Author: Staff Writer

Liquid Dataport, a business of Cassava Technologies,  is bringing much-needed access to affordable internet in South Africa. Liquid Dataport has acquired a pair of fibre cables on Equiano, the new West coast submarine cable, capable of delivering up to 12 Terabytes of new internet capacity, providing the South African economy with the boost it needs to ensure the successful digital transformation of businesses and individuals. The additional capacity augments Liquid Dataport’s existing pan-African fibre network, global satellite connectivity and subsea cable backbone that ensures businesses on the continent have access to affordable and reliable high-speed connectivity – a vital element…

Vodacom South Africa’s Midrand campus is being kitted out with solar photovoltaic (PV) panels as part of the telco’s sustainable strategy around energy management. This solution will allow Vodacom’s headquarters to generate around 10.8 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of its own clean power every year, which is roughly 21% of the HQ’s power consumption, reducing its reliance on coal-generated electricity from the national grid. “Everything we do is driven by our purpose to shape a digital society that is not only inclusive but sustainable, too,” says Sitho Mdlalose, Managing Director of Vodacom South Africa. “Reducing our environmental impact is woven into this…

Safaricom Ethiopia has today switched on its mobile telecommunications network and services in Addis Ababa, the country’s capital city. Safaricom Ethiopia is also holding a ceremony today to mark its national launch. The Ethiopian government launched Digital Ethiopia 2025 to help the country realise its digital potential and leverage technology to build a more prosperous society. As part of that process, Safaricom Ethiopia was granted a nationwide full-service Unified Telecommunications Service Licence and is the first company in the country to launch a competitive mobile service to Ethio Telecom, which is state-owned. Through its 34.9% stake in Safaricom and its…

Discovery Bank today announced the launch of share trading through its app in partnership with EasyEquities. Clients can now open a new EasyEquities account, or link an existing one, seamlessly through the Discovery Bank app, making investing in their favourite local and global brands and other asset classes simple and accessible. “The platform is transparent, easy-to-use and makes equity trading cost-effective and intuitive for all kinds of investors, from first-timers all the way through to seasoned traders. In collaboration with EasyEquities we’ve been able to make the journey to investing in equities simple and frictionless. This is all part of…

Good fibre is a cornerstone of the digital economy and governments, the private sector and industry bodies all have a role to play in ensuring that citizens have access to connectivity that has the potential to change lives. That was the overriding sentiment at a workshop held by Huawei at the Digital Council Conext Digital Infrastructure Summit, in Cape Town. In developed countries, the digital economy accounts for 51.3% of GDP-compared with 20% in developing countries so it is critical that all partners in the industry work together to find innovative new ways to improve broadband quality and fibre connectivity,…

Sun Exchange, the global solar leasing platform, today announced that leading South African automotive platform, Cars.co.za, has bought into a project that provides off-grid solar power plus battery storage to Karoo Fresh, a commercial farm in South Africa’s Karoo district. By using the Sun Exchange platform to buy more than 16,000 solar cells, valued at over R2.5 million, Cars.co.za is leveraging its balance sheet to drive sustainable energy, while creating an alternative income stream for its business over the 20-year lifespan of the solar project. The 332.1 kW solar plus 640 kWh storage project, which is now generating electricity, is…

Vodacom has achieved 2.4 Gbps throughput on a live site – a first for South Africa. The trial made use of a commercial smartphone and was conducted through the commercial base stations which serve Vodacom’s Midrand campus. The record throughput speed is approximately 100 times faster than the average fibre-to-the-home connection. Beverly Ngwenya, Vodacom South Africa Technology Director says “This achievement demonstrates Vodacom’s continued innovation as a 5G technology leader and a Network of Firsts, showcasing how fifth-generation mobile technology can unlock incredible fibre-like experiences for users on the go, or where fibre installations aren’t feasible.  Most notably, this is…

Google today announced its intent to establish a new Google Cloud region in South Africa – its  first on the continent. The news, which came at the second Google for Africa event, is the latest example of how Google is delivering on the $1 billion or R17 billion investment commitment made last year by the company’s CEO, Sundar Pichai. The new Cloud Region will help users, developers, businesses and educational institutions across Africa to move more information and tools online, improve access options for customers and in turn, create jobs. According to research by AlphaBeta Economics commissioned by Google Cloud,…

In today’s fast-paced, wealth-driven world where customer service often ends at the point of sale, true business success requires solid, customer-centric ethics. This is the belief of Lee Ziervogel, the newly appointed Chief Operating Officer at fintech enablement company Ukheshe. “This is especially important for a fintech company like Ukheshe. It’s essential to manage our clients’ journeys with our highly technical products, because if they’re successful, so are we. “I love being surrounded by an ethically sound team that operates from these solid business principles. One of Ukheshe’s core focus areas is enabling financial inclusion, and enriching lives.” Ziervogel’s people-centric…

Over the past 12 months, the Shoprite Group has increased its installed capacity of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems by 82% to 26,606 kWp. The 143,674m2 of solar panels at 62 sites, is equivalent to the size of 20 soccer fields.    This is enough to power the equivalent of 3,735 households for one full year, thus easing the pressure on the national electricity grid.   Despite the marked progress, the Group is still focused on growing its solar-powered and renewable electricity installations while improving energy efficiency to reduce its environmental footprint, further reducing added strain on the national electricity grid. Other initiatives include a drive to reduce electricity consumption by…