Author: Gugu Lourie
4 Africa Exchange (4AX), a newly formed company, is keen to set-up a stock exchange in South Africa that will rival the current incumbent, the JSE. The firm has roped in Maponya Group as its empowerment partner. By Gugu Louri
A new feature that allows TV shows and movies to be downloaded and watched while offline has been added to the ShowMax Android app.
SA Broadcasting Corporation COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng says he is delighted at the outcome of an internal disciplinary hearing that cleared him of all charges on Saturday.
A rather unexpected course of events late Sunday night (13 December 2015), as Zuma “reconsiders” his decision to fire finance minister Nene, and reappoints Pravin Gordhan (who should never have been replaced last year in the first place with a presumably more pliable Nene) as finance minister.
The reappointment of Pravin Gordhan as the minister of finance, replacing David van Rooyen who was put in the seat four days ago, hasn’t stopped South Africans from expressing their outrage. A new hashtag #ZumaMustStillFall is trending on Twitter.
Who is the mystery man behind Bitcoin, and why do we want to know? Desperately seeking Bitcoin’s Satoshi Nakamoto
The rand immediately improved after the reappointment of Pravin Gordhan as Finance Minister on Sunday, after a week of market turmoil followed a shock move by President Jacob Zuma.
Pravin Gordhan has been appointed as the minister of finance, replacing David van Rooyen who was put in the seat four days ago. By Karabo Ngoepe, NewsAgency The Presidency issued a statement on Sunday confirming the appointment. “I have received many representations to reconsider my decision. As a democratic government, we emphasise the importance of listening to the people and to respond to their views,” the Presidency said in a statement. “I have appointed Pravin Gordhan, the current minister of cooperative governance and traditional affairs as the new minister of finance. Minister Gordhan will return to a portfolio that he had…
On Sunday 13 December 2015, Suresh Joachim set a new world record as certified by Guinness World Records for the longest concurrent time spent watching movies. He broke the previous record of 120 hours 23 minutes by more than 1 hour to set a new world record of 121 hour 18 minutes.
South African Broadcasting Corporation COO’s lawyer Zola Majavu on Saturday said he never doubted that his client would be cleared of charges against him. By Amanda Khoza, NewsAgency Judgement was handed down against SABC’s COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng in a disciplinary hearing on Saturday night. Motsoeneng was facing three charges, which included lying about having a matric certificate. Majavu said: “I am happy for him. I never doubted him. I am glad that this chapter is closed.” He said while his client had been cleared, he had pending cases. “I am just glad we are done with this one.” DA’s federal executive…
The announcement that President Jacob Zuma removed Nhlanhla Nene as Finance Minister has had more than a fiscal effect on the rand – the currency has now taken to Twitter to rant its emotions. By Kaveel Singh, NewsAgency Following the shock announcement that Nene, the man at the helm of the country’s economy, was removed from his post, a parody account called The Rand (@The_SA_Rand) was created. So far the ailing currency’s biggest request has come in the form of a pinned post saying: “#ZumaMustFall? Well, it’s either him or me.” With a R1 coin as its profile picture, The Rand has…
The Telkom Unlimited Movie Marathon has entered its final stretch, with only one and a half days remaining and a single contestant in the race to set a new record, certified by Guinness World Records, for the longest time spent watching movies. On Saturday morning, Lionel Havenga fell asleep for 15 minutes at 00:45, having watched for 80 hours 45 minutes. At 3:17am, Sheetal Vallabh, the last South African contestant, fell asleep for 24 seconds with 82 hours 18 minutes on her clock. This leaves Suresh Joachim from Canada, the previous record holder, as the only contestant still watching. He…
Clarissa Schoeman is the latest Telkom Movie Marathon contestant to be disqualified, when she fell asleep at 12:25 on Friday afternoon. This leaves only three contestants who are still in the race to set a new record, certified by Guinness World Records, for the longest time spent watching movies. Clarissa’s total viewing time was 68 hours 25 minutes. By Staff Writer Earlier on Friday, Delon Munian fell asleep at 1:46am, and also had his eyes away from the screen for longer than 10 seconds. David Erasmus fell asleep at 3:25am. The three remaining contestants are: Suresh Joachim (Canada) Sheetal Vallabh…
Former finance minister Nhlanhla Nene is not so important that he can cause the rand to plummet, ANC Youth League president Collen Maine said on Friday. By Genevieve Quintal, NewsAgency “Nene is not so special that the rand can fall because of him, who is he?,” he told News24. “It’s not about Nhlanhla Nene, it’s because of the recession we are in that the economy is not growing… and there are problems with the rand. He might be beautiful to others but he’s not so beautiful that he can make the rand fall.” Maine said the “hullabaloo” around the rand falling…
The use of drones (remotely piloted aircraft systems) is forecast to grow exponentially and is posing an increasing challenge for users of the airspace, according to Gilberto Lopez Meyer, senior vice president for safety and flight operations at the International Air Transport Association (Iata). By Carin Smith, NewsAgency “Drones are increasingly being used in environmental and fishery operations, disaster response, firefighting, and many other civic and commercial activities,” Meyer said on Thursday at Iata’s global media briefing. In addition there is a significant increase in the use of drones for recreational purposes. It is estimated that in the US alone about…
February 1, 2016 has been set as the day when analogue television broadcasting will be converted and replaced by digital television. By Karabo Ngoepe, NewsAgency “Cabinet was briefed on progress made on the digital migration programme. It approved the commencement of the dual-illumination period for the digital broadcasting signal on February 1, 2016,” Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe told reporters on Friday at the last Cabinet briefing of the year in Pretoria. “The migration from analogue to digital broadcasting services releases the much-needed radio frequency spectrum suitable for the provision of mobile broadband services.” South Africa missed the June deadline,…
South Africa’s new finance minister has distanced himself from a Twitter account that has amassed several followers. By Duncan Alfreds, NewsAgency One account in the name of Douglas van Rooyen, @daviddvanrooyen, had over 2 600 followers as of Friday morning and follows just two accounts, one of them being the presidency. “The Minister of Finance, Mr Douglas van Rooyen wishes to place on record that a Twitter account which goes by the handles @douglavanrooyen or @daviddvanrooyen and purporting to be Minister Douglas van Rooyen and using his picture is neither his nor that of his office,” said the ministry in a…
The Minister of Communications, Faith Muthambi, is set to kick start for the country the process of installing the free digital television set top boxes (STB) as the country’s much delayed migration to a new broadcasting platform gains momentum. By Ujuh Reporter The process is set to be kick started at Keimoes, Kai Garib Municipality, in the Northern Cape on the 17th of December, 2015. Keimoes is located within the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) area, where the world’s largest radio telescope will be built. Muthambi will oversee installation of the first batch of government subsidised STBs to the community of Keimoes. “The…
South Africans have taken to social media to voice their displeasure at President Jacob Zuma’s shock announcement to remove Nhlanhla Nene as finance minister and within 24 hours, the hashtag #ZumaMustFall was trending while a Facebook page to organise a peaceful march had been set up. By Kaveel Singh, NewsAgency Facebook #ZumaMustFall event was created on Thursday to announce a peaceful march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria on December 16 at 10:00. In the short time it has been created, 3 500 people have confirmed attendance with 5 500 Facebook users indicating they were interested. Facebook user Sir-Mosimanekago Mokae was…
Blue Label Telecoms, a reseller of prepaid mobile and electricity vouchers, sees stock drop after announcing plans to buy 35% stake in Cell C, the country’s third largest mobile phone operator. By Gugu Lourie Blue Label’s plan to spend R4 billion buying the 35% stake in Cell C met the market’s ‘disapproval’ on Thursday, with the stock dropping 6.02% at R10.15 by 3.53pm on the JSE. The transaction is for the stake, which is currently owned by Dubai-based Oger Telecom that last month was engaged in talks to sell the mobile phone company to South Africa’s Telkom. Considering that Blue Label…
JSE-listed firm Blue Label Telecoms announced on Thursday that it is planning to buy 35% of Cell C. By Gugu Lourie The transaction would see Blue Label Telecoms inject R4 billion in a subscription for 35% of Cell C’s total issued share capital at the conclusion of Cell C’s recapitalization programme. The mobile phone operator said the recapitalisation programme will reduce Cell C’s net debt from the high double-digit numbers to a very manageable maximum of R8 billion or less when implemented. The target is to reduce the debt further over the next 12 months. The management on behalf of…
The country’s new Finance Minister, David van Rooyen, was sworn in at a ceremony at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Thursday and delivered his first speech to the public. Addressing the media after being sworn in as the new Minister of Finance‚ van Rooyen said “Mine is a colossal assignment. The area that we think we need to improve on under the leadership of the ANC is the area of accessibility. The national treasury is the axis of our development agenda. It must be accessible… to all our people‚ including in the rural areas. It’s our duty as a ministry…
The sale of Altech Autopage’s subscriber base has been referred back to the Competition Commission, putting into question a planned shutdown date. By Gareth van Zyl, NewsAgency In September, Johannesburg listed Altron announced that the Altech Autopage subscriber base was planned to be sold to MTN, Cell C and Vodacom for R1.46bn. Altech Autopage is a phone service provider that sells the likes of MTN, Cell C and Vodacom contracts The Competition Commission recommended the mergers be approved without conditions, said the Competition Tribunal in a statement on Wednesday. Subsequently, the Competition Tribunal had hearings on the Autopage subscriber sale this…
It just goes to show that apparently anyone can be finance minister, just that you know. Swimming naked has suddenly acquired a new meaning as SA got a new finance minister ready to do his master’s bidding, which is to approve trillion Rand nuclear deals and other assorted schemes favouring dubious supporters. By Cees Bruggemans of Bruggemans Associates, Consulting Economists. SA can ready itself for unrestrained tax increases, and state spending projects that will drain its citizens for decades to come as favoured presidential schemes are nodded through. Global markets will not be amused by this turn of events, which spells junk…
Sixty-three percent of South Africans would select biometrics over traditional passwords, if they had the choice. A new MasterCard survey called RIP Passwords reveals that fifty-four percent of South African’s surveyed believe that there are better ways to protect their personal information than using passwords. With 45 percent of South Africans entering passwords up to 10 times a day, there is no wonder that 72 percent of respondents feel frustrated when they forgot their password for a website. Additionally, 61 percent indicated that they are irritated by having to remember multiple passwords, and more than half get annoyed when they…