Author: Gugu Lourie

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) has imposed a R500,000 fine and a 10-year directorship ban on Anushka Bogdanov, a former non-executive director of EOH Holdings (now iOCO), for falsely claiming to hold a PhD in International Finance from the London Business School. Bogdanov served as an independent non-executive director at EOH from June 2019 until her resignation in July 2020. During her tenure, her curriculum vitae and a formal declaration to the JSE stated she held a PhD in International Financial Management and Mathematics from the London Business School. EOH subsequently discovered that Bogdanov never obtained the claimed degree, leading…

Vodacom Group CEO Shameel Joosub has emphasised the company’s commitment to financial services as a key strategic priority, following an 18.1% (21.3%*) revenue increase to R3.9 billion for the quarter ended 30 June 2025. Speaking on the Group’s trading update, Joosub noted: *”Financial services remain a clear strategic priority for Vodacom and represent the largest component of our beyond-mobile offerings. Including Safaricom, we now process $460 billion in mobile wallet transaction value annually, a 14.9% increase over the past year, which solidifies our fintech leadership in Africa.”* The sustained growth in financial services aligns with Vodacom’s mission to drive financial…

A U.S. bill proposing a review of relations with South Africa and potential sanctions against ANC officials has passed its first legislative hurdle. On April 3, 2025, Congressman Ronny Jackson (TX-13) introduced the *U.S.-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act of 2025*, which mandates a full assessment of bilateral ties and empowers President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on South African officials accused of supporting U.S. adversaries like China, Russia and Iran. Representative John James (MI-10) is co-sponsoring the legislation. Today Jackson posted on X: “South Africa made its choice when they abandoned America and our allies and sided with communists…

South Africa’s political discourse remains fixated on squabbles in the Government of National Unity (GNU), while a far more consequential threat looms: one that could devastate the economy, cripple state functions, and isolate the country from global tech infrastructure. That threat is the impending United States–South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act (H.R. 2633), which, if passed, could trigger a chain reaction of sanctions, investment flight, and technological decoupling. The question is not if South Africa is prepared, it’s whether GNU, led by the African National Congress (ANC), even recognises the danger. The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Trump v. CASA (2025) confirmed that…

Salesforce launched Agentforce on Help in October 2024 to set the standard for world-class, agentic service. This AI-powered assistant supports customers directly on the Salesforce Help site, answering questions in natural language with unified data: delivering fast, 24/7 service while freeing human support teams to focus on complex issues. Salesforce’s Customer Success approach has always been rooted in Easy and Expert, ensuring effortless interactions backed by trusted guidance. Today, Agentforce has handled over 1 million support requests, proving that AI can scale service without sacrificing trust or quality. The Impact of 1 Million AI-Powered Conversations Resolves 85% of support requests, reducing response times by 65% for 90% of…

 Britehouse Mobility is entering a new phase of innovation and independence after finalizing a management buy-out from NTT DATA for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition represents a pivotal moment in Britehouse Mobility’s evolution. The collaboration with NTT DATA played a crucial role in Britehouse Mobility’s expansion and global presence. Now, this strategic shift underscores a renewed focus on agility, innovation, and delivering specialized digital solutions with greater autonomy. Post-transaction, Britehouse Mobility will operate as a fully independent entity under the simplified name Britehouse, signaling a fresh chapter in its 16-year history of providing cutting-edge solutions and AI integration to businesses across…

Shoppers in South Africa can now receive their Temu orders in as little as one day, thanks to the e-commerce giant’s new local warehouse dispatch option. This move is part of Temu’s global strategy to reduce delivery times and expand its product range, bringing faster and more reliable service to customers. Faster Delivery, Wider Selection Eligible products marked “Local Warehouse” are stocked within South Africa, allowing for quicker processing and shipping. This upgrade is especially beneficial during peak shopping seasons, ensuring smoother order fulfillment. The local warehouse model also enables Temu to offer new product categories, including furniture, home goods, and other bulkier items that were previously harder to…

Vodacom welcomes Competition Commission’s approval of its 30% Maziv stake, reviving the deal after key concessions. Vodacom has hailed the Competition Commission’s decision to drop its opposition to the telco’s proposed 30% acquisition in Maziv, owner of Vumatel and Dark Fibre Africa (DFA). This marks a major step in Vodacom’s push to expand South Africa’s digital infrastructure. The breakthrough follows new concessions agreed to by Vodacom and Maziv’s current owner, CIVH. The Commission will now submit the revised terms to the Competition Appeal Court on 22 July 2025, explaining how they address earlier antitrust concerns that led to the deal’s blockage…

Vodacom’s acquisition of a 40% stake in Maziv (Vumatel’s parent) is back on the table after a major breakthrough in the case. The Competition Commission announced on Tuesday that it has reached an agreement with Vodacom and Maziv – owner of Dark Fibre Africa (DFA) – that could allow the deal to proceed. This comes despite earlier rulings by both the Commission and the Competition Tribunal blocking the merger over competition concerns. The revised conditions “substantially remedy the competition concerns” initially raised, the Commission said. The agreement follows negotiations to address flaws in previous proposals that led to the deal’s…

At the 2025 Huawei South Africa Connect event, Jonas Bogoshi, CEO of BCX, delivered a keynote on Africa’s urgent need to harness artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure to secure its economic sovereignty. His message was clear: in today’s rapidly changing world, economic power has become the new diplomatic language and Africa must act decisively to claim its place in this new order. Bogoshi framed his address around what he termed the “second American Revolution” – not a war for independence, but a strategic realignment of global power dynamics under U.S. President Donald Trump. He emphasised that these geopolitical shifts have…