Author: Gugu Lourie
Capitec has entered into a binding agreement to acquire 100% of fintech innovator Walletdoc. The deal, valued at up to R400 million, signals a fierce new chapter in the competition for the country’s online and in-app transaction flows. The bank announced today its agreement to acquire Walletdoc Holdings, subject to regulatory approvals. Walletdoc, established in 2015, is a South African fintech providing scalable, innovative payment gateway solutions for merchants, including online and in-app payments, digital wallets, Instant EFT, payment links, and real-time payouts. The acquisition is a direct challenge to traditional payment processors and a masterstroke in capturing the fast-growing…
In a strategic move reshaping Africa’s digital landscape, Vodacom Group has announced a R36 billion deal to acquire a controlling 55% stake in Kenya’s pioneering telecom and fintech leader, Safaricom. The transaction, pending regulatory approvals, marks a strategic consolidation of Vodacom’s power in East Africa’s high-growth markets. Vodacom will purchase a 15% share from the Government of Kenya and an additional 5% from Vodafone, its parent company, valuing the total acquisition at $2.1 billion or R36 billion. This elevates Vodacom’s ownership from 35% and will see Safaricom’s financials fully consolidated into the group, boosting Vodacom’s revenue toward R220 billion. Safaricom…
HERMANUS, CAPE TOWN – The conversation around Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Africa is rapidly shifting from “if” to “how.” While the potential is universally acknowledged, the path to tangible, scalable, and locally relevant implementation remains the critical challenge. At the SATNAC 2025 conference, the focus was squarely on this practical execution, with industry leaders outlining a future where AI doesn’t just exist in research papers but actively solves everyday problems and drives economic growth. Amit Sharma, Executive: Product Manager Carrier Cloud & IT Southern Africa Region at Huawei, delivered a keynote titled “Accelerate Intelligence, Amplify Success,” weaving a compelling narrative…
HERMANUS, CAPE TOWN – In an address at the SATNAC 2025 conference, Openserve’s Chief Network Officer Robert Jorge laid out a critical imperative for the telecoms industry: the future belongs to networks that are not just bigger, but smarter, greener, and inherently more agile. The core message was clear: to meet explosive connectivity demands and power technologies like AI and 6G, the industry must accelerate its journey from human-managed systems to intelligent, self-governing autonomous networks. Speaking on the topic “Scaling Open-Access Fibre to Build a Connected Future,” Jorge grounded his presentation in the tangible reality of operating South Africa’s largest…
Against the backdrop of a continent at an inflection point, the message from the Southern Africa Telecommunications Networks and Applications Conference (SATNAC) 2025 was unequivocal: Africa’s future will not be imported. It will be built. Hosted by Telkom under the theme “Africa’s Ascent: Towards a Sustainable and Resilient Future,” the conference became a test for a powerful new consensus. The continent’s digital destiny, leaders asserted, will be decisively shaped by three intrinsically African assets: its dynamic people, its sovereign data, and its unparalleled ability to collaborate across sectors and borders. The panel discussion, “Digital Sustainability – the African way,” moderated by Sello Mmakau,…
In an address at SATNAC 2025, Sandile Msimango, CEO of IHS Towers South Africa, issued a meaningfult call to action, defining the conference itself as essential or Africa’s digital future. His final message captured the essential spirit required for Africa’s ascent: “SATNAC is challenging us and continues to challenge us to think boldly, collaborate deeply, and innovate responsibly. And at IHS Towers, we are up for that challenge.” He concluded with a vision of the attainable future: “If we collaborate, if we innovate, and we commit to sustainability, then the digital future of South Africa and the continent will not…
HERMANUS, Western Cape – In a provocative and data-driven keynote that served as a critical reality check for the global tech community, Idit Duvdevany Aronsohn, Head of ESG & People Relations at global software giant Amdocs, delivered a key message at SATNAC 2025: the future of artificial intelligence is being authored today, and Africa must be a primary writer, not a footnote. Aronsohn based her argument around a single, powerful question: “Can AI be inclusive without Africa or without African data?” To a room of continent’s leading technologists, innovators and policymakers, her answer was unequivocal. “Not like my AI friend that…
HERMANUS, Western Cape – In a transformative keynote that challenged the very definition of digital progress, Gugu Mthembu, Chief Marketing Officer of Telkom, presented a compelling vision for a technology ecosystem built not for specs, but for the human spirit of Africa. Delivering a speech titled “Humanising technology beyond connectivity” at SATNAC 2025, Mthembu issued a clarion call to move beyond infrastructure metrics and place human dignity, opportunity, and agency at the core of every innovation. Mthembu began by acknowledging the rapid growth in African connectivity, where the number of connected individuals has more than doubled to over 400 million in…
HERMANUS, Western Cape – In a robust endorsement of its sustained impact, Raymond Crown, ICT Director at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), positioned the Southern Africa Telecommunications Networks and Applications Conference (SATNAC) as the critical engine ensuring the region transitions from a consumer to a contributor of global technological innovation. Speaking at the 2025 conference, Crown emphasised that SATNAC’s 27-year legacy provides the essential “discipline of continuity” needed to build South Africa’s digital future on a foundation of tangible research and proven partnerships, not abstract ideas. “SATNAC remains one of the few forums that consistently brings research, industry, and…
HERMANUS, Western Cape – In a compelling address that balanced ambition with caution, Dr. Mmaki Jantjies, Telkom’s Group Executive for Innovation & Transformation and Chairperson of SATNAC 2025, issued an urgent call for responsible innovation, stressing that Africa’s digital progress must not come at the expense of its people or planet. Speaking at the Southern Africa Telecommunications Networks and Applications Conference (SATNAC), Dr. Jantjies grounded the event’s high-tech theme, “Africa’s Ascent: Towards a Sustainable and Resilient Future,” in the continent’s stark realities of poverty, inequality, and unemployment. She argued that technology’s value is only realised when it directly addresses these foundational challenges. “As…
HERMANUS, Western Cape – In a keynote that reframed Africa’s position in the global tech space, Telkom Group CEO Serame Taukobong declared that the continent holds a crucial ethical compass for the development of artificial intelligence (AI). Speaking at the opening of the Southern Africa Telecommunications Networks and Applications Conference (SATNAC) 2025, which Telkom is hosting, Taukobong argued that Africa’s unique cultural richness and principle of Ubuntu must guide the future of intelligent systems. Taukobong’s address, delivered without the 25-page presentation prepared for him, struck a resonant chord with industry leaders, policymakers, and academics gathered under the theme “Africa’s Ascent: Towards…
In a dramatic reversal of fortune, Eskom has announced the successful conclusion of its 2022-2025 Board’s term, a period marked by a historic financial and operational turnaround. The board, appointed during the utility’s most challenging period, is credited with laying the foundation for a stable, profitable, and investable Eskom. Eskom Chairman of the Board, Mteto Nyati, reflected on a term defined by difficult decisions, steadfast governance and a recovery that has fundamentally reshaped Eskom. “Reviving Eskom was never a simple task, but one of national importance. The obstacles were significant, yet through the Board’s firm planning and governance and Exco’s…
Samsung becomes the official mobile and consumer electronics partner for SA Rugby’s national teams and the Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC), aiming to fuse cutting-edge Galaxy technology with the passion of the game. In a major move for South African sports and tech, Samsung has officially joined forces with SA Rugby. The new partnership, effective from September for the Vodacom URC and October for the Springboks, designates Samsung as the official mobile and consumer electronics partner across all national teams and the prestigious league. The two-year agreement is positioned as a strategic alliance focused on enhancing performance and revolutionizing the…
In a move set to democratise mobile innovation, Huge TNS, a subsidiary of JSE-listed Huge Group Limited, has launched a new MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) capability designed to break the high-cost, high-complexity model that has long reserved the market for major banks and national retailers. This breakthrough means that, for the first time, South African organisations of any size can embed mobile connectivity directly into their services and customer activities. They can do this without the need for significant capital investment, lengthy implementation timelines, or the technical complexity ordinarily associated with building an MVNO from scratch. The proposition is…
In a bold move to reinvent itself, the South African Post Office (SAPO) is officially opening its doors to strategic partners, with plans to launch a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), a network of e-commerce pick-up points, and even lease its building rooftops for telecom towers. This initiative, driven by the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT), marks a fundamental shift for the embattled state-owned entity as it attempts to pivot from a traditional mail service to a modern, hybrid logistics and digital platform provider. The DCDT has published a Request for Information (RFI), inviting private and public sector…
Telkom Consumer has reported robust financial performance for the six months to end September 2025, revealing a clear winning formula: its prepaid segment and data-led strategy are the twin engines driving substantial growth. For the 11th consecutive quarter, the mobile business has achieved market-leading service revenue growth, with operating revenue climbing 6.4% to R14.25 billion. The numbers emphasises a successful penetration of the mass market. Total mobile subscribers grew by 7.7% to 24.5 million, fuelled by a 9% jump in prepaid subscribers to 21.6 million. More critically, the mobile data subscriber base exploded by 26.7% to 18.5 million, now representing…
In a clear demonstration of strategic execution, Telkom has published robust financial results for the six months ended 30 September 2025. The figures reveal a company successfully monetizing its extensive network infrastructure, transforming its data-led strategy into sustained profit growth and a remarkable surge in its mobile,. fibre and IT businesses. The Group’s commitment to delivering quality earnings is reflected across key metrics. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) increased by 7.4%, a key indicator of improved operational performance. The EBITDA margin strengthened by 1.0 percentage point to 27.2%, slightly above the top end of the group’s medium-term…
Vodacom Group has announced a key agreement with Starlink, the world’s largest satellite broadband provider, to deliver high-speed, low-latency broadband internet to millions of businesses across Africa and to expand rural network coverage. A key requirement for the service to launch in South Africa, and other markets, is the completion of individual regulatory approvals. Asked in which markets would this partnership apply, a Vodacom spokesperson stated: “We aim to launch these services across our footprint once individual regulatory approvals are completed, including South Africa. “Individual market announcements will be made as and when the requisite approvals are obtained. “The master agreement…
While the world accelerates into an AI-driven future, a profound connectivity gap threatens to leave Africa behind. But looking closer, the blueprint for continental digital transformation isn’t found in foreign boardrooms. It was written right here, in South Africa, through Telkom’s decades-long journey to build the backbone of our digital economy. Africa faces a stark reality of only 38% of Africans being connected. The reasons are complex – prohibitive device costs, fragmented regulation, and infrastructural deserts. But the consequence is simple to understand. Without connectivity, Africa cannot compete. I believe Telkom’s transformation offers a great case study. It appears that…
In a landmark move set to redefine the nation’s financial landscape, the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) has officially become a 50% shareholder in PayInc, the company formerly known as BankservAfrica. This strategic investment, finalised on 11 November 2025, transforms PayInc into a national payments utility and marks a pivotal step in the country’s payments modernization journey. The transaction establishes a unique public-private partnership, jointly owned by the central bank and South Africa’s major commercial banks. This new structure is designed to build a more secure, efficient, and inclusive digital payments ecosystem, aiming to enable greater economic participation for all…
A2X Markets has welcomed the Competition Commission’s landmark decision to recommend referring allegations of anti-competitive behaviour by the JSE to the Competition Tribunal. This follows a comprehensive, three-year industry-wide investigation. For over a century, a single player has dominated South Africa’s equity market. Kevin Brady, CEO of A2X, states the consequences are clear: “fewer listings, stagnant liquidity, and rising costs that deter both issuers and investors.” Said Brady, “We believe this referral validates what we have been saying: that South Africa’s financial markets have been held back by the JSE’s anti-competitive practices that ultimately harm investors, listed companies and competitor…
The humming of a laptop fan was the only sound in the small bedroom on a farm in East London, South Africa. The farm was a world away from the famed innovation hub, Silicon Valley, but for a young Jadon Moerdyk, it was a launchpad. Fast forward to today, and that persistent laptop humming has become the underlying rhythm of RemodelBoom, a multi-national performance marketing agency driving tens of millions in revenue for nearly 300 US home-improvement brands. At 27, Moerdyk isn’t just selling home renovations; he’s selling a radical new blueprint for the modern company. His success story is…
Vodacom Group has announced resilient set of interim results, demonstrating robust financial health as headline earnings per share (HEPS) – South Africa’s main profit gauge – umped 32.3% to 467 cents. This impressive growth came even after the company absorbed a one-off cost related to settling the longstanding “Please Call Me” case. The telecom giant’s diversified portfolio, particularly its explosive growth in Egypt and its financial services arm, proved to be the primary engines for this performance. Vodacom’s strategic investments outside its home market of South Africa paid significant dividends. Its operation in Egypt was a standout performer, posting a…
In a move that closes one of the most protracted chapters in South African tech history, Vodacom Group has reached an out-of-court settlement with Nkosana Makate, the inventor of the “Please Call Me” service. Shareholders were notified that on 4 November 2025, the Vodacom Board approved a settlement agreement, finally drawing a line under the 25-year-old dispute. The announcement signals a strategic decision to avoid further legal appeals and secure closure for both parties. “The parties are glad that finality has been reached in this regard,” the statement read, marking a stark contrast to the years of litigation that saw…
In a strategic move, LLH Capital, the investment vehicle of veteran leaders Romeo Kumalo and Gil Oved, has significantly sold down its stake in AI fintech Optasia during its unicorn-status IPO on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. The near-$1.3 billion listing, the largest in Africa this year, provides LLH Capital with a massive capital infusion to accelerate its high-impact investment strategy across the continent. This strategic exit from Optasia, a company providing financial inclusion in emerging markets, emphasises a proven track record of successful exits for the duo, following ventures like Smart Call, Ozow, and Bottles. With capital now unlocked and…