Author: Gugu Lourie
South African-based biometrics firm Ideco will travel to the US next week for the global launch of its new all-in-one mobile biometrics unit, which it expects to take the identification world by storm. By Staff Writer The unit, dubbed BIMS – Biometric Identity Management System – and its supporting system were designed and built in South Africa at a cost of over R20-million in R&D and two and a half years of man hours by a team of skilled software and firmware developers and engineers. BIMS will be unveiled for the first time at the connectID 2016 conference and expo…
Hawkers selling chameleons, tortoises and snakes on street corners were becoming more advanced even accepting payment via e-wallet and EFT, the NSPCA has said. By Naledi Shange, NewsAgency While the traders mostly targeted tourists travelling on the road from Sun City, the illegal trade was now mushrooming in other parts of the North West as well as in Krugersdorp, on the West Rand. NSPCA spokesperson, Isabel Wenzel, pleaded with the public to stop buying the animals from hawkers, adding that this would be the only way to kill their business. “The traders stand alongside the roads and pretend to be selling…
2016 sees the BMW Group celebrate its centenary under the motto THE NEXT 100 YEARS. Throughout its history, the company’s image has been defined by a future focus and pioneering action – all made possible by its extraordinary team of employees, who share a fascination for mobility which is integral to all our lives. “At the BMW Group, we are always on a quest for the best solution. It’s part of our DNA,” said Harald Krüger, Chairman of BMW AG, at the Centenary Event in Munich on Monday. “It’s also the spirit of our collaborations, a recurring theme that permeates…
Telkom on Monday announced it will offer Samsung S7 and S7 Edge from 11 March 2016. A Samsung Galaxy S7 Black 32GB will be available from a starting price of R559 per month for 24 months and Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Black 32GB at R629 on SmartPlan 50 plan. By Staff Writer Telkom said in a statement that customers who purchase one of these new devices on Telkom’s network will have access to technology that provides faster download and upload speeds The Samsung S7 and S7 Edge are available on the following Telkom deals: Device SmartPlan 50 SmartPlan 100 SmartPlan 250 Unlimited…
In a first for the continent, customers can now securely and conveniently purchase movies, TV shows and other video content direct from the Google Play Store using any Android device and charge it directly to their Telkom mobile bill or airtime. By Staff Writer Telkom on Monday announced that the company now offers Direct Carrier Billing for content purchases on the Google Play store. Direct Carrier Billing is an integrated billing service for Android smartphone and tablet customers in South Africa. The Google Play Store offers thousands of movies and TV shows for direct download onto any Android device.…
The case against the man who allegedly circulated an email claiming high ranking officials and politicians wanted to assassinate President Jacob Zuma, has been postponed to allow him to get a bed at Weskoppies. By Karabo Ngoepe, NewsAgency Ernest Nkosi, 26, is said to be the person behind the email which claimed that Zuma’s life was in danger. He allegedly sent the emails to the police minister’s spokesperson, the Gauteng government’s spokesperson, the Crime Intelligence Divisional Commissioner, as well as car dealership BMW South Africa. The case was postponed to March 28 in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court. At the time of…
Internet ride-sharing company Uber says it welcomes a new transport bill that plans a crackdown on drivers who don’t have meter taxi licences. By Gareth van Zyl, NewsAgency The Sunday Times reported over the weekend that Cabinet has approved the National Land Transport Amendment Bill which regards Uber operators as metered taxi operators. Subsequently, Uber drivers are expected to have metered licences as part of the law. Cabinet also reportedly rejected Uber’s request to include a category called ‘transport network operator’ which entails operators using technology to solicit customers. Despite this rejection, Uber has welcomed the bill. “Uber respects the key…
The New Development Bank is formally “open for business” and the recruitment process for its Africa Regional Centre in Johannesburg has started, National Treasury announced this weekend. Treasury said in a statement the bank is in the process of establishing the Africa Regional Centre in Johannesburg, as announced by Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan in his 2016 Budget Speech. Treasury said South Africans are encouraged to apply to work for the bank. The start of formal operations of the so-called Brics Bank follows an agreement signed on February 27 2016 by the People’s Republic of China and the New Development…
Zazoo, a business unit of Net 1 UEPS Technologies, has appointed Tamara d’Onofrio as its country head for South Africa. By Staff Writer Zazoo is an aggregation of innovative technology companies and a leading provider of payment solutions and transaction processing services. Zazoo’s patented technologies have enabled mobile payment solutions for the likes of Uber South Africa, World Remit, Microsoft, Funifi in the UK, BitX and Oxigen Wallet in India. “As we continue to expand Zazoo’s offerings into new markets, it is important for us to maintain dedicated focus in each territory and as such I am delighted to announce the…
The digital divide is a phenomenon that has plagued developing nations for a number of decades, and addressing this inequality in technological ability and advancement is essential to the economic growth and stability of these countries. By Eckart Zollner, head of business development at The Jasco Group Today, connectivity is central to digital technology and addressing the challenges within this market that are hindering the growth and adoption of connectivity is key. A well-developed market from the perspective of participation in the global Internet economy is essential in bridging the digital divide, and this in turn requires effective carrier communities…
Apple’s defiance of the FBI’s request to unlock the work phone of one of the San Bernadino shooters has become an all out PR and legal battle being waged on all fronts. By David Glance Although the case is ostensibly about unlocking a single phone, even the FBI has admitted that this is all about setting a precedent that would allow law enforcement unfettered access to anyone’s phone. For a start, the phone in question is unlikely to contain anything useful for law enforcement in this case. The phone was a work phone and Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik had…
Cape Town audiologist Gail Jacklin, who lost over R200 000 in a SIM-swap scam earlier this year, says she is emotionally drained and has lost trust in FNB and MTN. By Gareth van Zyl, NewsAgency Earlier this week, private consulting forensic scientist Dr David Klatzow told Fin24 about how MTN failed to prevent an unauthorised SIM-swap of Jacklin’s phone, which resulted in fraudsters stealing from her FNB accounts. READ: Thousands of rands lost in ‘FNB, MTN scam’ Klatzow said that Jacklin’s phone went on the “blink” at the end of December which was followed by her personal and business accounts being…
Bitcoin cryptocurrency use in South Africa is set to increase as e-commerce takes off, says a local operator. By Duncan Alfreds, NewsAgency The cryptocurrency has faced controversy for its association with cyber criminals and fluctuating values. However, according to local Bitcoin wallet and exchange service BitX, the currency provides an ideal platform for e-commerce transactions. “As more people use and accept Bitcoin, it creates positive feedback loops for usage and trust, which helps grow the industry. At some point we believe it will hit a critical mass that will cause growth to become exponential,” said Werner van Rooyen, head of business…
South Africa’s Telkom is offering a 5GB of data for R99/month as part of its Deal of The Month specials. By Gugu Lourie Telkom said on its website the deal is available to the first 1,000 customers who sign up. This R99 deal of the month will let lucky customers connect wirelessly using a Huawei E5577 LTE Mi-Fi router. The Centurion-based telco said as part of the Deal of The Month it will offer customers a Samsung J1 Ace or Huawei MediaPad by paying an additional R100/month. It added that if you need both the Huawei E5577 LTE Mi-Fi router and Samsung J1 Ace or Huawei…
A new payment system aimed at taking the risk out of online trading has launched in South Africa. Pay2 is an escrow service that promises security with an online trade that protects both buyer and seller. By Duncan Alfreds, NewsAgency “The service is aimed at everyone who wants to trade online that is risk adverse. From the sale of a small item to something we just completed on behalf of a major soft drink company, which exported R3m of drinks to Europe,” Robert Weimar, senior executive at Pay2, told Fin24 on Wednesday. “Both parties never met, but as a result of the facility…
For the first time in South Africa, consumers can use their smartphones to pay in-store at iKhokha retailers. By Staff Writer Shoppers can now use MasterPass, the digital commerce platform from MasterCard, to safely and seamlessly pay for in-store or face-to-face purchases at over 2,000 iKhokha retailers and service providers in South Africa using their smartphones or tablets. “Our association with iKhokha extends MasterPass’ acceptance beyond online stores into the physical retail world, enabling South Africans to make fast, seamless and secure digital payments online, in-app and now in-store too using any connected device,” says Ann Cairns, President…
Mobile phone operator MTN’s efforts to boost profitability in its troubled South African operation are starting to pay off even sales rose slightly in the 2015 financial year. By Gugu Lourie MTN South Africa, the country’s second biggest mobile phone operator, on Thursday reported a 2.9% rise in revenue to R40 billion for the year to end-December 2015, driven main by healthy growth in data revenue. The local telco, which was last year faced by strikes and saw resignation of CEO for its South Africa operation, also delivered good customer growth on the back of attractive voice and data packages.…
MTN has noted the reports about customers losing money from their personal bank accounts. MTN wishes to assure its customers that it has put security requirements and systems in place to improve security. MTN continuously reassesses the applicability of such security controls and as and when such security controls are breached, new and different controls are developed and implemented. However, as with any security and control systems, unscrupulous individuals will always explore ways of circumventing such systems. It is unfortunately a continuous process as criminal elements always find ways to improve their fraudulent methods. Since 2009, MTN has implemented…
Politicians should not run ahead of themselves and expect the wholesale or partial privatisation of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa said in parliament on Wednesday. By Liesl Peyper, NewsAgency Responding to oral questions from MPs, Ramaphosa said there are currently around 700 SOEs – some of them key to South Africa’s developmental mandate and others less so. The inter-ministerial committee tasked with reviewing all the SOEs will come up with a list of which ones are relevant and which not. “As of now we will put the horse before the cart to decide which ones should be retained,” Ramaphosa…
A forensic investigator has alleged an inside job at First National Bank (FNB) and MTN in a SIM-swap scam that pilfers customers of hundreds of thousands of rands. By Gareth van Zyl, NewsAgency Private consulting forensic scientist, Dr David Klatzow, says his client, Cape Town audiologist Gail Jacklin, lost over R200 000 from the scam earlier this year. Dr Klatzow said his client hasn’t been reimbursed by FNB. Dr Klatzow told Fin24 that MTN failed to prevent an unauthorised SIM-swap of Jacklin’s phone, which resulted in fraudsters stealing from her FNB accounts. But Dr Klatzow said he knows of at least…
Technology has changed the world, including the banking sector, and consumers increasingly require the choice of multi-channel in addition to traditional bricks-and-mortar trading. These include telephone and Internet banking as well as banking apps on smart devices. However, simply providing multiple channels is no longer enough, as can be seen by the emergence of alternate banking services including PayPal, PayFast or Boodle. By Saurabh Kumar, MD at In2IT Technologies South Africa The proliferation of always-on devices and an increasingly social and connected world has changed the way businesses operate. By providing consumers with multiple channels of communication, available 24…
Mattel recently announced that it will release a US$300 3D printer for kids in time for the 2016 holiday season. With accompanying software that is specially tailored for young toy designers, the ThingMaker promises to introduce a new generation of innovators to the up-and-coming world of 3D printing. By Carolyn Conner Seepersad Known in technology circles as “additive manufacturing,” 3D printing has grown into a $4 billion industry since it was first commercialized 30 years ago by 3D Systems. For most of its history, though, it has been out of the reach of typical consumers. Most industrial-scale 3D printing machines cost…
Vodacom officially dropped its R7 billion bid for Neotel on Tuesday following the Pretoria High Court’s ruling that Icasa’s approval of the transfer of Neotel’s operating and spectrum licences to Vodacom be set aside in its entirety. By Gugu Lourie Techcentral reported on Monday that Icasa met secretly and unlawfully with Vodacom to discuss the operator’s proposed R7bn acquisition of Neotel, leading to a “reasonable suspicion of bias” against the communications regulator, the high court in Pretoria has found. The end to the 22-month quest to combine South Africa’s biggest mobile phone operator with the country’s second biggest fixed-line telephone…
Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan’s job is not in jeopardy, the Presidency said on Monday. By Genevieve Quintal, NewsAgency “The President wishes to emphasise that Minister Gordhan remains the Minister of Finance and any positing that the position of the Minister is under any threat is dismissed with the contempt it deserves,” spokesperson Bongani Majola said. Reports emerged on Friday that Gordhan threatened to resign shortly before his Budget Speech last week after he received a list of 27 questions from the Hawks investigating the operation of a rogue unit at Sars. The Hawks on Monday denied that they are investigating the…
The Raspberry Pi 3 – the latest generation low-cost computer board that raises the bar with higher performance, 64-bit support and wireless connectivity – is now available from RS Components at R642.00 (excl. VAT). By Staff Writer Available from RS Components, the latest generation Raspberry Pi delivers 50% higher performance than Raspberry Pi 2, and integrates Bluetooth and wireless LAN communications technologies, according to RS Components. The new Raspberry Pi 3 Model B credit-card-sized single-board computer from the Raspberry Pi Foundation is now available to order at http://za.rs-online.com/web/generalDisplay.html?id=raspberrypi. Targeting use in industry, in homes and in schools and colleges worldwide, the…