Author: Staff Writer

The first businesses in the Middle East and Africa region have started to experience the seamless ease of Mastercard’s Track Instant Pay solution, in partnership with leading pan-African FinTech enablement partner, Ukheshe Technologies. Track Instant Pay is a next-generation virtual card solution that uses machine learning and straight-through processing to enable instant payment of supplier invoices – the first of its kind. “It safely and intelligently authorises immediate payments to a supplier once a supplier submits an invoice,” says Paul Selibas, President: Channel Solutions at Ukheshe. “First, it analyses received invoices using sophisticated machine learning to identify those likely to…

CSquared, an open-access wholesale broadband infrastructure company, lands Google’s Equiano, a subsea internet cable running through Portugal to South Africa, in Togo. This makes Togo the first landing point of Google’s Equiano in Africa. Equiano is expected to land in South Africa, Namibia, Nigeria and St Helena later in the year, connecting the continent with Europe. Togo currently ranks as the sixth-best country in Africa regarding ease of doing business and Equiano, once switched on, will offer 20 times more bandwidth than any other cable currently serving West Africa, helping the country attract even more investments and further boosting its vibrant…

In celebration of the new Polo with IQ.DRIVE, Volkswagen is taking things to the next level while embracing the future of mobility. The People’s Car brand has launched South Africa’s first NFT (Non-Fungible Token) brand campaign, with a future-focused commercial incorporating Volkswagen’s first collections of NFTs. “Our new Polo NFT campaign and Mzansiverse commercial is testament to Volkswagen’s eye on the future, not only in the innovation of our vehicles but in embracing the passions of our fans and driving evolution in how we engage with them,” said Bridget Harpur, Head of Marketing for the Volkswagen Passenger Car Brand. Inspired…

The over 10 million unemployed South Africans benefitting from the R350 COVID-19 relief grant will now have greater accessibility as the Shoprite Group has stepped in to make grant payments available at its 1 286 supermarkets across South Africa. Following the extension of the grant for another 12 months, customers can now access it at the till point in any Shoprite, Checkers, Usave and selected OK Foods supermarkets nationally. This enables customers to receive their grants, buy essential groceries and pay their bills in a single location. To collect the grant from any Shoprite, Checkers, Usave or selected OK Foods,…

MTN Group announced today that MTN SA has secured high-demand-spectrum to support its 4G and 5G expansion drive. During the main phase of the auction, which started on 10 March 2022 and finished after 58 rounds of bidding, MTN SA acquired a total of 100MHz across the 800MHz, 2 600MHz and 3 500MHz frequency bands. The company said it will pay a total of R5.2 billion for the spectrum. This compares favourably with global benchmark averages of approximately $0.083MHz-POP – according to Coleago Consulting – for spectrum in similar auctions, said MTN. MTN SA secured the following spectrum bands in…

MTN SA is investing to modernise existing and deploying new network infrastructure across the KwaZulu-Natal province. The R700 million investment, which is an addition to the R500 million invested in 2021, will go toward MTN’s “Modernisation of Network South Africa project” (MONZA) as well as expanded rural reach, 5G expansion and restoration of vandalised network infrastructure.  “The KZN investment forms part of plans to modernise the entire MTN network, 68% of which has already been completed nationally, with an additional 1350 sites to be finalised, and around 200 top areas covered across SA, by the end of 2022”, says Matthew…

Vodacom invested over R1 billion in the last financial year to enable more communities in both the Western Cape’s urban and rural areas to reap the benefits of connectivity. This forms part of the company’s commitment to building a digitally inclusive society, where increased access to online essential services and information, employment and education platforms, digital marketplaces and much more can help to promote socio-economic empowerment and close the digital divide. “Our purpose-led goal at Vodacom is to ensure digital inclusion for all. By expanding our network coverage and capacity and upgrading existing base station sites across the Western Cape,…

Technological innovation is changing retail value chains and channel experiences in exciting ways – we only need to consider the metaverse for a glimpse into the possibilities.  For tech-savvy consumers who are demanding a 360-degree offering from brands, the lines between digital and in-store retail experiences are becoming increasingly blurred. The COVID-19 pandemic influenced shopping habits and globally, people are now more at ease with going online. Insights from The Future Shopper 2021 Report support this fact, with 60% saying they are now more comfortable with technology, while 64% prefer to shop with brands offering both online and in-store services.…

BrandMed Group, a South African connected healthcare company, has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS), to provide affordable and accessible health and wellbeing solutions across the continent. BrandMed, founded in 2014, is already a leader in the development of a unique and fully integrated, digital, end-to-end solution to address outcomes and value-based care for patients with chronic lifestyle and non-communicable-diseases (NCDs). The company has been instrumental in enabling healthcare providers to participate in a digital future and will now be in the unique position to expand its services to individuals and communities. Value-based healthcare is a…

The Department of Employment and Labour and Huawei Technologies South Africa, have reached an out of court settlement, following the department’s application to the Labour Court on 11 February 2022. The Department has accepted Huawei South Africa’s employment equity plan which addresses equitable representation of South Africans to above 50% within 3 years, especially from designated groups as defined in the Employment Equity Act. In addition, in a joint attempt to address South Africa’s digital divide and ICT skills gap, Huawei and DoEL have agreed to collaborate on skilling the unemployed, which is an investment in youth upskilling and employment;…

Google today announced the participants in Google for Startups Accelerator Africa Class 7. The selected startups are developing solutions in areas such as healthcare, education, fleet management, logistics automation and recruiting. This seventh class includes 15 tech startups from seven African countries, with Cote D’Ivoire joining for the first time. The class was selected from thousands of applications, with final selection based on product stage, program alignment and market fit. Over the next three months, they will work with Google mentors and facilitators learning best practices on a range of topics including Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, organisational culture, growth strategies…

To simplify business for small, micro, and medium enterprises, Telkom Financial Services has launched the Telkom Pay Mobile Point-of-Sale (mPOS) app, a FinTech tool that allows business owners to make and receive payments through their mobile phones. The app serves as a speed point machine in your pocket that can be used anytime and anywhere. Telkom is committed to providing SMMEs with solutions that will enable them to fully participate in the digital economy. Through the app, business owners can register and receive payments in a matter of minutes.   Telkom Financial Services managing executive Sibusiso Ngwenya said “The COVID-19 pandemic has…

Huawei, one of the world’s largest technology providers, is optimising its travel and navigation experience with enhanced features on Petal Maps. Following its rollout across Africa during the second quarter of 2021, the app is now available for users with a limited, weak, or non-existent internet signal, as they can download the maps of cities they wish to discover in advance and enjoy access regardless of their connectivity. Fast and accurate updates in real-time and in multiple languages guarantee smooth sailing with no interruption from distracting ads as users explore surroundings on foot, on bike or by car with seamless…

MediaTek, a global fabless semiconductor company powering nearly two billion connected devices every year, today launched the Dimensity 700 and Dimensity 1200 chips across the African market with unrivaled AI, camera and multimedia features for powerful 5G experiences. This launch of chipsets will give device makers a full suite of options for 5G smartphone models – from premium to mainstream market devices – making 5G more accessible for consumers everywhere. “MediaTek continues to expand its 5G portfolio with highly integrated solutions for a range of devices from the high-end to the mid-tier,” said Rami Osman, Director for Corporate Sales and…

At MWC 2022 held in Barcelona earlier this month, Safaricom, Close the Gap and Huawei received the Global Mobile GLOMO Award in recognition of the TECH4ALL DigiTruck project’s outstanding contribution to the UN’s sustainable development goals. The DigiTruck project was launched in Kenya for the first time in 2019. It was launched by Huawei in collaboration with international NGO Close the Gap, Kenya’s Ministry for ICT, Computer for Schools Kenya, GSMA and operator Safaricom. The project aims to bring digital technology to resource-poor regions and enable people to receive quality education and improve their lives. By the end of 2020,…

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) South Africa has announced two new appointments to the country’s leadership team. Michael Langeveld has been appointed as Chief Technology Officer and Celeste Le Grange assumes the position of Head of Channel, Commercial, Mid-Market and SMB. These appointments will help accelerate HPE’s strategy of becoming the edge-to-cloud company by giving our customers the cloud experience everywhere with HPE GreenLake. “I am delighted to welcome Michael Langeveld and Celeste Le Grange to my leadership team to help us to continue our momentum in South Africa,” said Sandile Dube, Acting Managing Director for South Africa, HPE. “Both Michael…

The latest South African Customer Satisfaction Index (SA-csi) for Life Insurance (2021) conducted by Consulta reveals how satisfied customers are with their life insurers over the last year. The benchmark measurement for Life Insurance (2021) provides important insights into the levels of customer satisfaction of  South Africa’s major life insurers – 1Life Insurance, Absa Life, Discovery Life, FNB Life, Metropolitan, Old Mutual, Sanlam and Standard Bank Life Insurance. The index surveyed over 2100 customers of SA’s largest life insurers by market share during the last quarter of 2021. “Two years into the pandemic and it is clear that any excuses…

Financial technology insurance consultancy Askari has concluded an agreement with Hollard Mozambique Insurance to launch its digital strategy targeting cross-border trucking fleets. Vehicles travelling across South Africa and the Mozambique border must have third-party motor insurance and the insurance digitisation process completed in January this year will help to further eliminate potential fraudulent practices while also improving the user experience for customers. Gary Wild, CEO of Askari says, “before embarking of this digitisation process, the insurance processes at the border were paper-based and riddled with inefficiencies, and for many others they still are. Now, the wait for cash to exchange…

TymeBank, one of the world’s fastest growing digital banks, has partnered with National HealthCare Group to bring quality, affordable medical insurance to consumers, through the launch of TymeHealth, an app-based offering that provides medical insurance for as little as R139 a month. Statistics show that just 8,9 million South Africans are covered by a medical scheme, with the high costs of contributions making membership of a medical aid unaffordable for most of the population. Tauriq Keraan, TymeBank CEO says: “Our country has a population of just over 60-million people, and the dire reality is only one in seven South Africans…

After remaining unchanged at 43 points in the fourth quarter of 2021, the RMB/BER Business Confidence Index (BCI) increased to 46 in the first quarter of 2022. Although this is just below the neutral-50 mark reached in the second half of last year, the latest reading is nonetheless encouraging in that it equals the BCI’s long-term average which, at 46, is a far cry from the five-index-point low recorded at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Figure 1: RMB/BER Business Confidence Index Source: BER, SARB (Shaded areas represent economic downswings)    The fieldwork for the first quarter survey was…

Jaguar has unveiled its third all-electric virtual gaming sports car – the Jaguar Vision Gran Turismo Roadster. Jaguar’s latest all-electric virtual race car joins the grid for the launch of Gran Turismo 7 – the latest and most immersive iteration yet of the world-renowned racing game. The Jaguar Vision Gran Turismo Roadster is an all-electric single-seater that combines the race-proven powertrain from the Coupé with a taut, sculpted form inspired by the iconic, timeless Jaguar D-type. “As a car designer, being part of the team that has delivered three virtual cars for the Gran Turismo series has been a dream…

A private sector-driven task force will provide small businesses with instant financial assistance to survive the latest round of load shedding. It was re-initiated in Cape Town at the end of 2021. The “SME Load shedding Task Force” was launched by Lulalend, a fin-tech business that offers real time business funding to South African small businesses and which counts the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) amongst its investors. Lulalend CEO Trevor Gosling says the task force has been reinstated to prioritise applications and provide an almost instant response to businesses in crisis due to load shedding. Many small…

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) announced it had commenced with the Opt-In Phase of the spectrum auction process in line with its commitment for the licensing of high demand spectrum today. ICASA said in a statement that bidders submitted their bids in person between 10h00 and 12h00 this morning, and the bids’ evaluation was carried out in front of all authorised representatives following the close of the bids’ submission window. Even though there were four bidders who were eligible to bid, only three bidders submitted valid bids, namely Cell C, Rain Networks and Telkom, said ICASA. The…

Nearly a third of South Africa’s small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) see digitisation as a challenge. Many are unsure about what to prioritise or feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of technology decisions to make, often without the support of IT departments or chief information officers (CIOs) that guide larger businesses. This is why V-Hub was created. Launched by Vodacom Business, V-Hub is an online resource portal, specifically designed to help SMEs unlock their full potential as they embark on a digital transformation journey. “Adopting the right digital solutions will help SMEs become more agile and resilient, enabling them to…

Avo super app by Nedbank has grown beyond the bank’s expectations, further solidifying its place in the e-commerce space as it reaches the milestone of 1 million customers. The banking group said it had seen exponential growth and have doubled customer base in the last 4 months, with a staggering 50% of that being achieved in the last 4 weeks. Avo is becoming one of South Africa’s preferred destinations for online consumers, as it continues to lead the way in offering inflation-busting deals and promotions. Consumers are spoilt for choice with an ever-expanding selection of restaurants and liquor outlets with…