Author: Gugu Lourie
A woman’s place is in the home. Her “job” is to marry and to raise children. This thinking still prevails in most parts of the world – and it is one of the major reasons that only about 30% of women in sub-Saharan Africa are working in research and development. By Ghada Bassioni and Chioma Daisy Onyige The good news is that several African countries are creating an environment that allows women to pursue their passion for scientific research and development. These initiatives offer valuable insights into how more women can be drawn into science and work their way up the ladder to…
The security community has been demonstrating successful cloning of contactless transactions since at least 2012. Full cloning of cards is not possible, and current cloning methods can only rely on copying an out-of-date implementation of the contactless standard to be successful. By Niel van der Walt There are two standards that contactless cards generally support: a legacy magnetic stripe compatible mode and an EMV compliant mode. The magnetic strip compatibility allows contactless cards to be used in the place of old swipe-to-pay technology. While such backwards compatibility makes upgrading to contactless technology easier, it means that the security flaws inherent in…
The Black Management Forum (BMF) on Wednesday said that it viewed the decision by MTN to appoint Rob Shuter as CEO of the company as a serious blow to transformation. Vodafone’s CEO of the European cluster Shuter was named on Monday as the new CEO of MTN Group, Africa and Middle East’s biggest mobile phone operator. Shuter is also a former CEO of Vodafone Netherlands and ex-Vodacom chief financial officer. The BMF said this appointment by MTN contributes to the steady decline in the number of black South Africans at the leadership helm in companies. “The BMF’s position is informed…
The Hague Institute for Innovation (HiiL), a not-for-profit institution based in The Hague, is looking for law-savvy startups to create legal services in the fields of Family Justice and SME Empowerment from innovators across Africa and the Middle East. By Staff Writer The HiiL has set aside more than R2.7 million for a winning innovations, which will be divided to R330 000 per project. The HiiL’s Family Justice Challenge focuses on the promotion of justice solutions that empower and strengthen individuals and family units. The SME Empowerment Challenge is aimed at making it easier for Small and Medium sized Enterprises…
Vodacom, which is majority owned by British mobile phone giant Vodafone, has tapped former Uganda Breweries managing director Nyimpini Mabunda as chief officer: Consumer Business Unit, effective 1 September 2016. By Gugu Lourie Mabunda is replacing Godrey Motsa, who left the mobile phone operator in December. The announcement was disclosed in an e-mail sent on Tuesday to Vodacom employees by group CEO Shameel Joosub. Africa’s biggest mobile phone operator MTN announced on Monday that it has appointed Motsa as VP South & East Africa. His appointment is effective 1 July 2016. Mabunda was managing director of Uganda Breweries since 2013. Mabunda’s contract with…
South Africa’s Johannesburg is the highest ranked city on the African continent in Ericsson’s Networked Society City Index 2016. The African city had slipped few places down the index that measures both sustainable urban development and ICT maturity in 41 cities around the world. By Staff Writer The 2016 index ranks Johannesburg 35th out of 41 cities, ahead of Egypt’s Cairo at 37 and Nigeria’s Lagos which was sitting at number 40. There are no other South Africa or Nigerian cities that appears in the 2016 index lists. Ericsson believes that although starting at a low level, Johannesburg and Lagos…
More and more Small & Medium Businesses are setting up e-commerce sites, thanks to increased access to the Internet and mobile services, a growing middle class and the availability of online tools that are easy to use. By Daryl Blundell The McKinsey & Company report recently revealed that e-commerce could account for 10% of retail sales in Africa’s largest economies by 2025. Unfortunately, this growth is also attracting the interest of cyber criminals, ready to take advantage of unsuspecting Small & Medium Business owners. But if you use the right tools – setting up an online store can be incredibly easy – and…
Read the first in Naspers’ new Follow the Leader series, where it profile entrepreneurs making waves in high growth tech markets around the world. For its inaugural post, it spoke with Alec Oxenford, co-founder of Naspers companies OLX and letgo. Q: What is your role at Naspers? A: I have an entrepreneurial role at one of Naspers more recent investments, letgo. I guide the company’s vision, I oversee operations, fund raising, key hires and motivate the team together with my partners Jordi and Enrique. I am also Chairman at OLX and help there on demand. Q: Why does the world need…
HCM (Human Capital Management) practices in South Africa are ever evolving, and with this a growing demand for software that’s more agile, mobile and flexible in order to support today’s dynamic working environments. By Mandisa Seleoane The signs of cloud’s growing influence within the sector are becoming more apparent. While uptake of cloud has been relatively restrained in South Africa in comparison to other parts of the world, but as it becomes more commonplace, a broader shift is inevitable. It may look like it’s taking a long time, however once we reach the tipping point, it will shift quickly. It’s…
Mike Whitfield, managing director of Nissan South Africa, has called for more cooperation between carmakers and government to ensure that the electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid vehicles’ market thrives in the country. By Gugu Lourie In an interview with Techfinancials, Whitfield said: “Technology (of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid cars) is new, is well-received, but I believe to move forward we need further cooperation on a clear strategy developed between all stakeholders.” The Japanese carmaker Nissan started the zero emissions movement in 2010 when it introduced the LEAF as the world’s first mass-produced electric car. In 2013, Nissan South Africa introduced…