Author: Gugu Lourie
In a thrilling initiative to encourage the adoption of MyMTN Prepaid Khava, MTN South Africa, in partnership with aYo Intermediaries and underwritten by Sanlam, is launching the MTN Free4U Funeral Khava during its Summer campaign, providing prepaid customers with complimentary R5000 coverage. Effective from October 27, 2023, to January 31, 2024, this promotion aims to empower customers with financial security. MyMTN Prepaid Funeral Khava stands out as a groundbreaking funeral cover, redefining affordability and convenience since its launch on August 24, 2023. Offering flexible 6 or 12-month terms starting at just R75 for a single premium, it eliminates waiting periods,…
Vodacom South Africa has reported commendable half-year results, revealing a 4% increase in service revenue to R30.7 billion for the six months ending on September 30. Despite persistent macroeconomic challenges, the company, a subsidiary of Vodafone, considers this growth a credible achievement. This positive outcome is attributed to the introduction of new services and the surge in mobile data usage. Financial and digital services, fixed solutions, and IoT experienced an impressive 18.1% rise, contributing R5.1 billion, equivalent to 16.6% of South Africa’s service revenue. Within its core connectivity business, Vodacom emphasized that the expansion of mobile data was supported by…
Vodacom, South Africa’s largest telecommunications operator, faced a 4.2% decline in half-year earnings for the period ending on September 30. This downturn was attributed to start-up losses in Ethiopia, increased interest rates, and the recognition of a deferred tax asset in Tanzania from the previous year. The company disclosed that headline earnings per share (HEPS), considered South Africa’s true profit indicator, fell to 438 cents during the six months compared to 457 cents in the same quarter a year earlier. Vodafone Egypt contributed 16 cents to HEPS. Despite the challenges, Vodacom reported a substantial increase in revenue for the quarter,…
Clickatell, a trailblazer in “chat commerce” based in South Africa, has introduced artificial intelligence tools designed for crafting tailored conversations. Leveraging natural-language processing, Clickatell AI adeptly understands the intent behind customer inquiries. The incorporation of generative AI enables the provision of substantial and valuable interactions. By employing artificial intelligence and messaging, this conversational AI solution enhances customer engagement and fosters robust relationships through the facilitation of personalized conversations. Clickatell AI employs natural language processing (NLP) to comprehend the intent behind customer inquiries, coupled with generative AI to offer meaningful and valuable conversational interactions that evolve over time. Seamlessly integrated into…
Eskom has revealed a groundbreaking achievement with the inauguration of the largest Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project in South Africa, marking a milestone not only for the country but for the entire African continent. The official unveiling took place at the Hex BESS site in Worcester, located in the Western Cape, yesterday. The completion of the Hex BESS marks a significant milestone as the inaugural project within Eskom’s flagship BESS initiative, announced in July 2022 to address the strain on the national electricity grid. This strategic response aims to tackle South Africa’s persistent electricity challenges by augmenting storage capacity,…
Humane, a clandestine startup formed by a formidable collective of former Apple personnel, led by co-founders Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno, has unveiled its inaugural consumer product after a prolonged period of selectively releasing hints and articulating its mission. The much-anticipated debut is the “AI Pin,” officially launched today. Ai Pin marks a new beginning for personal consumer technology, offering users the ability to take AI with them everywhere in an entirely new, conversational and screenless form factor. Ai Pin will be available to order in the US from November 16th, starting at $699 for the complete system. “Ai Pin…
Root Platform (Root), a provider of an end-to-end insurance technology platform that emphasises low-code and an API-first approach, today announced its inaugural strategic partnership in the UK with Connect by Admiral (Connect), a subsidiary of the leading insurer Admiral Group. Connect operates as an API-first embedded insurance platform, designed to streamline the integration of insurance solutions into businesses. “We’re delighted to partner with Admiral Pioneer to provide the API connectivity architecture behind their innovative Connect platform,” Louw Hopley, Co-Founder at Root, said. “The early signs are very positive and we’ve received good feedback so far. “Connect really shows the power…
NEXT176, supported by Old Mutual, invests R27 million in JOBJACK, a South African tech startup reshaping entry-level recruitment. JOBJACK’s innovative approach tackles accessibility and affordability challenges in the job market by enabling candidates to apply directly from their mobile phones. JOBJACK empowers candidates by eliminating costs associated with traditional job-hunting methods like CV printing and transport, allowing applicants to apply directly from their mobile phones. The platform is now data-free for MTN and Vodacom network users, making job hunting more accessible and cost-effective for job seekers. In a significant development for the tech startup, the pre-Series A funding round led…
Amidst the widespread demand for affordable and dependable solar power solutions in South Africa, Nedbank has unveiled a series of cutting-edge solar financing options through its Avo Solar platform. These innovative packages are designed to provide households and businesses with accessible and eco-friendly energy solutions, featuring competitive prices for solar panels and backup batteries. Each package guarantees professional installation by certified solar suppliers approved by Nedbank, ensuring the highest standards of service. Furthermore, all solutions are backed by a 10-year warranty and a certificate of compliance, underscoring the superior quality of the featured solar brands. ‘South Africans have learned that…
Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF), a Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) company, and its fund manager, Ninety One, have committed a $31 million or R571 million debt facility to Paratus Group Holdings Limited (Paratus) to finance the expansion of its fibre and data centre business over the next three years. Ninety One acted as the mandated lead arranger of the transaction, mobilising capital from two of its funds, EAIF and Ninety One Africa Credit Opportunities, to enhance last mile connectivity and introduce more reliable internet services across three sub-regions and including seven countries: Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo,…