Author: Gugu Lourie

ShowMax, the internet TV service owned by Naspers, has concluded agreements that will see ShowMax vouchers going on sale in 125 Game stores and more than 100 CNA stores across South Africa. ShowMax vouchers have also been available in Pick n Pay stores since December 2015. Internet TV is taking off across South Africa with a number of local and international services now available in the country. The benefit of internet TV versus traditional services is that subscribers are able to choose from a catalogue of TV shows and movies and then start, pause and stop at will. These retail…

South African based media and ecommerce conglomerate Naspers announced on Wednesday that it has invested $250 million (R3.9 billion) into ibibo, an Indian online travel venture. By Staff Writer The JSE-listed firm said in a statement that the investment will be used to extend ibibo’s leadership position in the Indian hotels category and on additional technology innovations. “The Indian ecommerce market, and the online travel segment in particular, offers exciting growth prospects for us as a group. With a talented, proven management team and exceptional technology, ibibo is well positioned to benefit from an increasing number of people using online travel…

The National Energy Regulator (Nersa) has postponed its announcement on the Eskom tarifff hike decision until Tuesday, following Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan’s swipe at the power utility on Wednesday. By Fadia Salie, NewsAgency Gordhan said at his press briefing ahead of his 2016 Budget Speech that tariff increases should only be approved if they are necessary, and not just to make things more comfortable. His comments came a day before Nersa was scheduled to announce possible electricity price increases through a tariff hike to fund Eskom’s shortfalls. “Regarding tariff increases, are they necessary or just comfortable in a particular environment?” Gordhan…

Moody’s Investor Service said on Wednesday Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan’s planned tax increases in his 2016 Budget Speech were well targeted, given the weak economic backdrop. By Fadia Salie and Liesl Peyper, NewsAgency The New York-based rating agency was, however, concerned that the specific revenue measures that will accomplish the smaller deficits predicted for 2017/18 and 2018/19 have not yet been identified. Moody’s also said Treasury’s revised growth forecasts of 0.9% and 1.7% are still slightly more optimistic than its own predictions of 0.5% for 2016 and 1.5% for 2017. The measures Gordhan announced in his Budget Speech included a reduction…

Vox Telecom has launched Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Business to provide endpoint protection for all virtual, physical and mobile devices within its SME and Corporate customers. From just R370/month including 10 licenses, the Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Business is a unique and sophisticated technology, designed and built by Kaspersky, the industry’s leading security experts. This service provides customers a single view into their local network and users devices and ensures safety from outside threats. “Technology advances, and evolution of the Internet leaves businesses more exposed to cyber-crime, with an estimated 325 000 unique threats every day, says Mayleen Bywater,…

A KwaZulu-Natal school has received a state-of-the-art solar-powered computer lab.  The project, the brainchild of Durban-based company Give IT Back, was put together with Airports Company SA (Acsa) and King Shaka International Airport and cost R500 000. By Kaveel Singh, NewsAgency Buffelsdale Secondary School in Tongaat, north of Durban, will house the computer lab. Pupil Colette Govender, 14, said it was a “great opportunity” to learn computer skills. “The school did not have this facility before. We are looking forward to exciting lessons. I feel this skill of using the computer will make me more marketable in the job market. It…

The first licences for hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking, should be issued this year, an official from the department of mineral resources said in Parliament on Wednesday.  By Jenni Evans, NewsAgency “Shale gas is still seen as a game changer,” said Setepane Mohale, chief director for promotion and international co-ordination at the department, in a briefing to the committee on mineral resources. Applications were already being received after regulations were passed last year and licences would only be granted if the applicants complied with regulations on fracking, and transformation requirements. Hydraulic Fracturing is defined in the regulations as “injecting fracturing…

From 1 April this year, all companies that intend to do business with government will need to be registered on the government’s central supplier database. By Liesl Peyper, NewsAgency Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan on Wednesday said transparency with government tenders had improved significantly since the inception of the eTenders Portal last year. This year it would be compulsory for state departments to procure goods and services through the so-called gCommerce portal – a system whereby orders were automated, which would allow for bulk discounts. The automation process was expected to reduce corruption, as people wouldn’t be able to override the right…

What “all of us want” was central to Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan’s simple message of economic hope in his budget address on Wednesday. By Matthew Le Cordeur, NewsAgency “All of us want jobs, thriving businesses, engaged professionals, narrowing inequality, fewer in poverty,” he told parliament. “All of us want a new values paradigm, a society at peace with itself, a nation energised by the task of building stronger foundations for our future society and economy. “We want our government to function effectively, our people to work in dignity, with resources for their families, decent homes and opportunities for their children. “We…

Customers who use Telkom’s mobile transactional services, such as airtime recharges, could run into issues on Wednesday amid a hardware glitch. By Gareth van Zyl, NewsAgency Telkom said on Wednesday morning that a hardware failure is disrupting its short-code or USSD services for its mobile customers. Fin24 understands that mobile customers trying to transact at Telkom stores, via online channels or through third parties could also experience problems. “Telkom is currently unable to provide mobile transactional services to its customers (eg. Airtime recharges) ,” said the company in a statement. “The problem is related to a hardware failure,” the company added. This…