Author: Staff Writer

Small businesses have suffered extraordinarily at the hands of the pandemic, with certain sectors feeling the true brunt of lost business, but July brings with it a slew of additional challenges that will affect SMEs – and their supply chains – financially. A trifecta of cost increases came into play over the past few weeks, affecting, among other things, the cost of goods and raw materials, consumers’ pockets and quite literally, the price to keep the lights on. This as electricity increased again, municipal services including water and sanitation and property rates rose and fuel prices shot up thanks to…

Ex-Global Switch Managing Director to lead data centre platform expansion as Africa’s data demand accelerates. Actis, the global sustainable infrastructure investor, and Convergence Partners have appointed Jasper Lankhorst as the CEO of the group’s pan-African data centre platform. Jasper will be responsible for the expansion of data centres across the continent to meet Africa’s accelerating demand for data and digital infrastructure. The new appointment follows Actis’ wider strategy to capitalise on the growing demand for digital infrastructure across the globe. With over 25 years of experience within the international data centre and internet infrastructure sector, Jasper will lead on expanding…

Employee wellness app Strove has raised a R4 million seed funding round led by VC firm Launch Africa. Strove, founded in 2020 by Chris Bruchhausen in partnership with venture builder The Delta, released their initial product in January this year and has already raised R4 million. Strove is an activity-based mobile rewards application that empowers organisations to inspire their employees to live a healthy and active life, combatting inactivity, burnout, and chronic stress. It uses activity-tracking and gamification to incentivize workforces to be their best selves, with rewards coming from over a dozen partner brands, such as Old Khaki, Poetry,…

CMCNetworks, Africa, and the Middle East’s premier data network provider has announced enhancements to its SD-WAN delivery network. Long recognized as an innovator in the world of networking, CMC Networks has changed the game in service delivery by standardizing on Juniper Networks’ STEP (Service and Topology Exchange Protocol) for service delivery to its customer base across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. The move allows CMC to leverage the intelligence of Juniper Session Smart™ Routers to build an infrastructure that can learn network topology and service information dynamically, enabling the delivery of intelligent services with unprecedented speed and efficiency. Geoff Dornan,…

The DA has today laid incitement to violence charges against Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, Edward Zuma, Duduzane Zuma and EFF leader Julius Malema in Cape Town. DA MP Glynnis Breytenbach laid the criminal charges in Cape Town on Wednesday. Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla has posted a number of tweets over the course of the last few days encouraging and inciting the violence and looting which has destablised KwaZulu-Natal and parts of Gauteng, said Breytenbach. “These tweets have typically included images of destruction, arson and looting with Duduzile expressing her support of these actions in the captions of the tweets.” Please see screenshots here and here. There is…

Koa Academy, an online school that combines online learning and the flexibility of home-schooling for grades 4 – 12, in South Africa has bagged R4 million investment from Enygma Ventures. “The education sector has been in need of an overhaul for a long time and the Covid-19 pandemic further highlighted this need for innovative solutions in the space” said Sarah Dusek, Co-founder and Managing Partner for Enygma Ventures. “The Koa team brings with them years of experience in education, combined with an innovative and exciting approach to tackle this challenge.” Koa was launched in October 2020 with a vision to…

TymeBank, South Africa’s fastest-growing challenger bank, has scored high in the latest digital banking SITEisfaction report, with a positive shift – from fourth to third place – in how respondents rate TymeBank’s mobile banking offering. This achievement places the challenger bank ahead of some of the country’s legacy banks. The 2021 index also shows the bank maintained its status as one of the country’s top three providers of digital banking, as rated by customers. It is only the second time TymeBank has featured in the survey, which measures customer experience across a combination of internet and mobile banking platforms since…

The government has issued a stern warning to those inciting violence and disregard of the law with inflammatory messages on social media. This warning was on Tuesday relayed by Ministers in the Justice, Crime Prevention, and Security (JCPS) cluster during a media briefing amid a flurry of public violence flare-ups in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. Chaotic scenes have been playing out in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, leaving many businesses gutted and looted by protesters, who are reportedly calling for the release of former President Jacob Zuma from jail. The Cybersecurity Act states that any person who “unlawfully makes available, broadcasts…

As violent looting and damage to businesses and infrastructure continue in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, police had by Monday evening arrested 489 people. Of these, 166 were in KwaZulu-Natal and 323 in Gauteng. The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) on Tuesday welcomed the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in support of the operations of the South African Police Service (SAPS). The NATJOINTS said it had intensified deployments in all the affected areas in the two provinces and this would be augmented by SAPS recalling operational members from leave and rest days. This will increase the…

One of South Africa’s most prominent tech solutions providers, Altron Systems Integration (Altron SI), has officially partnered with Teraco Data Environments (Teraco), Africa’s largest vendor-neutral colocation data centre provider. Through this partnership, Altron SI and its customers have the advantage of deploying within the most interconnected cloud ecosystem in Africa. Chief Digital and Technology Officer at Altron SI, Vaugn Naidoo believes this marks the beginning of a beneficial partnership for his business and its customers. “The interconnection density present within Teraco’s facilities is not available elsewhere in Africa.” He says Teraco’s diverse ecosystem is home to all major cloud on-ramps…

Telkom officially shut down all its stores in KwaZulu-Natal yesterday – in light of recent unrest and protests across the country that are especially concentrated in that province – and had closed stores in some parts of the country, in the interest of the safety of its customers and staff alike. Please note that from 13 July 2021 all Telkom stores across the country will be closed until the situation can be assessed fully and it can be established that it is completely safe to resume business activities. Everyone is encouraged to use the self-service channels in the meantime by…

The construction industry hasn’t changed in centuries and is ultimately still laying bricks and building buildings. Construction giant Stefanutti Stocks has not only been able to transform the face of their IT department as an early adopter of the cloud but has also managed to face work from home disruptions without missing a beat with the migration of their VMware cloud environment from Europe to South Africa. Stefanutti Stocks is a major listed player in the South African and Sub-Saharan African construction market. It employs 7,500 people and earns billions in annual revenue with projects running from Cape Town to…

The new Samsung Galaxy device is available for purchase through Telkom’s online channel and in stores across the country on FreeME Plans from 10 July 2021. Qualifying customers for the deal include; new and existing Telkom Mobile and Business subscribers as well as Prepaid and Post-paid subscribers. The Samsung Galaxy A22 offers exceptional value for money as the successor to the Galaxy A21. First off, it features an immersive display and versatile camera which are bound to catch the eye. This world-class smartphone also gives users the opportunity to experience next-generation performance, demonstrating Samsung’s commitment to providing accessible devices without…

Vantage Capital, Africa’s largest mezzanine fund manager, announced today the successful first close on its fourth mezzanine fund. With $207 million or R2.9 billion of commitments from European and US-based commercial investors as well as development finance institutions (DFIs), including IFC, CDC Group and SIFEM, Vantage Mezzanine Fund IV is on track to reach its target total fund size of $350 million. The fund will provide mid-sized African businesses with flexible capital that will enhance job creation and facilitate much-needed economic opportunities and growth – especially necessary for post-Covid-19 recovery. “Vantage is proud of the continued support received from its…

There is no doubt that South Africa currently faces a massive power challenge, with load shedding a disruptive reality that all but a few off-grid citizens have to deal with. At the same time, it’s growing increasingly clear that the country needs to drastically reduce its carbon emissions. According to The Global Carbon Atlas, South Africa is the 12th biggest emitter of greenhouse gases on the planet and the biggest in Africa. There is a strong and urgent need to accelerate the growth of renewable energy across the region to ensure sufficient, affordable, reliable energy supply for individuals, businesses, and…

The European antitrust authorities announced Thursday it has fined Daimler, BMW and VW nearly $1 billion or R14 billion for colluding on technical development in the area of nitrogen oxide cleaning. The European Commission said in a statement it has imposed a fine of € 875 189 000. Daimler was not fined, as it revealed the existence of the cartel to the Commission. All parties acknowledged their involvement in the cartel and agreed to settle the case. “The five-car manufacturers Daimler, BMW, Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche possessed the technology to reduce harmful emissions beyond what was legally required under EU…

The Nigerian Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has engaged some commercial banks as agents to freeze and recover N1.8 trillion or R63 billion from accounts of MultiChoice Nigeria Limited And MultiChoice Africa. The companies are owned by South African-based MultiChoice Group. The Nigerian Premium Times reported that the FIRS explained that the decision to appoint the banks as agents and to freeze the accounts was as a result of the groups’ continued refusal to grant FIRS access to their servers for audit. The publication said FIRS further noted that the level of non-compliance by Multi-Choice Africa (MCA), the parent Company…

Lexus has eclipsed the major milestone of two million global sales of electrified vehicles at the end of the first quarter of 2021. The company said this reflects its commitment to the reduction of CO2 emissions across a significant number of luxury segments and a clear indication that like sister-brand Toyota, Lexus is firmly on the path to carbon-neutrality. This commitment will continue with confirmation that Lexus International will reveal the first Lexus plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) in 2021, and the first Lexus battery electric vehicle (BEV) on a dedicated platform in 2022. By 2025, Lexus International will debut…

We have received several queries from readers on what are the criteria for eligibility to access a R150 million set aside by the Mineworkers Investment Company to invest in black-owned innovative, high growth businesses in South Africa. We have generated from MIC Khulisani Ventures, a R150 million early-stage investment vehicle, website a quick overview highlighting the eligibility criteria. MIC Khulisani Ventures will be investing in businesses that are established, and ready to expand their market footprint through business development, increased team capacity and continued development of products and services. For more read: Mineworkers Investment Company Sets Aside R150 Million To Invest…

Founders Factory Africa (FFA), a venture development company based in Johannesburg, South Africa, has announced a move to fund three new pan-African startups. The Covid-19 pandemic has had wide-reaching health and economic impact across Africa and FFA has identified a more urgent need to empower individuals and communities by transforming the start-up economy across the continent. Working with its corporate investors Standard Bank Group and Netcare, FFA announced that they will be welcoming Wazi (Kenya), Asaak (Uganda), and Revix (South Africa) to join their portfolio of more than 25 companies. All three startups have developed product offerings targeted at the…

Mineworkers Investment Company (MIC) today announced the launch of MIC Khulisani Ventures, a R150 million early-stage investment vehicle targeting black-owned innovative, high growth businesses in South Africa. MIC Khulisani Ventures will invest in promising high-growth potential companies across all sectors, with the exception of primary agriculture and primary extractive industries. The focus is innovation, namely innovative products or services that disrupt traditional markets, improve efficiencies or respond creatively to existing problems in South Africa. “We are thrilled to be introducing a unique offering to a broad-set of black-owned innovative ventures with exponential growth potential,” MIC CEO, Mary Bomela said. “MIC…

Cape Town-based data collaboration startup that specialises in secure data sharing for businesses Omnisient has secured $1.4 million or R20 million in funding for global expansion. Omnisient has created secure data exchange platform that ensures companies can protect personal information and intellectual property while sharing data internally or externally. Since its launch, the platform has gained major traction amongst SA businesses, including leading banks, insurers and retailers. The startup said the R20 million investment will be used to expand its team, accelerate product development, and drive international expansion. “We have brought in visionary international investors – Technova, Grand Bay Ventures, Tahseen Consulting,…

In an effort to make sure leading South African registered international cycling Team Qhubeka NextHash are protected during the upcoming Tour de France and beyond, Biodx has signed a partnership agreement to supply the team with disinfectants for hands, surfaces and spaces (vehicles, hotel rooms..) based on its active ingredient b bioactive. As one of the world’s top 20 ranked pro cycling teams the demand to meet their fans as well as the media and guests on the Tour de France means a lot of personal interaction. With proven 99.987% efficacy against SARS-CoV-2, b bioactive is a South African biotechnology…

At the end of a very long, very expensive five years of testing and following a rigorous, strict application process, Biodx has finally achieved EU registration for their b bioactive (DECONT-X) disinfectant technology. Biodx is on a journey to reduce society’s dependence on synthetic chemicals. “It’s been a daunting road but one where the end was only possible with the help of a dedicated team, whose assistance made this dream a reality,” says Burt Rodrigues, proud CEO of Biodx. Rodrigues added that Dr Mark Kelly, Biodx’s Chief Scientist who has been with me every step of the way, scientist Dr…

Huawei RuralStar Pro Solution was named the winner of the Global Mobile (GLOMO) Award for ‘For Best Mobile Innovation for Emerging Markets’, presented Wednesday at MWC Barcelona 2021. The GLOMOs showcase and celebrate the latest and best mobile and digital products, apps, devices, services, and initiatives to the world.  They are the connectivity industry’s most prestigious accolade, judged by the sector’s most prominent subject matter experts. The award confirms that Huawei’s contribution to the digital lives of those in emerging markets is highly recognized by the industry. The judges agreed: “A great example of how different technologies are combined and…