Author: Gugu Lourie
The consumer of today has been prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic to spend as little time as possible at a grocery shop or to find a way to shop without leaving home. So, having your grocery sent right to your doorstep is a brilliant option for those who are not willing to risk a trip to the shops. Admittedly, the online market is robust and difficult to crack. Fears of coronavirus have resulted in a surge in demand for grocery delivery. As the virus spreads, on-demand grocery delivery services in South Africa are seeing remarkable growth. Existing players are overwhelmed…
Vodacom announced on Friday the appointment of Sitho Mdlalose to the role of interim chief financial officer. His appointment is in effect from 1 July 2020. Mdlalose, 40, has BCompt and over 20 years of finance, management and consulting experience. He was appointed to the role of executive director of finance at Vodacom South Africa in 2017 having been the CFO: Vodacom International Business since 2014. He has held a number of senior executive roles at Vodacom / Vodafone since joining Vodafone Group in 2007 as a senior finance manager. The appointment of a permanent chief financial officer is well…
The Information Communication Technology Union (ICTU) has demanded that Cell C withdraw the retrenchment notice to workers. ICTU is an affiliate of the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU), which is led by Zwelinzima Vavi. The union is the sole worker representative at Cell C. Earlier today, the ICTU announced that Cell C has served retrenchment notices to all its 2 500 staff members. For more read: Debt-Ridden Cell C Serves Retrenchment Notices to 2500 Employees Today ICTU met with Cell C’s major shareholder, Blue Label Telecoms together with senior management of CellC. “Today’s urgent meeting, which was prioritized over…
The High Court case on the ban on the sale of tobacco products, e-cigarettes and related products is now expected to be heard in August. The North Gauteng High Court dismissed an application brought by the Fair-Trade Independent Tobacco Association (Fita) on Friday 26 June. British American Tobacco (BATSA) said on Friday it had received communication this morning that the application being brought by it and others against the ban had been listed for August 5 and 6. BATSA added that this is despite it agreeing, on the instructions of the Judge President, with the State President and COGTA Minister,…
Lexus SA will introduce the LC 500 Convertible in 2021 for the South African market and is sure to be a hit on the road due to its stylish and elegant design. The LC 500 Convertible will boast a naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 engine producing 351kW and 540Nm of torque at 4800 rpm. Mated to the DirectShift-10 automatic transmission, this engine gives the LC linear, yet invigorating acceleration. Power output is tuned according to driving style, with smooth acceleration character during normal commuting and aggression at the limit when the driver desires. The Lexus design team received a daunting challenge:…
Cinemas, restaurants, theatres and casinos can start operating again, albeit under strict conditions, after having closed for three months in the COVID-19 enforced lockdown. This comes after Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, on Thursday signed and gazetted an amendment to the regulations for the advanced COVID-19 alert level 3 lockdown. In the regulation, the Ministry said these services may be provided subject to the strict adherence to all health protocols and social distancing measures, and following the directions to be issued by the responsible Minister, after consultation with the Minister of Health. “The regulations…
The Constitutional Court (ConCourt) has dismissed Telkom’s bid to be allowed to build cellphone masts and other related infrastructure at locations of its choice. The battle over cellphone masts between Telkom and the City of Cape Town dates to 2015 when Telkom wanted to improve its infrastructure to supply better services in the area. Telkom decided to build 135 cellular phone masts and rooftop stations. It identified a property that belonged to the estate of Birch Kalu as one of the sites suitable for erecting a mast. The property is in the suburb of Heathfield in Cape Town. Telkom concluded…
Embattled mobile phone operator Cell C is facing significant liquidity constraints, a notice of retrenchment shows. Cell C is in the process of retrenching its workforce. For more read: Debt-Ridden Cell C Serves Retrenchment Notices to 2500 Employees The notice seen by TechFinancials details the reasons for the retrenchments. It states that Cell C has consistently under-performed and generated as much as R33 billion in losses over the years including a R4.2 billion loss in 2019 versus R7.3 billion in 2018. “The company is currently facing significant liquidity constraints which have resulted in it defaulting on its obligations to lenders, shareholders, and…
The Information Communication Technology Union (ICTU) said on Friday that Cell C has served retrenchment notices to all its staff members. ICTU is an affiliate of the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU), which is led by Zwelinzima Vavi. The union is the sole worker representative at Cell C. “Today, ICTU is having a meeting with Cell C management and their major shareholder, Blue Label Telecoms, at their BLT offices in Sandton,” ICTU spokesperson, Thabang Mothelo, told TechFinancials. “Key issue is the possible retrenchment of 960 staff. All 2500 staff members have been served with retrenchment notices.” JSE-listed Blue Label Telecoms…
SASSA KwaMashu Local Office has been temporarily closed until further notice after an official tested positive for COVID-19. The Department of Health has been requested to conduct tests on all affected officials (31). Whilst awaiting results, these officials will be on self-isolation. SASSA management has arranged for the decontamination of the office concerned. “Clients are encouraged to use these alternative local offices Phoenix, Inanda or Durban Local Office for all social grants applications or services,” said SASSA. As of yesterday, the cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Africa is 111 796. Case Data Province Total cases for 24…