Author: Staff Writer

NEDBANK’Ssuper app Avo, launched during the national lockdown height, is now reaching more than 250 000 South African users and thousands of businesses. Nedbank first launched the Avo ‘super app’ in June 2020, offering customers and broader South African consumers access to online shopping, essential services, and financial products. The Avo Super App is a combined marketplace app that integrates a bunch of shopping options into one app. This includes the ability to order essential goods and food with OneCart, home entertainment shopping, and access to home service providers. However, as the nation was already in hard lockdown, the platform had to…

Mastercard has launched a Priceless Cause that enables consumers to be a force for good, make a difference, and give back to those who need it most amidst the pandemic. Each time a Mastercard cardholder “Taps to Pay” with their Mastercard contactless card or “Scans to Pay” with their Masterpass app or any other Masterpass-enabled Scan to Pay banking app when they pay at the till point at any Shoprite, USave or Checkers stores, Mastercard will donate to Gift of the Givers Foundation. The initiative, which runs until 15 August 2021, gives South Africans the opportunity to support humanitarian relief efforts…

Bentley is expanding its offering of electrified cars by introducing the Flying Spur Hybrid, a plug-in hybrid version of its luxury saloon.  The introduction of the Flying Spur Hybrid establishes a family of Bentley hybrids for the first time, emphasising Bentley’s commitment to its Beyond100 strategy to become an end-to-end carbon neutral organisation and the world’s leading sustainable luxury mobility company. The new Flying Spur becomes the most efficient Bentley ever having the capability to cover over 700 km when fully fuelled. With high power reserves, superior torque and quick throttle response the latest hybrid model gives little away to…

The Gauteng Department of Treasury negligently paid Microsoft $20 million or R287 million instead of R20 million, the Democratic Alliance said on Tuesday. In a statement on Tuesday, the DA’s Gauteng shadow MEC for finance and e-government, Adriana Randall, said the Gauteng Department of Treasury has lost R6.8 million of taxpayers’ money, which could have bought the country 48 000 Johnson and Johnson vaccines and protected many innocent lives from COVID-19. “Provincial Treasury erroneously processed an amount of $20 913 793.81 instead of the rand value of R20 913 793.81 as per e-Government payment advice, for the cost of Microsoft…

Roblox announced today a partnership with Sony Music Entertainment to work together to develop innovative music experiences for the community of the video game platform. The partnership will also offer a range of new commercial opportunities for Sony Music artists to reach new audiences and generate new revenue streams around virtual entertainment. The agreement builds on an existing relationship between the two companies that includes previous collaborations such as Lil Nas X’s hit virtual performance on Roblox in November 2020 and more recently the Zara Larsson Launch Party on Roblox in May 2021. Over 36 million people watched Lil Nas X…

EOH Holdings is on the verge of being blacklisted from doing business with the government as punishment for a tender fraud scandal that surfaced three years ago and ensnared the IT company in the state capture project, Business Day has learnt. Business Day newspaper reported this on Tuesday, saying EOH has approached the State IT Agency (SITA) “in mitigation of sentence for its past misconduct”. Herewith a full response from EOH: Overview When the corruption scandal broke early in February 2019, the new leadership of EOH approached its customers, partners, Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA), Department of National Treasury (DNT)…

FinTech player Zeepay has secured R112 million or $7.9 million in funding from Verdant Capital, a specialist investment bank and investment manager operating on a pan-African basis. Zeepay is a pioneer of digital remittances from the diaspora to mobile wallets, bank accounts and visa cards across 20 markets in Africa, where it either operates a mobile money business or has approved partnerships. The business is successfully transitioning into integrated omnichannel digital payments and value-added financial services provider operating across the continent. Verdant Capital positioned Zeepay’s $7.9 million equity and debt raise as Series A.0. Zeepay, prior to the fundraise, had…

Liquid Technologies and Facebook announced a partnership to build an extensive long haul and metro fibre network in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The metro fibre network is expected to improve internet access for more than 30 million people and help meet the growing demand for regional connectivity across Central Africa. Facebook will invest in fibre build and support network planning. Liquid Technologies will own, build and operate the fibre network, and provide wholesale services to mobile network operators and internet service providers. The network will help create a digital corridor from the Atlantic Ocean through the Congo Rainforest,…

The Global Partnership for Ethiopia (GPE) has today appointed Anwar Soussa as the Managing Director (MD) of its Operating Company in Ethiopia, effective 1st July 2021. He will report to the board of the Ethiopia entity and the Safaricom PLC CEO. Anwar is currently the Managing Director of Vodacom DRC and the Chairperson of Vodacash (M-PESA), a position he has held since 2017. He has cemented Vodacom DRC as the largest Vodacom operation outside of South Africa by driving operational performance, crossing the $500 million in service revenue mark for the first time in 2020. Anwar will lead the Ethiopian…

The Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Pretoria (UP) and Steve Biko Academic Hospital have welcomed a mobile robot called Stevie to help improve the treatment of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Named after Steve Biko – one of the most prominent leaders during South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle – Stevie works at the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and will be vital in allowing for a bedside ward round attended by ICU teams across the globe. This will be done through instant live discussion and communication daily between German and South African intensive-care unit teams. Academic and Clinical…

South African Venture Capital company Kalon Venture Partners, the digital technology Venture Capital company, has successfully completed its final Section 12 J capital raise with Assets Under Management of over a quarter of a billion rand. Kalon’s first fund started in 2016 and invested in nine disruptive technology companies and its second fund invested in seven of those companies.  Kalon is now seeking innovation-led South African entrepreneurs to deploy its war chest of capital. “The Section 12 J initiative enabled South African investors to participate in the exciting venture capital asset class. The Section 12 J initiative was born in…

According to the 2021 Consumer Pulse SA report, 83% of households reported that they view savings as more important now than before the COVID-19 pandemic, as a result, lockdown has had a positive effect on people’s commitment to put away spare money. Figures from Liberty Group’s savings app, Stash by Liberty, show a significant increase in people putting money away from the start of the COVID-19 restrictions by making use of online money management apps like this. Downloads on the app increased by more than 130% since the onset of the COVID-19 lockdowns in April last year. Along with this,…

Telkom announced on Thursday the resignation of non-executive director Alphonzo Samuels for “personal reasons”. His resignation is effective today. “(The board) extends its gratitude to Samuels for his contribution and wishes him well in his future endeavours,” the company said. Telkom also informed investors it has appointed Mses Olufunke Ighodaro (Funke) and Ethel Matenge-Sebesho as independent non-executive. Their appointment is effective today. The telco said Funke is a commercially astute and experienced business leader who has served on the boards of several private and publicly listed companies, bringing diverse and extensive leadership experience and expertise in a large number of…

To extend its international footprint, Vodacom Business Africa has taken a step into Brazil, thereby increasing its fixed-connectivity coverage to five continents across the globe. This trans-Atlantic connection has been made possible through the undersea South Atlantic Cable System, which is the first to directly link the African continent’s southern hemisphere with South America. With the latest addition of Brazil, the extensive network reach now spans South America in addition to Africa, the Middle East, Europe and North America, further cementing Vodacom Business Africa’s position as Africa’s global connectivity partner of choice. The drive to support the globalisation of multinational…

During MWC Barcelona 2021, Huawei Executive Director and president of Carrier BG Ryan Ding said, operators have seen faster revenue growth in countries where 5G is developing faster; ICT infrastructure, as the cornerstone of the digital economy, is playing an increasingly important role in the new normal created by the pandemic. During his keynote speech, Ding emphasised that the value of ICT transcends the telecoms industry and has transformative implications for the global economy as a whole. “The rapid development of digital infrastructure driven by 5G will add EUR1.9 trillion to the Chinese economy in the next five years. We…

SHAREit, the global internet technology company that has built numerous popular tools and digital entertainment content applications have confirmed Chanel Hardman’s appointment as the new Country Director for Africa. The role is a jointly appointed role by SHAREit and PerformDM and involves working to manage sales operations, develop strategic solutions and work alongside the PerformDM’ team to drive growth on the continent. SHAREit, the world’s most extensive file-sharing, gaming and content streaming application, is paying significant attention to the continent, recently ranked as the No.2 fastest-growing media publisher in Africa in the AppsFlyer’s latest Performance Index. In South Africa, the…

If you haven’t heard of the FOMO App then you really are missing out, this is the not so new South African app that shows you where the restaurants’ specials, events and activities are based on your location. The FOMO App has very quickly become a household name and tool that diners are using to find their specials and with over 60k downloads this app surely has some pull in South Africa. But what happens when restaurants aren’t fully operational? The FOMO App has decided to give back to the ailing restaurant industry by freezing all payments for existing paying…

Ukheshe Technologies has confirmed the establishment of a new joint venture with ForexPeople, one of South Africa’s most trusted names in forex with over 20 years’ experience, to seamlessly facilitate cross border payments from South Africa into Africa. The service will extend from South Africa to more than 40 countries across Africa, including Africa’s largest economies. The joint venture comes at a time when the demand for online money transfers is at its highest due to the COVID-19 pandemic and consumers become more comfortable with digital-first payment solutions. Over $48 billion (R684 billion) are remitted throughout Africa annually, a figure…

Showmax Pro subscribers across the continent will soon be able to live stream hundreds of Olympic events on the streaming service from 23 July – 8 August 2021. The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 were postponed to 2021 as a result of the COVID pandemic. While World War I and II led to three Olympics being cancelled completely – in 1916, 1940 and 1944 – this is the first time that a Summer Olympic Games has been postponed since 1896. The Tokyo 2020 event is going to look very different to previous editions, with strict rules in place around mask-wearing, social…

Volvo has unveiled a new Concept Recharge that the Swedish carmaker says “is a manifesto for the next generation of all-electric Volvos.” Volvo currently has two electric cars in its line-up the XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge. Both electric cars are built on the multi-powertrain CMA platform. “Our Concept Recharge represents a manifesto for the all-electric future of Volvo Cars, as well as a new type of vehicle,” said Robin Page, head of design. “It displays new and modern proportions that go hand-in-hand with increased versatility and shows what technology can enable in terms of design.” The next generation of…

Volvo Cars will take software development in-house as a car’s appeal increasingly becomes more defined by software-driven functions and features, rather than traditional automotive attributes. The next generation of pure electric Volvo models, including the company’s first SUV on a completely new electric-only technology base, will run on Volvo Cars’ own operating system (OS), called VolvoCars.OS, for faster and more flexible development. Coupled with more frequent over-the-air updates to customer cars throughout their lifetime, the company’s aim is to make Volvo cars better every day. VolvoCars.OS will act as an umbrella system for electric Volvo cars. It incorporates the company’s…

In 1988, a Cornell University graduate student named Robert Morris wanted to measure the size of the Internet. He wrote a program that could spread across a network, install itself on machines, and then Morris would count the instances. From that, the now-infamous ‘Morris Worm’ unintentionally became one of the first known widespread cyberattacks, infecting over 6,000 machines. In 2017, the Wannacry malware virus hit an estimated 1 million machines. According to a report cited by Statista, there were 305 million ransomware attacks in 2020, directed not by curious scholars but organised crime and malicious state actors. The scope and…

Agriculture provides significant opportunities for empowering women both personally and for society at large. About 80% of the world’s food is produced by small-scale farming, with women comprising on average 46% of this agricultural labour in sub-Saharan Africa. The potential for female farmers to thrive is potent but requires, the same skills and financial opportunities afforded to male counterparts. Transforming the face of agriculture Targeted initiatives are needed that secure livelihood and empower young South Africans to be better placed to not only provide economically for themselves but give them a route to a fulfilling and secure occupation and healthy…

Enygma Ventures announced today a R4 million investment into Brown and Ayo, an aspirational lifestyle hair brand, focused on natural hairstyles and trends for black women, in South Africa. “We are super excited about this investment as natural hairstyles and products are a fast-growing trend in an extremely lucrative industry” said Lelemba Phiri, operating partner & principal of Enygma Ventures. “Brown and Ayo have a proven track record of being steps ahead of the trend, whilst serving a powerfully growing yet often ignored consumer – the black woman.” Since 2019 Brown and Ayo have been providing a range of natural…

The ACE submarine cable is now live and available for interconnection at three of Teraco’s data centres across South Africa, expanding access to broadband connectivity and digital services in Africa. ACE is the eighth submarine cable system to connect at Teraco, highlighting Teraco’s position as the leading interconnection hub on the African continent. Spanning approximately 17,000 km along the West Coast of Africa, ACE lands in 19 countries before being backhauled by MTN South Africa, the landing partner, into Teraco’s data centre facilities. Michele McCann, Head of Interconnection and Peering, Teraco, says South Africa is a critical hub for access…