Author: Gugu Lourie
By Skye C. Cleary Online dating sites and apps are transforming relationships. More than 10 percent of American adults – and almost 40 percent of people who identify as “single and looking” – are using online dating websites and apps. But what might someone from the 19th century think about this unique fusion of technology and romance? In the late 1800s, German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche had a lot to say about love. Arguing that society was heading toward nihilism – that is, a world without meaning, morals and values – Nietzsche thought that romantic love was frivolous, with friendship acting as…
Local internet video service ShowMax is not increasing its monthly R99 subscription rate despite the weak rand impacting its business. By Gareth van Zyl, NewsAgency Multinational media and internet company Naspers launched ShowMax on August 19 last year as a TV series and movie video on demand service. But the rand has significantly weakened from R12.88 to the US dollar on August 19 2015 to around the R16 mark this week. ShowMax, like other local television companies, is susceptible to currency movements as it buys its content from markets such as the US. However, ShowMax spokesperson Richard Boorman told Fin24 that…
After the December ex-Minister of Finance Nhlanhla Nene firing hurting us deeply, doubled up in January by another instalment of Chinese liberalization tribulations, the SA Rand and long bond yields ended up in deeply overshot territory. Indeed effective junk. By Cees Bruggemans There has been some clawback todate, the Rand retracing to 15.80:$ (after seeing 18:$ on a single Japanese midnight cowboy trade) and long bond yields clawing back about half the 160 point Nene loss. Is this it, or is there more potential for retracing? It depends on what you want to believe…. There are…
Global firm Unify has established a local in South Africa and as part of its growth plan has also appointed Tarsus as its distributor for its software in Southern Africa. By Staff Writer The global communications software and services firms will partner with Tarsus Distribution to develop brand awareness and grow market share within the region as part of its transition to a software and services-based organisation. Tarsus Distribution will work with Unify’s newly-established office in Bryanston, Johannesburg to deliver integrated communications solutions to resellers and their customers. “With its strong heritage of product reliability, innovation, open standards and security,…
The rand was on the backfoot on Wednesday ahead of inflation data due at 10:00 and as the oil turmoil continued on renewed oversupply fears. The local unit managed to move just below R16.60 against the greenback and was trading in the R16.60s for most of Tuesday before sliding quickly after the SA close for an overnight close of R16.78. By 07:58 on Wednesday the unit was back at its lowest levels for the week, trading at R16.88/$, R23.86/£ and R18.47/€. So far this year the rand has lost 9% of its value against the dollar. Adam Phillips, independent…
Tech giant Apple is raising the prices of paid apps and in-app purchases for seven countries, including South Africa due to exchange rates. By Staff Writer Following fluctuations in exchange rates, Apple has informed developers today that it’s planning to change App Store pricing in a number of countries within the next 72 hours, according to a report in technology news website The Next Web (TNW) published on Monday. The other markets affected by price increases include Canada, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia and Singapore, a document sent to App Store developers showed according to TNW. “Subscribers in Russia and South Africa will…
Six years out of seven on average in the US economy, (according to ex-Fed chair Alan Greenspan, a practiced observer of things practical), the forces of growth prevail. In the seventh year these don’t so much rest as go on the backfoot, to the point of withdrawal (recession) or even at very odd occasions in modern times of derailment (depression). By Cees Bruggemans South Africa today is very much into such defensive withdrawal, forced upon her by many things, as much the global economy and Mother Nature as from her own free choice in terms of how she manages herself. How…
The last time the Dollar more than doubled in value against the Rand was in 2000-2001, when it went from 6:$ to 13.85:$. By Cees Bruggemans This time it took five years to crack the same barrier, from 7:$ in 2010 through 14:$ in 2015. These past four weeks we added over 40% to that originally 2010 base, the Rand trading near 17:$ late last night. That was after a very volatile day, starting with a few stop-loss margin calls driving a flash-crash, highly illiquid market in Japan reached 17.90:$ which subsequently corrected to 16.50:$ as our Rand market opened. Things…
Naspers owned video streaming service ShowMax has said that Netflix’s launch in South Africa will boost local awareness of internet television. By Gareth van Zyl, NewsAgency On Wednesday night, US-based Netflix officially switched on its South African service as part of a launch in an extra 130 countries. The launch of Netflix in South Africa means that local users don’t have to resort to using the likes of virtual private networks (VPNs) to access Netflix any more. The use of VPNs allows users to appear as if they are connecting to networks from other countries such as the US, but the…
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has asked the Federal High Court in Lagos to dismiss a suit filed by MTN against the industry watchdog for imposing a R59 billion ($3.9 billion) fine against the South African mobile phone giant for failure to register customers, according to a report. The Leadership newspaper reported on Monday that in a motion on notice filed through its lawyers, Ahmed Raji – Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) and Mahmud Magaji (SAN), the NCC has urged the court to dismiss or decline to hear the suit for want of jurisdiction or send it to its Abuja division. The newspaper reported that…