Author: Staff Writer

The Africa Fibre Forum 2023, hosted by Digital Council Africa (DCA) and co-sponsored by Huawei and the World Broadband Association (WBBA), took place in Cape Town and saw a multitude of stakeholders commit to accelerating the rollout of fibre across Africa.  Set against the backdrop of Africa Com, the continent’s largest technology conference, the event brought together more than 100 industry leaders and experts from 50+ organizations, and several media outlets. Among the consensus points reached during the event is that digitalisation and globalisation have made the fibre infrastructure industry more important and relevant than ever. As such, having the…

1K Africa and Ascension Capital today announced an investment in Consumer Profile Bureau (CPB), a South African payment profile hosting credit bureau. This strategic investment reinforces their commitment to bolstering CPB’s innovative solutions and expanding its market presence. CPB, known for its credit bureau services, including tracing, credit verification and debtor profiling, goes beyond the conventional by offering real-time credit solutions to a diverse client base. These solutions encompass reporting and analytics, digital identification, paperless FICA and online data analytics. CPB operates as a registered credit bureau under South Africa’s National Credit Act No. 34 of 2005. Established in 1981, CPB…

Legacy Africa Capital Partners’ (LACP) Fund 1 today announced a significant investment for a minority stake in Welltec, a leading Financial Wellness Technology (FinWellTech) firm. This investment strengthens Welltec’s position in the market, allowing them to expand their bespoke financial wellness programs targeted at financial and fintech organisations. This investment arrives at a pivotal moment, as South Africans navigate a landscape of financial stress marked by high debt levels and an ailing economy. In these challenging financial circumstances, many consumers are turning to personal loans as a crucial lifeline, supplementing their income with unsecured credit. Welltec’s FinWellTech software plays a…

Tracker’s vehicle crime statistics for the period January to June 2023 reveal that hijackings still dominate, accounting for 55% of all national vehicle crime incidents versus theft at 45%. However, while the hijacking to theft ratio for personal vehicles is relatively even at around a 50/50 split, a business vehicle has a far higher hijacking propensity at 65% versus theft at 35%. The Tracker Vehicle Crime Index aggregates information from Tracker’s more than 1.1 million subscriptions. Tracker’s data indicates that a business vehicle is 59% more likely to experience vehicle crime and 32% more likely to experience hijacking than a…

Pick n Pay asap! is on track to refunding its customers for 19 days’ worth of groceries as the Proteas entered the semi-finals, having beaten Afghanistan last Friday.  “This has unlocked a 1 in 4 chance for every qualifying asap! customers to recoup their grocery expenses,” says Vincent Viviers, Retail Executive: Omnichannel at Pick n Pay.  The retailer has strategically backed the Proteas to win as it aims to deliver South Africa’s most extensive free grocery giveaway. All qualifying Pick n Pay asap! orders will be refunded if South Africa emerges victorious in the Cricket World Cup.  This is elevating…

NAPAfrica, Africa’s leading Internet eXchange Point (IXP) and the sixth largest exchange globally, has welcomed social media platform TikTok to its growing community. At the same time, NAPAfrica announced a significant milestone in its growth journey by surpassing the 4Tbps (Terabits per second) traffic milestone, solidifying its position as the pivotal exchange for internet traffic across the African continent. NAPAfrica reached the 3Tbps traffic threshold in March 2023, representing a 33% growth in traffic volumes in under a year. “The presence of over 250 carriers and networks is the drawcard for content providers like TikTok to join the exchange,” says…

In 2023, competitive gaming and spending hours binge-watching a series is some of the most fun you can have with an internet connection. Both are wildly popular, and both transport us to weird and wacky locations where anything is possible, but which is better? Game On In May this year, the latest edition of the iconic Legend of Zelda game series sold 10 million copies in just three days. To put that into perspective, Drake’s latest album For All The Dogs sold the equivalent of 402 000 albums in its first week and is one of the best performing releases of 2023. Clearly, gaming is one…

Telkom today announced the Telkom Transformation and Innovation Awards, set for November 14, 2023. This annual event recognises Telkom’s support for technology-driven startups in South Africa. These awards highlight Telkom’s Enterprise and Supplier Development Programs, showcasing their significant impact on the local business ecosystem. The event also honors Telkom’s internal Transformation ambassadors, who drive positive change within the company by championing the Transformation & Innovation agenda across various business units. Dr Mmaki Jantjies, Group Executive for the Innovation and Transformation Office at Telkom, expressed her enthusiasm for the awards, stating, “One cannot emphasise enough, the importance of platforms such as…

TelCables South Africa, a local subsidiary of Angola Cables, and business-to-business ISP, TouchNet are set to advance and transform cloud connectivity for SMMEs, MSPs and enterprise businesses across southern Africa. This collaboration aims to enhance cloud connectivity for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMMEs), managed service providers (MSPs), and large businesses in southern Africa. By leveraging the Angola Cables global network, the partnership offers flexible and secure digital cloud solutions, enabling rapid expansion of digital infrastructure networks for corporate and enterprise clients. Sudhir Juggernath, CEO of TelCables Southern and East Africa said this collaboration is significant, “By leveraging the best of…

Following a series of continuous interest rate increases since November 2021, leading to a widespread debt and cost-of-living crisis in South Africa, Nedbank has stepped in to provide crucial assistance. The bank has extended support to nearly 2 million clients, enabling their rehabilitation. Additionally, Nedbank has aided 9,000 South Africans in retaining their homes, prevented over 80,000 individuals from losing their cars, and assisted more than 25,000 people in selling their vehicles and homes in the open market. All these interventions were made possible because individuals approached the bank seeking help. “Many South African consumers do not have to endure…