing in the deployment of new rural network sites. During the festive season, when rural folks who work in cities return home, networks get overloaded or operators end up developing short-term solutions. This is understandable. Operators try to maximise their revenues by deploying every possible new network site that can deliver incremental revenues. However, Vodacom seems to be changing its strategy or seeing more value in deploying new network sites in rural areas of South Africa. The Vodafone-owned company is planning to deploy 20 new base stations in urban areas and 18 new base stations in…

Black investors in Phuthuma Nathi, the broad-based black economic empowerment arm of pay-TV operator MultiChoice SA, are in line to share more than R1 billion in dividends. Phuthuma Nathi shareholders own 25% of MultiChoice SA through the Phuthuma Nathi entity. In 2019, shareholders voted to combine Phuthuma Nathi and Phuthuma Nathi 2 into one scheme. The combination of these entities resulted in one listed scheme with a single Phuthuma Nathi share price. The transaction did not have any meaningful impact on the number of shares held or their attributable value. Phuthuma Nathi will receive R1.5 billion of the R6 billion dividend declared by…

All Welkom Yizani, the black economic empowerment shares of media group Media 24, will receive a dividend of 34 cents a share for the 2020 financial year. Welkom Yizani holds 15% stake in Media 24, a print media domination operation in the Naspers stable. Welkom Yizani investors will receive a dividend of R6.2 million in 2020 resulting in a dividend of 42.5 cents a share before tax, said Media 24 in its annual report. Welkom Yizani, Media24’s broad-based black economic empowerment scheme, began trading its shares on the Equity Express Securities Exchange (EESE) in November 2018. In 2016, Naspers, a…

To understand the new smart monitors and other pro devices of tech health, we should look to Silicon Valley and the quantified movement of the latest generation. Apple’s Watch records exercise, tracks our moves throughout the day, assesses the amount of time we are stood up and reminds us to get up and move around if we have been sat for too long – let’s not forget Tim Cook’s “sitting is the new factor” line. Routinely evaluating your risk factors for various medical conditions, screening for cancer and other diseases, and assessing your lifestyle habits helps you stay healthy. It’s…

Teddy Daka, the boss of JSE-listed Etion, is looking to take the company internationally as he aims to cut business risks associated with slower growth in South Africa. The diversified digital technology company is seeking expansion opportunities in Latin America and South-East Asia. It is already testing its Internet of Things (IoT) solutions in those markets. Etion is using lean startups to test its IoT solutions in Latin America and South-East Asia. The aim is to support the sustainable long-term growth of its fast-growing business unit, Etion Create and Etion Secure (LAWTrust). “There’s an opportunity, nonetheless, by internationalising and we…

Shoprite has fired the starting gun on its expansion in South Africa, joining the fast-growing digital banking market where new players are signing up thousands of customers. Africa’s largest food retailer has launched its new Money Market Account, a free transactional account to give customers more ways to save, send or spend their money. Shoprite operates more than 2,934 outlets in 15 countries across Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands. The retailer is likely to compete with new digital banks such as TymeBank, Discovery Bank and South Africa’s big 5 banks – ABSA, FNB, Standard Bank, Nedbank and Capitec – the moment it…

To understand the new smart monitors and other pro devices of tech health, we should look to Silicon Valley and the quantified movement of the latest generation. Apple’s Watch records exercise, tracks our moves throughout the day, assesses the amount of time we are stood up and reminds us to get up and move around if we have been sat for too long – let’s not forget Tim Cook’s “sitting is the new factor” line. Routinely evaluating your risk factors for various medical conditions, screening for cancer and other diseases, and assessing your lifestyle habits helps you stay healthy. It’s…