Author: Gugu Lourie
President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Wednesday evening that South Africa’s COVID-19 hotspots to remain in level 4 as most parts of the country move to level 3. “We will immediately begin a process of consultation with relevant stakeholders on a proposal that by the end of May, most of the country be placed on alert level 3, but that those parts of the country with the highest rates of infection remain on level 4,” Ramaphosa said. “It is important that we maintain stringent restrictions in these areas and restrict travel out of these areas to parts of the country with…
President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the nation at 20h30 this evening, Wednesday 13 May 2020, on South Africa’s ongoing measures to manage the spread of the coronavirus through the implementation of a risk-adjusted strategy. #COVID19 | President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the nation at 20h30 this evening, Wednesday 13 May 2020, on South Africa’s ongoing measures to manage the spread of the coronavirus through the implementation of a risk adjusted strategy. #CoronaVirusSA #day48oflockdown #StayHome pic.twitter.com/zeFw8peqAN — Presidency | South Africa 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) May 13, 2020 The President’s address follows a number of meetings of Cabinet and the National Coronavirus Command…
The COVID-19 pandemic is disrupting every industry. For the minibus taxi industry, at current level 4 restrictions, limits on operating hours have been relaxed enabling activity between 5am and 7pm, however constraints on passengers per trip and long-distance travel continue to apply. “Over the past few weeks, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the indispensable nature of the minibus taxi industry as the dominant form of public transport in South Africa,” David Hurwitz, the CEO of JSE-listed Transaction Capital, said on Wednesday. “This, together with the minibus taxi industry’s defensive character, will assist in its quick recovery and smooth transition to…
The South African motor industry, which was brought to a complete halt for almost two months due to regulations to curb the spread of COVID-19, can now start selling vehicles again. The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition yesterday published a Government Gazette, which details precise directions regarding the sale of cars and emergency automobile repairs during alert Level 4 of the Covid-19 National State of Disaster. The direction, effective immediately, allow the motor industry to start selling vehicles once again. Significantly, car dealers are now allowed to sell both new and used cars while original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and…
SA Taxi Rewards, a minibus taxi rewards programme, is slowly being embraced by South African taxi drivers as it continues to evolve in ways aimed at further benefitting the industry. The rewards programme was launched in April 2018 by SA Taxi, an independent minibus taxi financier, in collaboration with Taxi Choice, the commercial arm of the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO). The SA Taxi Rewards programme was previously known as Black Elite. The programme was aimed at leveraging the minibus taxi industry’s purchasing power to negotiate better pricing to benefit minibus taxi operators, associations and ultimately the entire industry.…
SA Taxi, a vertically integrated minibus taxi platform, is using technology to slowly transform the behaviour of drivers and provide commuter safety in the minibus industry. SA Taxi, which is owned by JSE-listed Transaction Capital, is vertically integrated into the minibus taxi industry. The company is using its telematics and other data accumulated from its rewards programmes to proactively drive behavioural changes in the minibus taxi industry. Also read: SA Taxi Wants to Use Tech to Revolutionize Minibus Taxi Industry As an essential service, the industry operated under national guidelines during the lockdown with only the transportation of essential service…
Absa has become the first major South African bank to invest in the start-up stock exchange A2X Markets. The stock exchange announced on Wednesday that the banking group has invested in the business. Details of the investment were not disclosed. A2X provides the South African marketplace with a choice of trading venue at a much-reduced cost. A2X achieves this through the use of the latest technology and applying modern and innovative business practices. Many of South Africa’s top companies are already listed on A2X including eight Top40 constituents, three Absa precious metal ETFs and two Investec ETNs. “The team at…
As a result of the novel coronavirus and the steps taken to curb its spread, many businesses face a significant loss of income. In this context, the South African government is partnering with commercial banks to provide financial support to small and medium-sized firms to enable them to meet their operational needs over the next few months. Absa, First National Bank, Investec, Mercantile Bank, Nedbank and Standard Bank are ready to accept loan applications from eligible businesses which bank with them, the National Treasury announced on Tuesday. On 4 May 2020, the National Treasury, South African Reserve Bank and Banking…
Scammers are taking advantage of the jobless who are trying to apply for the COVID-19 Special Grant of R350 a month. Ahead of the payouts this week, the Social Development Ministry has issued a scam alert. The ministry has warned unemployed South Africans not to pay R30 towards their application for the unemployment grant. Desperate people have been warned against responding to messages that say: “We help You To Apply for Social Relief of Stress Grants.” The message prompts unemployed South Africans to pay R30 to fast-track their applications for the R350 grant. “The Department of Social Development is urging all…
A total of 356 067 COVID-19 tests has been conducted, of which 14 731 are new tests since yesterday’s report. Case Data “There are 637 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, with the total number of confirmed cases at 10 652,” said Dr Zweli Mkhize, Health Minister. Province New cases Total cases Percentage total Eastern Cape 138 1356 12,7 Free State 0 135 1,3 Gauteng 19 1971 18,5 KwaZulu-Natal 19 1372 12,7 Limpopo 0 54 0,6 Mpumalanga 2 63 0,6 North West 5 50 0,5 Northern Cape 1 30 0,3 Western Cape 453 5 621 52,8 Unknown 0 0 0,0 Total 637 10 652…
One of the most challenging and revolutionary things artificial intelligence (AI) can do is speak, write, listen, and understand human language. Natural language processing (NLP) is a form of AI that extracts meaning from human language to make decisions based on the information. Derrick van Schalkwyk has set his mind on conquering NLP and is not doing badly so far. This South African-born civil engineering informatics master’s graduate from Stellenbosch University has helped start Kristalic, an applied NLP company based in San Francisco. He founded Kristalic in San Francisco with Filip Kozera and his university flatmate, Jos van der Westhuizen,…
This week millions of jobless South Africans will begin receiving relief grants of R350 each to help them cope with the lockdown. The temporary-relief grant will perhaps give an accurate figure of the disputed unemployment rate in the country. Government, unions and employment agencies have varying estimates of the size of the unemployed – anywhere between 5 and 15 million. They, however, all agree the problem is most acute among young people. Stats SA reported that South Africa’s unemployment rate increased by 0,1 of a percentage point to 29,1% in Q3 of 2019. The SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) has, in the…
The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) will today open the process for applications of the R350 Special COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant for unemployed people. The manner in which qualifying citizens can apply for this grant will be as follows: The new WHATSAPP line will be 082 0468 553 The USSD or SMS Line will be *134*7737# The email address will be [email protected] If an applicant has previously provided a cellphone number to an institution such as the SA Revenue Service or the Unemployment Insurance Fund, and now tries to apply using a different number, “the system will kick…
Vodacom is scaling up its financial services offerings to empower the lives of customers through financial inclusion, and the investment is paying off. The Vodafone-owned operator said Monday it had added 6 million new financial services customers in the year to 31 March 2020, pushing its total customers to 53.2 million clients, reflecting a 12.8% jump compared to the previous year. The technology company said its group financial services revenue rose by 22% to R18 billion. The company’s key market of South Africa contributed R2 billion in revenues after experiencing a 21.5% increase on the back of our popular Airtime…
As of today, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Africa is 10 015. Case Data Province Total Confirmed Cases Eastern Cape 1218 Free State 135 Gauteng 1952 KwaZulu-Natal 1353 Limpopo 54 Mpumalanga 61 North West 45 Northern Cape 29 Western Cape 5168 Unknown 0 Total 10015 “We note with concern that the Western Cape and Eastern Cape combined comprises 84%of the total new cases,” said Dr Zweli Mkhize, Health Minister. Testing Data A total of 341 336 tests have been conducted to date with 17 257 tests done relative to the last report. “This is a record high for a 24-hour…
The Business for SA (B4SA) is not disclosing the names of the panel members that sidelined black businesses in the allocation of multimillion-rand contracts for sourcing equipment for the fight against COVID-19. The business group – made up of the Black Business Council and Business Unity South Africa – was formed to support the government’s efforts to deal with the effects of COVID-19. B4SA – has been procuring much-sought-after PPEs (personal protective equipment) on behalf of the government and the Solidarity Fund. This week, the organisation refused to reveal the names of those panel members entrusted with appointing PPEs suppliers, according…
Applications for the COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress grant will open on Monday, May 11, the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) announced late on Saturday. The criteria for the application were gazetted later on Saturday to enable implementation and allow millions of deserving members of the public to access the grant. Lindiwe Zulu, Minister of Social Development, will present a comprehensive report on the matter to the National Coordinating Council today Sunday, May 10. WhatsApp and related electronic application options will go live on Monday, and this will be demonstrated during a media launch to be addressed by Minister Zulu. In…
The South African government is suppressing information from the public about COVID-19. The Sunday Times reported that the government is doing this to “avoid panic.” Leading experts have questioned why COVID-19 modelling data is being kept under wraps by the government. “We don’t want to put these models out to the public as if they are the gospel truth,” President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Khusela Diko, told the Sunday Times. “There is an element where we want to avoid panic in communities, and we’re also mindful of the stigma of the virus.” She conceded that “we need to allow people to…
With economic data for April beginning to show the devastating impact of the first full month, Business for SA (B4SA) has urged the government to move quickly to level 2. The business group – made up of the Black Business Council and Business Unity South Africa – was formed to support the government’s efforts to deal with the effects of COVID-19. Modelling by B4SA shows that if level 4 continues for a month, with a gradual move to lower levels, the economy will contract 14.5% in 2020. The Sunday Times reported that B4SA is calling for a swift move to…
SAveabusiness, a platform that works in collaboration with citizens to save small South African companies that have been hardest hit by COVID-19, is offering grants of R20 000 to struggling businesses. Donations are offered to ten businesses struggling to operate during the lockdown, weekly. During COVID-19, small businesses in South Africa have few options of relief during a time of lockdown and no business activity. SAveabusiness is looking to gain the support of civil society and large businesses to ensure that small businesses make it through this period. SAveabusiness looks to the public to swiftly and meaningfully take action and…
A total of 324 079 COVID-19 tests has been conducted, of which 16 327 are new tests from those reported yesterday. Case Data “There are 525 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, with the total number of confirmed cases at 9 420,” said Dr Zweli Mkhize, Health Minister. Province New cases Total cases Percentage total Eastern Cape 89 1078 11,4 Free State 1 134 1,4 Gauteng 60 1910 20,3 KwaZulu-Natal 54 1308 13,9 Limpopo 7 51 0,5 Mpumalanga 1 61 0,6 North West 0 41 0,4 Northern Cape 1 28 0,3 Western Cape 312 4 809 51,1 Unknown 0 0 0,0 Total 525 9 420 100 Deaths…
Correctional services centres across South Africa have 172 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with three deaths and 59 recoveries. A total of 95 officials have tested positive for COVID-19, with 77 inmates also being affected by the virus. “Currently, our COVID-19 preventative measures are stretched to the brink. We have managed thus far, but the spread of the virus continues. We ought to act decisively and prevent this invisible killer from rapidly multiplying in our centres,” Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola said. The Minister was on Friday briefing members of the media in Tshwane on the Special COVID-19 Parole…
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Friday that he has authorised the placement on parole of selected categories of sentenced offenders as a measure to combat the spread of COVID-19 in correctional facilities, which are considered high-risk areas for infection. In a statement, Ramaphosa said the presidency has taken this step in response to a call by the United Nations for all countries to reduce prison populations so that social distancing and self-isolation conditions can be observed during this period. The President has taken this decision under the terms of Section 82(1)(a) of the Correctional Services Act of 1998 which empowers…
The Vumatel investment is an excellent case study of how mezzanine debt can unlock growth opportunities where banks remain risk-averse,” says Warren van der Merwe, co-managing partner at Vantage Capital. “In this way, Vantage Capital plays an important role in supporting mid-size corporates before they are sufficiently established to fully fund its operations and growth ambitions with bank debt.” Africa’s largest mezzanine debt fund manager Vantage Capital announced it had fully exited its investment in fibre-to-the-home operator Vumatel. “Mezzanine” refers to a hybrid of debt and equity financing that gives the lender the right to convert to equity interest in the case…
by Vijay Reddy By mid-April, about 1.725 billion students globally had been affected by the closure of schools and higher education institutions in response to the coronavirus pandemic. According to the UNESCO Monitoring Report, 192 countries have implemented nationwide closures, affecting about 99% of the world’s student population. This is unprecedented. The scale and complexity of what’s happening is entirely new territory. In recent decades crises such as natural disasters, armed conflicts and epidemics have disrupted education around the world. For example, in 2005, Hurricane Katrina in the US destroyed 110 of New Orleans’ 126 public schools. In the past…