Author: Gugu Lourie
As global travel demand continues to surge, with Airbnb recently reporting a 12% revenue increase in the fourth quarter of 2025 and projecting “low double-digit” growth for 2026, a new wave of innovation is emerging from Africa . Durban-based startup AirhostSwap is quietly gaining traction by solving the oldest problem for property hosts: inventory waste. Instead of letting unbooked nights expire, AirhostSwap allows hosts to convert that dormant inventory into a global travel currency. The platform, which now boasts more than 2,500 properties globally, synchronizes directly with Airbnb calendars to allow hosts to exchange nights without affecting existing paid bookings. “After looking closely at…
Smile ID, Africa’s leading identity verification company, has released its 2026 Digital Identity Fraud Report — “From Selfies to Signals: Identity Enters the Security Era.”. The report finds that AI has rapidly reduced the cost, while increasing the scalability and quality of deepfake fraud. In addition, as identity becomes part of the fabric of many essential applications, fraudsters increasingly attack the online ID capture pipeline itself — manipulating devices, operating systems, and verification sessions to try and bypass verification technology. In Southern Africa, nearly nine in ten rejected biometric verification attempts were linked to AI-assisted impersonation and spoofing. Specifically, impersonation…
In an expected move in the African streaming landscape, MultiChoice has officially announced the termination of its flagship streaming service, Showmax. The decision, described as the result of a “comprehensive review,” marks a stunning end to the platform that once stood as the continent’s primary challenger to global streaming titans. The curtain is falling on Showmax due to what the company calls “substantial annual losses” that have “proved unsustainable” in a “capital-intensive global streaming environment.” The board’s decision underscores a brutal new reality: in the war for viewers’ attention, even a homegrown giant could not withstand the financial firepower of…
Nedbank has released its unaudited interim results for the year to December 2025, revealing robust growth driven by its digital ecosystem. With over 700,000 Nedbank Greenbacks members registered on the Avo platform, Greenbacks gross merchant value (GMV) grew by 35%. This surge was supported by key platform enhancements in 2025, including trade-ins, Instant EFT, and an upgraded Travel experience. Since launching the Avo SuperShop in 2020, more than 24,000 businesses have registered to sell their products and services through the platform. Avo Auto has also excelled, surpassing R1bn in cars sold to date. On the financial front, Nedbank Group’s diluted…
Growthpoint Properties and Tricolt officially marked the groundbreaking of Olympus Sandton on Thursday, 26 February 2026, as the development prepares to redefine the skyline at the highest point of the Sandton Summit precinct. The ceremony confirms that momentum behind the project has not slowed since its explosive sales launch. Having released apartments in February 2025, the development has already secured sales for more than 85% of its 527 units valued at R1.4 billion, leaving only 80 residences available. “This is not just a building; it is the physical manifestation of the demand for integrated urban living,” said a representative from…
Samsung has officially taken the wraps off its latest flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S26 series, confirming a major leap forward in on-device artificial intelligence. Described as the company’s “third-generation AI phones,” the lineup – comprising the Galaxy S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra – is engineered to simplify everyday tasks by working proactively in the background. Alongside the global announcement, Samsung South Africa has revealed local pricing and pre-order benefits, confirming that the devices will be available for pre-order from 26 February to 19 March 2026. A New Era of Effortless AI The core philosophy behind the Galaxy S26 series is…
CAPE TOWN, South Africa – Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) experienced significant operational disruptions on Tuesday after a fire broke out in the landside area of the terminal, leading to the suspension of international departures. According to an official statement from Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), the fire has been extinguished, and there are no reports of injuries. “All passengers, staff, and visitors are safe. Passenger safety remains our highest priority,” an ACSA spokesperson confirmed. The blaze caused substantial damage to critical network and IT infrastructure, knocking out essential services including airport Wi-Fi and internal systems. Flight Disruptions and Diversions…
After 19 years of dedicated service, including two and a half years as Group Chief Executive Officer, Angelo Swartz will depart SPAR on 28 February 2026. His exit marks the end of a lengthy tenure that saw him guide the retail giant through a period of substantial operational complexity and strategic repositioning. Swartz took the helm in October 2023 during a turbulent chapter for the group. His leadership focused on three critical pillars: operational stabilisation, portfolio simplification, and balance sheet strengthening. To ensure business continuity, Swartz will remain available to the group for three months post-departure, assisting with key strategic…
Telkom Consumer’s operating revenue climbed 5.7% to R20.5 billion for the third quarter ended 31 December 2025, fueled by growth in both mobile and fibre services, the Telkom Group announced today. The consumer unit – led by Lunga Siyo – continues to gain traction through targeted customer value management initiatives and aggressive fibre expansion, reinforcing its position as South Africa’s fastest-growing mobile and fixed broadband provider. Mobile Momentum Total revenue for the Mobile business grew by 5.5% to R6.716 billion, driven by mobile service revenue expanding by 7.2%. Pre-paid service revenue—powered by Customer Value Management (CVM) platforms—improved by 11.6% and…
SA’s largest wholesale network provider Openserve has crossed the 1.5 million homes passed milestone with fibre, while maintaining its industry-leading connectivity rate at 52.4%, Telkom Group disclosed in its latest JSE trading update. The wholesale unit’s overall revenue grew by 2.2%, driven by fibre-related data revenue, which climbed 8.7% (or R204 million). Fibre-related revenue now accounts for 87% of Openserve’s operating revenue, underscoring the strategic shift away from copper. “Our exceptional network reliability resulted in uptime of 99.84%, 99.92% and 100.00% across access, transport and core network, respectively,” Telkom reported. “Our Net Promoter Score (NPS) was 79.2 for the quarter…