Author: Staff Writer

MTN Group’s commitment to improve our environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance has led to a significant upgrade in the Group’s ESG rating by FTSE Russell, and the inclusion of MTN in the FTSE/JSE Responsible Investment Top 30 Index. Noting an improvement across each of the ESG pillars, FTSE upgraded MTN’s overall rating to 4.3 at the end-December 2021 from 2.9 previously. The ratings are scored out of 5.0. In the telecoms sector, MTN moved from the 34th percentile in December 2019 – the last time such a ranking was performed – to the 97th percentile in December 2021. MTN…

Wamly, the one-way video interview software startup has secured a second round investment from South African venture capital firm, Knife Capital. The deal sees Davey Gant, Knife Capital partner based in UK, joining the Wamly board of directors. Wamly is one-way video interview software that connects great companies to talented people and helps the world hire better people faster. It allows companies to recruit vacant positions without the need for one-on-one interviews, allowing them to interview more people and better candidates, faster. The software allows them to filter through applications quicker, review in their own time, and shortlist the best…

Huawei South Africa’s Seeds for the Future class of 2021 has been placed in the top ten of the organisation’s global Tech4Good programme competition, winning recognition for their project aimed at protecting the country’s endangered rhino population from ongoing poaching. The South African project, called “SA-Tech – South Africa’s Intrusion Detection System”, beat out entries from 79 other countries around the globe and placed in the top 10 alongside those from Argentina, Thailand, Brazil, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Poland, Vietnam, and Bangladesh. Additionally, it was placed in the top three in the Tech4Good’s Audience Award, which is voted for by social…

Keeping kids safe online is one of the greatest anxieties of modern parenting.  Trying to create limits, impose restrictions and constantly monitor your child roaming free across the uncontrolled, and often dangerous digital landscape is fraught, time-consuming and exhausting.  Yet, it must be done in the name of responsible parenting.  It’s not enough to apply a parental control app and make a few rules about screen time limits. Online or offline, parents have the same responsibility to keep their children safe.  From being groomed by sex predators and easily connecting with drug sellers to being victimised through cyberbullying or coming…

Huawei has earned its place as a Top Employer in South Africa, for a fifth year running, as determined by the Top Employers Institute, the global authority on excellence in people practices. At the Top Employer Awards Ceremony held this week, Huawei also received accreditation as Continental HQ Top Employer for 2022 in Sub Saharan Africa. In addition to South Africa, Huawei also received the prestigious award in Zambia, Kenya, Nigeria, Angola, Ghana, Botswana, Mauritius and Uganda. Through the Top Employers Institute certification programme, participating companies are annually assessed, surveyed, and accredited as leading employers in respect of their Human…

Mercedes-Benz announced today the introduction of five full Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) for South Africa in 2022. Through the introduction and inauguration of Mercedes-EQ to the South African market – the all-electric world of Mercedes-Benz and the brand which represents all electric-powered vehicles, Mercedes-Benz provided further proof that the age of electric mobility has arrived. Five new models from the global Mercedes-EQ range will be launched during the course of 2022 in South Africa as part of a clear strategic push to position the brand as a global and local leader in the electric vehicle market. The range for 2022…

Orderin, SA’s B2B delivery-as-a-service platform, has raised $4.7 million (R71 million) in a recently closed pre-series B funding round. The funding will allow the business to scale up infrastructure and enhance last-mile delivery, which continues to be a pain point for many businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMMEs). The money raised in this latest round of funding brings total investment to R303 million, having raised R6.5 million in pre-seed funding, R38.5 million in seed funding and R285 million in operational capital between 2018 and October 2021. This supplements the delivery network’s biggest round of funding, which raised R102 million…

Ithala Bank-backed FinTech startup BlackPay announced the launch of a number of loan products tailored for traditionally black festivities. From the product names – Lobola Loan, Mcimbi (traditional ceremony) Loan, etc. – BlackPay has carved out features that address the specific needs of its market, powered by its alternative credit scoring technology which is approved by its licensed banking partners. Last year, Ithala Bank and Black Pay created a partnership aimed at financing township and rural development across the country. The alliance, valued at $15 million or R250 million, will finance township and rural development through home loans, backyard flats, and…

Invenfin, the venture and growth capital division of South African investment group Remgro, announced the acquisition by Aleph of South African media sales business, Ad Dynamo. The acquisition by Aleph, global partner to the world’s biggest digital media players, will accelerate Ad Dynamo into its next phase of growth — scaling its services to more platforms and more countries across the African continent. Ad Dynamo is the exclusive media sales partner for Twitter, Snap, Spotify and other platforms across Sub-Saharan Africa, and is viewed as the continent’s leading digital media sales business. Based in Cape Town, South Africa, the company has…

Tiger Brands has appointed Barati Mahloele as the company’s Venture Capital Fund Director. She joins the business from Zebu Investment Partners where she was vice president Investments. In her new position at Tiger Brands, Barati will be responsible for leading the company’s Venture Capital Fund which was launched in mid-2021. The fund’s mandate is to invest in startup businesses that align to Tiger Brands’ consumer-relevant growth platforms of health, nutrition, snackification, and economical food options, and to grow these businesses alongside the entrepreneurs running them. “Through the Venture Capital Fund we are looking to expand our participation in new product…

More than 7.6-million people around the world tuned in to watch a unique 5G live stream hosted by Huawei on Telkom’s 5G temporary network from Boulders Beach near Cape Town, home to the largest group of African Penguins in South Africa. “The popularity of the live stream demonstrates just how transformative 5G will be, not just in business and entertainment but also for education, conservation, and the promotion of tourism,” says Yang Chen, VP, Huawei Southern Africa. Held on 9 December 2021, the live stream was designed to showcase the capabilities of 5G and illustrate the power of technology in…

Audi South Africa is in partnership with GridCars to install ultra-fast charging stations across the country and will become the first electric vehicle brand to invest in this technology through publicly accessible sites. The 150kW public chargers initiated by Audi will be the first for the South African market. The charge points will provide up to 150kW of direct current (DC) charge to electric vehicles; meaning that an Audi e-tron 55 (with a 95kWh battery) will charge from 10% to 90% in approximately 30 minutes. As part of this, Audi will invest in setting up 70 new EV charge connectors…

Global customer experience management firm iSON Xperiences has been appointed as the outsourced customer service provider for MTN South Africa. Combined with the Vodacom business attained through its recent acquisition of Altron People Solutions, this five-year deal sees iSON Xperiences now covering more than 50% of the market share in the telecom segment in the country. “The project sees iSON Xperiences managing half of the outsourced customer service business of MTN South Africa. We feel we can add considerable value to the organisation, given our extensive experience in the telecom sector in Africa and the rest of the world,” says…

South African-based mobile games publisher Carry1st bags $20 million or R307 million to scale interactive content across Africa. The Series A extension is led by Andreessen Horowitz, with participation from Avenir and Google. The round represents Andreessen Horowitz’s first investment in a company headquartered in Africa, and Partners David Haber (fintech) and Jonathan Lai (gaming) will be joining Carry1st’s board as observers. A number of prominent angel investors participated in the round, including Grammy winner and renowned crypto investor Nas, and founders of Chipper Cash, Sky Mavis, and Yield Guild Games. In addition, investors from Carry1st’s May 2021 Series A are…

MNT-Halan, Egypt’s FinTech player, has announced the successful addition of its Buy-Now-Pay-Later (BNPL) feature to its comprehensive digital ecosystem that includes small and micro-business lending, payments, consumer finance, bill payments, e-commerce, and delivery, all of which are backed by Neuron, the company’s proprietary technology. As Egypt’s first provider of the full BNPL experience through the Halan consumer and merchant apps, users are given all the tools they need to purchase, pay and have delivered anything they want when they want it. Merchants benefit from accelerated growth in their business and increased customer loyalty by offering payment flexibility. Customers are also…

Oracle today announced the availability of its first cloud region in Africa to meet the rapidly growing demand for enterprise cloud services on the continent. The Oracle Cloud Johannesburg Region will boost cloud adoption across Africa while also helping businesses achieve better performance and drive continuous innovation. “The fourth industrial revolution, which is powered by cloud-led technologies, has significantly accelerated in South Africa and the wider African continent,” said Richard Smith, executive vice president, EMEA, Oracle. “In recent months, cloud technologies have played a vital role in helping African public and private sector organisations ensure business continuity, deliver essential services,…

SAP has appointed Emmanuel Raptopoulos as the new president for SAP’s EMEA South region, which comprises Southern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In this capacity, he will report to Scott Russell, SAP Executive Board member, Customer Success. With a presence in 75 countries, 24 offices and ~5000 employees across the region, EMEA South is at the forefront of SAP’s transformation to the cloud. Raptopoulos, who is based in Milan, succeeds Claudio Muruzabal, who has been promoted to President of SAP’s global Cloud Success Services organisation. This newly established organisation unites an impressive driving force of over 20 000 of…

Microsoft announced today it would buy videogame maker Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion or R1.1 trillion in cash. The tech group said this acquisition will accelerate the growth in its gaming business across mobile, PC, console and cloud and will provide building blocks for the metaverse. When the transaction closes, Microsoft will become the world’s third-largest gaming company by revenue, behind Tencent and Sony. The planned acquisition includes iconic franchises from the Activision, Blizzard and King studios like “Warcraft,” “Diablo,” “Overwatch,” “Call of Duty” and “Candy Crush,” in addition to global eSports activities through Major League Gaming. The company has…

Vodacom’s proposed acquisition of a 55% stake in Vodafone Egypt cleared a crucial hurdle today when Vodacom minority shareholders overwhelmingly voted in favour of the transaction. At a General Meeting this morning, shareholders also approved resolutions that pave the way to fund the circa R41 billion ($2.7 billion) transaction. Subject to the final outstanding regulatory approvals, Vodacom will fund the acquisition of Vodafone Group plc’s 55% stake in Vodafone Egypt by issuing 242 million new ordinary shares at R135.75 per share in addition to around R8.2 billion ($548 million) in cash. “This is an exciting and important milestone for Vodacom…

South Africa’s telecoms sector is off to a promising start in 2022 with the finalisation by the Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) of the number portability framework and the provision of a firm commencement date. This is according to South Africa’s Independent Service Providers’ Association (ISPA) which has for a decade and a half been calling for the full implementation of number portability. That call was finally heard and ICASA on 15 December 2021 published the relevant Number Portability Regulations in the Government Gazette. Most importantly, ICASA proclaimed that the Number Portability Regulations will come into force on 07…

From better healthcare access to improved food security, machine learning could tackle a wide range of challenges in developing countries. In 2020, a study published in Nature showed that Google’s machine learning artificial intelligence programme, DeepMind AI, outperformed radiologists in detecting breast cancer. After being trained on thousands of mammograms, the system was able to accurately identify 89% of breast cancer cases, compared to radiologists’ 74%. Just imagine what a difference the deployment of such a system could make in sub-Saharan Africa, where there are 0.2 doctors per 1000 people, according to the World Bank. And that’s just the start.…

Google Cloud today announced it is teaming up with Comair, operator of the British Airways brand and the Kulula budget carrier in Sub-Saharan Africa. The collaboration will accelerate the aviation group’s digital transformation plans in line with its mission to deliver seamless travel experiences for customers and help the travel industry regain momentum. Comair completed its infrastructure optimization plans as it migrated six labour-intensive, on-premise data centres to Google Cloud. The migration of traditional IT infrastructure enables the airline to run key workloads that include important financial data, secure customer records, airplane navigation information, and more—all on the cleanest cloud…

Telkom launches Easy Connect Fibre, an entry-level fibre solution for easy connectivity from home. Telkom Easy Connect Fibre is an affordable end-to-end broadband service inclusive of fibre broadband access and uncapped internet. Connection with Telkom Easy Connect Fibre requires no router as an optical network unit with voice capability will be installed. Telkom Easy Connect is a simple fibre connection that gives customers Wi-Fi to help them stay connected to their Monate without the worry of depleting their data or incurring extra charges. With Telkom Easy Connect Fibre, customers are guaranteed to get fast fibre connectivity to suit their budgets.…

Africa’s united for the 2021 CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the sporting events in Cameroon are live on TelkomONE via SABC Sport and a dedicated pop-up channel the streaming service has rolled-out for this pan-African soccer fest. After an opening ceremony this past weekend that captured the outstanding diversity of the African continent and its billion-plus people, the football action has kicked off in earnest. Altogether, some 52 AFCON games will be played until Sunday, 6 February 2022 and TelkomONE viewers will be able to access them live and via the Catch-Up service. Provided they have registered on…

Acer, one of the world’s largest vendors of hardware and electronics, has promoted Glenn du Toit from General Manager to Country Manager. This comes at an exciting time for the company as it continues to bring the latest hardware solutions to South Africa’s consumer, education and enterprise markets. Du Toit has been part of the Acer team for six years, and was appointed General Manager of Acer Africa in April 2020. Prior to this, he served as Head of Consumer Business for Acer Africa, overseeing the expansion of Acer’s business into the African market. Du Toit has extensive experience in…