Author: Staff Writer

The Nigerian telecoms regulator has again extended the timeline for mobile phone operators to update SIM card registrations by eight weeks. The deadline was 9 February 20201. Last December, the regulator directed telecoms firms to stop selling SIM cards while it audits compliance with SIM registration rules. The regulator said in a statement that the ongoing National Identification Number (NIN) and Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) integration exercise has been extended by 8 weeks, with a new deadline of April 6, 2021. It was reported that a total of 56.18 million NINs have been collected by the mobile network operators, the…

US motor giant Ford Motor Company on Tuesday announced R15.8 billion investment in its South Africa subsidiary, cementing its commitment to the local market. This marks the biggest investment in Ford’s 97-year history in South Africa. The investment is expected to create more than 1 200 jobs, increasing the local workforce to 5,500 employees, and adding an estimated 10,000 new jobs across Ford’s local supplier network, bringing the total to 60,000. It also represents one of the largest-ever investments in the South African automotive industry. “This investment will further modernize our South African operations, helping them to play an even…

Wits University’s Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct is calling for inquisitive graduates who enjoy exploring apps, understand basic software development and figuring out how it all works, to be part of its newly launched Software Tester Learnership Programme with the support of the Department of e-Gov and application testing specialists, IT Ecology. The programme aims to address the increasing need for quality software testers in the country, a gap only exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Software testing is a process to evaluate the functionality of a software application and whether it meets the specified requirements. It is an opportunity to identify…

In the past, some software companies were unable to implement the infrastructure needed to deliver solutions to the market place. At the same time, local companies often did not have the training or capabilities to produce developers proficient in the ever-changing technologies demanded by all sectors of industry. Undeterred, Nexah – the Cameronian-based firm – believed it could change the way African software companies are viewed. Its biggest challenge was to create digital solutions for the African market – with the quality on par with international software companies. The company specialises in developing web, mobile, and entertainment services for the…

Tech distribution company Tarsus, which is being acquired by JSE-listed Alviva, announced on Tuesday that group CEO Miles Crisp and finance director Joanne Tanner have resigned to pursue fresh opportunities. The company said both have played a key role in leading Tarsus’s growth over the past decade and in positioning the group as one of the leading broad-based ICT distributors in South Africa. Crisp was appointed as Group CEO in 2014 with a mandate from the board and majority shareholder, Investec, to optimise operations, de-risk funding, strengthen governance and facilitate the sale of the group to a new owner, the…

Economists and experts agree that entrepreneurship has the potential to stimulate economic growth and generate much-needed economic opportunities. The increasing digitisation of the economy has opened up unprecedented opportunities for aspiring micro-businesses to leverage the ubiquity of online platforms to market their businesses beyond their geographical confines. As one of the leading beauty and personal care company, Avon Justine has been at the forefront of harnessing the entrepreneurial spirit of millions of women around the world and giving them the earnings opportunity for 135 years. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to stall economic growth, Avon Justine is once again allowing…

Although investment activity was subdued across the board in 2020, it was an extraordinary deal-making year for South African venture capital firm, Empowerment Capital Investment Partners. Empowerment Capital and its investment funds – Andzani Ventures, Imvelo Ventures and Thuthuka Nathi Ventures – approved and placed a total of R162 million into 13 South African start-ups between July 2019 and February 2021.  Furthermore, R32.5 million is approved for placement in the coming weeks in three exciting new ventures. Started in 2015 by Anton Baumann and Mark Fitzjohn, Empowerment Capital is seeking aggressive growth as it enters the next phase of its business,…

Teraco, Africa’s largest interconnection hub and vendor-neutral data centre provider, announced on Tuesday that it has finalised a new R2.5 billion loan financing transaction to finance the building of its new data centre. Last November, the company announced the construction of a new 38-megawatt hyperscale data centre in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, South Africa. The new transaction cements Teraco’s commitment to continuing investment in the region’s digital infrastructure and expanding Africa’s largest data centre platform. Teraco’s newly appointed chief financial officer, Samuel Erwin, said that the shareholders and lenders of Teraco have a long-term vision for Africa’s digital transformation and…

Ford and Lincoln cars will be powered by Google operating system beginning 2023 as part of a six-year partnership announced Monday. To drive ongoing innovation, Ford and Google said they are establishing a new collaborative group, Team Upshift. Team Upshift will push the boundaries of Ford’s transformation, unlock personalized consumer experiences, and drive disruptive, data-driven opportunities. This may include projects ranging from developing new retail experiences when buying a vehicle, creating new ownership offers based on data, and more. “As Ford continues the most profound transformation in our history with electrification, connectivity and self-driving, Google and Ford coming together establishes…

South Africa has officially received its first shipment of one million Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines. The Emirates cargo carrying the first batch of the lifesaving jabs from India touched down at OR Tambo International Airport on Monday afternoon. President Cyril Ramaphosa, together with his Deputy David Mabuza, who chairs the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Vaccines, witnessed the momentous occasion. Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, flanked the two leaders. Plastic-wrapped bundles of the in-demand vaccine were off-loaded from the plane into the unmarked refrigerated trucks. The jabs were then transported to a cold room lab where they will undergo quality checks, which may…

AlphaCode announced on Monday the top ten businesses for R10 million FinTech support programme. Almost 200 fintech businesses applied for the AlphaCode Incubate programme which aims to grow innovative financial services entrepreneurs and find the next OUTsurance or Discovery. The 12-week intensive pre-incubation programme is valued at R500 000, including R150 000 in grant funding for each participant. This jump-start programme has just begun and focuses on achieving a viable business. It culminates in a demo day, where participants will compete for a place in a 6-month step-up programme. Step-up offers grant funding of R500 000 for each startup and…

Digital FinTech platform provider Ukheshe has announced the conclusion of a new agreement with the Kenya-based lender KCB Bank Kenya. The deal is aimed at boosting  East African payment services Through the agreement, KCB will sponsor Ukheshe’s Bank Identification Number (BIN) number, which will allow Ukheshe to immediately issue both physical and virtual cards across East Africa where KCB has an extensive footprint. According to Victor Ndlovu, VP of Ukheshe Africa, the deal will include other innovative digital products such as QR issuing and acquiring. “By joining forces with KCB we are well-placed to address several open loop market opportunities…

Regulators are no longer afraid to protect peoples’ rights to privacy against tech giants. In recent years, we have seen the likes of Google and Facebook receive large amounts of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) fines. Head of Legal and Chief Privacy Officer at LAWtrust, Rian Schoeman says with the 28th of January being Global Data Privacy day, it is time to look thoroughly at South African business and how far they are with their Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) compliance journey. “POPIA in South Africa came into effect on 1 July 2020, and if you have not started…

Government will use an electronic system to keep track of everyone who gets the COVID-19 vaccine as South Africa gears up for its historical mass vaccination. The Department of Health’s Acting Chief Operating Officer (COO), Milani Wolmarans, said the Electronic Vaccine Data System (EVDS), will allow the department to capture all relevant data associated with the administration of the vaccine. “The system is a data-secure platform built with an enterprise architecture that complies with national and international security standards,” Wolmarans explained. The COO announced this during a public health webinar chaired by Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, on COVID-19 vaccine…

Spot Money has introduced open banking offering in South Africa, in a move that followed the 2020 acquisition of Virgin Money South Africa by a local private equity firm, in partnership with the local executive management team Virgin Money has been rebranded into Spot Money. Spot Money’s app is now live on all major app stores: Apple, Huawei and Google Play Store. Andre Hugo, who continues at the helm of the Spot Money business as CEO, said the app was a significantly revised offering which would introduce Spot’s entry into Open Banking. He said this also heralds the beginning of…

Musica is dead. We’ve known is coming for some time. Clickcs Group informed investors on Wednesday that it will close the music retailer’s stores countrywide. The music retailer was founded 29 years ago. The JSE-listed company informed investors that its board has taken a decision to close the group’s heritage entertainment brand Musica with effect from 31 May 2021. “Musica has closed 19 stores since the start of the 2021 financial year and is currently trading from 59 outlets,” the company said. “The remaining stores will be closed as leases expire over the next four months when the majority…

Telkom announced on Wednesday it has chosen three talented content producers to feature on its video streaming service, TelkomONE. After the call for submissions through the #OpenUpTheIndustry competition: joint prize-winners Lisa Marie Pyanee and Gosiame Ntshole in the Comedy category; Brandon Olifant (Mobivela) and Patty Monroe (Lifestyle), will each receive a R100 000 cash injection to produce a full web-series. Final projects are to be screened on the TelkomONE platform. “We were looking for content producers that stood out in how they shared their stories as well as relatable, authentically South African content that moved us, made us laugh and kept…

Twelve young South Africans have been selected by MultiChoice to participate in a continental first Scriptwriting Incubator to find the next generation of storytellers. Starting in February, the full-time MultiChoice Talent Factory South Africa (MTFza) Scriptwriting Incubator will host the 12 interns who will be mentored by Tshedza Pictures’ Phathutshedzo Makwarela and Gwydion Beynon, the International Emmy-Nominated producers of The River, Giyani: Land of Blood, The Republic and Legacy, and the head writers of Gomora, the Queen, Igazi and many other of South Africa’s favourite television shows. The SETA-accredited learnership will include structured learning with the Wits University Film &…

Pan-African telecoms group, Liquid Telecom, has announced a strategic acquisition of the Middle East & African operations of Quattro Business Solutions (QBS). The acquisition will allow Liquid Telecom to innovate and enhance its digital services offerings. QBS is an official indirect Cloud Solution Provider for Microsoft Dynamics and currently supports over 800 partners in 25 countries.  This purchase gives Liquid Telecom the ability to be a well-rounded Microsoft partner, offering deep capability on Dynamics 365 in addition to Office 365 and Azure. “This acquisition is core to our strategy to deepen our cloud service offerings by bringing award-winning Microsoft Dynamics 365 solutions to our digital ecosystem…

Montelektro, a system integrator in the brewing industry, and 8Sigma, a premium MES provider delivered solution KegTNT (Keg Track&Trace) to a brewery in Addis Ababa. KegTNT is a software solution that tracks kegs throughout their life stages while inside the brewery and within the whole supply chain. In addition to the mentioned brewery, during 2021, KegTNT will be implemented in two more breweries owned by the same company, BGI Ethiopia, whose long brewing tradition dates to the first half of the 20th century. The BGI Ethiopia’s owner is French Castel Group, one of the largest African and among the world’s…

Infinidat, a provider of enterprise-class storage solutions, today announced that the company has deployed 7.1 Exabytes of enterprise storage capacity worldwide. This achievement marks a key milestone for the company as it enters its 10th year in business with tangible momentum, highlighted by a surging uptick in growth of half an exabyte in the fourth quarter of 2020. “Infinidat has exceeded expectations, which is a testament to the value that customers see in our unique mix of faster performance, high availability, reliability and affordability, despite the challenges of the COVID pandemic and the industry slowdown in 2020,” said Phil Bullinger,…

Eskom’s loadshedding, alongside an enduring pandemic, have proven a devastating combination, repeatedly destroying historical data, and demanding an (artificial intelligence) solution to predict the unpredictable. The past year has been shaped by the pandemic. The uncertainty has influenced how organisations approach day-to-day forecasting of sales, people and stock, battling to manage fluctuating trading hours due to lockdowns, curfews, limited access to stock due to congestion in China – and now the return of loadshedding. To survive in 2021, businesses are desperate to forecast and manage their systems to ensure they’re capable of handling the unplanned and unexpected. Analytics, business intelligence, forecasting…

Commvault, a recognised global enterprise software leader in the management of data across cloud and on-premises environments, today announced the availability of its award-winning Metallic Backup-as-a-Service (BaaS) portfolio in South Africa. In addition, Metallic is adding new data protection solutions, features, and enterprise workload support. “We have seen an aggressive push to cloud, automation, and an increased requirement for intelligence as companies transition to a new reality,” says Gerhard Fourie, District Channel Manager for South Africa at Commvault. “At Commvault we understand the increasing need for a solution that’s easy to undertake, purchase, and manage without any large upfront investment.…

Having deployed most of its first R250 million Section 12J Venture Capital Fund: KNF Ventures, Knife Capital launched another 12J fund for new investors to participate in this growing and exciting alternative asset class. KNF Ventures II is the second Section 12J Venture Capital Company launched by Knife Capital. It has the same investment mandate as Fund I and will continue to build on the success and momentum created. By leveraging Knowledge, Networks & Funding, KNF accelerates the growth of South African innovation-driven SMEs to generate enhanced returns for entrepreneurial-minded investors. The Section 12J venture capital company (VCC) regime was…

As e-commerce boomed in the wake of the Coronavirus and the national lockdowns, Yoco, South Africa’s largest financial platform for small businesses, turned their attention to online payments by developing and releasing a payment gateway alongside their range of affordable card machines. The Yoco Payment Gateway is an effective solution for business owners looking to accept payments on their WooCommerce or Wix e-commerce websites. With little to no technical skills, entrepreneurs are able to add the plugin to their site and activate Yoco as a payment option within ten minutes. “We began work on the Yoco Payment Gateway long before…