Author: Staff Writer
The BMW i Vision Circular concept is the German carmakers’ idea of an electric compact car in 2040, geared toward reducing components and using recycled material. The German carmaker said the four-seater is fully electrically powered and offers a generous amount of interior space within its around four-metre-long footprint. It has furthermore been designed according to circular economy principles across the board and therefore symbolises the BMW Group’s ambitious plan to become the world’s most sustainable manufacturer in the individual premium mobility space. The Vision Vehicle is one of five different concept vehicles with which the BMW Group is presenting how…
The Transport Sector Retirement Fund (TSRF) was the first institutional investor in Heritage Capital, a 100% black women-owned and managed private equity firm. Heritage Capital was established in 2015 and is managed by passionate and highly skilled business partners Philile Maphumulo and Xolisile Ntanzi. The private equity firm has more than R300 million in assets under management. In 2017, TSRF committed R100 million into Heritage Capital’s maiden fund as an initial investment. An additional R50 million was later committed in 2019 to Heritage Capital to increase the investment to R150m. “We are very proud they are doing well under difficult circumstances,” said…
The Transport Sector Retirement Fund (TSRF) has a bold vision for its first integrated and sustainable township investment. The TSRF plans to build a new township that would bring development, economic upliftment, a better life for all, and growth in the fund’s assets. Construction of the new R2.7 billion township, known as Lethabong, will restore dignity to the people of the Vaal through building decent houses. The new township is being built in Sebokeng near the industrial cities of Vanderbijlpark and Vereeniging. A South African National Treasury report shows city performances were being held back by various structural constraints. These…
Avon Justine has launched an attractive and compelling performance-based rewards programme that seeks to enhance women’s earning opportunities, and ensure that they reap the benefits of the growth of the beauty and cosmetics industry. Avon Justine has benchmarked its new rewards programme against that of peers. The programme has been designed to give its army of Sales Representatives a competitive edge, as well as reward them for their loyalty to the brand. “We are excited to introduce the new Avon Justine Rewards programme’s which have been designed to reflect how much we value our relationship with our Sales Representatives and…
Mercedes-Benz has unveiled a new Mercedes-Maybach EQS concept, a luxurious all-electric SUV based on the modular architecture for luxury- and executive-class electric vehicles. The German automaker said that with the Concept EQS, Mercedes-Maybach is providing a clear preview of the first fully electric series-production model for the tradition-steeped luxury brand. This concept car takes the exclusivity of Maybach into a locally emission-free future. The near-production one-off shows identifying features that are characteristic of Maybach – such as the elaborate two-tone paint finish – but with its innovative drive technology, also takes a step towards a significantly more progressive way of…
Huawei recently launched its most stunning SuperCamera phone, the HUAWEI nova 8, in South Africa. The HUAWEI nova 8 is packed with a gorgeous display, a versatile quad-camera and an advanced processor for users to enjoy the most out of content viewing, capturing and sharing. The long battery life and fast charging support gives users peace of mind throughout the day and night. Huawei’s newest nova 8, which was launched last week on 26 August at The Galleria, raises the smartphone experience with a bold design, advanced camera capabilities and productivity-boosting features that have raised a lot of attention. Huawei…
Africa’s leading carrier-neutral co-location data centre provider, Africa Data Centres, has announced plans to build large hyperscale data centres throughout Africa, including the North African countries of Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt. The project will involve building 10 hyperscale data centres, in 10 countries, over the next two years – at a cost of more than $500 million or R7.2 billion. It is being funded through new equity and facilities from leading development finance institutions and multilateral organisations. Africa Data Centres CEO, Mr Stephane Duproz, explains that the finance for the roll-out has been provided by equity and loans to Africa Data…
As part of its commitment to enhancing South Africa’s educational and technological spheres, Exxaro Resources today announced a partnership with the University of Pretoria to establish the first-ever Exxaro Chair in Extended Reality (XR) Technology. Extended Reality technology refers to all real-and-virtual combined environments and human-machine interactions generated by computer technology, including augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR) and virtual reality (VR). Through this partnership, the Exxaro Chair in XR Technology will offer a framework firstly on how the XR technology can be used to address mining industry challenges, and secondly on identifying the best available technologies for…
Franc is an investment app that was founded with a clear vision – to democratise investing in South Africa. It provides simple, easy accessibility to the money market and stock market via one’s mobile phone. It has fast become a loved and trusted local household name, growing 5x in registered users in the last year and a 24x in investors since being launched publicly in September 2019. What makes Franc stand out is how simple it is to use. They don’t try to confuse you with financial lingo, but rather genuinely help you feel empowered and in control of your…
Albert Einstein once said of problems; “If I had an hour to solve a problem, I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and five minutes thinking about solutions.” He would later add, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them”. Einstein might not have realised it at the time but his comments are the foundation of the field of data science today – i.e. thoroughly interrogate the problem and then think about solving it in new and innovative ways. “In the modern era, we have the ability to support human ingenuity with smart…
Recently announced research by the AI Media Group in Cape Town, points towards Johannesburg fast becoming the continent’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tech Capital of Africa Launched in early 2018 the AI Media Group set out to create a new hybrid analysis, trade & advisory operation to build one of the largest communities of technology practitioners discussing the application of AI / 4IR technologies in a business context on the African continent. Dr Nick Bradshaw, Founder and CEO of AI Media stated, “One of our key goals was to assess and showcase the growing emerging market opportunity in the Africa region for…
Discovery Bank, launched in 2018, is slowly gaining traction as more customers sign up to use its digital banking services. The bank is powered by the country’s largest medical aid provider, Discovery Health. Described as the world’s first behavioural bank, the fully digital bank promises to help clients bank healthier and leverages Discovery’s shared-value model. Discovery announced on Thursday that Discovery Bank continued to gain traction with 362 000 clients for the year ended-June 2021 versus 274 000 clients in July 2020. Discovery Health added that the band increased the number of accounts to 649 000 compared to 505 000 …
In just a few years since launching its remote biometric digital authentication and automated on-boarding technology platform, iiDENTIFii has attained Microsoft co-sell Partner status with its biometric digital authentication and automated onboarding solution hosted in Microsoft Azure. This coveted global status is a significant achievement for a South African-based digital identity verification platform, as it effectively positions iiDENTIFii and its end-to-end triangular digital authentication, an official Microsoft commercial marketplace value-add and part of the Microsoft Global Partner Network. “Being honoured with Microsoft Co-sell status is a key milestone for us. It provides recognition for iiDENTIFii as a proven innovative digital…
South African Airways (SAA) is extending the validity of its Voyager Miles and announced the launch of the double miles bonus. Airliner SAA informed loyal customers in an email. See, SAA email below: “As a heartfelt thank you for your patience and support the validity of your Voyager miles due to expire 31 March 2022 is being extended to 31 March 2023. This gives you more time to use your miles as SAA rebuilds its network and reintroduces partners. At the same time, and to jointly celebrate South African Airways return to the skies, you will earn double Voyager miles…
The Golf 8 GTI will officially go on sale from Volkswagen Dealers in South Africa today, 1 September 2021. AVIS was the first customer to take delivery of the Golf 8 GTI in South Africa. “Part of our success as a brand is attributed to sales to the rental industry. Volkswagen has the highest passenger car share of the rental market which is 34%. AVIS remains a key strategic partner for the Volkswagen brand because it accounts for 50% of our rental channel sales,” said Steffen Knapp, head of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars Brand. Over 7 000 units are sold…
The rapid growth of information and digital technologies, perpetuated through the emergence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), has the ability to bring about widespread change for the better. In response to the overwhelming demand for contemporary, fit-for-purpose digital and IT education offerings, MANCOSA (a proud member of the Honoris United Universities network) has today (1 September) launched the School of Information and Digital Technology (SIDT). Education in the field of information and digital technology is no longer an exclusive domain for aspiring tech-fundi’s, IT managers and chief IT officers. Instead, digital and IT education is now a prerequisite for…
Discovery Bank has announced that Black and Purple cardholders can enjoy faster security clearance with the Discovery Bank Priority Fast Track at the Cape Town International Airport domestic departure hall, making travel more rewarding than ever. This follows the launch of Priority Fast Track at OR Tambo International Airport in July 2020, successfully brought to life by creative agency Pacinamix. “With our world-class app, Discovery Bank clients are used to convenience and banking on the go. Priority Fast Track allows clients to save time and avoid extra stress while travelling. Discovery Bank is designed to share the value that clients…
ASX-listed Zip has announced its intention to fully acquire South African buy now pay later (BNPL) FinTech Payflex as part of its global expansion plans. With a presence in twelve markets across five continents, Zip plans to grow the South African business and expand into other African markets with sizable underbanked, digitally savvy populations that will benefit from innovative payment solutions. Payflex is the first and largest BNPL player in South Africa and has grown from a base of just 70 merchants in 2019 to over 1,000 active merchants today, including leading brands such as Superbalist, Cotton On and Runwaysale.…
The new Huawei Nova Y60 and Nova 8 are part of the new Nova series and this September Telkom is championing Monate and connecting you to these new devices as of 1 September 2021. Telkom’s online channel and physical stores across the country will be showering customers with exemplary service and compelling products with a fresh burst of innovation, as well as devices with features that appeal to all types of users. These two beautiful-looking devices from the nova series will impress you with their top-of-the-line camera specs and larger-than-life batteries. Qualifying customers for the deal include new and existing…
Mercedes-Benz SA has announced that Co-CEO & Executive Director Johannes Fritz, who steered South Africa’s top-selling premium car brand since September 2017, will be moving back to Germany to head up Mercedes-Benz Cars & Vans in Bavaria – one of the largest sales regions in the German market. Fritz, who spent four years in South Africa, believed firmly that the brand’s biggest differentiators in a highly competitive market would be an innovative retail experience, an unwavering focus on customer care and a strong partnership with its agent partners. As such, one of the key achievements of his tenure was the…
Isaac Nape, an emerging South African talent in the study of quantum optics, is part of a crack team of Wits physicists who led an international study that revealed the hidden structures of quantum entangled states. The study was published in the renowned scientific journal, Nature Communications, on Friday, 27 August 2021. Nape is pursuing his PhD at Wits University and focuses on harnessing structured patterns of light for high dimensional information encoding and decoding for use in quantum communication. Earlier this year he scooped up two awards at the South African Institute of Physics (SAIP) conference to add to…
Huawei South Africa supplier, Doreen Mbhalati-Mashele of Deliz Investments has been given a Special Recognition Award at the 2021 BRICS Women Innovation Contest, for her efforts in environmental sustainability, and green design. Mbhalati-Mashele says she was ecstatic to receive this news, especially during August, which is Women’s Month in the country. “I was speechless when I found out that I’d won,” she says. “I didn’t think that I’d be recognised at the BRICS level at this stage of my career. The award has motivated me to go the extra mile when it comes to project delivery, environmental sustainability and job…
PayU, the payments and FinTech business of Prosus, is spending $4.7 billion or R69 billion to buy Indian digital payments provider BillDesk. The proposed acquisition will see PayU, which operates in more than 20 high-growth markets, become one of the leading online payment providers globally by total payment volume (TPV). Acquisition of BillDesk will see PayU become one of the leading online payment providers globally, handling a total payment volume (TPV) of $147 billion or R2.1 trillion. The deal will bring Prosus’s cumulative investment in Indian tech to more than $10 billion or R145 billion. “Our announcement today reflects Prosus’s…
China on Monday announced strict new rules that will ban children from playing online games during weekdays and limit them to just three hours per week. Variety reported that the rules were unveiled by the National Press and Publication Administration in order to curb gaming addiction among teenagers, state news agency Xinhua reported. Gamers aged below 18 will be limited to one hour of online game play, between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday in normal weeks. They will also be allowed to play on statutory public holidays, said the publication. Current rules allow for 90…
South Africa’s operators to give back temporary radio frequency spectrum assignments. ICASA, the country’s communications watchdog, said today that it has resolved that the temporary radio frequency spectrum assigned to licensees will now have to be returned by no later 30 November 2021. The temporary radio frequency spectrum was first assigned by means of an expedited ITA during April 2020 on the initial declaration of the National State of Disaster, which in turn was occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic. ICASA has since twice extended the duration of the temporary radio frequency spectrum assignment, with the last expiry date being 31…