Author: Staff Writer

As Vodacom and CIVH approach the regulatory and competition authorities to approve a transaction pooling their fibre network assets, SA’s Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA) seeks reassurance that the mobile operator’s historical closed access culture will be swept aside should the deal succeed. ISPA’s 205 Internet Service Provider (ISP) members have, to date, struggled to obtain wholesale offerings from Vodacom for on-selling to consumers. Conversely, Vumatel and DFA have been pivotal in fostering fierce competition amongst ISPs by historically providing wholesale, fibre-based deals. Promised cash injections to advance the rollout of high-speed fibre in South Africa are to be welcomed,…

MetroFibre’s Dr Steve Booysen will hand over the reins of CEO to Jan-Jan Bezuidenhout, the current Deputy CEO of MetroFibre, effective from 1 June 2022. Booysen will step down as CEO and director of MetroFibre on 31 May 2022, and continue to provide support on a consultancy basis to the executive leadership team until the end of August 2022.  “It’s been an incredible 12-year journey as a founder member and provider of seed capital back in 2010, when we founded MetroFibre. I’m extremely proud of what we have achieved, and excited at what is still to come for the business. …

MTN has joined forces with large telcos from Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America to create an alliance develop startups and aid innovation in new telco technologies, such as 5G and Fibre. The alliance is known as Alaian, consisting of global telcos to reach 50 countries and 700 million customers. The members of Alaian are Bouygues Telecom, Cellnex, KPN, MTN, Telefónica and WINDTRE. The alliance is also committed to global open calls to attract companies that are aligned with its strategic innovation priorities. In this context, they are taking the opportunity to announce a global call for start-ups,…

Cybercrime is on the rise globally and Africa is not immune. In fact, South Africa has amongst the top most cybercrime incidents in the world and a lack of sufficient investment in cybersecurity has led to this crisis. This is particularly true for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) who simply don’t have the same human capital, technology assets, and financial resources as larger businesses. What these businesses need is a tailored approach to their cybersecurity needs, so that the necessary solutions can be acquired on a modular basis. This is what the Vodacom Managed Security Services by Vodacom Business and…

Clickatell, a CPaaS innovator and Chat Commerce leader, has been selected by South African retailer, Dis-Chem Pharmacies, to enable WhatsApp as its customer communication channel to engage with its customers. Dis-Chem customers can now quickly and easily access various services through WhatsApp by sending “Hi” to 0860 347 243. The easy to navigate menu then allows shoppers to choose which action they want to perform. Utilising a conversational approach through WhatsApp, Dis-Chem’s millions of customers can: register for a Benefit Card and existing members can update their personal details; check their loyalty points balance; report lost or stolen cards and…

MTN announced further progress in its efforts to drive gender equality by partnering with United Nations (UN) Women and joining the HeForShe Alliance in a drive to enhance its gender efforts. The HeForShe Alliance aims to develop the largest set of scalable and shareable solutions for gender equality’s most pressing challenges. Convening global trailblazers from across sectors, these HeForShe Alliance members will spearhead transformative change across countries, companies, campuses, and communities, inspiring many other to follow suit and demonstrating the value of allyship in accelerating progress. “At MTN, we are clear that a diverse and inclusive culture will be critical…

Disney+ announced FX’s “The Old Man,” the riveting new drama starring Jeff Bridges, will be coming soon to Disney+ under the Star banner in South Africa. The series will premiere with the first two episodes of its seven-episode season. Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Thomas Perry, “The Old Man” centers on “Dan Chase” (Jeff Bridges), who absconded from the CIA decades ago and has been living off the grid since. When an assassin arrives and tries to take Chase out, the old operative learns that to ensure his future he now must reconcile his past. With Dan…

Ticketmaster, the global leader in live event ticketing, is bringing its advanced digital ticketing technology to South Africa, with headquarters in Cape Town. The launch sees Ticketmaster deliver its advanced ticketing technologies, client solutions and world-class service to the market for the first time. Sporting teams, artists, promoters, festivals and venues will be able to take full advantage of Ticketmaster’s suite of industry-leading products and digital ticketing tools designed to improve the fan experience. The official announcement follows Ticketmaster’s highly successful onsale for Justin Bieber’s Justice World Tour, the first ever major international tour to sell all tickets online in…

The digital content sharing and streaming app SHAREit has hit another growth milestone by being ranked the No.4 media source globally in volume and power rankings in non-gaming categories, and No.7 in all categories on the In-App purchases (IAP) index. It also ranked at No.8 on the global retention index across all categories for driving huge volumes. The app has almost 20m users in South Africa. In Africa, SHAREit maintained its volume ranking at No. 4 for life and culture, but slipped one position to No. 5 in power. However, it entered the top 10 in the casual group and…

SA Corporate Real Estate has been approved for a secondary listing on A2X Markets (A2X) and its shares will be available for trade on A2X from 3 May 2022. SA Corporate will retain its listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) and its issued share capital will be unaffected by its listing on A2X. SA Corporate is a JSE-listed REIT and, together with all its subsidiaries, owns a diversified portfolio of quality industrial, retail, commercial and residential buildings located primarily in the major metropolitan areas of South Africa with a secondary node in Zambia. SA Corporate’s portfolio of 165 properties (excluding…

Logicalis, a global IT solutions and managed service provider, today announces the launch of Intelligent Connectivity, a solution designed to empower digital-first customers to improve business performance and user experience by operating with connectivity as a managed service. “Connectivity is critical to success in the digital-first economy. Organisations need to have confidence in their network as the key enabler for their digital transformation efforts.” comments Michael Chanter, COO of Logicalis Group. The Logicalis Intelligent Connectivity solution is a modern managed service, architected for user experience and provides a consumption-based, insights-driven approach to networking. The solution is built on Cisco SDWAN…

DigsConnect, SA’s founded student accommodation marketplace, has received an investment from international venture builder, The Delta, as part of their current funding round. Founded in 2018, the PropTech startup has become the largest student housing platform in Africa, boasting over 1.3 million beds listed worldwide. The startup is currently expanding its operations into the UK, US, Singapore, and Europe to support local students pursuing overseas opportunities. “Hundreds of thousands of African students are electing to study abroad, and housing remains one of the primary obstacles for them”, says co-founder and CEO Alexandria Procter. “We will be focusing on providing safe…

Most South Africans (89%) believe businesses would make more progress toward sustainability and social goals with the help of artificial intelligence (AI), according to a new study by Oracle and Pamela Rucker, CIO Advisor and Instructor for Harvard Professional Development. The study of more than 11,000 consumers and business leaders across 15 countries found that South Africans now want businesses to turn talk into action. They also believe technology can help organisations succeed where people have failed, with 60% of respondents even believing that bots will succeed where humans have failed. “Our study reveals that the events of the past…

 The .ZA Domain Name Authority (ZADNA) has published the draft .za registry and registrar licensing regulations that provide details on the requirements to be met by registries and registrars to be licensed by the Authority, the steps to be taken when applying for the renewal of the license, and how to address contraventions of the license conditions. The draft regulations are in accordance with the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act (ECT ACT) 25 of 2002, Section 68 and 94 of the ECT Act, which authorises the Authority with the approval of the Minister to make regulations. According to Molehe Wesi,…

Bang & Olufsen today announced the launch of Beoplay EX, the latest addition to its wearable audio portfolio. With astounding sound, adaptive ANC and a fully waterproof design, Beoplay EX is the most versatile true wireless earphone model from Bang & Olufsen to date. Built to simplify personal sound, Beoplay EX offers an unparalleled combination of performance and style to create the perfect personal sound companion for amplifying all varieties of daily audio experiences. “Beoplay EX embodies the seamless blend of comfort, luxury and quality sound that threads the entirety of our legendary audio portfolio together. From our award-winning Beoplay…

The Buccaneers have teamed up with Vodacom Life Assurance Company to launch Orlando Pirates Funeral Cover to protect you against the unforeseen expenses during the toughest time for your family, and to help take care of the people that matter by offering affordable cover. From as little as R60 per month, Orlando Pirates Funeral Cover offers individual and family funeral cover underwritten by Vodacom Life Assurance Company. Supporters can sign up exclusively through the Orlando Pirates Official App and receive instant cover for up to 17 family members, with a maximum pay out of R50 000 when a loved one dies,…

The South African Post Office Amendment Draft Bill, which has been published for public comment, is seeking to position the Post Office in the logistics, e-commerce and financial services industry. The revised duties also empower the SAPO to position itself to be a strategic platform through which citizens and businesses can access value-added services including government services in line with the National Integrated ICT Policy White Paper. These services may include government services, agency, financial, e-commerce, logistics, retail, authentication services, warehousing services, serve as a digital hub for businesses and communities, serve as a logistics partner to other e-commerce providers.…

South African-founded venture builder The Delta has placed the African venture building on the map with participation in R490 million seed investment and international expansion. Founded in South Africa in 2018, The Delta is a venture builder with huge plans to become a world-class partner to startups and scale-ups, while also bringing more investment into Africa. After spending several years working with local founders and providing validation, design, development, and growth expertise to their startups, The Delta made a big international push in 2021, and now have offices in The UK, Spain, Switzerland, and Germany (their new HQ). This has…

The Sygnia Itrix New China Sectors exchange traded fund (ETF) has been approved for a secondary listing on A2X Markets. Sygnia’s newest ETF will be available for trade on A2X from 29 April 2022. The Itrix New China Sectors ETF joins 13 other Sygnia Itrix ETFs already listed on A2X. Sygnia is the largest international equity ETF provider in South Africa and offers investors the widest range of ETFs that track international equity markets. The objective of the Sygnia Itrix New China Sectors ETF is to provide an investment vehicle that gives easy access to investors who want to achieve…

A new era begins for Lexus Battery EVs and the Lexus Electrified vision The all-new RZ brings a unique Lexus driving experience based on the Lexus Electrified vision. Using a new all-wheel drive system called DIRECT4 RZ offers drivers a refined, human-centred driving experience. Lexus has unveiled the details of the new “RZ”, the luxury brand’s first globally available pure Battery EV (BEV) model. Since the launch of the RX400h in 2005, Lexus has been a pioneer of electrification within the luxury market. As with the first RX hybrid model, our engineers have imbued our hybrid vehicles with an excellent…

BMW is leading the luxury segment into a new era that will be shaped by innovations in the fields of sustainability and digitalisation. With the new BMW 7 Series, the world’s most successful manufacturer of premium vehicles is creating forward-looking ways to enjoy driving pleasure, unsurpassed long-distance comfort and a top-end digital experience. Central to this reinterpretation is the BMW i7. The all-electric luxury sedan is a fully integrated member of the model family and clearly demonstrates how an exclusive driving experience and the ultimate feeling of on-board wellbeing can be combined with an unwavering commitment to sustainability. In addition…

Nedbank has announced the launch of the new Nedbank American Express Platinum Card in South Africa. Both new and existing Nedbank American Express Platinum Card Members can now enjoy an extensive range of enhanced lifestyle, travel and service benefits and a sleek metal card. The new Platinum Card benefits include exclusive dining discounts of up to 20% at 30 premium restaurants across the country, 30% off at aha Hotels & Lodges, a range of discount offers of up to 50% off from home décor, food, liquor and beauty services providers, and up to R500 back annually in statement credits when…

Volvo Cars has made an investment in StoreDot, an Israeli company developing extreme-fast charging battery technology for electric cars, through the Volvo Cars Tech Fund, its venture capital arm. StoreDot is working on a pioneering technology that, according to the company, should result in batteries that can charge to 160km of pure electric range in just five minutes. The investment gives Volvo Cars the opportunity to collaborate closely with StoreDot on exciting new battery technology, as it aims to become a pure electric car company by 2030. By working together with Volvo Cars, StoreDot aims to accelerate the time to…

Today, for the first time, fans can register their interest to subscribe to Disney+ in South Africa, to take advantage of an exclusive introductory offer of R950. The offer means fans can enjoy 12 months of Disney+ for the price of 8. The streaming service will launch in South Africa on 18 May 2022. Standard pricing at launch is confirmed at R119 per month, or R1190 for an annual subscription. Subscribers will have access to Star Wars’ “The Book of Boba Fett” and “The Mandalorian” from executive producer and writer Jon Favreau and, from 27 May, the highly anticipated “Obi-Wan…

While there has been headway toward greater workplace diversity in recent years, there is still much more work to be done. In all businesses, there is undeniably a gender divide, and one of these historically male-dominated industries is technology. In fact, according to a PwC report, women presently hold only 19% of tech-related roles at the world’s top ten technology corporations, compared to men who hold 81 percent. Women have 28% of leadership roles at major worldwide technology organisations, while men hold 72%. Additionally, the report asserts that South Africa might achieve greater economic development by narrowing the gender gap…