Author: Gugu Lourie
BMW South Africa plans to create more jobs to expand its IT operations – the SAP Shared Services Centre and IT Operations Centre which serve the global BMW Group. By Staff Writer The German car manufacturer plans to expand its IT operations in South Africa to 600 jobs by 2017. The manufacturer said an impressive track record of over 130 viable projects, implemented globally, adds to the growing importance of BMW Group IT in the quest to shape the mobility of the future. South African software engineers are unique in the world The South African SAP Shared Services Centre and…
In celebration of his spectacular performance at the 2016 Rio Olympics, T-Systems today present’s athletics superstar Wayde van Niekerk with a R1 million gift. By Staff Writer “It’s our gesture of thanks, honouring Wayde for the way he’s inspired millions of South Africans to believe in their own dreams and chase after success,” notes Mpumi Nhlapo, Head of T-Systems South Africa’s Marketing, Communications, IT Portfolio and Solution Sales. Wayde powered his way into South African hearts, and into the history books, with the event’s highlight moment. Running in the most difficult lane in the 400 metres final, he won Gold…
MTN Group and MMI Holdings today announced the launch of a micro insurance joint venture, branded aYo. By Staff Writer The joint venture will benefit from the scale, combined expertise and market access of both companies, to provide a strong basis to compete in a changing mobile financial services industry. Insurance penetration is low in many countries across Africa, and utilising the resources and capabilities that each of MMI Holdings and MTN provide, aYo will be able to improve this to offer relevant, accessible and easy to use insurance solutions to consumers. Commenting on the partnership, Herman Singh, Group Chief…
People have long dreamed of being smarter, stronger, faster. But now it seems that cutting edge technologies are out there, or in development, that might enable us truly to enhance our cognitive and physical capabilities. At the Paralympics, sprinters will be bounding down the tracks on running blades. Students are taking “smart drugs” and using cognitive enhancement devices in order to achieve better academic performance. By Marcelo de Araujo These recent advances in science and technology have led to much discussion on the ethics of human enhancement, giving the impression that this is an era-defining moment, one in which the very…
It has been the most deadly summer for wingsuit flying to date. But what makes some people want to base jump off a cliff, binge drink to oblivion or hitchhike with strangers while others don’t even enjoy a rollercoaster ride? Is there such a thing as scaredy-cat gene or a daredevil brain structure? Or is our level of attraction to danger down to how protective our parents were? By Valerie Voon Whether our weakness is extreme sports, speeding, drugs or other dangerous behaviours, it is typically a mix of risk and novelty that draw us in. What psychologists call “novelty seeking”…
Gautrain passengers can now download free online books for the next 12 months. By News Agency The Gautrain Management Agency (GMA) has partnered with Bookboon to make professional and business e-books available to Gautrain passengers. MEC for Roads and Transport Ismail Vadi said passengers will be able to download free online books from the Bookboon website in the field of engineering, IT, marketing, finance and entrepreneurship. “Gautrain is delighted about the Bridging the Gap initiative, as we are aware that education in South Africa is expensive, especially the cost of books,” MEC Vadi said. The books will be available to…
Vodacom announced on Tuesday that it has successfully extended its 4G coverage along most Gautrain routes to include 4G+ in the underground tunnels. By Staff Writer This means that 4G and 4G+ coverage is immediately available on route to Gautrain’s Rosebank, Sandton, Marlboro and Midrand stations with speeds of in excess of 100Mb/s achieved in deep underground environments. Vodacom said the next phase of the project will be to enhance coverage along the track between Marlboro and OR Tambo International Airport as well as between Marlboro and Pretoria to ensure a seamless and uninterrupted experience on all Gautrain routes. “This…
Blockchain is being spoken of reverently – and irreverently – by business pundits, and backed by media and industry leaders as a potential cure for all financial threats/hurdles across the globe. By Mary Ann Francis, executive business advisor and practice partner at Wipro A blockchain has been promoted extensively as the latest ‘must-have’ technology for financial and related institutions. However, because of its historical connection to the cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, it has been sceptically scrutinised for use in business transactions due to the assumption that they are one and the same. The good news, however, is that the needed separation of the…
Daimler’s chairman of the board of directors, Dieter Zetsche, has revealed that Mercedes-Benz wants to create cars that act as personal assistants and wellbeing monitors, he told Autocar on Monday. By Staff Writer Speaking at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin, the chairman of Daimler’s board of directors explained that cars will one day carry out chores and tasks humans don’t enjoy, in a bid to improve their quality of life and reduce stress. Zetsche told Autocar that cars will then begin to work as their owner’s assistant, carrying out chores like taking the kids to school and picking up other…
With the continued harassment of South Africa’s Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, it has become patently clear that no institution will be spared in the wave of state capture that is sweeping through the country. By Jannie Rossouw The finance ministry has been at the centre of this wave for nearly a year. The latest move against Gordhan comes against a backdrop of efforts to wrest control of this particular portfolio. The most spectacular was President Jacob Zuma’s decision in December 2015 to fire then Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene and replace him with someone more agreeable to his plans. That plan…