Author: Staff Writer

On 1 November this year, South Africa welcomed the introduction of the DebiCheck payment system to tighten measures against debit order fraud and abuse. But as with many new policies and procedures, there has been adoption, but it is far from universal. According to Andrew Springate, CEO of PAYM8, a technology and financial gateway service provider, “A lot of information around why DebiCheck has been introduced has been shared since 2018, but there’s still a great deal to be done by all parties to drive widescale adoption and avoid the inevitable headaches that come with not having DebiCheck in place.”…

There’s nothing quite like a global pandemic with legally enforceable lockdowns to expose the public sector’s dependence on ageing digital infrastructure. While the devastating SolarWinds “sunburst” attack made headlines in 2020 for its impact on private corporations like Cisco and Microsoft, it affected public sector entities like NATO and the UK government, which wield great power and extremely sensitive data. In Africa, there has been a proliferation of cyberattacks on state-owned organisations, such as transport and critical infrastructure, in the past 18 months, indicating the public sector is a lucrative target. Public sector has come under increased threat during the…

Cisco South Africa has this month launched two Cisco Umbrella Secure Internet Gateway (SIG) data centres in Johannesburg and Cape Town, offering local customers closer access to the cloud anytime, anywhere. “South Africa is a key market for Cisco and this level of investment underscores our commitment to the region,” says Garsen Naidu, general manager for Cisco in sub-Saharan Africa. “South Africa is also an important market for Cisco in the country’s goals to service multinational companies (MNCs), due to its unique geographical location, emerging economy and access to the sub-Saharan market. A local data centre in country will provide…

Cassava Technologies, Africa’s first integrated tech company of continental scale, today announced that it has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Mitsui, one of Japan’s largest global conglomerates. Cassava Technologies and Mitsui share a common vision of facilitating digital transformation across Africa. The partnership will bring together the technology, expertise and networks of both organisations to accelerate that vision. Mitsui has extensive global experience developing, investing in and operating businesses in the digital, infrastructure and energy sectors, and through this partnership, will further expand its business activities in Africa. Mitsui will assist Cassava Technologies by providing access to…

The Shoprite Group has entered into a joint venture with its existing Checkers Sixty60 logistics partner, the RTT Group in which both parties will own 50%. The transaction follows on from the rapid growth of Shoprite’s pioneering on-demand grocery solution Checkers Sixty60 in which RTT On-Demand, a division of the RTT Group, has played a pivotal role in last-mile logistics. The joint venture will advance the technology, learnings and intellectual property created to date as well as enable continued development in the digital and customer experience in line with Shoprite’s ecommerce plans.  The transaction, which envisages Shoprite Checkers holding a…

The truth is, all businesses are at risk of being scammed at some point, and just one incident can cost a company millions of Rand. Ryan Mer, CEO, eftsure Africa, a Know Your Payee (KYP) platform provider, says that fraudsters are constantly finding new ways to exploit vulnerabilities and attack corporate payment systems and it’s critical that we all work together and share information to remain one step ahead of scammers. Accounts payable fraud is one of the most damaging and is common in companies large and small, targeting the department responsible for paying suppliers and other vendors. A report…

Huawei and Telkom have supported a 5G live stream of Africa’s endangered penguins to highlight role of 5G and supporting technology for conservation and environmental protection as well as other 5G use case. The live stream from Boulders Beach in Cape Town, home to the largest group of African Penguins in South Africa, hosted on Telkom’s 5G temporary network, was broadcast to Huawei’s global and local social media platforms. Hosted by conservationist and wildlife TV presenter Lauren Arthur, the live stream not only gave viewers the chance to experience the unique penguin colony, it also illustrated 5G’s potential as an…

Volvo Cars has been recognised for its sustainability strategy by global environmental non-profit CDP, securing an A-score for its actions aimed at cutting emissions, mitigating climate risks and becoming a climate-neutral company. This places Volvo Cars in the highest tier of CDP’s climate change list, together with only a smaller number of companies. More than 13,000 companies participated by disclosing data on their environmental impacts, risks and opportunities, and Volvo Cars’ high score reflects its position as a leader in environmental ambition and climate action. “We are very proud to see that our hard work to cut emissions and becoming…

Technology has improved vastly over the years, and with vehicle technology, in-car systems and infotainment, that’s the expectation from customers too. Today, car system technology advancements continue in the new Lexus Interface multimedia system. From mobile apps that can connect to a driver’s vehicle and save their favourite temperature to improved Bluetooth connectivity — upgraded and enhanced multimedia features abound in the latest Lexus models or those soon to launch. There are lots of impressive state-of-the-art and new-tech features with the Lexus intuitive and easy-to-use system. Bigger, Better and No Glare An available 14-inch smartphone-like touchscreen allows for intuitive and…

Mauritius Telecom and Showmax today announced a ground-breaking partnership to bring live football coverage from SuperSport to my.t customers and football fans in Mauritius. SuperSport features the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, English Premier League, FA Cup, Serie A, and La Liga matches, plus a wide range of live sport from SuperSport, including pro boxing, international marathons and athletics* on top of the full Showmax entertainment catalogue.  highlighted that: “This alliance could not have come at a better time and we are delighted that our customers will be able to follow the UEFA Champions League as it heads into the…

Mukuru, one of the largest remittance companies in Africa and a leading next-generation financial services platform, has announced that its Mukuru Card has been activated for online purchases in South Africa, allowing holders of the card to take part in the eCommerce revolution even if they don’t hold traditional bank accounts. Mukuru CEO Andy Jury says one of the promises of FinTech is financial inclusion, and so making the Mukuru Card available for online purchases made sense. “The pandemic has seen a big shift towards online payments at a range of retailers and service providers. As part of our belief…

The country’s communications watchdog has issued the final Invitation To Apply (ITA) in respect of the licensing process for the International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) spectrum, also known as the high-demand spectrum. ICASA said the ITA will be published in the Government Gazette today. The publication of the ITA follows a period of over three months of consultation undertaken by the Authority through the publication of the first and second Information Memorandum (IM) on 1 October 2021 and 15 November 2021 respectively. The consultative process was premised on the truncated timetable outlined by ICASA in terms of a notice published on…

BYJU’S, the most valuable EdTech company in the world with 115 million students on its learning platform, has announced the acquisition of Austria-headquartered GeoGebra. This acquisition complements India’s BYJU’S overall product strategy and integrates GeoGebra’s capabilities to enable the creation of new product offerings and learning formats to its existing mathematics portfolio. It furthers BYJU’S aim to make math more engaging, leading to better learning outcomes. This synergy of two like-minded companies will bring comprehensive, personalised and immersive learning experiences to all students, the company said. GeoGebra will continue to operate as an independent unit within the BYJU’S group under…

Dynamite comes in small packages, so they say – and it’s certainly true of this small package. Open it up and inside you will find the brand-new Huawei FreeBuds Lipstick, a pair of earphones of unparalleled style and quality that are sure to blow you away. Created at Huawei’s aesthetic research centre in Paris, the Huawei FreeBuds Lipstick is designed to look exactly like a stick of lipstick. Its exquisite workmanship makes a true fashion statement and signifies a new trend in ultra-chic design. Huawei FreeBuds Lipstick comes in a luxury-grade stainless steel body that uses sophisticated production processes to…

Discovery Bank and Vitality Money clients spent 600 million Discovery Miles, adding up to R100 million in purchases, this November, according to the CEO of Discovery Vitality. Discovery Bank extended its Discovery Miles Đ-Day, held on the 15th of every month, to include the full Black Friday weekend from 26 to 28 November. Miles Đ-Day is an opportunity for Discovery Bank and Vitality Money clients to get up to 40% off when spending their Discovery Miles in-store or online at partners – giving clients unprecedented discounts. “We’re pleased that our clients spent significantly at our partner stores, which was valuable economically.…

Volvo Cars has invested in the optical and imaging technology start-up Spectralics through the Volvo Cars Tech Fund, the company’s venture capital investment arm. The investment gives Volvo Cars access to promising technology at an early stage of development that could contribute to making cars safer and revolutionise in-car user experience. Coming from a background in aerospace technology development, Israel-based Spectralics creates state-of-the-art imaging and optical infrastructure spanning materials, hardware and software, enabling a wide variety of advanced optical capabilities. One of the company’s core solutions is the multi-layered thin combiner (MLTC) which is a new type of thin optics…

Entersekt, a global payment security company headquartered in Cape Town, today announced a strategic investment from Accel-KKR, a technology-focused private equity firm. The investment will enable Entersekt to accelerate its roadmap and fuel expansion into new markets. Rand Merchant Investment Holdings through AlphaCode, RMI’s incubator for fintech entrepreneurs has led two previous fundraising rounds and remains a significant investor. “We are very excited to have Accel-KKR on board. The industry is experiencing a wave of innovation in areas like omnichannel and passwordless authentication, 3-D Secure and open banking, all of which are strategic focus areas for Entersekt. The investment from Accel-KKR…

Global supply-chain disruptions could remain high until H2 2022 amid renewed COVID-19 outbreaks around the world, China’s sustained zero-COVID policy and demand and logistic volatility during Chinese New Year, trade credit insurer Euler Hermes said in a new report on Thursday. Nevertheless, the trade credit insurer expects trade growth to remain strong through 2022 and 2023, with some clear winners across regions and sectors, according to Euler Hermes’ Global Trade Report. Global supply-chain disruptions will remain high until H2 2022 After exceptionally strong performance since H2 2020, global trade of goods contracted in Q3, especially in advanced and emerging economies.…

South Africa’s retail giant Shoprite announced today it has appointed Paul Norman and Dawn Marole as independent non-executive directors of the board. Their appointment is effective 4 March 2022. “The Shoprite Holdings board welcomes Dawn and Paul and looks forward to their valued contribution to the Group,” the retailer informed investors. Marole holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting), Diploma in Tertiary Education and an MBA. She is an experienced corporate executive and human resources director and currently Executive Chairman of Executive Magic. In addition, Marole is an experienced non-executive director (NED) having served on various boards over the past decade…

Hewlett Packard Enterprises (HPE) today announced that Sandile Dube has been appointed as acting managing director for HPE in South Africa, effective 1st January, 2022. Sandile’s predecessor, President Ntuli, has been promoted to a pan-regional role as Director of HPE GreenLake Cloud Services across the UK, Ireland, Middle East and South Africa (UKIMESA) region. “It is a great privilege to be given an opportunity to lead Hewlett Packard Enterprise in South Africa, during an important time in our history,” said Dube. “The South African team has shown great resilience to overcome challenges during the past year and are excelling as…

MTN Group today announced the appointment of Hermann Tischendorf as our Chief Technology & Information Officer for Digital and Fintech. “We are delighted to have a seasoned executive of Hermann’s calibre joining our growing DigiFin team,” says MTN Group Chief Digital and Fintech Officer Serigne Dioum. “He brings the skills and experience that will accelerate innovative digital and fintech advancements in line with our strategic intent of leading digital solutions for Africa progress.” Hermann joins from 4Finance Group, where he was Chief Technology Officer. He has 30 years of experience in the financial services sector, where he has occupied numerous…

Seeing explosive growth, SHAREit has ranked 4th globally after Google, Facebook and TikTok in the recently released AppsFlyer non-gaming Retention and IAP Index report across all categories. In Africa, the app has placed 8th in the gaming category on Android across the continent and ranks #8 globally across the various gaming categories. The attractive proposition to share files and games without using costly data has ensured the app’s popularity in South Africa with around 20m monthly active users. SHAREit’s Game Centre has attracted a huge following offering one of the world’s largest catalogues of over 2000 mobile games. With games…

Standard Bank today brings its customers Apple Pay, a safer, more secure and private way to pay that helps customers avoid handing their payment card to someone else, touching physical buttons or exchanging cash — and uses the power of iPhone to protect every transaction. Customers simply hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near a payment terminal to make a contactless payment. Every Apple Pay purchase is secure because it is authenticated with Face ID, Touch ID, or device passcode, as well as a one-time unique dynamic security code. Apple Pay is accepted in grocery stores, pharmacies, taxis, restaurants, coffee…

Vodacom customers can now enjoy out-of-bundle rates from as little as R0.49c and up to R5.00 when travelling to over 156 countries across 656 partner networks. This is a price cut of up to 88%. As the vaccination rollout continues, with 24,4% fully vaccinated South Africans as at the end of November, Vodacom hopes that customers will once again get to enjoy leisure travel soon. “We are on a mission to give value to our customers at every touchpoint of our business. We have slashed our data roaming prices by up to 88%, another way we strive to fulfil our…

Platzi, a professional education platform in Latin America, has raised $60 million (R955 million) in Series B funding led by Prosus, one of the largest technology investors in the world. Existing investor Foundation Capital co-invested in this round along with YCombinator, 500 Startups, FJ Labs, FundersClub, Hans Tung from GGV and Darian Shirazi from Gradient. Platzi will use the fresh funds to expand its educational offering in Portuguese, English and Spanish, ramp up its offering for businesses and continue building strategic partnerships with tech giants and governments. Founded by Freddy Vega and Christian Van Der Henst, Platzi aims to close…