Author: Gugu Lourie

By Staff Writer MTN has scooped the much-sought after Total Telecom Best Brand Award in recognition of the popular MTN Sky “Win a Plane” competition. The fiercely contested Total Telecom Best Brand Award is conferred to companies that have elevated their brand awareness in the past 12 months and demonstrated a positive impact on market share, valuation and bottom line. MTN was recognised for its first-to-market MTN “Win a Plane” competition where MTN subscribers stood a chance to win a four-seater Sling aeroplane, or its cash equivalent of R1.7 million. The MTN Sky “Win a Plane” Competition had a…

Kaspersky Lab: Almost half of Internet Users in South Africa still Think Visiting Their Branch is Safer than Online Banking  By Staff Writer Almost half (43%) of Internet users  in South Africa believe traditional over-the-counter banking is safer than banking online, according to a survey carried out by Kaspersky Lab and B2B International. Despite these fears most people still make some payments online but many fail to take even basic security measures, putting their money and banks’ reputations at risk. One of the easiest ways for criminals to access online bank accounts is to pose as the account owner.…

Telkom’s race obsession and Solidarity’s penchant for playing the race card conspire to revive apartheid While Telkom – South Africa’s largest fixed-line telephone group – professes to be focused on restructuring on its business strategy, which involves trimming off some fat it is the issue of race that is taking centre stage. Lately, the Solidarity union has been accusing Telkom of using employment equity as criteria for retrenchments. While Telkom has lambasted Solidarity for what it says are inflammatory and misleading inferences suggesting that race “is the key selection criterion and that white employees will be targeted.” Telkom adds: “It’s regrettable that Solidarity…

By Staff Writer FNB launches FNB Property Leader, an online property tool that gives step-by-step advice and solutions to manage the entire property process from buying to selling. FNB Property Leader was developed with the customer in mind as the ultimate electronic innovation helping them through the often emotional property process. The solution is not only comprehensive, but convenient as it lives online and can be accessed anytime, anywhere. “For many people the process of buying and selling a property can be overwhelming. This tool is a way to hold the consumer’s hand throughout the entire process from before starting…

By Brian Timperley of Turrito Networks South Africa’s bandwidth pricing has experienced less dramatic reductions of late, after several years of more aggressive price drops – but a new round of disruption is due under the twin pressures of fibre rollout to consumers and the growth of international “over the top” (OTT) services like WhatsApp. We all know that South Africa lags far behind when it comes to bandwidth availability, cost and speed. In urban areas in developed countries the availability of bandwidth is likened to air – the idea of rationing it by capping services is very foreign. Fortunately, we…

Telkom is furious over reports about Solidarity union allegations that race will be one of the factors considered by the country’s biggest fixed-line telephone group on its restructuring process, which include retrenchments. Telkom’s plans include reducing its workforce by 4 400 through Voluntary Severance Packages and Voluntary Early Retirement Packages. Earlier this year, 724 employees have already accepted packages. If this new target is not met, forced retrenchments will follow in July to attain the desired number. Another approximately 3 200 permanent employees will be transferred to other companies. Solidarity alleged in a statement on Monday that Telkom indicated in a section 189…

Vodacom, South Africa’s biggest mobile phone operator in terms of subscribers, plans to scale up its niche funeral and life insurance business. 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. Vodacom, which is valued at more than R200bn, has more than 32m customers in SA. The company has 27.2m prepaid users and 4.9m contracted subscribers. Presently Vodacom provides device insurance to only 7% of its contract subscribers – a situation that leaves significant room for growth in this offering. The total insurance market in SA is worth approximately R61bn. “Our focus has mainly been on…

By Barry Dwolatzky Over the past two years, an initiative has been underway to put an area of central Johannesburg on the map as a place where digital innovation and entrepreneurship happens in South Africa. There is a growing belief that the work being done by the University of the Witwatersrand a few blocks away from its main campus could inspire the development of a new generation of digital technology experts, innovators and entrepreneurs. The attraction of Johannesburg’s inner city The area, called Braamfontein, is located in the centre of Africa’s most important business and economic hub. It is on the…

By Staff Writer From today, Telkom is delivering greater value to its customers as it enhances its pre-paid data offering by consolidating both its Telkom Mobile bundles and its All Network bundles into one set of pre-paid options that will provide national coverage for subscribers. This means that that all packages will provide consumers the benefit of national network coverage that includes roaming on the MTN network outside Telkom’s coverage. Telkom is also adding value by slashing the prices of its pre-paid data bundles to make internet more affordable and accessible for everyone. Customers will benefit from a new mobile…

By Jens Binder The South Korean government has required that teenagers install a spy app on their smartphones. Having the app is compulsory for teens – their phones won’t work unless it is installed. When installed, it provides parents with a means to see what sites are being accessed, block sites and send warning notifications. Even in a society that is more accepting of such paternalistic state control than western Europe, in a culture regularly referred to as collectivist, the Korean government’s requirement to install its Smart Sheriff app or one of the government-approved alternatives has attracted lively debate. Is there…