Author: Staff Writer

The BMW X3 might be perfectly at home on rough terrain and winding gravel tracks, but the Mzanzi Edition of this locally-built hero displays another, more athletic dimension to the SAV with a range of sportier features. While the BMW X3 Mzansi Edition remains rugged to its core – it is, after all equipped with xDrive intelligent all-wheel drive as standard – it shows off its street smarts with a range of accessories, including: M Sport package M high-gloss Shadow Line evidenced by the blacked-out kidney grille and frame, M carbon wing mirror caps, Red M Sport brake callipers, A…

JSE-listed tech group Altron has posted an 18% drop in headline earnings per share (HEPS) but increased shareholder returns by announcing an increased dividend for the year ended 28 February 2021. HEPS is South Africa’s main profit gauge. The company announced today that HEPS shrank to 31c a share. However, the group declared 15 cents a share dividend and it also unlocked shareholder value by 152% from a share price of R20.19 to a share value of R50.80. The group said earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) declined 8% to R1 billion. The operating free cash flow of…

Pick n Pay has launched a new and affordable fitness equipment range and Smart Shoppers will receive 12 free online fitness classes when purchasing any product from the new range during the next month. Lockdown became synonymous with home workouts, and many have continued with this habit they adopted when gyms were closed due to the ease it offers. The new LIVEFIT range of exercise equipment consists of over 75 products – ranging from yoga mats, bands, balls, and dumbbell sets to exercise bikes and weightlifting benches and home gyms. Over the next few months, the range will be growing…

NextNow, a world-class African e-hailing company that aims to firmly put the continent on the ride-sharing map. NextNow officially launched its services in Johannesburg on 10 May 2021. “As every other mobility solution provider across the world is securing its own continent, Africa is not going to be left behind. Next is Africa and Now is Africa,” says Head of Operations South Africa, Mlungisi Ntombela. He explains that the homegrown e-hailing service’s competitive pricing will set it apart from established international competitors in the market. It aims to be more affordable than its rival competition. NextNow is launching the following…

Google Cloud announced today a new partnership with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to deliver data, cloud services, and applications to customers at the network edge. The deal will leverage Starlink’s ability to provide high-speed broadband internet around the world and Google Cloud’s infrastructure. SpaceX will begin to locate Starlink ground stations within Google data centre properties, enabling the secure, low-latency, and reliable delivery of data from more than 1,500 Starlink satellites launched to orbit to date to locations at the network edge via Google Cloud. Google Cloud’s high-capacity private network will support the delivery of Starlink’s global satellite internet service, bringing…

Cabinet has welcomed the R3 billion commitment, to transfer the latest technology for producing vaccines and biological therapies to South Africa, announced by Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong. Soon-Shiong, who is a South African born biotechnology entrepreneur, now based in the United States, announced this during a meeting organised by the World Health Organisation, on Wednesday. “Cabinet applauds the active support of Dr Soon-Shiong and other philanthropists for equitable distribution of COVID 19 vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics,” Cabinet said in statement on Thursday. “Cabinet also appreciate the acknowledgement by Dr Soon-Shiong of South Africa’s advancement in the science, the human capital, the…

When we think of computers our mind automatically jumps to big-name brands such as HP, Lenovo and Apple. But aspiring entrepreneur Mpumelelo Mahlangu is aiming to change this perception and show South Africans that local is lekker. Mpumelelo recently founded and is about to launch the first-ever entry-level South African laptop Dot Connect. It’s the first laptop to be launched by a black South African Township-based company and entrepreneur and competes with a wide range of budget entry-level laptops such ASUS, ILIFE and Connex. Mahlangu left matric knowing fully well that university was not his destiny yet after completing his…

The South African Post Office (SAPO) has seen a dramatic increase in members of the public who want to apply for a subsidised television decoder or set-top boxes. This follows the announcement earlier in the year that South Africa will switch to digital television transmissions in early 2022. The country is preparing to migrate from analogue to digital broadcasting. In order to receive digital signals on an ordinary analogue TV set, viewers will need set-top boxes (STBs) or digital-enabled television sets to decode signals. The decoder brings a much better picture quality and a bigger choice of television channels. “The…

According to a new study, South Africa’s online retail more than doubled in just two years, spurred by the explosion in demand for home deliveries brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Online Retail in South Africa 2021, a study conducted by World Wide Worx with the support of Mastercard, Standard Bank and Platinum Seed, reveals that the total growth for online retail in South Africa in 2020 came to 66%, bringing the total of online retail in South Africa to R30,2 billion. “The most astonishing aspect of this total is that it is more than double the R14,1-billion reached in…

DeepMind, an Alphabet company and a world leader in the field of artificial intelligence research and its applications in the real world, has donated scholarship funding for four Wits students to complete their Master’s degrees in the field of machine learning. The scholarships will fund students registering for MSc degrees in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, or Robotics in the academic years between 2022 and 2024. The scholarships, known as the DeepMind Scholarships, will only be awarded to students who would not take up their studies without financial assistance. Preference will also be afforded to South African citizens from underrepresented groups,…

Vodacom Central Region, covering the Free State and Northern Cape provinces, has switched on 21 new 3G and 4G enabled base station sites in deep rural areas across the province during March and April alone. Deployed across 21 villages, these base stations will provide connectivity in some of the big local municipalities in Free State and Northern Cape provinces for the first time. The new sites will deliver fast internet connectivity and connect the unconnected, particularly in deep rural areas of the province to ensure inclusion for all. The new sites in Ubuntu, Joe Morolong, Siyancuma, Tokologo, Mangaung, Tswaing, Ga-Segonyana,…

StuDocu, an Amsterdam-based EdTech (education technology) company that is seeing exceptional growth, is announcing $50 million (over R700 million) Series B funding from Partech. The company plans to invest this capital in further boosting its exponential global growth and South Africa is one of the markets they’d like to expand. StuDocu offers students a platform to exchange knowledge, has passed 15 million users worldwide and reveals they have 100 000 South African students actively using their platform. Before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the world to move from social to remote, little to none was known about EdTech and the companies making…

Pick n Pay is encouraging customers to use over R200 million in unredeemed Smart Shopper points – the amount unclaimed by customers in the last 12 months. These points have been accumulated from everyday swipes and bonus points, or through Pick n Pay partners, such as BP. Pick n Pay’s Smart Shopper – South Africa’s favourite loyalty programme with over 8.5 million active members – last year delivered over R3.5 billion in savings to customers through personalised discounts, instant cash-off discounts with its Smart Price, points and multi-buy deals. But accumulated points worth R200 million have yet to be claimed.…

Marilyn Moodley has been appointed as South African Country Leader for SoftwareONE, an end-to-end cloud technology and software solutions company operating in over 90 countries. An eight-year veteran with the company, Moodley takes over the reins from Grant Bryce who is now leading SoftwareONE Ireland. Her new role comes at an exciting time for SoftwareONE as it rapidly expands its capabilities into areas like SAP migration services, application modernisation and hyperscale cloud services and solutions. In the last six months alone, the organisation has acquired five companies and formed two strategic partnerships – including a global SAP and app modernisation…

WeThinkCode has landed in Durban/eThekwini and applications are open for a full-time, fully-sponsored two-year programming course. The software programming academy is inviting potential candidates in the region to apply to its tuition-free, two-year software programming course which starts in July. One hundred places are available – part of WeThinkCode ’s plan to increase its total student intake to 450 in 2021. The academy already has campuses in Johannesburg and Cape Town. “We know that South Africa has a vast pool of untapped talent with the aptitude to be trained in technology.  At the same time our youth unemployment is among the…

MiX Telematics, a global SaaS provider of connected fleet management solutions, has launched MiX Vision AI – an extensive update to their video telematics offering. With this new solution, MiX Telematics further enhances its ability to help customers worldwide improve driver safety and reduce operating costs. MiX Vision AI leverages machine vision technology to detect and alert drivers and managers to unsafe or risky driving behaviour that impacts road safety. Driver monitoring events include fatigue, phone use, distraction, smoking and seat-belt use, while passive ADAS events include forward collision and lane departure warnings. In-cab, audible alerts warn drivers in real-time…

Global EdTech innovator iXperience secures $2.5 million (R35 million) in Series A funding to accelerate the way the world learns. The funding round was led by Kalon Venture Partners and Caleo Private Equity. iXperience is an educational-tech company that partners with high schools, universities and corporates to provide progressive education programs and services that equip students with industry-focused skills. iXperience was founded in 2013 by two Yale University graduates – CEO Aaron Fuchs (from South Africa) and CPO Rafi Khan (from the United States). The Cape Town-based company started as a coding bootcamp and has since become an industry leader…

Vodacom has partnered with the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to place twenty psycho-social professionals in their Schools of Excellence (SoE) across the country. The initiative, which is aimed at reducing the scourge of violence plaguing schools in this country, is a huge milestone for Vodacom in the fight against gender-based violence in South Africa. The programme is part of Vodacom’s gender-based violence ecosystem, which provides prevention, response, and victim support programs in partnership with government and civil society organisations. Following a rigorous selection process, which commenced in 2020 with the participation of the University of Stellenbosch, so far, ten…

Openserve, SA’s Open Access Service Provider is transforming its customer experience by providing customers with accessible information, additional communication platforms and self-enablement tools through its digital channels and interaction points such as the Openserve Connect App and now its recently re-launched new Openserve Connect website. Connectivity is at the heart of digital transformation and Openserve strives to keep South Africans connected by providing the ultimate broadband experience for households and businesses. The renewed and refreshed website is part of the company’s strategy to reach more South Africans and connect more homes and businesses through digital enablement. “There is a huge…

Clicks Group is buying Pick n Pay Retail Pharmacy Business, including 25 in-store pharmacies which will be rebranded to Clicks, for an undisclosed amount. The JSE-listed company said the acquisition will increase its national presence to 632 pharmacies. Clicks, which is the largest retail pharmacy network in the country, added that it will acquire the pharmacy licences and ethical drug stock, while all staff employed in the pharmacies will transfer from Pick n Pay to Clicks. “The acquisition of the pharmacy chain from Pick n Pay accelerates our strategy of extending the convenience and accessibility of the Clicks pharmacy network,”…

Volvo Car South Africa has announced the pricing for one of the most eagerly awaited cars launched in South Africa this year, namely the XC40 P8 Recharge all-electric. Volvo XC40 P8 Recharge orders are open from Monday, 10 May 2021. The deliveries will commence in August this year, and pricing for the car will start at R1,2 million (incl. VAT). According to Greg Maruszewski, Managing Director at Volvo Car South Africa, the company has worked hard to offer this luxury all-electric vehicle at a competitive price. “All-electric vehicles sold in South Africa have traditionally come with hefty price tags –…

Infobip Group, a global cloud communications platform company for businesses, has acquired the number one SMS firewall service provider Anam. Anam offers solutions to more than 80 mobile network operators (MNOs) with more than 606 million customers across the world. The purchase price remains undisclosed and consists of a combination of cash and Infobip shares. This strategic acquisition strengthens Infobip’s position as the first choice for mobile network operators through enhanced product and service offerings. Their combined product portfolio for MNOs represents an exceptional proposition to mobile operators that will also vastly benefit subscribers and includes best in class SMS Firewall, SMS Hubs,…

If technology optimists are to be believed, we’re about to enter a new “Roaring 20s”, a decade where technology and innovation drive significant improvements in the way we do business, work, live, and play.  Three technologies, in particular, will drive that change:  5G, artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing. And if South Africa is to grow its economy, while ensuring the best possible quality of life for its citizens, it needs to combine the implementation of skills related to these technologies, with the natural human skills of its people. That was the overriding message to come out of a virtual…

Mobicred, an innovative virtual credit product for online shopping, has attracted more than 3 000 online retailers and continues to grow fast, signing over 150 stores a month during the pandemic. Before the pandemic, online shopping was growing at a steady pace. However, the retail landscape has deeply changed this year, due to the spread of COVID-19 and consumers avoiding physical stores. The credit provider’s customers have hundreds of millions of Rands available to spend on their accounts, despite having access to mainstream credit cards. Turning the e-commerce tide Getting this far has been no small feat, given South Africa’s…

ReCharge, an e-commerce subscription platform, today announced that it has raised $277 million (R3,9 billion) in growth capital. The California-based company has raised the funds from Summit Partners, ICONIQ Growth, and Bain Capital Ventures. Founded in 2014, ReCharge was self-funded for over five years before accepting outside financing. The company also announced the appointment of Andrew Collins, Managing Director at Summit Partners to its Board of Directors, and Aaref Hilaly, Partner at Bain Capital Ventures, and Yoonkee Sull, Partner at ICONIQ Growth will join the company as Board Observers. “We believe the most successful bootstrapped companies learn to operate with the utmost efficiency…