Author: Gugu Lourie
Vodafone, the global telco based in London, has hit a legal stumbling block in its attempt to intervene in the long-running court dispute between Vodacom and Nkosana Makate, the creator of the “Please Call Me” service. Vodafone and Vodacom maintain a close relationship. Vodafone holds a significant stake in Vodacom. As of 2024, Vodafone owns 60.5% of Vodacom. Vodafone’s request to join the case as Amicus curiae (a friend of the court) was denied, marking the latest twist in the drawn-out battle over compensation for the widely-used messaging innovation. The letter to Vodafone reads in part: “The Constitutional Court has considered the application…
Metrofile today announced that Group Chief Executive Officer Pfungwa Serima, who has held the role since 1 February 2016, will step down effective 30 September 2024. However, Serima will remain with the company on a full-time basis until 31 December 2024 to ensure a smooth leadership transition. Serima informed the board of his desire to pursue new opportunities after three decades in corporate leadership. Under his leadership, the JSE-listed company saw significant progress, particularly in advancing its digital strategy. When he joined, digital services contributed less than 1% to revenue, but by the end of the 30 June 2024 financial…
The Gauteng Department of e-Government requires R700 million to upgrade the province’s internet infrastructure, but currently lacks the necessary funds, according to the DA. This leaves the government’s systems vulnerable to data breaches and hacking, putting service delivery to residents at risk. During a recent oversight visit by the Portfolio Committee on e-Government to the Security Operations Centre (SOC) in Rivonia, it was revealed that cybersecurity remains a pressing concern. Although there have been hacking attempts, no breaches have occurred so far. The existing security strategy, developed for the 2020/2025 period, should be updated annually to keep pace with technological…
Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS), a subsidiary of Amazon, announced that Gold Fields, a global gold producer, has successfully migrated its end-to-end SAP and treasury systems to AWS as part of its digital transformation strategy. This partnership has allowed Gold Fields to modernise its technology infrastructure, leveraging AWS’s analytics, machine learning (ML), and generative artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to improve operational efficiency, enhance workplace safety, and become a more data-driven organization. “AWS is helping us modernise our infrastructure, improve our governance, and drive cost efficiencies,” said Strini Mudaly, Group ICT Vice President at Gold Fields. “We selected AWS as our…
The Shoprite Group, Africa’s largest retailer, unveiled its capital expenditure for the 2024 financial year. The JSE-listed company, which also owns Checkers, reported a total capital spend of R7.8 billion, up from R6.8 billion in the previous year. This expenditure represented 3.2% of Shoprite’s sales in 2024, compared to 3.1% in 2023. “The majority of the capital expenditure relates to expanding and upgrading our core Supermarkets RSA store portfolio as well as our continued investment in digital commerce and technology-related expenditure,” the company informed investors. During the period under review, Shoprite successfully completed a 41,000 sqm extension of its distribution…
Is Checkers Sixty60, Shoprite’s digital on-demand grocery delivery service, beginning to lose momentum? Today, the Shoprite Group announced that Checkers Sixty60 saw a 58.1% increase in sales for the 2024 financial year. However, this growth is notably lower compared to the 81.5% rise reported in 2023. The company did not provide an explanation for the slowdown in sales growth for Checkers Sixty60 during this reporting period. In addition, Shoprite revealed that advertising expenses increased by 10.5% to R4.1 billion, driven by heightened activity from its Rainmaker Media and Sixty60 on-demand business units. The JSE-listed retailer also disclosed a 13.1% rise…
Shoprite, Africa’s largest retailer, revealed today that it is in advanced negotiations to acquire the remaining stake in Pingo Delivery, a last-mile logistics provider. “In terms of the way forward, we have embarked on two structural changes to the business, both occurring subsequent to our June year-end close,” stated Pieter Engelbrecht, CEO of Shoprite. “Firstly, we have signed an agreement to dispose of the furniture business including the OK Furniture and House & Home brands, excluding Angola and Mozambique operations to Pepkor Holdings Ltd (“Pepkor”). “Secondly, with regards to our vision to be Africa’s most profitable omnichannel retailer, the Group…
The Bidvest Group announced today that the disposal process for Bidvest Bank and FinGlobal is officially underway, with management aiming to identify suitable acquirers by the end of the 2024 calendar year. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed industrial conglomerate emphasised that any transaction will be subject to the necessary regulatory approvals. Established 30 years ago, Bidvest operates across seven divisions in South Africa, the UK, Spain, Ireland, and Australia, covering a diverse range of sectors including services, freight, consumer and commercial products, financial services, and automotive retailing. In July, the Bidvest Group board has approved the process to dispose of Bidvest…
Loadshedding remains suspended, with Eskom delivering 156 consecutive days of uninterrupted power supply since 26 March 2024. Eskom has maintained a constant electricity supply throughout the 122-day winter period, and no loadshedding has been implemented since the start of its current financial year on 1 April 2024. Eskom announced on Monday 26 August its outlook for the summer period, 1 September 2024 to 31 March 2025, that detailed a likely scenario of a loadshedding-free summer outlook due to structural generation improvements. Further details can be found here: Summer Outlook and business operations update. Eskom maintained an average Energy Availability Factor…
Earlier this year, Vumacam, a South African surveillance service provider, announced its partnership with the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG). Through this collaboration, the GPG gains access to Vumacam’s extensive camera network and advanced crime-fighting technologies. But is this partnership delivering results? According to a statement from Vumacam today, the GPG has seen notable success in crime prevention efforts during the week of August 12-18. During this period, 15 vehicles were impounded, 22 suspicious vehicles were intercepted, and eight arrests were made across various areas of the province. Among the significant incidents were the interception of vehicles linked to serious crimes…