Author: Gugu Lourie
iROKO, has secured $19 million from French media giant CANAL+, together with existing investor Kinnevik AB, to give the African tech & entertainment firm the platform to scale its operations and expand aggressively across the continent. By Staff Writer iROKO will channel the investment into local content financing and production, as well as its product and engineering teams in Lagos and New York. The company, which is not worried about the arrival of global video-on-demand platform Netflix in Africa, is planning to use the investment to produce at least 300 hours of original content in 2016, with the expectation…
The drought bringing vast farming regions to their knees has highlighted the importance of better management of the country’s scarce water resources. By Kroshlen Moodley, GM: Public Sector and Utilities at SAS While it isn’t possible to combat the El Nino weather pattern, better resource management and more effective water conservation could help prevent communities from running completely dry in future. Averting future water crises is a matter of informed decision-making at local, regional and national level. And in order to make these informed decisions, the authorities must have all the relevant data to hand. With aggregated data and advanced…
Africa’s on-demand home cleaning services startup SweepSouth has R10 million from a clutch of venture capitalists investors, which includes Vumela Fund, as well as from its existing investor, Vinny Lingham and Llew Claasen’s firm, Newtown Partners. By Gugu Lourie The Vumela Fund is capitalised by the First Rand Group and the Jobs Fund and managed by FNB in an alliance relationship with Edge Growth. The Cape-Town-based start-up said the funding will be utilised to fund growth. Pandor, CEO of SweepSouth, explains: “With this major new cash injection from the Vumela Fund, we can further expand our rapidly growing national footprint.”…
South Africa’s Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA) has urged the country’s mobile networks to develop new ways to partner and compete with innovative OTT services for the benefit of consumers and to drive the uptake of broadband. By Graham Beneke OTT is the term used for the transmission of voice and data communication by cellular network customers. Because OTT services are finding growing favour with many contract and prepaid mobile users, South Africa’s mobile network operators are concerned about the impact on their revenues. This has resulted in Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Telecommunications and Postal Services scheduling a meeting this…
M-Net CEO Yolisa Phahle, as part of M-Net’s answering affidavit in the acrimonious court case with Gareth Cliff after firing him as an Idols judge, submitted detailed marketing and social media research showing how he became “poison” for the M-Net andIdols brands. By Thinus Ferreira, NewAgency The public’s sudden negative sentiment against Gareth Cliff after he waded into the racist Penny Sparrow debate, and with his proximity and association with M-Net and Idols, was part of the motivation for the M-Net CEO giving the longtime Idols judge the boot. Gareth Cliff is now suing M-Net for R25 million, wants his judge’s…
To show its support for all over-the-top (OTT) players and their unhindered participation in the South African mobile industry, Cell C is throwing down the gauntlet to rivals, Vodacom and MTN, making WhatsApp Calling free to its customers from Sunday for the remainder of the month. By Staff Writer All contract customers and prepaid customers on the MegaBonus plan will be able to make calls free of charge, with no data costs incurred using the WhatsApp Calling feature. “For two years, Cell C has embraced services like WhatsApp and Facebook by offering customers innovative and very affordable products and services.…
MTN and the Nigerian authorities may reach an out of court settlement over the dispute regarding a proposed $3.9 billion fine over the failure by the mobile phone operator to register subscribers. By Gugu Lourie The hearings of the dispute were expected before the Federal High Court in Lagos, Nigeria in the morning, Friday, 22 January 2016. However, MTN informed investors by midday on Friday that the judge adjourned the matter to 18 March 2016 in order to “enable the parties to try and settle the matter. If the parties are unable to reach a settlement the matter will then…
Not satisfied with its status as Africa’s biggest cloud-based solutions provider to the Accounting profession, GreatSoft is setting its sights on Australia and the Unites States in an ambitious expansion effort after making strategic acquisitions. By Gugu Lourie
The South African gaming industry is growing quite substantially. A relatively not so popular sport, Digital Gaming South Africa is slowly finding its rightful place and attracting big corporate sponsors.
MTN says it operates a clean business in Cameroon, despite that country’s anti-corruption board saying that the mobile network owes R1.5bn in taxes. By Gareth van Zyl, NewsAgency A probe by Cameroon’s National Anti-corruption Commission (CONAC) into the country’s telecoms sector claims that MTN and Orange each respectively owe nearly 52bn CFA francs (R1.5bn) and 48bn CFA francs (R1.3bn) in taxes and royalties, according to a Reuters report. Other carriers such as Camtel and Viettel were also implicated as CONAC’s study found that a total of 176bn CFA francs (R4.9bn) had gone unpaid from various companies, Reuters reported. But MTN says…
South African-based MTN and French-based Orange owes Cameroon nearly R2.7 billion (100 billion CFA francs) in taxes, Reuters reported on Wednesday. The Central African nation’s corruption board told the news agency that an inquiry into the sector, carried out by the anti-corruption commission known as CONAC, found that taxes totaling 176 billion CFA francs had gone unpaid from various companies, including Camtel and Viettel. MTN told Reuters that it had not been informed of any fines against its Cameroon business, but said it was looking into the matter. CONAC told Reuters that MTN owed nearly 52 billion CFA francs in taxes…
A media alert sent out by Parliament on January 14 about a meeting to discuss possible regulation of over-the-top (OTT) services like WhatsApp was unauthorised, according to an MP. By Gareth van Zyl, NewsAgency Last week, Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Telecommunications and Postal Services issued a media alert on behalf of its chairperson and MP Mmamoloko Kubayi about a planned meeting on January 26 to discuss OTT services. The media alert said that “mobile operators are requesting that Parliament consider passing a policy or regulations of data services on mobile networks such that they generate revenue for carrying the data services on…
The City of Cape Town is planning to make its public transport system greener by getting electric buses for the MyCiti service. By Thulani Gqirana, NewsAgency Mayor Patricia de Lille said in a statement on Wednesday that a tender for the procurement of a fleet of 12-metre electric buses would be advertised by the first week of February. “Cities across the world will soon reach a point where alternative fuel for public transport is no longer a choice but a prerequisite, and as such the City of Cape Town has decided to expand our current fleet of diesel buses with electric…
Tuluntulu, a mobile streaming platform app that enables its users to watch TV anywhere and anytime, continues to grow in popularity in Africa while video-on-demand (VoD) is still in its infancy as customers are still deciding on whether to embrace VoD. By Gugu Lourie Dubbed the ‘perfect platform for content owners’, the app has now been downloaded over 320,000 versus 210, 000 times in September 2015 in about 154 countries. The most popular being South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania and Kenya. The app enables users to have great content in the palm of theirs hands 24/7 whether they’re on a long…
A large banner of the South African flag has been draped down the side of the same building which held the “Zuma Must Fall” banner in Cape Town last week. By Naledi Shange, NewsAgency But the City of Cape Town says it has no idea who is responsible for the latest display at the corner of Kloof and Buitensingel streets. “No application was made to the City [to have the banner erected],” said spokesperson Priya Reddy. “We will investigate whether it is in contravention with any of our bylaws and if it is, the matter will be handed over to…
It comes as a shock to many when they realise that the apps and content on their computers and mobile devices are not their property to do with as they wish. This mostly becomes an issue when someone dies and the relatives try and get access to apps, accounts and content. By David Glance A Canadian widow for example, recently tried to get her deceased husband’s Apple ID password in order to continue using apps on their shared iPad. The widow, Peggy Bush, ended up being told by Apple support that she would need to produce a court order before they…
Global media and internet firm Naspers has tapped Laurent Le Moal, former PayPal Europe VP, as the new global CEO of its payment services platform PayU. By Staff Writer The world’s largest Payment Services Platforms, which is owned by Naspers, has operations in 16 countries In his role as PayU CEO, Le Moal joins the Naspers management team to lead its payments business, reporting directly to Naspers’ Group CEO, Bob Van Dijk. Laurent Le Moal will lead PayU’s strategy and growth, building on the company’s position in high growth markets around the world and developing payment solutions which meet the local market needs of both consumers…
MTN and Vodacom have declared war on consumer interests. The infamous duopoly wants to limit how we use Internet services like WhatsApp – and it has nothing to do with fairness, competition or the future of South Africa. To the contrary, it is all about maintaining their stranglehold on a vital artery feeding our country’s economic and social future. By Jose Dos Santos, Cell C CEO The two mobile networks have now successfully lobbied Government to investigate potentially regulating Over-The-Top (OTT) services, like WhatsApp. I suppose it was inevitable, given their views of OTT applications, Vodacom, for example, believes: “You…
Gareth Cliff’s legal time on Tuesday morning filed an urgent application to have the radio presenter reinstated as an Idols judge. The application was lodged in the Gauteng High Court. M-Net has up until 10:00 on Wednesday, 20 January to oppose the application, and another 24 hours after that to file their answering papers. On Monday, after failed negotiations between M-Net and Cliff’s legal team, a notice of intent to continue with action to have the radio personality reinstated was served to the broadcaster. Cliff’s lawyer, Erik Mabuza says M-Net made one major concession by agreeing to remove his…
It’s common to first see exciting new technologies in science fiction, but less so in stories about wizards and dragons. Yet one of the most interesting bits of kit on display at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas was reminiscent of the magical Daily Prophet newspaper in the Harry Potter series. By Stuart Higgins Thin, flexible screens such as the one showcased by LG could allow the creation of newspapers that change daily and display video like a tablet computer, but that can be rolled up and put in your pocket. These plastic electronic displays could also…
The $3.9 billion (R59 billion) fine imposed on MTN Nigeria by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) could bankrupt the mobile phone operator as it represents 95% of its annual turnover, MTN’s Nigeria CEO Ferdi Moolman told Leadership newspaper. By Staff Writer Africa’s largest mobile phone operator was given a December 31 deadline to pay the fine for its failure to disconnect 5.2 million subscribers who did not register their SIM cards. The payment deadline has expired. The South African-based telco has hired seven Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) to fight the R59 billion fine in the Federal High Court in Lagos. The…
eNCA senior anchor Andrew Barnes has shown remorse for mocking Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga live on air and would return to his anchoring position following a two-week suspension, eNCA said on Monday. By Naledi Shange, NewsAgency “He has shown remorse for his conduct and the company has also accepted his internal apology. The nature of the sanction remains a matter between eNCA and Barnes. He has apologised on air and sent a letter of personal apology to the Minister,” eNCA’s head of corporate affairs, Vasili Vass, said on Monday. Two weeks ago, Barnes mocked Motshekga’s pronunciation of the word…
WhatsApp will no longer charge subscription fees, the firm announced on its official blog post. By Staff Writer The company said the fee that was charged to its users after a year of use hasn’t worked well. “For many years, we’ve asked some people to pay a fee for using WhatsApp after their first year. As we’ve grown, we’ve found that this approach hasn’t worked well. Many WhatsApp users don’t have a debit or credit card number and they worried they’d lose access to their friends and family after their first year,” writes the company in its blog. It added that over…
ANC Youth League president Collen Maine says Absa Bank is responsible for the strain that the rand is under and for that, “the bank must fall”. By Karabo Ngoepe, NewsAgency Maine visited the Absa branch at The Grove Mall in Pretoria on Monday, where he closed his account and moved his finances to a different bank. “Absa must fall. They are colluding to bring down our economy,” he said shortly after coming out of the bank. Maine said Barclays, which owns Absa, did not have the interests of the country at heart and was responsible for the collapse in December. “Barclays…
South Africa start-up Fastvan plans to ‘revolutionise and reinvent’ the industry of logistics in South Africa by moving the entire system online, creating increased automation, efficiency and transparency. By Gugu Lourie Fastvan, has craeted an innovative app that enables businesses to track their orders in real-time via an in-app map. It was developed in San Francisco, US. The app is aaimed at empowering businesses to deliver their orders in real-time, it enables Fastvan to give customers tools to know where their parcel has gone during its delivery journey. It also allows customers to enjoy a quick and on-demand…