Author: Gugu Lourie
Samsung’s Frame, a new lifestyle product that transforms from a television into a gallery-like art display, will be available for purchase this Sunday, the Seoul-based company said in a statement. Designed in collaboration with renowned designer Yves Behar, The Frame is designed not only to provide a premium entertainment experience, but also to enhance the look of any home, just like a piece of artwork that you would hang on your wall. The Frame is available in two sizes: a 65-inch model, priced at R35833.23 ($2,799), and a 55-inch model, priced at R25591.50 ($1,999). Optional bezels, including white, beige and…
By Staff Writer South Africans are saying no to crime one download at a time. Citizens are sick and tired of the violence and intimidation and have taken a stand armed with the one weapon that every person, young and old, can safely and effectively wield: technology. Namola, South Africa’s innovative safety and security app is starting a personal safety movement, recently hitting 50 000 downloads – an impressive number of users – putting it at the top of the South African download charts in the app store. We know that crime is rampant in our country. In 2016 alone…
Vodacom, South Africa’s biggest mobile phone operator, announced on Thursday that Jabu Moleketi has been appointed to the position of chairman. The appointment is effective from 19 July 2017. Moleketi replaces Peter Moyo, who will retire and step down from the board of Vodacom at the forthcoming annual general meeting to be held on Tuesday 18 July 2017. Moyo has joined Old Mutual as CEO of emerging markets. Moleketi was first appointed to the board of Vodacom in November 2009 as an independent non-executive director. He will also take over as chairman of the nomination committee and step down from…
MTN, South Africa’s second-biggest mobile phone operator, announced on its Twitter page on Wednesday that it has cancelled its free unlimited Twitter service. The Telco said on its blog that it understands that data can be quite hefty on the pocket. It added that “knowing how inseparable you and Twitter can be, due to all the trends keeping you constantly in the loop, you really can’t afford to miss out on anything. It’s for this reason that we have brought you free Twitter, which has been doing absolutely great!” However, the mobile phone operator said “due to abuse of the…
If you want to rent storage space and parking from your neighbours, now you can through Wahi, a South African startup that connects the owners of spare space to the people who need space. Wahi provides access to hundreds of short or long-term self-storage solutions near you at a click of a button. The start-up operates a competitive marketplace that enables you to compare and access the best rates. You can earn money by renting out your garage or parking space for free on “a safe and convenient” peer-to-peer marketplace, where hosts offer space and renters find space – both commercial…
By Staff Writer As of 12 June 2017, Internet Solutions, a pan-African telecommunications service provider, and Rain (previously known as Wireless Business Solutions), will offer commercial LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) to local Internet service providers (ISPs). IS will act as Rain’s ‘open access’ go-to-market partner for its fixed LTE-A product. Targeting local Internet Service Providers (ISPs) whose customers will benefit from fibre-like mobile connectivity, Internet Solutions and Rain anticipates that offering competitively-priced access to LTE-A will present local ISPs with new growth opportunities. “Access to LTE-A on the Rain network, with streamlined provisioning of service from Internet Solutions, is an attractive proposition for…
A Cape Town-Based data mining company that accurately call both Brexit and Trump’s victory – proving that meaningful, predictive insights can be gained from the online conversation – has been named as the overall winner at the prestigious 2017 FNB Business Innovation Awards. The awards are held in in partnership with Endeavor South Africa. The winner of the First National Bank (FNB) Business Innovation Award automatically becomes a member of the world-renowned Endeavour Entrepreneur Experience. The overall winner will get an opportunity to present their business ideas at the prestigious International Selection Panel (ISP) in New York later this year.…
Branded as “comfortable wireless headphones”. Soft and padded headphones, iFrogz Coda Wireless Headphones can easily enclose you in your music, whilst on-ear controls and built-in mic let you take charge and take calls. I have been effortlessly enjoying audio with Coda wireless headphones for the past month and was elated by the powerful audio and comfortable design. Crafted to fit the digital world, Coda wireless headphones have an elegant feel and provides seamless connectivity. The headphones with its cable-free Bluetooth device pairing lets you roam, listen, and talk without entanglement. Intuitively designed on-ear controls are built right into the housing…
South African startup SkillUp, a web-based platform that helps parents and students find and schedule lessons with tutors in their area, is gaining traction in the market and has launched an Android App. The main aim of the app is to connect students with the top 3% of tutors in South Africa. “This is a world class app that makes finding, and connecting with the top 3% of tutors in South Africa a piece of cake,” Matthew Henshall, SkillUp’s CEO, says. “Now you can easily send messages, enquiry with tutors and keep updated on your students progress! Tutors will also…
By Staff Writer Stellenbosch-based FinTech innovator Entersekt has received an undisclosed amount as an investment from AlphaCode and BoE Private Equity Investments. Rand Merchant Investment Holdings through AlphaCode, RMI’s innovation hub for FinTech entrepreneurs, and Nedbank Private Equity (NPE) through its private equity investment vehicle, BoE Private Equity Investments will each acquire minority stakes in Entersekt. The money will be used to accelerate their business global expansion, and research and development. The company has developed world-class push-based authentication and app security technology. Entersekt’s patented security products protect close to 100 million of transactions monthly while complying with the world’s most…
Tuluntulu, which is an African mobile video on demand (VOD) service, is adding new streaming channels to retain and attract a new audience. Proudly South African Content The VOD service is bringing to its audience 265 MAX TV and has launched a 24/7 entertainment channel on the Tuluntulu app. 265 MAX TV showcases Proudly South African content with a mix of upcoming talent and mainstream entertainment that includes mainstream music, lifestyle, culture and expression which embraces South African fashion, music talk shows, gadget shows, extreme sports, interviews with famous people and local documentaries. The launch of 265 MAX TV is…
Telkom has one of South Africa’s biggest real-estate portfolio that started being acquired under the brutal, apartheid state machinery South Africa’s Telkom should just start a process to become a real estate landlord and float its property portfolio on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. This will create value not only for Telkom but its shareholders, workers, and potential property partners. I know in the past have propagated for Telkom to consider selling its property portfolio. For more read: Telkom’s Property Poser However, since Telkom executive – under the great leadership of its boss Sipho Maseko – has managed to reshape the…
In a move to join the connected world, tech giant Apple has joined the bandwagon of the Internet of Things (IoT). Apple has announced HomePod, a new Apple-designed home music speaker. The firm says HomePod is a breakthrough wireless speaker for the home that delivers amazing audio quality and uses spatial awareness to sense its location in a room and automatically adjust the audio. HomePod is positioned as a rival to Amazon Echo. The company said in a statement that HomePod packs powerful speaker technology, Siri intelligence and wireless access to the entire Apple Music library into a beautiful speaker…
South African tech giant Datatec has confirmed that they will be selling Westcon-Comstor for R10.5 billion ($830 million). The JSE and Nasdaq-listed tech company announced on Tuesday that it will sell Westcon-Comstor North America and Latam operations for up to $800 million to SYNNEX. SYNNEX will also acquire 10% of Westcon International for $30 million and have an option to acquire a further 10% within 12 months after completion of this deal. The company said the maximum consideration of $830 million equates to an equity valuation of the total Westcon-Comstor division of $1.1 billion. Jens Montanana, Datatec CEO, will be…
Tanzanian retail investors flock into Vodacom Initial Public Offering (IPO). The Vodacom IPO is on track to be the largest in the 19-year history of the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange (DSE). Vodacom Tanzania was launched in 2000 and is a subsidiary of South African-based Vodacom Group, which is a unit of British mobile phone giant, Vodafone. The IPO is due to list on the DSE during June 2017, pending final verification by the CMSA. Vodacom announced on Monday afternoon that more than 40 000 Tanzanians, many of them first-time participants in the capital market, have subscribed for shares in the…
South Africa’s Telkom on Monday posted a strong set financial results for the year to end March 2017, prompting the Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services Siyabonga Cwele to gloat about the government decision not to sell its shareholding in the telco. On Monday, Telkom, South Africa’s biggest fixed-line telephone group, on Monday posted a 12.4% rise in headline earnings per share (HEPS) to 731.4 cents per share for the year to end March 2017, bolstered by the growth of its mobile phone unit. HEPS is South Africa’s main profit gauge. “These strong results underscore the correctness of Government’s decision,…
BMW i – which provides Electric Vehicles (EV) and Plug-in-Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) – celebrates two years in South Africa. BMW i is a comprehensive and ground-breaking concept for sustainable mobility. It represents visionary electric vehicles and mobility services, inspiring design and a new understanding of premium that is strongly defined by sustainability. And it thrills with its innovative vehicles: the all-electric BMW i3, a locally emission-free vehicle for city driving that is sustainably designed throughout, and the BMW i8 concept as the future of the sports vehicle. Is the BMW brand selling BMW i8 and i3 like hotcakes or…
Telkom, South Africa’s biggest fixed-line telephone group, on Monday posted a 12.4% rise in headline earnings per share (HEPS) to 731.4 cents per share for the year to end March 2017, bolstered by the growth of its mobile phone unit. HEPS is South Africa’s main profit gauge. Operating revenue was up 9.8%to R41.0 billion, boosted by the full consolidation of BCX in the year, along with the solid performance of Telkom’s mobile business. Telkom informed investors on Monday that its mobile business continued to be the star performer, and delivered service revenue growth of 38.4 percent and EBITDA of R660…
A South African innovator in Internet of Things (IoT) technology, IoT.nxt, is the country’s top IoT innovator that uses IoT apps and technology to solve business problems, according to MTN 2017 Internet of Things Awards. IoT technology is transforming the world of business, retail, heavy industry, and our personal lives. Research from Gartner has estimated that there will be over 6.4 billion connected things in use in 2016, increasing to around 20.8 billion by 2020. Business will need to adapt their practices on a mass scale to accommodate the deluge of connected solutions. Now in its second year, the MTN…
by Tom DeVroy, senior product evangelist for Enterprise Service Management at IFS, The field service industry has always been one of the earliest adopters of new technologies, from the original PDAs to IoT-enabled devices. Now, a new generation of technology is uniquely positioned to transform the field service industry, promising to reduce costs and dramatically improve the quality of service organisations can offer. There are three technology-led developments set to disrupt field service and discusses how flexible and modular resource planning infrastructure will help organisations reap substantial rewards. Effective field service is about proactively managing your workforce and inventory in…
South Africa’s retailer Mr Price has come a long way since launching its mobile virtual network operator, which runs on a Cell C’s network since 2014. Three years later, thousands of customers are buying its cellular products and has diversified into financial services. Its services are becoming an alternative to your traditional mobile phone companies, such as Vodacom, MTN, and Cell C, etc. They are also an alternative to traditional banks, such FNB, ABSA, Standard Bank, Nedbank and Capitec. However, MR Price is only known for its affordable and quality clothes. You may wish to know the amounts of money…
by Staff Writer South Africa’s Metacom, an industrial and commercial communications operator, has opened its first European office in Belgium. The company said in a statement that Metacom Europe would be providing highly specialised and integrated networking solutions to vertical industries in Europe and Africa. Currently, Metacom has products operational in 22 countries around the world so establishing a physical presence in the European market allows the company to provide more focused customer service while continuing with its plans for expansion. The company’s long-term strategy has always been to build a strong foundation in Europe that delivers specialised applications on…
By Staff Writer HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, has proudly announced a classic reimagined – the Nokia 3310. It speaks for itself. It speaks for itself. The Nokia 3310 will be available in South Africa from the 29th of May 2017 from Cell C. The Nokia 3310 will be available in Dark Blue, with a matte finish and will retail at estimated price of R749.00. The Nokia 3310 will come in three distinctive colours from MTN – Warm Red and Yellow, both with a gloss finish, and Dark Blue with a matte finish and will retail at estimated…
By Staff Writer Increasingly empowered customers and business users, external services, new methodologies, automation, and cognitive technologies will result in a significantly smaller, faster and more specialised tech organisation says Forrester. New research by Forrester says the size, shape, and mandate of tech organisations will fundamentally shift over the next five to seven years. The result of this seismic shift will result in automated functions, increased role specialisation, and a shift in focus from internal capabilities to external services. “There have been many ‘this will end IT as we know it’ events. The PC, client server, the web, and outsourcing…
JSE-listed tech firm Jasco announced on Thursday that it is planning to buy 51% of Reflex Solutions for R39.8 million to enhance its enterprise business. The group said the acquisition of Reflex Solutions would ensure its enterprise offering in the blue-chip corporate market is now further enhanced by being able to supply IT WAN (wide area network) / LAN (local area network), desktop and server managed services, hosted IT Infrastructure, cloud unified communications and contact centre solutions. The deal would also enable the company to gain access to the lucrative growth market of Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) solutions. Reflex was established in…