Author: Staff Writer
FedEx Express, a subsidiary of Nasdaq-listed FedEx Corp., the world’s largest express transportation company, has launched its new state-of-the-art facility in Johannesburg, near the OR Tambo International Airport. The new Southern Africa hub, which consolidates three facilities into a single location, boosts operational efficiencies to meet growing customer demand across the region. With the new facility, FedEx Express has more than 6,000 m2 dedicated to operations and warehousing, and more than 11,000 m2 of office space in a modern, sustainable building. “Moving to this new facility reinforces our commitment to our customers in the region,” says Taarek Hinedi, vice president…
Prices of pre-owned electric vehicles (EVs) on AutoTrader show some models losing significant value in the first twelve months after registration. Although this might be bad news for those who bought new, it does give a handful of shrewd buyers the opportunity to buy EVs at much-reduced prices. Unfortunately, even in the pre-owned market EVs are still priced well beyond the average motorist’s car budget. Only four EV model ranges are available new in South Africa: the MINI Cooper SE, BMW i3, Jaguar I-PACE and Porsche Taycan. The Nissan LEAF is no longer available, since Nissan South Africa decided not…
The Printer Distribution Company (PDC) has been appointed as an authorised distributor of Honeywell, global leader in Safety and Productivity Services, within the Sub-Saharan Africa region. “We are very excited to have added Honeywell to our portfolio as this appointment enables our extensive partner network to add more value to their respective customers through the provision of world-class product solutions,” says Frikkie Koegelenberg, CEO at PDC. PDC provides industrial, back and front office enterprise printing solutions for customers throughout Africa. The company also distributes a large range of mission-critical printing equipment for the office, industrial marketplace and distribution supply chain.…
The Milken Institute and the Motsepe Foundation today launched the Milken-Motsepe Innovation Prize programme. The multi-year initiative will focus on global innovators and entrepreneurs on developing technological solutions that accelerate progress towards implementing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with a spotlight on the African continent. This programme will include multiple technology prize competitions in the areas of agriculture, energy, education, and health. “Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies have the power to solve complicated socio-economic and human problems. In the hands of entrepreneurs, these technologies can turn Africa into a global economic powerhouse and transform the world,” said Dr.…
Game-changing justice startups looking for the opportunity to take their business to new heights have until 30 April 2021 to enter the prestigious Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL) Innovating Justice Accelerator. Interested applicants can enter via www.hiil.org/innovating-justice-challenge. Successful candidates will earn a place in the prestigious international HiiL Justice Accelerator programme, along with EUR 10,000 in funding and a package of tailored local support. In addition to receiving a significant boost of non-equity seed funding, selected startups will have the opportunity to present to an international jury and compete for additional cash prizes of up to EUR 20,000…
Absa has taken its latest step towards expanding its ever-growing digital payments universe with the launch of QR Payments. “With our innovative QR Payments functionality, which is free of charge, Absa customers registered on the Absa Mobile Banking App can now scan any QR code in the market, such as Zapper, SnapScan and Pay and Absa will process payments securely, without the need to download any other service provider apps,” says Cowyk Fox, Managing Executive: Everyday Banking, Absa Retail and Business Bank. All payment processing will be subject to customer authentication using their Banking App PIN code, providing customers with the…
MyCountry MyWorld is set to launch MY! a social media platform for Africans by Africans providing possibilities in world exploration by giving users the opportunity to bring their country and world to each other. MY! A social media platform is set to be launched in May 2021. “Having developed the app over a period of two years, with a series of tests; we are now confident that the app is ready to be released to the world”, Samuel Zean Jr, Co-founder, MY! With over 4 billion internet users across the world and growing by 332 million in the past 12…
Mercedes-Benz has introduced the New Mercedes me Privacy Centre to responsible handle its customer’s data. Safety and security matter at Mercedes-Benz – and always have. In both the physical and the digital world. The high demands that customers place on their vehicles with the star can therefore also apply to the handling of data. In the new Mercedes me Privacy Center, customers can get an overview of their personal data even more quickly and easily, and decide in an intuitive way what Mercedes-Benz is allowed to use it for. “Data privacy is a distinguishing feature for us. The new Mercedes…
MTN Group confirmed on Monday that it is participating with equity partners in a bid for a telecoms licence in Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous country which represents the last and largest telco liberalisation opportunity in the world. The company said its participation is aligned with our strategy, Ambition 2025, focusing on capturing growth from digital acceleration across the continent. It has been made in partnership with Silk Road Fund from China. Other partners will be disclosed on a successful bid outcome. “Ethiopia provides the largest telecommunication and digital services growth opportunity in Africa over the medium term and fits…
Internet Service Provider (ISP) RocketNet is sponsoring schools in the Western Cape with free high-speed internet to support digital learning and education. Access to fibre internet at the school supports the school in its administrative and teaching functions. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the transition to digital economies and it’s, therefore, more important and more urgent for schools to prepare learners for life and careers in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This is impossible to do without internet access. Six schools received RocketNet fibre installations at their schools. The schools include Laerskool Edleen, Vredelust Primary School, Star College Cape Town, Plumstead…
We’ve known for all of Fortnite Season 6 that soccer superstar Neymar Jr. would be coming to the game at some point, but the details have been very scarce about what to expect. Neymar Jr can be contained no more! Starting this week on April 27, you can tackle his Battle Pass Quests, allowing you to unlock his Outfit and other items from his high-octane Set. By completing Neymar Jr Quests and Epic-rarity Quests, unlock and unleash his primal forms. Also, visit Creative mode for a player-made Welcome Hub and Island inspired by Neymar Jr’s arrival, and compete in the Neymar Jr Cup for…
Global tech company Huawei believes that information and communication technologies or ICTs, has the potential to reduce global carbon emissions by 20% over the next decade. William Xu, Director of the Board and president of Huawei’s Institute of Strategic Research, recently said energy sustainability was a daunting challenge that faced all countries over the next decade. “Global energy consumption is growing at an annual rate of 1.7%. Currently 85% of energy comes from fossil fuels. Energy sustainability is a daunting challenge that faces all of us. By empowering a wide range of industries, ICT technology has the potential to reduce…
At a time when gaming companies are battling for the attention of users following the release of two major consoles, the war between PlayStation and Xbox has likely never been more cutthroat. The decades-old battle has been in motion since Xbox first launched in late 2001 against their already well-established 6-year-old rival – however, PlayStation has levelled up its online presence and managed to leave Xbox in the dust. To gain some perspective on how Sony’s PlayStation consoles compare to that of both Microsoft’s Xbox range and Nintendo, Compare the Market created a detailed infographic that explores the market share…
Many small businesses face cost and technical business continuity challenges. A cloud-based back up and recovery system can resolve many of these challenges. It goes without saying that large enterprises will inevitably have carefully crafted disaster recovery plans in place. While corporates may have the budget for such an approach, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) often find that they simply cannot justify the investment required to implement a large-scale disaster recovery plan. Instead, they are forced to rely on the hope that their backups are able to be recovered. Unfortunately, more often than not, the back up plan’s SMEs have used are…
INTRASOFT International’s inhouse communications agency, SCOPE Communications, has been selected by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) for the implementation of two contracts in the field of graphic design, layout and communication strategy respectively. Both awards underline INTRASOFT’s repositioning in the EU communications market, with the rebranding of its communication unit under the SCOPE logo and with the definition of a full range of digital communication services. SCOPE is now a multidisciplinary team of creative professionals and consultants, providing 360 degrees communication and consultancy services from the company’s offices in Luxembourg, Brussels…
Huawei Cloud has unveiled plans for increasing its market share in South Africa and Africa, through strategic investments and collaboration with partners. At an online media briefing, Stone He, the new President for the Huawei Cloud Business in Southern Africa, said since its launch in SA in February 2019 the company now has four points of presence in Africa, two in South Africa, one in Nigeria and one in Kenya. “We will look to increase the number of these data centre’s as the demand for cloud services grows. We currently serve customers in 12 countries, with plans to grow rapidly…
With the world celebrating International Girls in ICT Day, Huawei South Africa has underlined the importance of supporting female students in the technology sector. International Girls in ICT Day is an initiative of the International Technology Union (ITU), where it works with partners, including Huawei, to build awareness about the gender digital divide, support technology education and skills training, and encourage more girls and young women to actively pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM). “Globally, women are still dramatically underrepresented in information and communication technology (ICT),” says Christina Naidoo, Chief Operations Officer of Huawei South Africa. “Improving…
Instagram has announced new tools to filter abusive Direct Messages (DMs) and to prevent someone you’ve blocked from contacting you from a new account. The tool will allow users to automatically filter out DMs requests containing offensive words, phrases, and emojis. The tool is targeted at people with larger followings, who have faced abuse in their DM request inbox from people they don’t follow. This tool focuses on DM requests, because this is where people usually receive abusive messages – unlike your regular DM inbox, where you receive messages from friends. It will work in a similar way to the comment…
MetroFibre is upgrading line speeds on its FTTH fibre packages as part of its drive to make quality fibre internet access as ubiquitous and accessible as possible for South African families. The product adjustments will be effective from 1 June 2021 and rolled out over a two-week period after that. Existing direct FTTH customers and those of ISPs and resellers operating on MetroFibre’s open-access network will automatically be bumped up to the next higher speed at no additional cost. With its open-access model, customers can choose from multiple Internet service providers, packages and prices. MetroFibre will also introduce a new…
Amazon is opening a London hair salon to trial the latest industry technology, from augmented reality (AR) hair consultations to point-and-learn technology. The Amazon Salon will occupy 1,500 sq. ft. on Brushfield Street in London’s Spitalfields. At this salon, customers can experience the best in hair care and styling. “We have designed this salon for customers to come and experience some of the best technology, hair care products and stylists in the industry,” said John Boumphrey, UK Country Manager, Amazon. “We want this unique venue to bring us one step closer to customers, and it will be a place where…
JSE-listed Altron has acquired digital signatures services company Lawtrust from Etion for R245 million subject to Competition Commission approval. Lawtrust is a digital trust services and cyber information security solutions company which provides solutions used to verify the authenticity of digital identities and counterparty systems in transactions, data encryption, digital signatures, as well as biometrics. “In 2019 we acquired Ubusha Technologies, a leader in identity management. Ubusha formed the foundation of Altron Security,” said Altron Group Chief Executive, Mteto Nyati. “It has proven to be a great acquisition as customers accelerated their digital transformation due to COVID-19. “The…
MTN today unveiled its new MTN BozzaGigs LTE offering which gives MTN customers exclusive pre-paid data bundles on the fastest and best network. New prepaid customers joining the network can buy an MTN Starter pack and migrate to MTN BozzaGigs LTE price-plan that offers a range of bundles starting at R99 for 10GB data bundle valid for 30days. In order to move to MTN BozzaGigs LTE, new Prepaid customers will need to dial *137# to migrate to the BozzaGigs LTE in order to qualify for exclusive data offers starting at 10GB for R99. Migrations to the new BozzaGigs are only…
The COVID-19 pandemic has revolutionised business operations the world over and forever changed the way markets engage with customers and how consumers deal with brands. Companies must now face the reality of a touch-free generation, people who expect everything to work touch-free and today there is an opportunity to leverage loyalty programmes to meet this expectation. Online research shows that one of the fundamental changes to the business environment resulting from the pandemic has been the surge in e-commerce and the use of digital tools. It’s proof that the touch-free generation is getting to grips with technology to avoid personal…
Vodacom has donated R3 million towards relief efforts to help thousands of people impacted by a runaway fire in Cape Town at the weekend. The blaze that engulfed the Rhodes Memorial restaurant, multiple buildings at the University of Cape Town (UCT), including the Special Collections library that houses rare collections of African Studies was started accidentally according to SANParks. The blazing inferno forced the evacuation of over 4,000 UCT students to emergency accommodation. According to the Cape Town fire and rescue department, two firefighter were injured and are being treated in hospital. Shameel Joosub, Vodacom Group CEO said: “We have…
MTN Rwandacell Plc (MTN Rwanda) announced today that it will list on the Rwanda Stock Exchange (RSE) on 4 May 2021. The listing has been approved by the Capital Market Authority (CMA) and the Rwanda Stock Exchange (RSE). The listing is by introduction on the RSE and the approval of Crystal Telecom’s (CTL) shareholders to distribute the 20% of MTN Rwanda’s shareholding held by CTL to CTL shareholders effective from the listing date. “The official listing of MTN Rwanda’s shares on the RSE will take place on 4 May 2021. We look forward to participating in the capital markets of…