Author: Staff Writer

Changan Mazda, a Chinese company receiving investment from Mazda, today, at Auto China 2024, unveiled the all-new electrified vehicle, Mazda EZ-6, and the Mazda Arata, the design concept model of electrified vehicle. The Mazda EZ-6, unveiled today, is the first of a series of new electrified vehicles (new energy vehicles) developed and manufactured by Changan Mazda in cooperation with Mazda and Chongqing Changan Automobile Co., Ltd. (Changan Automobile), and will be launched in China by the end of 2024. In addition, the concept model Mazda Arata, unveiled at the same time, is scheduled to be mass-produced as the second new…

Paratus Botswana announces that the last leg of its fibre route has now been completed to create the new Botswana Kalahari Fibre (BKF) route. A total of 840 kms of fibre was laid between the Namibian border and Lobatse and was activated at the end of March 2024.  The new fibre route represents an investment of approximately Botswana Pula 70 million and is the largest significant investment in its own infrastructure by Paratus Botswana to date. The BKF completes the last leg of the Paratus built Trans Kalahari Fibre (TKF) route which runs from Johannesburg to Swakopmund in Namibia. The…

Talent on-demand platform Outsized has made a series of senior appointments to lead its global growth strategy. This follows a successful Series A funding round led by Knife Capital. Outsized connects top independent professionals with large enterprise clients across Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific. Currently, almost half of Fortune 500 companies use on-demand talent platforms to access highly-skilled workers. Outsized’s new appointments, set against the backdrop of the funding round, will allow the company to strengthen its operations and accelerate its growth strategy. In South Africa, Jannie Theron has been appointed as global Financial Director. Theron brings with him…

As South Africa prepares for its seventh democratic election set for 29 May, TikTok is announcing several initiatives with the local electoral commission and civil society organisations in order to combat misinformation and ensure that users have access to information from reliable sources. These initiatives are just one element of TikTok’s ongoing and long-standing commitment to maintain the platform’s integrity. In-App Election Centre In partnership with the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) and leading civil society organisations, TikTok’s in-app Election Centre represents a pivotal step towards safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process. Through this dedicated in-app centre available…

The small SUV Volvo EX30 has been honored with the prestigious Red Dot award: Best of the Best Product Design 2024. The award recognises excellence in design based on four basic principles of good design: the quality of function, the quality of seduction, the quality of use, and the quality of responsibility. The jury of 39 experts from all over the world selected the EX30 as the winner in a competitive field with a total score of 93/100. “The Volvo EX30 embodies Volvo Cars’ design values in a smaller format and is a showcase in premium Scandinavian design where form…

Cell C today announced the appointment of Bryan O’Donovan as Chief Data & Analytics Officer, effective May 2024. In this crucial role, O’Donovan will spearhead the management of the organisation’s data and analytics assets, championing data-driven decision-making processes, and leveraging data assets to propel growth and optimisation initiatives. Bringing to the table a wealth of experience spanning actuarial science, financial services, and telecommunications, O’Donovan boasts a remarkable history of 19 years in the industry. His career journey has been defined by exceptional problem-solving skills, strategic acumen, and analytical prowess. Prior to his appointment at Cell C, Bryan held key leadership…

MNT-Halan, Egypt’s first unicorn and the country’s leading and fastest growing fintech ecosystem, has won Global Finance’s award for Most Innovative Financial Technology Company in the Middle East, and Most Innovative Financial Technology Company in Africa. The only company to win two awards out of the 18 winners, MNT-Halan appears alongside Revolut, the Bank of America, HSBC and Santander, among others. Established in 1987 and headquartered in New York, Global Finance is a premier publication for international investors, whose awards have become a trusted standard of excellence for the global financial community. Mounir Nakhla, MNT-Halan’s Founder and CEO, said: “Being…

At the 21st Huawei Analyst Summit, Huawei’s rotating chairman, Eric Xu, urged developers to collaborate on the development of native apps for the company’s mobile operating system HarmonyOS. “We call on all app developers and owners in China to join our HarmonyOS-native app ecosystem as soon as possible, and work together to deliver a better experience to consumers,” said Xu. HarmonyOS is the company’s next-generation operating system that can run on a wide range of smart devices, e.g. smartphones, wearables, tablet computers and smart TVs. By the end of 2023, HarmonyOS had been deployed on more than 800 million devices.…

A web-based solution to improve data management in local government will undergo further development after being conceived by the winning team at a Kagiso Trust hackathon. A team of young coders dubbed Mzansi Innovators shared a R20,000 prize for their solution, which addresses several challenges municipalities face when it comes to understanding the people living within their boundaries and improving targeted delivery of services. The winning team’s work, completed during a two-day hackathon hosted by the Empire Partner Foundation (EPF) in Johannesburg, will form the foundation for the next phase of development at the EPF Innovation Campus (IC). Thirty-eight coders…

In an exciting collaboration poised to redefine automotive offerings in South Africa, GAC Motor and Salvador Caetano Group have joined forces to introduce a lineup of eagerly awaited models. The partnership marks a significant milestone in the automotive landscape, promising to deliver innovation, performance, and style to discerning South African consumers. Stay tuned as we delve into the details of these upcoming releases, exploring their cutting-edge features, design elements, and the potential impact they hold for the thriving automotive market in South Africa. “I believe that the South African market represents a compelling opportunity for GAC Motor with its dynamic…