Author: Staff Writer

This past weekend, 25 – 28 March 2022, saw HQ Sandton ignite the Sandton property market with a 72-hour exclusive to Africa’s richest square mile. An incredible 48 Hospitality Studios were secured as 72 opportunities sold for R1 million, with a deposit of R10 000 only required. Even at a prime lending rate of 7.75%, we are still well below the level of 10% that existed when we entered the pandemic in early 2020, giving keen investors the perfect opportunity to add to their property portfolios. With estimated long-term rental yields in year one around 9% and short-term rental yields in year one around…

As worldwide adoption and usage of BNPL grows as the alternative payment method of choice for today’s young consumers, Codebase Technologies has responded by developing an innovative BNPL solution to help banks tackle the threat of rising BNPL brands. Leveraging Codebase Technologies’ award-winning digital banking platform, DigibancTM, the new BNPL component allows for banks, fintechs, lenders, retailers, and anyone in between to create and launch their own branded BNPL offering. Codebase Technologies has introduced the solution to the market after months of design, development, and robust testing. As people continue to deal with the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic…

RCS, the consumer finance arm of global bank BNP Paribas, has announced its acquisition of SA’s online credit provider Mobicred. RCS CEO, Regan Adams, states that there has never been a better opportunity to tap into the accessibility and convenience that the South African e-commerce environment has to offer. “Our acquisition of Mobicred enables us to better serve the needs of South African consumers who require a more diverse suite of credit solutions to help them access and manage their purchases,” he said. “The acquisition of Mobicred was the natural next step in RCS’s digital transformation strategy and complements…

Payment fraud is a nightmare scenario for any business. Irrespective of size, companies face substantial financial and reputational harm resulting from fraudulent activity. Depending on the severity of the crime and the losses incurred, the very survival of the business may be at stake. Ryan Mer, CEO at eftsure Africa,  a Know Your Payee™ (KYP) platform provider, says banking and payment fraud remains a serious concern as fraudsters use increasingly sophisticated methods to exploit process vulnerabilities and take advantage of human error. A 2021 TransUnion report noted a significant surge in fraud and criminal activity related to financial services in…

Cape Town has been announced as the first city on the African continent to welcome the prestigious 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. Reigniting international tourism to Cape Town  World-class travel destination Cape Town, South Africa has welcomed the introduction of luxurious Dreamliner aircraft flights between Cape Town and Istanbul from 1 April 2022. The city has been selected as the priority destination for the aircraft on the continent. Turkish Airlines states that the Dreamliner is the airline’s most-advanced aircraft, with a seating capacity of 300 passengers, including 270 Economy Class seats and 30 Business Class seats. The Dreamliner provides on-board dining and…

Huawei signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Communications Regulators’ Association of Southern Africa (CRASA) to drive Africa’s digital transformation. Bridget Linzie, CRASA Executive Secretary and Yang Hongjie, Director of ICT Strategy and Policy Department of Huawei Southern Africa Region, signed the MoU during the CRASA 11th annual general meeting attended by delegates from all 13 member countries in Luanda Angola. Under the agreement, both parties intend to exchange information and ideas on ICT policies and regulations, undertake joint research on network security, data protection, digital inclusion policies and emerging technologies like 5G, and organise capacity building activities through…

Vodacom South Africa Managing Director, Balesh Sharma, has decided to leave the  Vodafone-owned company after a two-decade-long career to pursue an external opportunity in Europe, with effect from 30 June 2022. Balesh has held his current role as Managing Director of Vodacom South Africa since September 2020, after he was appointed to carve out a new standalone Vodacom South Africa entity. To ensure a smooth transition, Balesh will remain in his role for the next three months. “I would like to offer my deepest gratitude to Balesh for his invaluable contribution in the establishment of Vodacom South Africa,” Vodacom Group…

Eskom’s former Financial Controller Mosai Barnard Moraka and service provider Victor Vilosi Tshabalala were sentenced to 20 years in jail for fraud and corruption that cost the power utility R35 million. Thed Palm Ridge Commercial Crimes Court sentenced two thieves to an effective 20 years’ imprisonment on Tuesday. The pair were each found guilty of 53 counts of fraud and theft that cost Eskom R35 million. The court also granted an order where both thieves will forfeit their respective properties to the state. The properties were placed under a preservation order in November 2021 and will now be sold, and…

MSI, Redragon, Antec, Crucial and ACGL are joining forces for another year of competitive battle royale action with the #MythicRoyale for Fortnite and Apex Legends. During the course of the year, competitors will compete via a series of qualifiers to earn their spot in the cash final per title. A total of R150,000 in cash is allocated to the rotating Apex Legends and Fortnite series. Each cash series will launch with a guaranteed prize pool, which can be boosted by achieving a number of community goals. The higher the number of community goals per series achieved, the higher the prize pool. Community goals for…

South Africa’s Macrocomm is in strategic partnership with India’s Bharat Rail Automation to deliver signal management and smart railway solutions to SA and other African territories. Macrocomm, with its partner ecosystem, offers cutting-edge digital technology solutions concentrated around IoT, Big Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. The Macrocomm-Bharat Rail partnership will focus on delivering secure data-driven solutions that will enable railway authorities to significantly improve operational efficiency and safety through contextual and secure signalling as well as optimal route planning and scheduling. “Our choice of Bharat Rail Automation as a partner has been based on the trust that the…