Author: Staff Writer
Huawei held its flagship Huawei South Africa Connect 2026, bringing together 2,900 leaders from government and industry to examine how AI and intelligent digital infrastructure can help South African organisations adopt AI at scale. Under the theme “Where Innovation Shapes the Future,” discussions focused on how South Africa, ranked first in Sub-Saharan Africa for AI readiness, is positioned to turn its AI ambitions and digital foundations into practical results across public services, energy, finance, telecommunications and education. Solly Malatsi, Minister of the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies, opened the event with a call for closer partnership between government and…
VCL Financial Services, the operator of M-Pesa in Lesotho, has launched Tsetela, a new mobile-based investment solution that places formal investing within reach of more Basotho. Developed in partnership with STANLIB Lesotho and unveiled in Maseru on Wednesday, Tsetela enables M-Pesa customers to begin building value directly from their mobile wallets, marking an important step in expanding access to regulated investment opportunities and strengthening M-Pesa’s role in Lesotho’s financial ecosystem. Tsetela, which means to invest, extends M-Pesa beyond everyday transactions into everyday wealth-building. Through the service, eligible individual M-Pesa customers and Mokhatlo Group Savings customers can invest directly from their…
South Africa’s venture capital ecosystem is beginning to close one of the most important gaps in its growth story: exits. Two new studies by the SA SME Fund, Endeavor South Africa and SAVCA provide compelling evidence that local venture capital can deliver both meaningful investor returns and broader economic impact. Together, they show that South African venture-backed scale-ups are generating successful exits, while the asset class itself is producing realised returns broadly consistent with more mature international venture capital markets. The broader South African Venture Capital: Exit & Performance Analysis, which looked at 226 realised exits reported by South African…
The University of Pretoria’s (UP’s) E-Education Unit has been honoured with the 2026 Blackboard Catalyst Award for Leading Change, in recognition of the Unit’s impact in driving transformational change on campus and across the wider education community, with particular recognition for its innovation, collaboration and scalable best practices. Blackboard is a leading educational technology brand whose learning management system is used by more than 1 200 educational institutions and 15 million learners worldwide. UP uses Blackboard, rebranded as clickUP, as its official online teaching and learning system. The Blackboard Catalyst Leading Change Award recognises institutions that have driven transformational change…
45 % of South African teachers believe that tablets are essential for effective teaching and learning in their schools 69% of South African teachers state that costs are the biggest barrier to their school ensuring that equal access to digital learning tools 57% or South African parents and teachers agree that printed material encourages deeper reading and comprehension for learners. 59% agreed that learning needs to be more innovative and engaging, with more than half saying schools must increase access to the latest technologies . Access to the latest technology is becoming increasingly important in building South Africa’s classrooms…
Google today opened applications for 2026 Google for Startups Accelerator: South Africa, a three-month program designed to support 15 growth-stage, AI-driven South-African led startups with equity-free funding, technical mentorship and access to Google’s advanced AI technologies. Applications are open from 21 July to 28 August 2026. The program follows the announcement made at the Google Cloud Summit Johannesburg, by James Manyika, Google’s Senior Vice-President for Labs, Research, Technology and Society, and forms part of Google’s plan to support 50 South African startups between 2024 and 2028. Each selected startup will receive up to R1 million in equity-free funding, allowing founders…
Salesforce, the #1 Agentic CRM, today announced that Hyperforce, the company’s trusted cloud platform, is now generally available in South Africa. Delivered through a strategic partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS), Hyperforce is Salesforce’s premiere infrastructure that delivers enhanced levels of security, compliance, availability, and scalability. By allowing businesses to store their data locally within the AWS South Africa (Cape Town) Region, Hyperforce enables South African organisations – especially those in highly regulated sectors like government, financial services, and telecommunications – to adhere to local data residency requirements. This local residency aligns Hyperforce with the Protection of Personal Information Act…
Vodafone is testing a mobile mast equipped with an AI brain and robotic arm that autonomously analyses where customers need coverage most and automatically adjusts the radio antenna to improve the signal. The self-thinking mast can evaluate demand and local conditions, including weather, to decide where to focus its strongest signal. On sunny days it can direct the signal outdoors, and when it rains, it focuses on providing deeper indoor coverage. Using an algorithm developed by Vodafone engineers, the AI brain autonomously directs the robotic arm, manufactured by South Korean firm HUMAX Networks, to rotate or tilt the radio antenna…
The City’s Human Settlements Directorate is alerting residents to housing opportunity scam attempts on social media platforms. The City will never request payment for housing opportunities. Residents are advised to always phone the City’s Human Settlements Call Centre on 021 444 0333 to verify communication. Read more below: ‘The City’s Human Settlements Directorate is aware of a scam circulating on WhatsApp and other social media platforms. Fraudsters are falsely claiming that residents can secure City housing opportunities by making a payment. It is important to note that the City will never ask for money to secure a housing opportunity. ‘We remind…
Africa has emerged as the global epicentre of iGaming fraud, according to Sumsub’s newly released iGaming Fraud Report 2026, with the continent recording the highest fraud rate of any region analysed worldwide. The findings highlight a rapidly evolving threat landscape in which fraudsters are increasingly using stolen identities, AI-assisted tools and coordinated fraud networks to target operators across African markets. The report, based on analysis of more than three million fraud attempts and millions of identity verification checks conducted between 2024 and the first quarter of 2026, found that Africa’s iGaming fraud rate reached 2.54% in Q1 2026, significantly higher than Europe…
Disney+ announced that production on the highly-anticipated second season of FX’s “Alien: Earth” is underway in London. Created for television by Noah Hawley, the global hit series has added Tracey Ullman, Sam Spruell and Jerome Flynn to the cast, alongside the previously announced Peter Dinklage. Spruell reunites with Hawley after previously working together on “Fargo.” The second season will be streaming exclusively on Disney+ in South Africa. The newly announced trio join Sydney Chandler and an expansive international cast, including Alex Lawther, Timothy Olyphant, Essie Davis, Babou Ceesay, Samuel Blenkin, Adarsh Gourav, Jonathan Ajayi, Erana James, Lily Newmark, Adrian Edmondson, David Rysdahl, Moe Bar-El, Sandra Yi Sencindiver…
South African fintech startup Zakhaa Pay has unveiled the Zakhaa Pay Leruo NFC Wristband, an innovative wearable payment solution that allows workers to receive tips and payments instantly with a simple tap from a customer’s smartphone. Designed for South Africa’s growing cashless economy, the Leruo Wristband eliminates the need for cash, QR codes, card machines or sharing bank account details. Linked directly to a user’s Zakhaa Pay Wallet, the NFC enabled wristband enables customers to tap their NFC-enabled smartphone, enter the payment amount and complete the transaction within seconds. The solution has been developed to address a growing challenge faced by workers in the informal and service sectors, where customers increasingly no longer carry cash, resulting in lost income for workers who rely on tips and small daily payments. The wristband is ideal for waiters, bartenders, hotel staff, barbers, salon professionals, taxi and e-hailing drivers, petrol attendants, delivery drivers, car guards, informal traders and thousands of other South Africans who receive tips…
iiDENTIFii has announced the appointment of Marco Wagener as CEO. Co-founder and former CTO of the company, Wagener takes the helm as the company enters its next strategic growth phase. The business has grown from a South African identity verification innovator into an enterprise identity verification platform that proves a person is real. Its clients include leading banks, payment service providers, MNOs and public-sector institutions across South Africa, Africa and in the UK. The appointment comes as identity fraud enters a new phase. Generative AI has industrialised attack tooling with a 740% year-on-year rise in iOS injection-attack tradecraft, which is…
As the age of agentic AI dawns, with autonomous systems set to reshape industries from mobile apps to intelligent vehicles, Huawei is set to host its premier annual event, Huawei South Africa Connect 2026. The conference takes place on 23 July at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, bringing together industry leaders, government officials and technology experts to discuss the technologies shaping South Africa’s digital future. South Africa is already beginning to feel that shift. Unlike traditional AI, agentic systems can act independently, interact with other systems and make decisions with limited human intervention. Supporting those systems requires more than…
The .za Domain Name Authority (.zadna) confirms that a 6.2% registry fee adjustment for the commercial second-level domains co.za, org.za, net.za and web.za will take effect on 1 October 2026. The annual adjustment is based on the approved CPI-linked pricing methodology adopted, following the public consultation on registry fees and the General Second-Level Domain Policy, conducted in 2024. This approach provides a transparent and predictable pricing framework, enabling accredited registrars, resellers and registrants to plan effectively while supporting the long-term sustainability of the .za namespace. This annual review reflects .zadna’s commitment to maintaining a stable, secure and resilient domain name…
Vodacom Group and the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) partner for the 2026 Emerging Leaders Programme (ELP), a leadership development initiative designed to prepare the next generation of leaders for the future of work. The three-month programme is offered by the Development and Leadership Unit (DLU) in the Division of Student Affairs at Wits. Rather than waiting until students graduate to provide workplace exposure, this initiative proactively engages young people during their studies, ensuring they develop the digital capabilities, leadership mindset and strategic awareness needed to thrive in an evolving economy. The collaboration brings together Vodacom Group’s industry expertise and…
South Africa’s energy landscape enters a transformative new chapter this week as Eskom Holdings secures the final regulatory green light to officially launch its dedicated renewable energy subsidiary, Eskom Green. Following the launch of Eskom Green last month, Eskom Holdings has secured the required key approvals in terms of Section 54(2) of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), read with the applicable conditions of the Eskom Debt Relief Act, to proceed with the establishment of Eskom Green as a company to house Eskom Holding’s renewable energy business and raise funding. The approvals mark a key governance and unbundling milestone and…
With its launch imminent, the Range Rover Sport Electric arrives with a design language that remains virtually indistinguishable from its internal-combustion counterpart.. Range Rover has confirmed the forthcoming arrival of its second EV, Range Rover Sport Electric, which signals a new era of sporting luxury. Following the much-anticipated Range Rover Electric, which has been previewed at a series of curated events over the British Summer Season, Range Rover Sport Electric will again redefine the luxury electric SUV segment when it arrives later this year. It features the same unmistakable, muscular form – now driven by a fully electric powertrain to…
Stellantis South Africa has signed a new philanthropy partnership with Social Coding South Africa, focused on bringing coding, robotics and digital skills directly to learners and teachers in communities where access to technology and digital learning remains limited The partnership forms part of Stellantis Philanthropy, the Group’s global philanthropic program dedicated to creating positive social impact through education, youth development and access to opportunities. “At Stellantis, we believe that access to skills and opportunities is key to unlocking long-term social and economic progress,” said Sizwekazi Mdingi, Head of Communications and CSR for South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa at Stellantis. “Through Stellantis…
Cue today announced a $5 million primary funding round, co-led by Knife Capital and FAM Investments, to accelerate the development of its AI-powered customer service platform as businesses increasingly adopt autonomous AI to resolve customer issues end-to-end. The funding will support continued product development, international expansion and deeper investment in voice, security and enterprise integrations. Cue already powers customer conversations for more than 500 companies across the UK and South Africa, spanning automotive, retail, insurance, finance and education. The company grew ARR by more than 160% year on year in its latest financial year and now handles more than 500…
SOTRU Identity and Communications (Pty) Ltd, a South African verification and secure communication platform, launches in the market to tackle a fraud problem that traditional KYC and KYB checks were never built to solve: impersonation and payment fraud that happens after a supplier has been verified. Business email compromise hit 63% of organisations globally in 2024, with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center recording US$2.77 billion in BEC losses. Locally, the Standard Bank data breach in April 2026 and recurring NHLS ransomware incidents have shown how exposed business identity and operational data have become, essentially weaponising this stolen data to feed sophisticated phishing,…
UP professor wins R3m grant to perfect diagnosis-and-treatment combination that promises to make killer disease manageable. Breast cancer is the leading type of cancer among women in South Africa, and globally. Too often it is discovered too late – but a new approach promises a radical change in survivability for patients. The solution, called theranostics, stems from the field of nuclear medicine. It holds the potential to turn the tide against breast cancer and, like the fight against HIV/Aids, change it from an outright killer to a manageable disease. Behind this initiative is world-renowned nuclear medicine specialist Professor Mike Sathekge,…
Airtel Africa’s CEO, Sunil Taldar, has announced the telco’s commitment to connecting 5,000 schools across its operating countries in Africa to the internet by 2027 through its philanthropic arm, Airtel Africa Foundation, in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). So far, the $57m partnership, which was launched in 2021, has cumulatively connected 3,296 schools and provided access to over 2 million learners and about 40,000 teachers. 64 digital learning platforms have been zero-rated thereby enabling more than 11m users to access educational content at no cost. Speaking during a visit to St. Monica’s Girls School in Lusaka, which…
Financial services group RMB today announced the appointment of Judy Kobus as CEO of Corporate, where she will lead the bank’s corporate client business and help drive its next phase of growth. “Judy combines strategic thinking with disciplined execution and a strong commitment to clients. She has built a high-performing team by empowering her people, setting high standards and delivering meaningful results. Those qualities position her well to lead Corporate as we continue to build a leading corporate bank across our markets,” says Emrie Brown, CEO of RMB. Judy joined RMB in 2008 through the Class Of Programme, the bank’s…
Eskom has reached an important milestone in its nationwide Load Reduction Eradication Programme, with five of South Africa’s nine provinces now free from load reduction. To date, 1 104 225 customers have been removed from load reduction schedules, representing 65.17% performance towards the programme’s load reduction eradication target. Originally implemented to address overloaded local networks and protect electricity infrastructure, the programme has removed 545 feeders from load reduction nationally, with the remaining load reduction areas concentrated largely in Gauteng followed by KwaZulu-Natal. This milestone follows the successful elimination of load reduction in Mpumalanga, joining the Western Cape, Northern Cape, Free…