Author: Gugu Lourie
Datatec announced on Wednesday that former chief financial officer (CFO), Ivan Dittrich will re-assumed his responsibilities as CFO of the Chief Executive Officer of the global tech firm. Dittrich left the Johannesburg-based firm in 2012 to join mobile phone group Vodacom as CFO and returns for his second stint at Datatec. Dittrich, previously worked in a number of roles across Datatec including as CFO from March 2008 to May 2012. “I am delighted to welcome Ivan back as our CFO. He has a very strong track record with us and has benefited from his recent experience outside the Group,” said…
Online real estate start-up Property Fox who recently launched their online sales platform has made their first sale, saving their seller almost R100, 000 in fees. By Staff Writer Aiming to tackle “archaic” property selling methods and make residential sales happen at, in some cases, over 80% less than traditional estate agent commissions, founders of Property Fox Crispin Inglis and Ashley James launched with a bang to the market earlier this month and now have their first successful sale under their belts. “We listed Mrs Kruger’s home in Pretoria for sale two weeks ago. As soon as it went live on…
As of 1 May 2016 all Connect subscribers have been able to use WhatsApp messaging for free on any FNB Connect SIM. The growing demand for data usage and a large portion of Connect customers using the WhatsApp service on a daily basis has prompted FNB Connect to provide the service for free as an added benefit to all customers. Additionally, FNB Connect sees this as a valuable addition for customers who also benefit from up to 40% back in eBucks on their Connect SIM spend. The free WhatsApp promotion runs until the 31st of July 2016. During this period…
The world of tomorrow has arrived, and it’s already radically changing our lives. It’s called the Internet of Things (IoT). Imagine your refrigerator sensing that you’re low on milk, and telling your car to remind you to buy some on the way home – or simply knowing which groceries you prefer, and ordering them automatically from a food retailer. Or your car booking itself in for a service, because it’s time. Or your clothes detecting that you’re about to have a major health issue and calling for help. Or your house knowing your daily routine so well that your shower…
INTRODUCTION It is an honour to present Budget Vote 32 on Telecommunications and Postal Services worth R2.4 billion for policy debate and approval by Parliament. This year calls upon our nation to celebrate historic events which have contributed to the democracy we enjoy today. A 100 years ago, the University of Fort Hare was established and has been instrumental in educating many of our leaders who fought for our liberation. We celebrate 60 years since the heroic women’s march to the Union Buildings in protest against the unjust pass laws. We commemorate and salute the bravery of the young…
Econet Wireless, the parent of Liquid Telecom, and Seacom are in talks to buy Neotel, South Africa’s second biggest fixed-line telephone group, according to a media report. MyBroadband said that industry sources have revealed that Seacom and Econet Wireless are among those courting the company. The online publication added that both companies have sent delegations to International Telecoms Week in Chicago, where Neotel’s majority shareholder, Tata Communications, is a headline sponsor. “Neotel has no comment on this matter at this time,” the company’s board said in a statement. “Neotel prefers not to comment on market speculation.” Seacom and Econet subsidiary Liquid Telecom…
Blockchain technology is not just useful for creating digital currencies such as Bitcoin or developing new financial technologies. By Mark Staples Blockchains can be used for a wide variety of applications, such as tracking ownership or the provenance of documents, digital assets, physical assets or voting rights. Blockchain technology was popularised by the Bitcoin digital currency system. But, essentially, a blockchain is just a special kind of database. The Bitcoin blockchain stores cryptographically signed records of financial transfers, but blockchain systems can store any kind of data. Blockchains can also store and run computer code called “smart contracts”. What makes a…
Openserve, the wholesale division of Telkom, has taken another step in its efforts to reduce the cost of communication in South Africa with further planned price reductions to its IP Connect (IPC) and South African Internet eXchange (SAIX) Dedicated Access services. The company said in a statement that these reductions will become effective on 1 June 2016. “This new pricing augurs well to further drive the democratisation of broadband and live our purpose, that together, we enable a connected future for South Africa,” said Prenesh Padayachee, Chief of Sales and Marketing at Openserve. Openserve strives to better enable its clients…
South African start-up ThisIsMe, which has innovation that is “giving a heartbeat to your identity” is stepping up its international expansion after securing $2.5 million (R37.4 million) in funding from private investors. Conceptualised in 2013 and formally established in 2014, ThisIsMe verifies an individual’s identity to other individuals, businesses, financial institutions and regulators. It does so using links to Home Affairs and the major banks. With a focus on compliance related to the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPI) and the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA) in the financial space, the business has attracted substantial interest from South African corporate…
Many organisations are now turning to mobile-first strategies that provide more access and encourage employees’ mobility in order to improve productivity and overcome tough economic time. These strategies depend on Information and Communications Technology (ICT) solutions that enable a mobile workforce to stay connected anywhere at any time. By Greg Hatfield, General Manager for Products & Solutions at MTN Business South Africa These solutions, coupled with advances in mobile Internet connectivity such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), enable employees to connect seamlessly and faster via a corporate network or secure Cloud service. One of the biggest headaches for Information Technology (IT)…