Author: Staff Writer
JUMO, a technology company building next-generation financial services for emerging market entrepreneurs, today announced the appointment of Nichola Pease as Non-Executive Chair. Nichola has more than 35 years’ experience in the financial services industry, including at chief executive level. She brings a wealth of leadership skills and in-depth knowledge of global financial ecosystems to the JUMO Board. “We are delighted to welcome Nichola to the JUMO Board as Chair. She is a great leader and I am excited to have the opportunity to work closely with Nichola,” Andrew Watkins-Ball, JUMO Founder and CEO, said. ” Her appointment will help…
Hijacking remains a common and terrifying reality in South Africa. Stats provided by the national police commissioner for Q3 of 2021 showed a total of 4,973 hijackings were reported in 2021, a 3.5% increase from the same period in 2020. The country’s leading security and medical response marketplace, AURA, recently released its very first Crime Trend Report which noted hijackings and attempted hijackings as one of the top ten reasons people called on AURA for help. With crime on the rise, AURA says the need for greater access to inclusive and affordable on-demand emergency services is more urgent than ever.…
Just two years after entering the African market by opening an office in Johannesburg, Sonum International will be making another commitment to its EMEA growth by opening a Cape Town office in March. According to Adrian van der Merwe, one of the founders of Sonum Africa, when the company started in Johannesburg, it immediately implemented some very appealing projects for large companies, which formed a solid basis and led to the search for new opportunities. “Cape Town is home to sectors such as insurance, food and clothing retail which we are primed to address,” says Adrian. “Our presence in Cape…
Forget cash. The rise in digital payment tech, and a big push by businesses to go contactless, has changed the way South Africans pay and get paid. The shift in behaviour has been a major catalyst in growing the FinTech sector in the country, helping to increase the usage of much of the payment innovation that people use every day. This has given rise to several payment providers, who all have one thing in common – to make it easier and more convenient for people to transact. Simply put, it’s about access to simple payment solutions… for everyone. To be…
Vodacom announced today that it has invested over R450 million into the network and power backup upgrades across the Mpumalanga region during the 2021/2022 financial year. Vodacom said this significant investment into the network has helped the region expand connectivity in deep rural areas and townships that had no connectivity before. “This has enabled hundreds of thousands of people to participate in the digital economy for the first time,” the company claims. “This coupled with a concerted effort to drive down the cost to communicate through innovative platforms such as Just4U and Just4YouTown, has lowered voice and data rates across…
Small and medium-sized enterprises make up more than 98% of South Africa’s business landscape, but they only earn a 40% share of the country’s GDP[1] – which is why giving entrepreneurs the skills to scale their businesses is not only good for their businesses, it’s good for the economy. The Stellenbosch Network Entrepreneurial Mentorship Programme aims to give entrepreneurs the support and skills they need to grow their businesses, through an eight-month initiative that will feature extensive coaching and guidance from experienced businesspeople. The programme is based on a wealth of research that shows mentorship has a direct impact on…
Jaguar Land Rover has formed a multi-year strategic partnership with NVIDIA, the leader in artificial intelligence (AI) and computing, to jointly develop and deliver next-generation automated driving systems plus AI-enabled services and experiences for its customers. Starting in 2025, all new Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles will be built on the NVIDIA DRIVE™ software-defined platform—delivering a wide spectrum of active safety, automated driving and parking systems as well as driver assistance systems. Inside the vehicle, the system will deliver AI features, including driver and occupant monitoring as well as advanced visualisation of the vehicle’s environment. This full-stack solution is based on NVIDIA…
MTN Group’s Ambition 2025, aimed at “Leading digital platforms for Africa’s progress” has ushered in a new look that is aligned to our evolution from a telecommunications company to a technology company underpinned by one simple, consistent, yet striking brand. “Our commitment and focus to accelerate Africa’s progress sees MTN revealing a refreshed brand identity and campaign from 27 February,” MTN said in a statement. “The campaign is inspired by an insight that doing is a bridge between can and done, because all progress comes from action.” MTN’s current brand MTN remains the ‘Most Admired African Brand’ in the Brand Africa…
Mercedes has revealed a new Mercedes-AMG EQE 43 4MATIC and EQE 53 4MATIC+ with battery-electric drive. Both new Mercedes-AMG EQE models offer a performance-oriented drive concept with two electric motors. The powerful electric drivetrain (eATS), with a motor on each of the axles, also offers fully variable all-wheel drive, which optimally transmits the drive power to the asphalt under all driving conditions. The power spectrum ranges from 350 kW (476 hp) in the EQE 43 4MATIC to 505 kW (687 hp) in the EQE 53 4MATIC+ with optional AMG DYNAMIC PLUS Package and boost function. The maximum torque ranges from…
Exactly how far is an electric car able to travel on a single charge in real-world South African conditions at a steady 120 km/h? Well, a new benchmark evaluation answers this very question, putting three locally available electric vehicles (EVs) – the Jaguar I-Pace, BMW i3s and MINI Cooper SE – to the test in a first-of-its-kind, simulated open-road range assessment. This inaugural test which took place at the Gerotek High-Speed Oval in November 2021, sets a national benchmark for each of the three battery-powered variants. It lays down a historical reference point to look back on and allows consumers…
Within the 2021 Roland Berger Digital Inclusion Index (RB DII), Sub Saharan Africa placed last in each of the four categories – accessibility, affordability, ability and attitude – against all other regions globally. “Digital inclusion is the empowerment of individuals and societies to effectively use ICT, enabling them to contribute to and benefit from today’s digitalised economies and societies. It is crucial to create an equitable and sustainable digital society and to facilitate both personal income growth and macro-economic development.” This may be difficult to achieve in South Africa based on the latest ICASA State of ICT report, which illustrates that a little over…
SMEs make up an enormous 98.5 percent of all businesses in South Africa, according to estimates from McKinsey. “As the engines powering our economic growth, the challenges as well as the triumphs within the sector reverberate across the entire economy,” says Zunaid Miya, Managing Director of local fintech company, Hello Pay. The health of the SME sector is a reliable reflection of economic conditions in the country overall. “The pandemic has highlighted several long-standing challenges facing SMEs. With dangerously high levels of unemployment, creating jobs and generating growth has never been more important. Providing meaningful avenues for SMEs’ full financial…
Volvo Car South Africa has announced the local introduction of the highly anticipated XC60 T8 Recharge plug-in hybrid as the Swedish luxury firm continues its shift towards electrification. Positioned at the summit of the recently refreshed XC60 line-up above the B5 and B6 mild-hybrid variants, the all-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid newcomer is available in distinctive R-Design guise as well as in luxury Inscription form. Pricing starts at R1 218 900. As with other derivatives in the XC60 range, the T8 Recharge features the firm’s latest Android-powered infotainment system, complete with built-in Google apps and services. Volvo was the first automaker to…
South Africa’s student accommodation marketplace DigsConnect now boasts over a million listed beds. DigsConnect was launched in early 2018 and despite challenges brought about by the pandemic, has experienced meteoric growth. Most recently, the startup entered into an agreement with the world’s largest student accommodation website, Student.com, propelling DigsConnect.com into 30 new markets. CEO Alexandria Procter says that in the most recent season, the company placed nearly 17 times more students than in the season prior, with booking growth at 150% week on week. “When we founded DigsConnect, a key motivator for Greg Ramsay-Keal (COO) and I was a series…
South Africa’s Discovery has teamed up with AIA Group to establish a new health InsurTech business, to be named Amplify Health. The company informed investors today that the partnership will operate as a joint venture (JV) in Asia, excluding China, Hong Kong and Macau, in which Discovery has an exclusive partnership with the Ping An Group, through its shareholding in Ping An Health Insurance. The JV is built upon and will extend the very successful partnership between Discovery and AIA, which will continue to operate alongside the new JV. The JV combines Discovery and AIA’s distinctive and complementary strengths, bringing together…
South Africa’s universities are transforming their offerings to be future-ready, according to Altron Systems Integration. The company has surveyed the state of digital transformation in higher education institutions in South Africa and identifies how institutions are changing. Universities and colleges are heavily reliant on government funding. But they face rising costs of providing education while fees and grants remain under pressure. They need to attract new students, optimize costs and find new revenue streams in order to be sustainable. As an example, earlier this year, the University of Cape Town announced a new virtual high school, extending its brand into…
Dark Fibre Africa (DFA) today announced the appointment of Dr Heydon Hall as its Chief Information Officer. The key focus of his role at DFA is to develop and oversee the implementation of a robust and integrated information-technology strategy, as well as the company’s overall digital transformation and enterprise architecture. With over 20 years’ senior IT-leadership experience, Hall has led teams in digital transformation and business re-engineering turnarounds for numerous large organisations and has been involved in several successful technology start-ups. DFA CEO, Andries Delport, welcomed Hall’s addition to the company’s executive leadership. “Heydon joins DFA at a time when…
As demand for world-class digital solutions expands exponentially, MTN SA is on the lookout for 150 digital experts to ensure it keeps pace with growing demand. The move ties in with MTN Group’s 2025 ambition to become Africa’s leading digital platform business by 2025. “We intend to lead the delivery of a bold new digital world and are therefore looking to expand our teams to ensure we keep challenging what we do to always do better,” says Tebogo Maenetja Chief of Human resources at MTN South Africa “As we recover from the devastation of COVID-19, exciting job openings for young…
The ability for local businesses, NGOs, call centres and others to finally be able to port their heavily-advertised and much-valued 0800, 0860 and 087 phone numbers to new service providers from the ICASA-stipulated date of 7 March 2022, in fact, presents a golden opportunity for them to adopt a completely new telecoms technology entirely. “The traditional model of signing onerous contracts just to be supplied with business phone numbers is dead in the water, and the finalisation by ICASA of number portability after 16 years is in fact too late. That ship hasn’t just sailed, it’s sinking because you can…
MTN Business today launched the MTN Made for Skhokho prepaid packages tailored for small and informal businesses. The MTN Made for Skhokho prepaid plans, which are the first prepaid bundles to launch in South Africa targeted specifically for business in the informal sector, provide greater value and flexibility to help businesses navigate the current tough economic conditions. “Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and business in the informal sector play an important role in South Africa’s economy by providing employment opportunities as well as driving much-needed growth. Added to the recent negative impact brought on by COVID-19, SMEs continue to face…
Seacom, the pan-African telecommunications service provider, today announced it will acquire selected infrastructure assets from Africell in Uganda. The acquisition marks a significant step for Seacom and is a testament to the company’s commitment to providing, competitive end-to-end connectivity and ICT solutions across the region. “East Africa has been an important market for Seacom ever since we first arrived on the shores of Mombasa in 2009,” explained Tejpal Bedi, Managing Director and Regional Head of Sales for Seacom ENEA. “By officially establishing ourselves in Uganda through proprietary facilities and resources, we are prioritising widespread connectivity and opening up opportunities to…
South African online retailers have learned to meet the demands of Black Friday and the Christmas season, with nine out of ten saying they coped with extra staffing demands and more than two-thirds saying their technology could handle the increased traffic at the end of 2021. The single biggest challenge facing the sector was managing customer queries and challenges, cited by just over half (53%) of respondents. These were key findings of the second phase of the Online Retail in South Africa 2021 study, conducted at the end of last year by World Wide Worx, with the support of Mastercard…
At a virtual Google for South Africa event today, Google unpacked its support for startups, SMMEs and nonprofits in a bid to accelerate digital transformation and help South Africa’s economy recover. This follows announcements made at the virtual Google for Africa event in October last year where Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, announced Google’s plan to invest $1 billion over five years to support Africa’s digital transformation. The focus of these investments is on enabling fast, affordable internet access for more Africans; building helpful products; supporting entrepreneurship and small business; and helping nonprofits to improve lives across Africa. As…
When I was a recently qualified chartered accountant stepping onto the JSE floor on 1 February 1972 as a runner, I didn’t dare to dream of the amazing career I’ve had, the incredible people I’ve worked with, and of the dramatic ebbs and flows of the markets as they’ve responded to history in the making each day. I still choose to learn new things every day, but in the last five decades of working in what’s got to be one of the most exciting jobs around, I’ve learned a few key things that have stayed true through the years, no…
TopAuto has launched a new Driving Cost Calculator, which makes it easy to work out how much you will pay in fuel and toll fees to drive between two towns or cities in South Africa. To calculate the total driving cost, users only have to fill in three fields – their starting point, their destination, and their vehicle. The calculator then provides the user with detailed information for their trip, including: The distance to their destination How long the journey will take The fuel cost How much they have to pay in toll fees The total cost of the trip…