Author: Gugu Lourie
With the days of unlimited data becoming a thing of the past, there has been a growing trend in customers using up mobile data much quicker than they were doing previously. Is this because user habits didn’t factor in just how data hungry our habits were or is there something else at play?
The Competition Commission on Monday informed Telkom and MTN South Africa that it has recommended the approval of the proposed transaction between the two companies to the Competition Tribunal to be blocked. Telkom and MTN South Africa signed a heads of agreement in 2014 to extend their existing roaming agreement to include bilateral roaming and outsourcing of the operation of Telkom’s radio access network. “While the Commission’s decision is disappointing, Telkom and MTN have agreed not to proceed with the transaction, as we wish to avoid a protracted Tribunal hearing,” Telkom Group CEO, Sipho Maseko said. “Over the past 18 months,…
By Staff Writer, JSE Listed Adapt IT delivered another year of strong results to 30 June 2015, growing headline earnings per share 35%. Operating profit grew 89% while profit attributable to shareholders was up 52%. Organic growth was 18% while acquisitive growth added 24% to turnover, bringing total turnover to R575 million, up 42%. “Organic growth was bolstered by a strong demand in the higher education sector, a sector in which the business has provided specialised software services for 29 years,” says Sbu Shabalala, Adapt IT CEO. “The common thread in our business is deep vertical industry knowledge combined with…
By Denise Rosemary Nicholson Access to information is a basic human right entrenched in the South African Constitution. Yet there are many barriers restricting or preventing access to information. The biggest barriers are: access to the internet; restrictive copyright laws together with digital rights management systems that “lock up” information or restrict access; unreasonable policies and embargo periods set by publishers on online material; and excessively priced books. What needs to be done to lift the impossible restrictions currently in place? Copyright laws and the case for open access There is a solution: open access. South Africa is doing…
A South African young entrepreneur William Thubakgale known to most as the “Digital Pitbull” is at it again – this time he has launched Africa’s first online lay-by payment gateway. By Gugu Lourie Thubakgale, a 22-year old Johannesburg-based entrepreneur, launched an online music streaming and download start-up site in 2012 called QPLAY. The youngster born in Polokwane is also involved in a venture that allows customers to buy premium men’s wear online via http://poshpatterns.co.za/. Thubakgale previously worked at a Digital Agency in Sandton, Johannesburg. He resigned to focus and further his entrepreneurial skills. Layby Cafe, his latest venture, is an online…
By Ujuh Reporter A Postnet store has popped up next to a Post Office in the Blu Valley Mall in Centurion, Pretoria, in what makes for a perfect symbol of the tragedy engulfing the South African Post Office (SAPO). Postnet is emboldened in the face of a SAPO that is slipping towards extinction. That captures the challenge faced by the new SAPO board announced last week. In a perfect world, the Post Office and Postnet are supposed to be positioned like Tom and Jerry, the arch enemies in the classic cartoon series. The Post Office is supposed to be…
By John Preston & Ben Waterson Flying cars in The Jetsons and Back to the Future, or Star Trek’s spaceships and teleportation, may have captured the imagination decades ago, but most current methods of transport have been around a long time. Railways were being rolled out rapidly from the 1830s, while the commercial breakthroughs in petrol and diesel engines date to 1876 and 1892 respectively. Even the jet engine that made mass aviation possible can be traced back to Frank Whittle’s first patent in 1932. Despite decades of futuristic predictions, modern transport wouldn’t look all that different to someone from the…
By Staff Writer The Cortex Hub, a technology incubator, research lab and entrepreneurial hub in East London’s Industrial Development Zone, will hold a 72-hour women’s hackathon from 25 to 27 August where delegates will by vying for a prize of R150,000. The WomenHackersUnite Hackathon is aimed at showcasing the talents of women in software development, and encouraging them to become involved in the world of technology through the creation of solutions using technology. A panel of judges including three top women software engineers from Facebook, will vote on which team creates the best solution. “While there are no recent formal…
By Staff Writer Following weeks of adjudicators sifting through contending apps, MTN Business announced the top six winners of the fourth annual MTN Business App of the Year challenge at the awards ceremony that took place in Johannesburg last night. The MTN App of the Year challenge seeks to unearth innovative and customised apps that will create a distinct customer experience. WumDrop was selected the winner in the Best Enterprise category and overall winner for their courier and fleet management application that allows users to pick up or deliver anything, anywhere and anytime in real-time. Developed by Benjamin Claassen…
By David Glance The “dark web” is a part of the world wide web that requires special software to access. Once inside, web sites and other services can be accessed through a browser in much the same way as the normal web. However, some sites are effectively “hidden”, in that they have not been indexed by a search engine and can only be accessed if you know the address of the site. Special markets also operate within the dark web called, “darknet markets”, which mainly sell illegal products like drugs and firearms, paid for in the cryptocurrency Bitcoin. There…