Author: Staff Writer

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit South Africa and most economic sectors were shut down, South Africans turned to e-commerce to access basic needs like food and supplies, while schools turned to e-learning. Participating in a debate on the State of the Nation Address during a hybrid sitting of Parliament on Tuesday, Small Business Development and Acting Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said the pandemic has shown everyone that the 4th Industrial Revolution is not still coming – it is here. She said the economy has already gone digital and the government is currently revising its guidelines and approach to…

Telkom has launched deals for the new Huawei P Smart 2021 phone. The latest Huawei smartphone is available for purchase at Telkom Mobile customers and Telkom Business subscribers through its online channel and in stores across the country. The Huawei P Smart 2021, which is replacing the Huawei Y9s, boasts a 5000mAh battery; 48MP Quad Al Camera and a 4GB+128GB memory with a 6,67-inch FHD+Display. “This phone is ideal for the tech-savvy user looking for all the key features of a good quality smartphone without compromising on looks,” said Gugu Mthembu, Telkom’s Chief Marketing Officer. “We always want to bring…

Mastercard and MTN today announced a strategic partnership to enable millions of consumers in 16 countries across Africa to make global e-commerce payments safely and securely. Through a Mastercard virtual payment solution linked to MTN MoMo (Mobile Money) wallets, consumers and merchants can engage with brands and businesses abroad through digital commerce, extending their reach to an international marketplace and unlocking a host of opportunities. Across Sub-Saharan Africa, mobile devices are the primary channel used to connect to the internet. According to GSMA, by 2025, it is estimated that there will be 300 million more people using their devices to…

South Africa is ranked 56th out of 79 countries in the latest Huawei Global Connectivity Index 2020 report. Despite an all-round challenging year, the country improved in the development of the AI and IOT technology enablers. Broadband and Cloud, however, showed no movement in the overall scoring. In Huawei’s seventh annual GCI report, the publication for the first time proposed five key stages of industry digital transformation. A key finding of GCI 2020 is that the digital transformation of industries helps countries boost productivity, spur economic recovery, and enhances competitiveness. The GCI research suggests that economies that go digital with…

VerPay, a South African FinTech company, launches a payment solution that enables ‘verbal commerce’. The novel Coronavirus has necessitated the need for a sharp step change across nearly every facet of daily life; which has, in turn, rendered the payments landscape ripe for innovation. “The pandemic has forced us all to do business in new ways, and not all companies have the means – or inclination – to go completely online”, says Dana Buys, CEO of VerPay Pty Ltd, a Cape FinTech company that specialises in cloud-based payment. “Many consumers still prefer dealing with a person, as opposed to…

Primedia Broadcasting today announced that Muhammad Cajee will be joining the group as Chief Digital Officer. His appointment is effective on 1 March 2021. Primedia Broadcasting has already put in place a long-term strategy to drive growth by transforming and expanding audience engagement through a range of digital channels. The role of Chief Digital Officer will see Muhammad take over as custodian of further development of the digital strategy for Primedia Broadcasting’s future, one that not only drives the acquisition and leveraging of new technologies and content, but that also serves to embed a digital-first approach in the business. “Muhammad’s…

Openserve, South Africa’s largest telecommunications infrastructure provider, announced it will double the speed of its fibre lines for existing customers. The Telkom-owned company said from 1 March 2021 it will introduce further speed upgrades and price changes on Openserve Fibre Connect and Openserve Copper Connect product offerings The company added that speed upgrade will come at no extra cost to internet service providers (ISPs). Openserve added that it was offering ISP partners incentives to enable them to easily upgrade their customers. Openserve, a division of Telkom, currently covers more than 2.4 million households in South Africa. The fibre network operator…

Jaguar and Land Rover will become an electric-only brand from 2030 onwards, as part of a bold new ‘Reimagine’ strategy announced today by the company’s boss. The company promises to reimagine the future of modern luxury by design through its two distinct, British brands. At the heart of its Reimagine plan will be the electrification of both Land Rover and Jaguar brands on separate architectures with two clear, unique personalities. The company said this marks the start of the company’s journey to become a net-zero carbon business across its supply chain, products and operations by 2039. “We are harnessing those…

Commvault, a global enterprise software leader in the management of data across cloud and on-premises environments, announced the appointment of Kate Mollett as its Regional Director for a newly expanded Commvault Africa organisation. Mollett will oversee Commvault’s Africa region with a focus on extending the company’s market share and leveraging Commvault’s expanding portfolio, including its market-leading BaaS Metallic offering, into new markets across the continent.  A priority focus will be leveraging Commvault’s well-established partner network across the region while looking for new partnerships to realise the huge market opportunity in many African markets for SaaS-based solutions and utility pricing options.…

Phuthuma Nathi is looking for 22 000 shareholders who owned shares and did not receive dividends between 2006 and 2020. There is R207 million in unclaimed dividends, waiting for their rightful owners. “This money belongs to our shareholders. We’re calling on them to contact us to get their money. In these tough economic times we want to do everything in our power to give them what is rightfully theirs,” say Mandla Langa, chairman of Phuthuma Nathi. The MultiChoice BBBEE share scheme, Phuthuma Nathi, is one of the most successful schemes in South Africa. It is truly broad-based with more than…

Investec, as mandated lead arranger, has provided Vox, a market-leading end-to-end integrated ICT and infrastructure provider, with access to debt facilities to fund their fibre rollout plans. Investec was the mandated lead arranger on the Vox deal who structured the debt package, managed the entire process and brought in Rand Merchant Bank and Standard Bank as fellow lenders. “The roll-out of fibre via our subsidiary Frogfoot, is key to helping revolutionise the lives of local families and businesses, by providing a fast, affordable and reliable platform for communication. However, the fibre telecommunications game is a competitive one and the right…

AURA, South Africa’s security and medical response platform, has launched WhatsApp security chatbot in partnership with Tracker, one of the country’s most trusted names in stolen vehicle recovery. Powered by Aura, Tracker’s unique Tracker CareGuard service offers rapid mobile emergency response anywhere, anytime within South Africa. The new cutting-edge solution enables subscribers to request immediate mobile armed response assistance wherever they are by sharing a location pin in WhatsApp. Warren Myers, Founder and CEO of Aura says the new WhatsApp service illustrates the power of technology in preventing and combating crime and the role it plays in enabling South African…

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday extended the Special 350 COVID-19 Grant, by a further three months. SASSA has processed in excess of 9.6 million applications each month from May 2020 to January 2021 and has paid more than 6.5 million grants per month. The total amount spent on this grant to date has exceeded R16 billion. The following should be noted about this grant: There is no need to go to a SASSA office; all SRD processes are done online. Any amendments on your application can be made at https://srd.sassa.gov.za Those persons already who have received this grant and are…

The month of February is always when people think of new ways to celebrate their love for their partners. It is also when cybercriminals, as previously reported, think of new and creative ways to target and lure new victims with malicious activity. Especially during the current global restrictions enforced by the pandemic, which has driven significant increases in online shopping. As people go online to purchase gifts for their loved ones during this period, Check Point Research (CPR) has observed a surge in malicious phishing email campaigns in the second half of January with over 400 malicious Valentine’s day themed…

IROKO, a Nigerian-based video-on-demand (VoD) company, may list on London Stock Exchange’s (LSE) Alternative Investment Market within the next 12 months. The company aims to raise between $20 million (R294 million) and $30 million (R441 million) and would value the whole business at between $80 million and $100 million (R1.4 billion). Speaking from Accra to The Africa Report, IROKO’s co-founder and CEO, Jason Njoku said discussions with brokers would start in the coming weeks. Njoku, who holds an 18% stake in the debt-free company, founded the business with Bastian Gotter in 2011. IROKO has the world’s most extensive online catalogue of…

Dimension Data has partnered with Mimecast to provide a Managed Secure Email service to help organisations address the growing number of advanced threats targeting users, including spam, business email compromise attacks, malware and spear-phishing. Managed Secure Email will help ensure that organisations are secure by design, offering protection from malicious activity, human error and technology failure. Mimecast’s State of Email Security 2020 report found that organisations saw a 53% increase in phishing attacks and a 45% increase in ransomware attacks in the last twelve months. As email-borne attacks grow, a layered approach to cyber resilience is required to protect any…

Huawei’s CEO Ren Zhengfei has pledged to stick to a globalisation strategy despite external pressure. He has called on the new US administration to come up with more open policies that are in the interests of US companies and the US economy as a whole. These are the first public remarks the Huawei founder has made since the change of the US administration in January. In May 2019, the US commerce department added, Huawei into the Entity List, which prohibits the company from purchasing US technologies as well as software services. In 2020, the Trump administration further restricted Huawei from…

Meat Naturally and Agricool Finance were awarded joint first place in the 10th Annual Social Innovation Awards, while Leafline Washable Sanitary Wear scooped first place in the Disability Empowerment Awards. All three winners were awarded R1.3 million in grant funding by the SAB Foundation Social Innovation and Disability Empowerment Awards. A total amount of R12.6 million in grant funding and business development support was given away to all our 17 Finalists. The Social Innovation Awards are aimed at innovators, entrepreneurs and institutions with prototypes or early-stage businesses that solve a social problem through a sustainable business model. Joint first place…

Mineworkers Investment Company (MIC) has committed $10 million (R148 million) to venture capital firm Knife Capital’s new African Series B expansion fund, Knife Fund III. The Fund’s aim is to invest behind the aggressive expansion of African innovation-driven companies and fill a critical follow-on funding gap. The commitment positions Mineworkers Investment Company as an anchor investor to the Fund alongside other local and international investors. “The move to change the way local institutional investors approach venture capital investment has been in the pipeline at MIC for a number of years now. Our venturing into the earlier-stage alternative asset class space…

Net1, a JSE-listed company, announced that it has appointed Lincoln Mali as CEO of Net1 Southern Africa, a new position for the company. Mali is currently the Head of Group Card and Payments at Standard Bank Group. The company said Mali is a highly accomplished financial services executive with over 25 years in the industry. He also chairs the board of directors of Diners Club South Africa and is a member of the Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEMEA) Business Council for Visa. “After a thorough and rigorous search process, we are delighted that Lincoln Mali has agreed…

Telkom Business has launched an Unlimited Voice Plan offer to help small business subscribers save up on unlimited voice calls by almost 30%. The proposal targets small business owners who are new customers and those previously with Telkom but had to suspend or cancel the service due to lack of affordability. The new plans will also be available to existing Telkom Business customers who wish to add voice line to their existing package. Telkom Business said the new unlimited voice call plans available for R199 per month. “This offering includes monthly line rentals as well as usage, saving the average…

Long-time Vodacom customer Rilwelani Mmbooi, a 27-year-old mother from Limpopo, has been announced as the second grand prize winner of Vodacom’s ShakeOff 2020 campaign, driving home in a brand-new Mini Cooper. Mmbooi, an avid fan of Vodacom’s promotional competitions, would use the USSD (*133# or *135#) channel to access the ShakeOff Summer menu and play with the hopes of winning free data, never expecting that she would one day be a grand prize winner. Since the 2019 Shake!Up campaign, Mmbooi has been shaking daily and recently moved from shaking on USSD to the My Vodacom App, where she could see all…

Vodacom announced on Monday that finally its customers using Apple’s latest iPhone 12 can finally be connected to the mobile phone company’s 5G network. The Vodafone-owned mobile phone firm said in a statement: “Vodacom is pleased to share that we’re now offering 5G cellular support for the powerful new iPhone 12 line-up.” The company did not provide details on why its support for 5G on Apple’s new iPhones was delayed for two months. The sales of the news iPhones by Vodacom stated on Friday, 18 December 2020. The new Apple iPhone 12 family, including iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone…

VidlyIT, a solution that uses IoT smart water meter sensors to assess, aggregated smart reports on the water quantity and quality in circulation, has won the Empire Partner Foundation Hydro Solution Hackathon. The Empire Partner Foundation is a non-profit organisation started by a group of young South Africans. Its goal is to build South Africa, and eventually, the continent of Africa, by solving critical challenges through tech. The Empire Partner Foundation has committed to mentoring VidlyIT for 6-months. “This is one example of how the Empire Partner Foundation is uncovering potential, empowering the technology enthusiasts for impact” the Empire Partner…

Synthesis Software Technologies, a software development and consulting company, has recently attained the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Security Competency. This adds to the company’s announcement of securing the AWS Microsoft Workloads Competency and Synthesis’ growing list of AWS Competency designations. This achievement showcases Synthesis commitment to elevate and enhance its clients’ security posture in the cloud. A select number of AWS Partners that have achieved the AWS Security Competency have proven technical security proficiency and have demonstrated capability with a number of secure cloud implementations. Synthesis achieved the AWS Security Competency after qualifying through a rigorous process to meet AWS’s…