Author: Staff Writer

The introduction of AI-powered virtual agents is not expected to impact the number of jobs in South Africa’s Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry. In fact, industry players believe that AI will only bolster the strengths that have earned the country its reputation as a global market leader. South Africa’s BPO sector is fast growing, employing over 200 000 people. According to statistics shared by Minister Ebrahim Patel in November 2023, 90% of employees in the sector are young people, while 60% are women. “Call centres make up a huge proportion of South Africa’s BPO sector and the jobs it creates.…

In 2023, Toyota took top position as South Africa’s most sold used car brand with 60,296 units sold, while the Ford Ranger reigned supreme as the country’s most sold model with 20,156 units sold last year. That’s according to the 2023 AutoTrader Car Industry Report, which has just been published. The inclusion of sales data in this year’s annual report presents the industry with a tool to assess market dynamics and gain an in-depth understanding of shopper behaviour.    According to AutoTrader CEO George Mienie, the report comes at a time when the automotive industry – here in South Africa and globally too…

This week marks International Women in Tech Week. Despite progress being made in gender equality and equity over the last decade, the underrepresentation of women in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields continues to persist. According to the latest UNESCO report on gender-responsive education, too many girls and women are held back by biases, social norms and expectations influencing the quality of the education they receive and the subjects they study. Girls are particularly under-represented in developing countries in the African continent; particularly around STEM education and, consequently, in STEM careers. This gender disparity is alarming, especially as STEM…

Women in South Africa (SA) are uniquely positioned to become the solution to the country’s greatest challenges by harnessing the power of technology, says ALX, a leading tech training and career acceleration provider. Against the backdrop of this year’s United Nations International Women’s Day (IWD) theme, ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress’, ALX calls on SA’s rapidly growing technology sector to take shared ownership in addressing the digital gender gap, or risk leaving a generation of talented, young women behind in the fourth industrial revolution. According to a recent report, women hold only 23% of tech employment positions in SA, accounting…

Huawei held the Green Development Summit, themed “Thrive with Green ICT”, during MWC Barcelona 2024. At the summit, guests from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), MTN Group, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Kenya’s ICT Authority, and Indonesia’s Bandung Institute of Technology discussed how digital technology can be used to promote green development and enable an inclusive and sustainable digital world. Jeffrey Zhou, President of ICT Marketing at Huawei, noted in his speech that digital technology has become a key enabler for global sustainable development. He stressed that Huawei would continually work…

3Sixty Global Solutions Group (3Sixty GSG) is proud to announce the acquisition of the 1994-established Centre for Diabetes and Endocrinology (CDE), South Africa’s leading diabetes hypertension management solutions company. This acquisition, completed in a cash transaction, underscores 3Sixty GSG’s commitment to expanding its portfolio in the healthcare sector, particularly in the fight against life style diseases like diabetes and hypertension. These conditions have seen a dramatic rise in prevalence across South Africa. With over three decades of pioneering work in diabetes and hypertension care, the CDE has established itself as a beacon of hope and support for individuals living with…

A new venture capital fund that blends investment and entrepreneurship launched today. Conducive Capital is a newly formed, majority black-owned, South African venture capital company investing in early- and growth- stage disruptive technologies that are post-revenue, capital efficient, good unit economics with product market fit, and have the ability to scale their businesses both locally and globally. The company’s founding partners are Clive Butkow, founder and former CEO of Kalon Venture Partner, and Mitchan Adams, co-founder of Ozow, a leading South African fintech company, and current CEO of Aions. Prior to Clive’s role at Kalon he was the COO of…

Cell C promotes El Kope as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director on the Cell C Board. The company said this strategic move reinforces its commitment to excellence and financial leadership, harvesting from their internal top talent pool. El Kope, a Chartered Accountant and finance executive, joined Cell C in September 2022 as the Executive Head for Financial Planning & Analysis. Cell C said her exceptional performance and unwavering dedication led her to step up as Acting CFO following the departure of the previous CFO in August 2023. El has a proven track record and brings a wealth of experience…

Showmax has just dropped the trailer for Tracking Thabo Bester, the true-crime documentary South Africa has been asking for ever since GroundUp first broke the news that the convicted murderer and rapist did not burn to death in Cell 35 after all and was instead shopping at Woolworths in Sandton City. Thabo Bester was the most searched person in South Africa on Google in 2023, with his co-accused, Dr Nandipha Magudumana, just behind in fourth place, as the whole country obsessed over Bestermania and the stormy tale of love, murder, deception and corruption. Daily Maverick named them both ‘SA Villain…

The BMW Group presents a fusion of art and innovation at the Frieze Los Angeles art fair in the form of the BMW i5 Flow NOSTOKANA. The one-of-a-kind vehicle combines colour-change technology developed by BMW with the artistic language of South African artist Esther Mahlangu. The designer piece, with sections of attached film that can be electronically animated, embodies the latest development in colour-change technology for vehicle surfaces in cooperation with E Ink. The BMW i5 Flow NOSTOKANA celebrates its world premiere at the fair opening on 29 February. The contemporary tribute recalls the BMW Art Car designed by Mahlangu…