Author: Staff Writer
Zoom today announced the Zoom Apps Fund, a new $100 million (R1, 4 billion) venture fund created to stimulate the growth of its Apps ecosystem, integrations, developer platform, and hardware. The company said in a statement that portfolio companies will receive initial investments between $250,000 (R3.6 million) and $2.5 million (R35 million) to build solutions that will become core to how Zoom customers meet, communicate, and collaborate. Zoom Apps announced at Zoomtopia 2020 leading applications that will bring productivity and engaging experiences directly into the Zoom platform. Dozens of Zoom Apps are currently in development and are an important component in…
Despite public pushback, Facebook-owned messaging app WhatsApp will be going ahead with the privacy policy update it announced earlier this year. While the public has begun to appreciate that WhatsApp’s privacy rules are in fact still very much in favour of the user, with messages sent remaining private and encrypted at all times, what will this mean for brands that use the app to reach and engage with consumers? “The benefits for brands are massive,” says Kyle Oosthuizen, chief operating officer at Blue Robot – creators of messaging solutions that allow brands to communicate with their audience at scale. “These…
MetroFibre has acquired the fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network and infrastructure of Link Africa in Gauteng and Kwa-Zulu Natal, adding another 10 000 homes passed to MetroFibre’s rapidly growing fibre network in South Africa. The deal is effective 1 April 2021 with a transition period that is expected to be completed by the end of June 2021. At the close of the deal, MetroFibre will rank among the top five fibre network operators in South Africa in terms of the number of homes passed, with its open-access network currently passing over 205,000 homes in five provinces across South Africa. “As part of…
Swedish automaker Volvo is to supply cars for Chinese ride-hailing giant DiDi’s autonomous driving fleets. DiDi, a Chinese Uber competitor with more than 550 million users and tens of millions of drivers, and Volvo have signed a strategic collaboration agreement on autonomous vehicles for DiDi’s self-driving test fleet. Volvo Cars will provide DiDi with XC90 cars equipped with necessary backup systems for functions such as steering and braking, and collaborate with DiDi Autonomous Driving to integrate the additional software and hardware required to make it fully ready for autonomous drive. The XC90 cars will be the first to integrate DiDi Gemini,…
Capitec, South Africa’s largest digital bank, has launched an innovative feature on their new app that makes it possible for consumers to open an account from anywhere, anytime using facial biometrics. The process takes only a few minutes and uses advanced technology to ensure that an actual person is in front of the camera and not a photo, with images verified against the Department of Home Affairs’ database in real-time. While many traditional banks offer the ability to open an account with a selfie, they mostly still require a branch visit to activate the account. Capitec’s gives clients an active…
South African Internet of things (IoT) solution provider, Beyond, has recently entered into a long-term agreement with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to supply its remote cold chain monitoring solution in support of UNICEF’s global vaccination programme. UNICEF will be responsible for distributing COVID-19 vaccines to 92 low and lower-middle-income countries while also supporting procurement for more than 97 upper-middle-income and high-income nations. Together, these represent more than four-fifths of the world’s population. UNICEF is working with vaccine manufacturers, logistics companies and technology partners to procure, distribute and monitor 2 billion COVID-19 vaccines by the end of 2021. Ian Lester, CEO of Beyond,…
Showmax mobile subscribers across Africa will pay on average 20% less for access to the full catalogue on a single mobile device. In South Africa, Showmax has reduced the mobile plan price to R39 a month versus R49 a month. Speaking about the price change, Yolisa Phahle, MultiChoice Group CEO for Connected Video, says, “We know that consumers are under pressure at the moment and we believe this change will be appreciated by our mobile customers as will the decision not to increase any of our other prices. We have our most exciting slate of Showmax Originals this year and…
Rectron, a South African distributor of IT products, is expanding its cybersecurity solutions with an additional offering from cloud services partner Acronis. Acronis provides end-to-end cyber protection in one platform, which includes preventative protection, backup and disaster recovery. Rectron partners, who have signed Acronis service provider agreements, will also be able to customise the security service into bespoke packages and billing options as they see fit for their business. “This past year has accelerated many businesses journey to the cloud while at the same time, there’s increased attacks from cybercriminals targeting remote working situations. With this updated menu of services…
Software giant Oracle has pulled off IT support for South Africa’s power utility Eskom. Eskom spokesperson on Friday told News24 that “there haven’t been any positive development between the parties”. Two weeks ago, Eskom lost a court battle to stop Oracle from withdrawing its crucial services over a dispute relating to billions of rands owed by the power utility. Eskom failed to convince the Johannesburg High Court to stop Oracle from withdrawing its crucial services. Oracle provides an online vending system that records 77 million transactions of electricity a month. The embattled power utility also uses Oracle’s products and services for load…
The African National Congress is proposing drastic measures to prevent audio leaks from the national executive committee (NEC) meetings. The City Press reported that the measures include “severe penalties ” and the return to physical meetings instead of online platforms. The newspaper added that NEC members would be requested to leave all electronic devices at the door. They will also be under constant surveillance during the meeting to ensure there are no recordings. The leaked audios have caused tension even within the ANC top six. This week, ANC deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte accused ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule’s supporters of leaking NEC…
This month, things came to a head for South African crypto exchange iCE3, after it notified users that withdrawals would be suspended. One of the oldest exchanges in South Africa, it held only 80,000 accounts, with only a small fraction of those being active. Last month, the exchange suspended trading after finding that account discrepancies existed. “There’s a cloud of mystery surrounding iCE3. What happened, how it happened, why it happened, and, perhaps, most importantly, who was in charge of their communications,” queried Richard Gardner, CEO of Modulus, a US-based developer of ultra-high-performance trading and surveillance technology that powers global equities, derivatives, and digital…
A delay in the payments of the COVID-19 grant for the months of March and April 2021 is being experienced due to the transition in government financial years. The end of March is the end of the financial year for the government and various administrative tasks are required before any payments which relate to the previous financial year can be made. SASSA said in a statement it is currently busy with these end of financial year tasks which has delayed payment. SASSA received confirmation of the extension of the COVID-19 grant on 11 February 2021, after all its administration systems…
To help South Africans get up, get going and achieve their goals this year, MTN is offering all South Africans the chance to win one of 12 digital makeovers – and it starts today! It’s called The Go Show and it will air each week on the eTV Morning Show from 15 April 2021 to 15 June 2021 – on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. The show ambassadors, known as the “Go-Getters” – Riky Rick, Pabi Moloi, Redi Tlhabi and William Lehong – have been armed with a range of MTN consumer and business products, services and complementary devices, hardware, software…
The African Bank Group taps Kennedy Bungane as CE0 and as an executive director of the bank and holding company African Bank Holdings. His appointment, effective 14 April 2021. “We welcome the appointment of Kennedy as the new permanent CEO. Kennedy has a keen sense for managing complex stakeholder issues. He has a proven track record in identifying and nurturing leadership, which promotes strong teams to deliver successful results. His passion for the role that banking can play in transforming society resonated strongly with the Board,” said the Chairman of the Board, Thabo Dloti. “As an experienced banker, he also…
Providing cheaper fuels to South African citizens will not happen with the flick of a switch but will require a multi-faceted, multi-departmental approach with the involvement of the private sector. This is the view of the Automobile Association (AA) which today made representations to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy on how to mitigate rising fuel costs in South Africa. “Our view is clear that a comprehensive, long-term analysis of the components of the fuel price needs to be done as a matter of urgency, and that all calculations relating to the fuel price be audited to…
Huawei’s Rotating Chairman, Eric Xu, said the company was optimising its portfolio to boost business resilience to cope with uncertainty brought about by geopolitical tensions, the resurgence of COVID-19, and US bans. Xu was speaking at the company’s 18th Global Analyst Summit attended by industry and financial analysts, key opinion leaders, and media representatives. “We want to boost the resilience of our entire business, and since last year we have been working to optimise our portfolio with this goal in mind,” said Xu. Enhancing software engineering capabilities Xu said one of the priorities was to further strengthen Huawei’s software engineering…
Cryptocurrency investment platform, Revix, with offices in Cape Town and London, has raised R58.5 million in off-shore capital funding. Founded in 2018 on the principle that everyone should be able to invest their own money and become their own wealth manager, the business’ customer growth has mirrored the exponential rise in the cryptocurrency market which is valued at over $2 Trillion – making the digital asset class more valuable than Apple. The capital will be used to launch Revix’s mobile application, a variety of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) investment opportunities, and for expansion to the European Union. Locally, the funding…
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has called on all NSFAS funded students, who are registered at a public university and Technical and Vocational Education and Training colleges, to order laptops online. In a statement issued on Tuesday, NSFAS said that the scheme is expecting its first batch of digital learning devices (laptops) for NSFAS funded students on 18 April 2021. This follows a mandate from Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande. NSFAS Chief Corporate Services Officer, Sibongile Mncwabe said that since the directive of the Minister, NSFAS has gone into several consultations with stakeholders to…
SYSPRO, an industry-built ERP software solution designed to make things possible in key manufacturing and distribution industries, has unveiled its re-energized brand, visual identity and positioning to the market. The new brand tagline and positioning signifies SYSPRO’s evolving offering to the market and how the business continues to be committed to guiding customers to secure a digital future. Over the past year, manufacturers and distributors have had to contend with global vulnerabilities and disruptive forces. Many have now shown a sense of urgency in accelerating their digital transformation journeys for long-term resiliency. The industry has realized that digital transformation is…
If you’ve been working from home for the past year during the lockdown, you can claim a tax deduction from South African Revenue Services (SARS). Mostly it is workers who earn commission and independent contractors claim these expenses. “Claim for your home office if you started working from home at the end of March, and worked there for at least 6 months till the end of February 2021, to deduct this benefit in the tax year,” says Elani van der Westhuizen, senior tax technical at TaxTim, a digital tax assistant that helps you to complete your taxes by asking you…
Sendmarc, a cyber-security email protection and compliance business, is planning to use Kalon’s Venture Partners follow-on investment to scale the business into global markets. South African venture capital firm Kalon Venture Partners announced last January its first investment in Sendmarc. For more read: Kalon Venture Partners Invest in Cyber-Security Email Protection Firm Sendmarc was launched in 2018 by Sam Hutchinson, Keith Thompson and Sacha Matulovich. These key founding members were the pioneers in identifying a need for a safer and more secure email environment for small to large companies. The company provides the setup, implementation and reporting functionality for a…
Shoprite has launched an exclusive free funeral benefit offering for its Xtra Savings members. The programme is underwritten by Outsurance and will provide free month-to-month funeral benefits to beneficiaries of those who opt in and swipe their Xtra Savings cards four times or more during a calendar month. The initiative is the latest value addition to Shoprite’s Xtra Savings programme, which has gained over 11 million members, who’ve saved a collective R1.6 billion, since its launch just six months ago. In the event of a successful claim, the Xtra Savings Funeral Benefit will provide a predefined beneficiary access to a…
Global cryptocurrency exchange Luno added almost a million new South African customers during 2020, and over 250,000 so far in 2021. It has achieved 300% year-on-year growth compared to January 2020 and recorded $8.3 billion in transactions worldwide. Luno processed nearly $3 billion in volumes in SA last year, and was already above this number at the end of March. An estimated 15% of South Africans have invested in bitcoin – the second-highest percentage in the world according to the Global Web Index, beating even the USA and Japan. With over 2.1 million users in South Africa, Luno has around…
Huawei South Africa has committed R7 million in bursaries to support 48 top ICT students at 5 universities, as part of its wider ICT Talent Ecosystem, which aims to grow and support ICT skills training and skills transfer in South Africa. The ICT sector, especially mobile telecommunications, is a scarce skills sector in South Africa. The number of students in ICT related courses is still low and competition for young recruits is fierce. In awarding these bursaries, Huawei aims to address some of the challenges it’s faced when it comes to recruiting in South Africa. The programme offers students from…
Students from Forge Academy, South Africa’s first fully inclusive Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) laboratory, recently took part in a tri-continental hackathon between students from South Africa, Finland and the USA. Organised by EduExcellence, the Finnish education specialists; the South African leg was hosted at Forge Academy in Gauteng. Student teams specialising in ICT studies each designed ChatBot software programme as a digital solution to guide ‘consumers’ through a symptom diagnostics programme for coronavirus symptoms. “The hackathon was a great opportunity for South African ICT students to represent their country and continent among leading tech nations and to grow their ICT…