Author: Gugu Lourie

Work is underway to create a central system that will allow South Africans to access all government services in one portal. This will be achieved through government’s plans to roll out broadband, which will bridge the digital divide and improve the lives of ordinary people by delivering services efficiently. South Africa’s broadband policy is aimed at ensuring universal access to fast, reliable, secure and affordable internet. Speaking to SAnews, Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services’ Director for Broadband, Peter Mello, said government’s current system of delivering services will soon be a thing of the past. Mello said with the “one-stop…

The finalist judged to have presented the best solution to one of the “global grand challenges” of learning, energy, environment, food, health, prosperity, security, water, space, disaster resilience and governance in the SingularityU South Africa Global Impact Competition (GIC), will be announced tonight in Johannesburg. The competition is the first time Silicon Valley-based Singularity University has held the competition in South Africa. It was launched in February in partnership with Rand Merchant Bank (RMB), the main sponsor of the competition. The SingularityU South Africa GIC was open to applicants throughout South Africa, and acts as a platform to identify outstanding…

For the first time since the dawn of e-commerce in South Africa, online retail in this country will reach 1% of overall retail during 2016. This is the most significant finding of the Online Retail in South Africa 2016 report, released today by World Wide Worx. The report shows that online retail continues to grow at a high rate in South Africa, having maintained a growth rate of above 20% since the turn of the century. In 2015, the rate of growth was 26%, taking online retail to the R7,5-billion mark. While the rate is expected to fall a little…

MTN will offer iPhone SE, the most powerful phone with a four-inch display, beginning on Thursday, 14 April 2016. Customers can order iPhone SE beginning on Tuesday, 5 April 2016 at https://shop.mtn.co.za/crs/siteInformation/preRegisterSiteInfo.jsp For more information on iPhone, please visit: www.apple.com/iphone.   ENDS   FOR MORE MEDIA INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Bridget Bhengu: Senior Manager – PR and Communications, MTN SA Cell: 083 212 1964 / E-mail: [email protected] Mamello Raborifi: PR Specialist, MTN SA Cell: 083 214 5681 / E-mail: [email protected] ABOUT MTN GROUP Launched in 1994, the MTN Group is a multinational telecommunications group, operating in 22 countries in Africa, Asia…

getTOD (get Tasks On Demand) allows users to seamlessly connect with service providers who meet their particular need using location based tracking and supplier availability in real time. By Gugu Lourie Users no longer need to waste time searching the internet or a telephone directory for a supplier to meet their needs, and they no longer need to wait for days to fit into that supplier’s diary. “The application is the first of its kind and truly on-demand application, which allows its users to cut out the uncertainty and frustration that typically comes with finding a home repair supplier,” says…

You don’t need a smart TV to watch streaming video on demand with ShowMax. These clever gadgets and tech tips will give you the big screen experience at a fraction of the cost. With the cost of internet connectivity coming down and the promised rollout of high-speed options like fibre to the home taking place faster than anticipated, many people are considering subscription video on demand (SVOD) as a source for their daily entertainment. But do you have to have a smart TV to enjoy internet TV in the comfort your living room? While the TV has long held pride…

What would it take for President Jacob Zuma and the African National Congress (ANC) to understand that South Africa is a constitutional democracy, and provide desperately needed leadership to protect this fundamental principle? By Mashupye Herbert Maserumule President Zuma’s apology and the ANC’s acceptance and defence of it are missed opportunities to reclaim credibility and the moral high ground. They follow the Constitutional Court’s ruling on the Nkandla saga – the scandal over the use of public funds on the president’s private homestead. Apology is a noble gesture. It is expression of remorse. But what’s at issue here is far…

It was Groucho Marx who said, “While money can’t buy happiness, it certainly lets you choose your own form of misery.” Quite true, but what if there’s no money coming in from work because your job’s been taken over by a machine? By David Tuffley Low wage earners appear to be most at risk from automation. In February 2016, the Council of Economic Advisers (an agency within the Executive Office of the US President) issued an alarming report predicting that an 80% or greater chance exists for people on basic incomes of US$20 per hour or less to be made…

  In South Africa security has become a necessity and is no longer a luxury. While an indispensable commodity, the security industry is still subject to the same challenges that every other industry is facing: growing economic pressures, rising costs, increased crime levels and shrinking margins. By Laurence Smith, Executive at Graphic Image Technologies In the face of these challenges, the biggest difficulty of managing a massive workforce that is tasked with providing protection for people, assets, homes and offices is the complexity that comes with it. As if these factors aren’t challenging enough, the issue of price…

Mobile phone operator Cell C’s commercial offerings of its Fibre-to-the-Home service, C-Fibre, are available to customers from today. The company has partnered with Open Access Fibre Network Operator, Vumatel to bring competitive uncapped Fibre offerings to customers in the Vumatel footprint. Cell C said it is also in discussions with other Fibre providers to provide an end-to-end service to customers in other areas across the country. “In a world where content and technology are converging, customers are going to need high-speed and unrestricted access that will allow them to keep pace with their content consumption,” says Cell C CEO Jose…

MTN Business has unveiled a fresh market positioning to ignite the growth of businesses – corporates and SMMEs alike – and enhance the ability of the public sector to deliver services to citizens. Mandisa Ntloko, Head of Marketing for MTN Business South Africa, says there are many challenges that businesses face as they grow, and some of these are internal to the organisation, such as cost reduction, inefficiency and Information Technology (IT) security. “At the core of MTN Business’s value propositions is our ability to partner with business and public sector clients to identify growth triggers through astute adoption of…

Vodacom Business launched a much needed device-based security solution for businesses, particularly small businesses, which helps them protect mobile data and information using a Vodacom Business SIM card. Dubbed SecureNet, the solution housed on Vodacom’s core network, requires no large programs to be installed or managed. It eliminates the risk that users will fail to update or implement the protection, which can cause weak points, vulnerable to viruses and malware attacks. Vuyani Jarana, Chief Executive at Vodacom Business says “smart mobile devices have quickly become an important part of businesses, especially with the era of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD).…

South Africa’s Telkom and its recently acquired technology subsidiary Business Connexion (BCX) have been working quietly to develop and launch solutions for the corporate clients. By Gugu Lourie  But it seems MTN – the country’s second largest mobile phone operator – has also been quietly preparing to take the fight to Telkom BCX Business targeting big businesses. MTN Business, an enterprise unit of MTN, wants to position itself as a telco that understands corporate clients and is prepared to offer them “a new world of Business”, while Telkom BCX Business is positioning itself in this space as “Africa’s premium end-to-end digital…

Absa Life announced on Monday that it has received regulatory approvals, including approval from the South African Reserve Bank, to buy a controlling interest in the direct life insurer Instant Life.  Instant Life, an online life insurance distribution platform offering life, disability and critical illness cover to qualifying customers, will be rebranded and operate as Absa Instant Life. “The acquisition of Instant Life provides Absa with an advantage to scale its Life Insurance business for future growth and supports our continued efforts to provide a simpler and easier application process to improve our customers’ insurance purchasing experience,” says Jannie Venter,…

Social media is a double-edged sword, providing both benefits and drawbacks. By Ritesh Chugh In order to stay connected, many of us are becoming captivated by these pervasive tools. A social media report by Sensis in 2015 reported that nearly half of all Australians access one or more social networking sites every day. The report also found that Australians now spend an average of 8.5 hours a week on Facebook alone, with 24% checking social media more than five times a day. Seven in ten people used a smartphone to access their accounts. Spending excessive time, often repeatedly and aimlessly,…

By Johan Scheepers, Systems Engineer Director – MESAT at Commvault In an increasingly digital world where it is no longer only time that is money, but information as well, data has become the equivalent of a new currency. Protecting this data is a top priority for businesses of all sizes. However, in tandem with the growing importance of data, we are also witnessing an ongoing data explosion, with huge data volumes created at high velocity. This is changing customers’ requirements when it comes to data protection and data management, and organisations need to adopt a comprehensive approach to data protection…

Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said on Friday that the National Treasury’s process to determine how much President Jacob Zuma may pay back for the Nkandla upgrades will be thorough and governed by the law. By Lizeka Tandwa and Ahmed Areff “Treasury will study the judgment and constitute a team… the process will thorough,” he told reporters in Pretoria. Following a unanimous Constitutional Court judgment on Thursday that Zuma had to pay back some of the money spent on the upgrades, in line with the remedial action by Modonsela in her report, National Treasury will now to figure out the exact cost.…

Connecting schools to the digital world through websites and emails for teachers is important in placing the school in a public platform, enabling parents and community members to see what the school is doing and can act as a central point for disseminating information to learners, educators, parents and other stakeholders. By Gugu Lourie Ten Gauteng schools are now online and connected to the world following the launch of the Schools Online Presence Project by ZADNA (.ZA Domain Name Authority). Selected by ZADNA with the guidance of the Gauteng Department of Education, the schools have been provided with websites built by…

KPMG has terminated its business relationship with the Gupta business empire due to the political storm surrounding the family’s friendship with President Jacob Zuma. By Matthew le Cordeur KPMG was the auditor for all Gupta-owned and -controlled businesses and performed a variety of other services for the Guptas, who are allegedly at the heart of what is termed “state capture”. This follows Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas and former ANC MP Vytjie Mentor’s claims in March that the Guptas offered them top cabinet positions. In an internal email circulated to staff and partners, KPMG Southern Africa CEO Trevor Hoole said…

IT industry veteran Dan Sommer, the senior director: market intelligence lead at Qlik, says that companies need to move beyond traditional BI and embrace the endless possibilities that connecting people with data and ideas will bring. Sommer was in South Africa to discuss business analytics market trends with particular reference to innovation and industrialisation. “Market dynamics and the competitive landscape are undergoing tectonic changes now, as tipping points cause a change in centricity around data, analytics, buying and selling. Love it or hate it, we are experiencing a shift from power to empowerment,” he said. In his view, the emergence…

Here are a selection of quotes from Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng’s judgment on whether President Jacob Zuma should pay back some of the taxpayers’ money spent on non-security upgrades at his private homestead in Nkandla. By Naledi Shange – “She is the embodiment of a biblical David, that the public is, who fights the most powerful and very well-resourced Goliath, that impropriety and corruption by government officials are. The Public Protector is one of the true crusaders and champions of anti-corruption and clean governance.” – Mogoeng describing Public Protector Thuli Madonsela as David who had to go against the mighty Goliath and came out victorious. -…

ANC officials will meet urgently to discuss the Constitutional Court’s judgment that President Jacob Zuma violated the Constitution, the party’s general secretary Gwede Mantashe said on Thursday. By Mpho Raborife “We will meet urgently as officials, have a discussion and out of that meeting we will be charting the way forward,” he told reporters at the party’s Luthuli House headquarters in Johannesburg. Mantashe said the judgment would be sent through to the party’s structures before a decision was made on how to deal with it. Asked if the party still had confidence in Zuma, Mantashe said such a decision was…

MTN Business has introduced a range of converged business offers for small and medium businesses (SMEs). The offers seek to provide SMEs with affordable and easy to understand Information Communications Technology (ICT) services and solutions to enable them to lower their costs, improve productivity, produce higher quality products, increase customer satisfaction and focus on core areas. According to the World Wide Worx SME Survey, these types of services and solutions help drive the adoption of ICT by SMEs. Connection to the internet can be a make or break for SMEs as it has the potential of curtailing the day to…

President Jacob Zuma respects the Constitutional Court’s judgment, and will reflect on its implications before determining “appropriate action”, the government said on Thursday. By Ahmed Areff “The president appreciates and reaffirms the powers of the Constitutional Court as a final arbiter on matters of the Constitution in the Republic of South Africa,” it said in a statement. “The president will reflect on the judgment and its implications on the state and government, and will in consultation with other impacted institutions of state determine the appropriate action.” The court found in a unanimous judgment on Thursday morning that Zuma had acted inconsistently…

The Public Protector’s remedial action against President Jacob Zuma over the upgrades to his Nkandla home were binding, the Constitutional Court said on Thursday.  By Naledi Shange and Genevieve Quintal “The remedial action taken against the president has a binding effect,” said Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng. “The president failed to uphold, defend and respect the Constitution.” He said that if compliance with the public protector’s remedial action were optional, then very few would allow it to have any effect. “And if by design it never had a binding effect then [it would be] incomprehensible how the Public Protector could be effective,”…