Author: Gugu Lourie
by Ben Dickson Education, the ability to pass on knowledge, is one of the most ancient practices that sets humans apart from all other species on earth. It is through education that, instead of rediscovering and mastering the laws that govern the world we live in, new generations are able to pick up where their predecessors left off and enhance the knowledge and skills we possess. Now, the learning and teaching process is undergoing an unprecedented transformation thanks to ed-tech, a conglomerate of technologies that is redefining classrooms, schools, universities and the entire education process. At the forefront of those…
The company behind one of the world’s famous guns, the AK-47 rifle, is building a 20 ton unmanned drone tank, according to Guns.com. In an interview with Russian media, Kalashnikov Concern CEO Alexei Krivoruchko, said a new 20-ton platform (described as a “робота” — robot) is under development which, when compared to what Kalash already markets, is huge. In an interview with state-run media outlet Tass (Russian) (Google Translate), Krivoruchko hyped the partially-state run factories progress on advanced weapons including the new RPK-16 light machine gun before moving on to the mechanical elephant in the room– unmanned ground combat vehicles,…
by John Walubengo Elections present a milestone beyond which countries either strengthen their democratic credentials or become failed states. Often states fail when there are either perceived or blatant election malpractices. This in turn can lead to prolonged civil unrest. Numerous cases exist across the continent. But I will use the Kenyan case to illustrate how election processes can be compromised, and then brought back from the brink with the use of technology. Following the election in 2007 Kenya erupted into two months of unprecedented conflict. People were unhappy with the outcome which saw Mwai Kibaki of the incumbent Party of…
The Luxury Electric Vehicle Bentley, the most sought after luxury car brand in the world, has unveiled an electric luxury vehicle called the EXP 12 Speed 6e. The concept car to show that Bentley is defining electric motoring in the luxury sector, with the appropriate technology, high quality materials and refinement levels. Bentley believes that the concept will open discussions with luxury car buyers of the future – millennials, members of Generation C and the rising affluent in developing economies – to understand the desired expectations from a future electric luxury car ownership experience. An all-electric Bentley will not compromise…
by Adam G. Klein In late February, the headline of a news commentary website that receives more than 2.8 million monthly visitors announced, “Jews Destroy Another One of Their Own Graveyards to Blame Trump.” The story, inspired by the recent desecration of a Jewish cemetery in Philadelphia, was the seething fantasy of an anti-Semitic website known as the Daily Stormer. With only a headline, this site can achieve something no hate group could have accomplished 20 years ago: It can connect with a massive audience. Hate speech moves rapidly from the fringe to the mainstream. Screenshot of DailyStormer.com, CC BY-ND To…
As global eCommerce evolves into a $500 billion industry in 2018, online transactions in South Africa still sit at around 1% of total retail value*. Is the local market able to transition to 5% in what has traditionally been a bastion of brick and mortar retail? eCommerce experts believe this is possible if a few key elements are etched into place in a short space of time, or merchants may miss the opportunity. The reality is that local online shopping is currently undergoing a positive shift. Increased choice, courtesy of easier cross-border purchases and a continued rise in smartphone penetration…
by Staff Writer South Africa’s third mobile phone operator Cell C on Tuesday delivered R540 million in net profit for the year ending 31 December 2016. This is Cell C’s first net profit after struggling for years to deliver one. The company attributed the net profit to strong subscriber growth. It reported a 20% rise in subscriber growth to 15.3 million customers in the year to end-December versus 12.8 million in the same period in 2015. Cell C also boosted its EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) by 59% to R11.8 billion. “The strong revenue growth was the…
by Staff Writer get\Worth, a South African Fintech start-up focusing on used car trading, is aiming to provide alternatives to the traditional way of buying and selling cars. The start-up is currently operating in Cape Town with a satellite operation in Gauteng. It offers tools, products and information to help people buy and sell their cars for what they are really worth. The firm, which was founded in April 2016, has developed some clever stuff that it has patented. The company uses data and analytics to remove subjectivity from pricing and trading decisions. get\Worth also use millions of price points…
by Staff Writer The Internet Service Providers’ Association (Ispa), an industry body that represents most of South Africa’s ISPs, said on Tuesday that effective competition in the mobile data services used by consumers is the key to making broadband more affordable for all South Africans. Ispa added that there is, however, an unfortunate lack of urgency on the part of the communications regulator to confront the mobile network operators on this issue. This is despite the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services issuing an urgent policy directive to ICASA on 3 March 2016 requiring it to prioritise an inquiry that…
by Staff Writer Ten of the world’s freshest and most promising financial technology companies are currently showcasing their ingenious innovations to hundreds of banking executives from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region during Meftech 2017. Meftech is the largest event that convenes the entire financial technology community from across the MENA region. It has brought together more than 8,000 financial industry executives and over 1,000 technology providers to meet, network and do business since its inception. The delegates currently attending this year’s event are estimated to control 95% of the $13 billion spent on financial technology in the Middle…