Author: Gugu Lourie

MiX attracted 55, 800 new subscribers in the year to end-March 2017, the global provider of fleet and mobile asset management solutions delivered as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) said on Thursday. The group subscription revenue was R321.7 million, reflecting a 4.8% increase in the year under review versus R307.1 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016. The JSE-listed group’s revenue rose 1.9% to R391 million, while hardware other revenue dropped by 9.4% at  R69.7 million. Operating profit was R40.9 million versus R45.7 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016. In the year, the group added more than 55,800 new subscribers bringing…

MTN, South Africa’s second-biggest mobile phone operator, is trying to distance itself from a fake Twitter account that was getting a lot of attention. MTN fell victim to an imposter that added a barely noticeable underscore to @MTNza and then started insulting MTN subscribers. MTN said on Wednesday that it has noted a parody social media account that masquerades as an official MTN twitter account. “The reported response from this account to an MTN customer, which MTN regards as insensitive was not sanctioned by MTN. We urge our customers to disregard this Twitter handle as it is not an official…

Several industries are adopting digital technologies to survive in the digital world, but one industry has lagged in that adaptation and that’s the small medium enterprise (SMEs) market in South Africa. The South African SME market is not harnessing technology to grow their small business and is ignoring the benefits of using  technology to become digital entrepreneurs. However, digital technology is becoming increasingly less expensive and most platforms offer a no-cost or free solutions to enable your business to flourish. “When you simplify how you understand your business, you simplify how your customers see the value you offer,” Lindile Xoko,…

The winner of the FNB Business Innovation Awards will be announced on the 8th June 2017. 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. ISP brings together high-impact entrepreneurs to present their business value-propositions to world-leading business personalities for a chance to be part of an exclusive global network. The ISP is the final step of Endeavor’s rigorous multi-step Selection Process. The FNB Business Innovation Awards are aimed at businesses that are able to demonstrate real innovation that has the potential to change the…

By Mike Whitfield, MD at Nissan South Africa Autonomous driving technology is developing at a rapid pace. Business Insider publication’s research platform has forecast that there will be around 10 million cars with various self-driving features on the road in the UK by 2020. But the closer we get to our ultimate goal of completely driverless cars, the more critical it becomes for manufacturers to ensure it’s safe for us to place these vehicles on the road. It’s no secret that autonomous driving technology has the ability to change lives and to save them. Not only is this technology expected…

South African Convergence Partners, which is owned by ICT industry veteran Andile Ngcaba, has teamed up with global tech giant with Google, International Finance Corporation and Mitsui to invest in CSquared, a broadband infrastructure company headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. The parties have signed an agreement to invest up to $100 million in CSquared’s existing metro fibre network operations in Uganda and Ghana, plus new markets in the future. Convergence Partners’ investment will be housed in Convergence Partners Communications Infrastructure Fund (CPCIF), the only infrastructure fund dedicated solely to information and communications technology in Africa. CSquared, initially started by Google as…

MTN Group announced on Wednesday that its Rwandan operation has been hit with $8,5 million (R111 million) regulatory fine from the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA). Africa and the Middle East biggest mobile phone operator said in a statement that the fine relates to non-compliance with the directives issued by the regulator prohibiting the inclusion of MTN Rwanda in the MTN South and East Africa (SEA) IT hub based in Uganda. “MTN has been engaging with the regulator on this matter over the past four months,” the company said. “MTN Rwanda is currently studying the official notification and will continue…

By Staff Writer MTN customers can now purchase the much-anticipated Huawei P10, the latest and most advanced flagship smartphone from Huawei, from selected MTN stores from as little as R399 a month. The Huawei P10 Lite and P10 are available on My MTNChoice+ S for R399 and R559 respectively. These deals are inclusive of a monthly provision of 100 minutes, 100 SMSs and 2GB of data. Qualifying customers who sign up or upgrade to any of these deals will also receive a once-off 30GB of data and twice the value of the minutes and data allocated for the first three…

By Alan O’Herlihy, Everseen It’s easy to point to Amazon’s lack of experience in brick-and-mortar retail as an explanation for the difficulties it’s facing as it tries to launch Amazon Go. Retail is not for the faint of heart, so entering the space and trying to transform it seemingly overnight has inevitably resulted in some skepticism—and even a little bit of schadenfreude when the company missed it’s self-imposed, and highly publicised launch date. Retail is not for the faint of heart, so entering the space and trying to transform it seemingly overnight has inevitably resulted in some skepticism—and even a…

Vodacom, South Africa’s biggest mobile phone operator in terms of subscribers, is making money from its niche business to provide funeral, life and device insurance services. The mobile phone operator, which is 65%-owned by British mobile giant Vodafone, provides life and funeral insurance. It also provides device insurance services to both contract and prepaid customers in SA. The company that is valued at R227 billion informed investors on Monday that in generated R612 million from insurance revenue in the year to end-March 2017. The firm added that insurance revenue climbed 12.4% to R612 million and insurance policies rose 28.5% to 1.1 million in the year to end-March 2017.

Vodacom is reaping benefits of investing in the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT has the ability to transform the lives of citizens, providing tangible solutions to many of society’s ills. For more read: Driving business value via one IoT Platform IoT applications in retail, transportation, manufacturing and utilities will offer the greatest growth opportunity as enterprises seek to streamline operations and improve customer experience. Estimates are that by 2020, there will be 50 billion things or IoT devices – smart cars, fridges, toasters, streetlights, heart monitors, chairs, door locks, etc. – connected  to the Internet. But some of this is…

Vodacom, South Africa’s biggest mobile phone operator, has added 3 million new customers in its home market and is making more than R20 billion in data revenues in the year ended March 2017. The telco, which is owned by British mobile phone giant, reported an 8.7% rise in customers in South Africa to 37.1 million in the year to end-March 2017, with 3 million new customers. The firm also generated R20 billion in data revenue in South Africa, reflecting a 19.7% rise compared to the same period last year. The company also saw the number of data customers increase to…

Vodacom announced on Monday that it is buying a 34.94% strategic stake in Kenya’s Safaricom held by its parent company Vodafone Group. The deal is subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals. Vodacom will fund the acquisition of a 34.94% stake in Safaricom by issuing 226.8 million new ordinary shares. The company said the transaction is set to further enhance it as a leading African mobile communication company. Based on Friday’s JSE closing price of R152.49 per Vodacom share, this values the proposed transaction at R34.6 billion. This represents a 5.9% discount to the Safaricom share price on the Nairobi Securities…

For millions of people around the world looking for a comfortable taxi journey, riding in a taxi became a more enjoyable experience – and better for the environment – in 2013 when a taxi company in Japan went all in and converted its entire fleet of conventional taxis to zero-emission Nissan LEAFs. It was the first step in a global electric taxi revolution. Since then, taxi companies in Spain, The Netherlands, Hungary, the UK, Jordan, Mexico and Poland have all adopted zero-emission Nissan electric taxis. Today, Nissan taxis – LEAF, e-NV200 or both – are in service on five continents,…

German pharma giant Bayer is embracing technology to move into the digital healthcare space. The firm is banking on startups to create digital innovations in the healthcare industry. It wants to conquer mobile health and provide much-needed healthcare solutions to South Africans. The pharma company is bringing to South Africa its successful Granst4Apps Programme, which aims to bring promising startups under its wing as part of a global web of startup initiatives. The initiative is an open innovation framework where Bayer aims to collaborate with innovative digital health startups. This platform has been operational for a number of years and…

The German carmaker has published the first teaser of a sketch of the BMW 8-Series Coupe slated for 2018. The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The carmaker says that it has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy. “The BMW 8 Series Coupe will build on our tradition of luxurious sports coupes and add a genuine dream car to our line-up – a slice of pure automotive fascination,” says BMW…

As artificial intelligence (AI) improves at an exponential rate, robots are performing a wide range of tasks once thought to be reserved for humans. This is a big worry to labour movements around the world as it might have an impact on their employment, but cognitive technologies are already having a profound effect on government work, with more dramatic effects to come. And the public sector is seeking and finding applications to improve services. It is possible that cognitive technologies could eventually revolutionise every facet of government operations. Over time, AI will spawn massive changes in the public sector, transforming…

The new BMW 1-Series receives minor styling tweaks with enhanced premium interior, extended connectivity features and the latest-generation iDrive operating system. These changes are even less noticeable. The German carmaker also introduces new Edition Sports Line Shadow, Edition M Sports Shadow, and BMW M140i Edition. The carmaker also added two new exterior colours for the BMW 1-Series – Sunset Orange and Seaside Blue – giving the BMW 1 Series even greater presence. The technology of the 1-Series has been spruced up. The German carmaker has updated the innovative operating concept with the latest-generation iDrive system as well as an optional navigation…

By SAP Technology is a central theme that runs through all business and sporting operations at Bundesliga club TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. Thus, on closer inspection, what might first appear to be just another match day in Germany’s primary soccer league is actually the result of sophisticated interaction between innovative IT solutions. Soccer evokes emotion, passion, and excitement. And when fans think of their favorite sport, technology isn’t usually the first thing that springs to mind. TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, now firmly established in the Bundesliga ‒one of the world’s most competitive leagues ‒ for a decade, has always focused on…

BCX is investing millions into developing the next generation of software engineers in South Africa. The tech company, which is owned by South Africa’s Telkom, is a new primary growth partner of WeThinkCode, a tuition-free programme designed to educate WeThinkCode was launched in South Africa in 2015 and first opened its doors to students in January 2016. It seeks to eliminate the skills shortage by developing 100 000 coders in Africa over the next 10 years and is free to all participants. Nearly 40,000 South African students applied for the programme in 2017, and 200 students were accepted into…

JSE-listed Adapt IT has acquired 100 percent of the Micros South Africa to get a foothold in the hospitality and retail industries in South Africa and the rest of Africa. The Durban-based tech firm will spend R62 million to buy Micros. The acquisition of Micros, which is a leader in its vertical market, creates an entry into the hospitality industry, a new vertical for Adapt IT, further diversifying its revenue mix. Micros has over 20 years’ experience and over 300 employees specialising in the resale, support and deployment of software and hardware products along with rapidly growing cloud solutions and…

e4, South Africa’s Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) company, is expanding into Australia with the aim to disrupt the lending process. The company specialising in the provision of software solutions as a service. In April 2016, Convergence Partners and Stockdale Street became investors in e4 to enable the SaaS company to accelerate growth through new product and services development, and further, expand its geographic footprint. Convergence Partners is an investment management firm focused on the technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT) sector in Africa. It has a proven track record of developing new investment opportunities as well as adding value to investments across the…

Global professional services firm KPMG has acquired Johannesburg and Hong-Kong based Matchi to create a powerful FinTech resource. The details of the deal have not been disclosed. KPMG is a global network of professional firms providing Audit, Tax, and Advisory services. It operates in 152 countries and has more than 189,000 people working in member firms around the world. FinTech is revolutionising the financial services landscape and it has created a new marketplace for innovation. Matchi is at the forefront of identifying breakthrough FinTech technology. The firm forged a global alliance with KPMG helping selected clients with their FinTech and…

Opera, the developer of the most popular mobile browser in Africa, is seeking to accelerate Africa’s digital economy. Recently, the company celebrated 100 million monthly users in Africa and is now focusing on making the next generation of web browsers to cater the needs of African internet users. The Oslo-based company is planning to invest $100 million (R1.3 billion) over the next two years to facilitate the growth of African digital economy. The firm will use the investment to speed up internet adoption in Africa and strengthen the internet ecosystem with local partners. According to a GSMA Intelligence report, the…

Iran is one the most remaining untapped emerging markets. The country has more than 80 million people that are highly educated and seeking to be connected to the vast digital world. The country’s economy is being spurred by vast natural resource endowment. MTN’s growth in Iran has been impressive to watch. In the first half of 2017, MTN Irancell increased total revenue by 19,3% benefiting from encouraging data revenue trends. South African-based MTN want to increase its footprint and investment in Iran. The telco has signed a non-binding preliminary agreement to invest approximately R540 million into Iranian Fixed Broadband Provider,…