Author: Gugu Lourie

Local surgeon Dr. Neal Goldstein in partnership with a global software company, EPI-USE, has developed and launched a web and mobile app that allows patients to safely capture and share their personal information electronically with medical practitioners and any other healthcare professionals. LogBox, which is a free mobile and web-based application, saves patients the time previously wasted in repeatedly filling in or updating paper forms at each medical practice they visit. The app is a step towards digitising South African medical practices. Patients’ electronic information is captured once and then shared multiple times in the future with other medical…

Ivan Epstein, president of Sage International has been appointed to the judging panel for the 16th EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards 2016. Epstein, the winner of the 1999/2000 Ernst & Young (EY) South African Entrepreneur Of The Year  award will be part of a panel that will decide on the winner, to be announced in Monte Carlo at a gala award ceremony on the evening of Saturday, 11 June. Says Epstein: “Like many of the businesses we serve, we started from humble beginnings, developing into a successful international business. I know about the human sacrifice and hard work it…

When most people think or speak about internet freedom, they are often concerned with the right, for example, to say what you want online without censorship and without being subject to the chilling effects of surveillance. By Indra de Lanerolle These kind of freedoms are sometimes called “negative freedoms” or “freedoms from…”. They address the right not to be interfered with or obstructed in living your life. But there are also “positive freedoms” — “freedoms to…” Some constitutions – notably the US Constitution – only protect negative rights. But South Africa’s includes both negative and positive rights. Positive rights include, for…

Although it’s problematic to generalise about a large, diverse place it’s fair to say that Africa is fast emerging as a consumer continent. It is populated by “Afropolitans”, who are sometimes also referred to as Pan-Africanists. These are young, urban, well educated people. They are willing to spend money on luxury goods. By Michael Adeyeye Oshin However, these people are a relatively small middle class in a sea of poverty. They are unlikely to drive a classical “trickle down” improvement to Africa’s general economic picture. It’s also worth noting that not much of what these young consumers covet is actually being…

South African technology start-up Snapt has joined forces with Convergence Partners, which is  owned by ICT industry veteran Andile Ngcaba. Convergence Partners will invest $1 million (R15 million) growth capital into Snapt. By Staff Writer Snapt is a global provider of high-end virtualized and cloud-based load balancing, web acceleration and security software. It has been disrupting the market since its launch in 2012 and has achieved astonishing year-on-year growth of 400% in both 2014 and 2015. Snapt has also recently opened its first US offices in Atlanta. As part of its expansion in the US, Snapt aims to capture a 1…

Samsung Electronics has announced the opening of its flagship Brand Store at the Mall of Africa in Waterfall City, Midrand. By Staff Writer This flagship store functions as a premium outlet for the company to deliver the latest Samsung mobile products, audio-visual solutions and high-tech home appliances, all in a single location. Michelle Potgieter, director: corporate marketing and communications at Samsung Electronics South Africa, expects that consumers will know they are in for a unique treat when they see the giant tablet wall in the store window. Comprised of 28 tablets; the screens are integrated in such a way as to…

In its drive to attract new talent to be part of its transforming business, South Africa’s Telkom recently launched a campaign that used social media posts, Google ads, and email marketing to attract potential hires. By Staff Writer The telco has recently hired eight interns through an online guerrilla marketing campaign that seeks to reward new ways of approaching business challenges. The campaign generated over 38 000 hits in a two-month period. “We recognise that our industry – and our company – is in the midst of a profound transformation. We wanted new perspectives and to reward unconventional thinking, so we…

ICANN-accredited registrar Domains.co.za is marking the second anniversary of the .xyz top level domain (gTLD) by dropping all costs on .xyz domain name registration on 01 and 02 June 2016. There is a limit of (5) five .xyz domains per customer. In addition, from 03 to 30 June, the .xyz domain name registration fee will be set at R10 only. Any client purchasing a website hosting or Site Builder account from Domains.co.za can receive a free .xyz domain with their package. Qualified users can also register an .xyz domain for free from Bluehost. “With increasing competition making it nearly impossible…

To mark the 30th anniversary of this automotive icon this summer, BMW M is launching the exclusive special edition of the BMW M3 “30 Years M3”, which is limited to 500 cars worldwide and 30 in South Africa. With the launch of the first generation of the BMW M3 in 1986, the BMW M GmbH, at that time operating under the name BMW Motorsport GmbH, revolutionized the sporty mid-range segment. The first BMW M3 set the standard by which other manufacturers were measured. Meanwhile, BMW M has continuously refined its automotive icon across five model generations. And over all these…

South African corporates and consumers are abandoning copper technology at the rate of some 15 000 lines every month. This is according to independent telecoms provider, OTEL Telecoms, quoting ICASA (Independent Communications Regulatory Authority of SA) figures from the latter’s most recent State of the South African ICT Sector Report. The report indicates that 14 571 geographic number ports have taken place monthly during the period from October 2014 to Oct 2015. The Number Portability Company, for its part, says 718 134 geographic numbers were ported from April 2010 to April 2016. OTEL says the numbers apply to geographic fixed…