Author: Gugu Lourie

The Competition Commission has approved the acquisition of Fast+Furious by DPD Laser. The announcement is big news for an industry rapidly consolidating to cope with the demands of South African e-commerce due to the pandemic and its ongoing lockdowns. Most importantly, the acquisition is a key signal that, while South Africa may be struggling with record unemployment, some sectors are growing beyond expectations to satisfy the demands of new digitally-driven markets and South Africa’s awakening to the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The acquisition is expected to notably increase DPD Laser’s presence and influence in the express distribution market. DPD Laser’s majority…

South African FinTech start-up Peach Payments has recently set up an office in Mauritius in pursuit of its pan-African expansion strategy. This follows a foray into Kenya in 2018. The startup was set up in South Africa in 2012. Peach Payments is a payment gateway offering simple, seamless and secure online payment services that enable businesses to easily accept payments on their websites and mobile apps, integrating with leading e-commerce platforms like WooCommerce, Shopify, Wix and Magento. Last year, Peach Payments saw a 400% increase in customer acquisition and revenue growth of 130%. After securing investment last year from a…

There have been major shifts in the South African subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) market, especially among the larger players. During Q3 2021, Amazon Prime Video increased its market share by 3%, from 25% to 28%. Netflix and Mubi both decreased by 1% over the last quarter. This is according to the latest figures from JustWatch, an international streaming guide with more than 20 million users. Market share development in 2021 Justwatch added that it appears that Amazon Prime Video has come closer to closing the gap with Netflix. Since January 2021, Netflix’s market share has decreased by 3%, meanwhile, Amazon Prime…

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…

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…

Jungfrau A. Bietschhorn This region is a magnificent area with high mountain ranges, glaciers and is actually the most glaciated part of the European Alps. Visiting this area can be done relatively easy by car and if you want to go up, by train up to 3,400 metres above sea level, the highest train ride in Europe, the Jungfrau Railway is very impressive (and expensive!). The area is on the UNESCO World Heritage list because of its unique and wide range of flora and fauna and geological importance regarding the creating of the High Alps.

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…

TELKOMhas unveiled the October Big Deal, which is for you if connecting on the move is your vibe. Take monate with you whether you’re hustling, watching your favourite shows or entertaining your guests with a VIP playlist from Telkom Music. You can connect up to 64 devices at a time and bring monate to every space you’re in with the Huawei B535. Furthermore, seamlessly create a hotspot, no cables or installation required – just a fast connection to enjoy. The SmartBroadBand 40GB Wireless LTE SIM-Only deal offer with 80GB of data is available for R269 a month. The Telkom October Big Deal…

CAPITECBank, South Africa’s biggest digital bank, revealed that active digital users of the banking app, USSD channel, the internet or a combination of digital channels increased by 22% for the six months ended 31 August 2021. “Active digital users of the banking app, USSD channel, the internet or a combination of digital channels increased from 7.3 million at the end of August 2020 to 8.9 million at the end of August 2021, an increase of 22% (February 2021: 8.6 million),” Capitec said in a statement. As at the end of August 2021, there were 6 million active banking app users…

Swypa Delivery, a food delivery service born in the South African township of Tembisa in 2019, grew its fleet of four delivery scooters to 15 as it benefits from online shopping. The company has also benefited from the financial backing of the MultiChoice Innovation Fund. MultiChoice is partnering with South African entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses is through the MultiChoice Innovation Fund – which links black majority-owned start-ups and small businesses in the technology, e-commerce, digital content, film and media space to the funding and support they need to become industry leaders and create jobs. MultiChoice partnered with 10 Small…

French broadcasting giant Group Canal+ has increased its shareholding to 15.37% in MultiChoice, Africa’s largest pay-TV operator. MultiChoice disclosed today that Group Canal+, which is owned by French media conglomerate Vivendi, has acquired an additional interest in the ordinary shares of the company, such that the total interest in the ordinary shares of the Company held by Group Canal now amounts to 15.37%. “As a publicly held company, MultiChoice regularly engages with its strategic partners and maintains an open dialogue with the investment community. The Group’s policy is not to comment on its individual shareholders nor on its interactions with…

MTN Group affiliate and Africa’s biggest tower operator, IHS Towers, seeks New York Stock Exchange listing. MTN said in a statement that its affiliate – IHS Towers – is pursuing a potential registered initial public offering (IPO) in the United States. MTN owns 29% stake in IHS Towers, and the remainder is held by French investment firm Wendel SA and Goldman Sachs & Co. IHS Holding Limited (IHS Towers) has on 16 September 2021, in the U.S., filed a Form F-1 registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission relating to a potential IPO on the New York Stock…

African Rainbow Capital announced on Tuesday that it is selling its shareholding in South Africa’s Fibre-To-The-Home (FTTH) and Fibre-To-The-Business (FTTB)provider  MetroFibre Networx “The ARC Fund has reached an agreement to dispose of its entire investment in MetroFibre, pending regulatory approval,” African Rainbow Capital informed investors on Tuesday. The company, which launched in 2010, is a high-growth player in South Africa’s FFTTH and FTTB markets. Over the last 10 years, MetroFibre has expanded its service offering to both residential and corporate customers in line with its strategic objective of being a diversified operator. The company is an internet infrastructure company that…

TYMEBANK, one of South Africa’s digital banks, has attracted 3.45 million customers as of 30 June 2021. The digital bank owned by billionaire Patrice Motsepe was launched in February 2019. The bank has no monthly banking fees and in most cases, transaction costs are 30 to 50% lower than what customers would pay at other banks. TymeBank is a digital bank that leverages the use of digital technology to make banking simple and affordable. The bank is focused on acquiring customers who want to benefit from lower banking costs as well as improved customer experience. The business managed to achieve its revenue…

Karooooo, the owner of Cartrack, has acquired the South African-based on-demand logistics provider Picup Technologies for R70 million. The company has acquired 70.1% of Picup Technologies. Founded in South Africa in 2014 – after its founder had a disaster of an experience with a Black Friday delivery, which sparked the famous light-bulb moment: “Logistics needs better tech!”. The vision was to develop technology that would improve efficiencies and reduce transportation costs for shippers and transporters through a single logistics platform connected to a marketplace of verified crowd-sourced drivers across Africa. Uniquely positioned in the on-line delivery operational management software industry,…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) has imposed an administrative penalty of R50 million on research firm Viceroy Research and its partners, Mr Aiden Lau, Mr Fraser John Perring and Mr Gabriel Bernarde over a damning 2018 report it published on Capitec Bank. The FSCA said the penalty imposed was jointly and severally payable by Viceroy Research and partners within 30 days from the date of the order. The FSCA said Viceroy Research contravened Section 81(1) of the Financial Markets Act 19 of 2012 (FMA) in that during January 2018 they published false, misleading or deceptive statements, promises or forecasts…

On-demand grocery delivery service Checkers Sixty60 is now South Africa’s number one grocery app. It is South Africa’s first 60-minute grocery delivery service from a supermarket chain, as Checkers relentlessly innovates to respond to customers’ demands for hyper-convenience. The mobile app delivers groceries and drinks at the touch of a button and offers the same value for money for which Checkers is renowned. Users can track the status of their order and delivery in real-time. “The on-demand grocery delivery app has scaled rapidly, operating nationwide from 233 stores which serve as micro-fulfilment centres,” Shoprite informed investors today. “Sixty60 becoming the…

The Shoprite Xtra Savings Rewards Programme attracted a surprisingly high 20.3 million clients over the 53 weeks to 4 July 2021, reassuring investors that the rewards programme will fuel customer spending. The Xtra Savings Rewards Programme was launched by the Shoprite supermarket chain in October 2020. “Consumer response on both counts has been unrivalled, with the Xtra Savings Rewards Programme signing up over 20.3 million members,” the company informed investors on Tuesday. The success of the launch of the Xtra Savings Rewards Programme during the previous financial year in the Checkers (including Checkers Hyper) chain, has gained traction and the…

South African Airways (SAA) today informed loyal customers that it has Voyager virtual membership card. Customers can access the virtual card by downloading the latest version of the SAA Voyager App which is available on the App Store, for iOS, and Play Store for Android. “We at SAA Voyager are certainly very excited that the waiting is finally over! Effective today, 6 September 2021, you are once again able to utilise your accumulated Voyager miles for redemption on SAA and all Voyager program partners,” SAA said in a newsletter to customers. “Before you book, please note that we have become…

Telkom has revealed the September Big Deal, which is data-packed and here to save you big bucks. The SmartBroadBand 20GB Wireless September big deal offer with 80GB of data is available for R249 a month. The price for SmartBroadband Wireless shall be available for the period from 01st September 2021 and end 30th September 2021. The September big deal 80GB data of the month is a Post-paid or Top-Up SmartBroadband 20GB Wireless data offer. The Telkom September Big Deal includes the following: 20GB Anytime data 20GB Night Surfer data Plus Recurring 20GB Anytime data Recurring 20GB extra Night Surfer data Huawei…