Author: Staff Writer
Seattle Coffee Company understands that while its business is coffee, customer service is equally as critical. To this end, it has partnered with Transaction Junction to make both payments and tipping a simple and easy process. In the hospitality industry, the need to focus on customer service is paramount, and delivering such service effectively is predicated on two specific angles. The first of these lies in having well-trained, focused staff to ensure that all the customer’s requirements are adequately met. The second lies in facilitating a manageable payment, regardless of which payment method the customer chooses to use. For Seattle…
The number of South African school students succeeding in maths at a school level is in steady decline. The COVID-19 pandemic has placed even more strain on learners wanting to improve and further their maths skills. Summarising the Department of Basic Education’s school report of 2019, the department claims that since 2015 there has been a steady decline each year in the number of students who sit and write exams for subjects vital to the growth of the economy such as maths and science. To participate in easing this economic concern, Ivy Academy has stepped in to fill the gap…
MTN announced on Monday that it will reward customers who download the COVID-19 Alert SA app with 1GB of free data for their efforts in fighting the pandemic. The COVID Alert SA app, which was designed by Discovery for the National Department of Health, uses Bluetooth contact-tracing technology. The app lets people know when they have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. It does this in a way that always preserves app user privacy and anonymity. “One of the critical aspects of combatting COVID-19 is the ability to detect positive cases early and to isolate…
Top Sub-Saharan African banks suffered a 15% drop in fees from advising on mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in 2020 as a fall in overall dealmaking transactions ate into their revenues. An estimated $523.7 million (R8 billion) worth of investment banking fees were earned in Sub-Saharan Africa during 2020, down 15% from 2019 and the lowest annual total in six years, according to data provider Refinitiv. Fee declines were recorded across M&A advisory, debt capital markets underwriting, and syndicated lending. Advisory fees earned from completed M&A transactions generated $108.3 million (R1,6 billion), down 55% year-on-year to the lowest level since 2013. …
MyBroadband Insights has released the 2020 Mobile Network Quality Report, which shows that MTN has the best mobile phone network in South Africa. The report is based on 1.2 million speed tests which were performed by 41,000 MyBroadband Speed Test App users across South Africa between 1 January and 31 December 2020. The research shows that South Africa had an average download speed of 29.33Mbps and an average upload speed of 11.24Mbps last year. MTN had the highest average download speed at 52.84Mbps, followed by Vodacom on 29.39Mbps, Telkom on 21.58Mbps, Cell C on 17.46Mbps, and Rain on 11.90Mbps. During…
Apple is in negotiations with multiple global automakers. Hyundai is one of them and we are in the early stages of talks. Nothing has been decided, Hyundai Motor Co. said in a statement. The official comments come in response to an earlier report by the Korea Economic TV, a unit of The Korea Economic Daily, that Apple has approached Hyundai Motor Group to propose cooperation in its efforts to develop an electric car as well as rechargeable batteries used in EVs. A Hyundai Motor official initially denied the report, according to The Korea Economic Daily. The South Korean automaker Chairman…
The South African Medical Association (SAMA) has attacked the government for its failure to prepare for the COVID-19 second wave. The Sunday Times reported that SAMA argued that South Africa is not as well-prepared as it was for the first wave. The association also said that the government did not do enough to replace hospital workers who died due to COVID-19. On 1 January 2021, South Africa reported a record 18,000 new cases. On 9 December 2020, Health Minister Dr. Zweli Mkhize confirmed that South Africa had entered a second wave. As of yesterday, the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases in…
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) announced on Monday that it has received six submissions of applications in response to the Invitation to Apply (ITA) for the International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) spectrum issued on 2 October 2020. The country’s communications watchdog said submissions were received from the following entities, in no particular order: 1. Cell C 2. Rain Networks 3. Vodacom 4. Telkom 5. Liquid Telecoms 6. MTN The regulator added in a statement that it also received a further submission from Women Building a Better Society (WBBS) but unfortunately, the application was submitted after the cut-off time…
Picodi.com analytics compared iPhone 12 Pro (128 GB) prices with the average wages in selected countries in order to count the number of workdays required to buy the new Apple flagship. The official price of the iPhone 12 Pro in 128 GB version in South Africa is going to be R23,499. However, buyers will find neither a charger nor earphones in this year’s flagship’s box. According to the latest GUS data, the average wage in our country amounts to R22,579 gross (R19,327.63 net). It means that a statistical South African would have to work for 25.5 days to afford the…
Luitingh and Associates, the Cape Town firm of attorneys launching the liquidation application against the bitcoin investment scheme, Mirror Trading International (MTI), is appealing to all potential creditors to advise the attorney firm of any claim against the scheme. The appeal comes at a time when two high court applications for the liquidation of MTI were filed by investors unable to withdraw funds. Two applications for the liquidation of Mirror Trading International were filed in the high court last Wednesday by investors unable to withdraw funds. Read: MTI CEO goes AWOL, lawyers pull out (Dec 22) MTI does not know…
The National Coronavirus Command Council could impose tougher restrictions nationwide as the coronavirus infections rise exponentially leaving private and public hospitals running out of intensive care beds and oxygen. The Sunday Times reported that the council meets this week to discuss a Covid-19 resurgence. “I can confidently say that the meeting will be on Tuesday,” a government insider told the newspaper. It followed Wednesday’s comment by health minister Zweli Mkhize that “we will need to review the current restrictions and consider further measures to ensure that we curb this alarming rate of spread”. The Sunday Times said new measures could…
Daimler and Infosys on Tuesday announced a strategic partnership to develop a persona-driven, cognitive, anytime, anywhere AI-powered workplace & service-desk. After regulatory approvals, Daimler will transform its IT operating model and infrastructure landscape across workplace services, service desk, data center, networks and SAP Basis together with Infosys. The collaboration will empower the carmaker to strengthen its IT capabilities, and Infosys, its automotive expertise. “Software becomes modular and IT infrastructure becomes big. Daimler will take three steps at once to transform its IT infrastructure: consolidation, scaling and modernization. We need to think infrastructure beyond the size of our company. With Infosys…
The Nigerian telecoms regulator has extended the timeline for mobile phone operators to update SIM card registrations following a meeting on Monday with executives of telcos, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said. Two weeks ago, the NCC in its website disclosed that the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) has directed the NCC to embark on another audit of the Subscriber Registration Database again. The regulator directed telecoms firms to stop selling SIM cards while it audits compliance with SIM registration rules. However, yesterday the NCC revealed that the National Task Force on National Identification…
Apple is once again planning to build its own branded electric vehicle or Apple Car, Reuters reported on Monday. According to the report, production of the electric Apple Car could start as early as 2024. The Reuters report explains that central to Apple’s strategy is a new monocell battery design that “bulks up the individual cells in the battery and frees up space inside the battery pack by eliminating pouches and modules that hold battery materials.” The iPhone maker is also examining chemistry for the battery called LFP, or lithium iron phosphate, the person told Reuters, which is inherently less likely to…
MTN on Monday announced the launch of MoMo International Airtime, which allows users to purchase airtime for recipients in other countries. This applies to foreign nationals living in South Africa and South Africans with friends and family living overseas. Registered MoMo users will be able to access the service on the MoMo app or via the MoMo USSD by dialling *151#. When customers buy airtime on MoMo, there is now a third option called Global Airtime. When you select a country where the recipient resides, it will show you all the multiple operators available in each of those countries…
Black Friday has a reputation for being all about huge sales, massive crowds, and utter madness at the tills. However, with the world still reeling under the impact of COVID-19 in the lead up to this unique day, many retailers were concerned about just how successful the event would be in 2020. Fortunately for these businesses, new payment methods and an increase in online transaction methods played a role in ensuring that what has been an increasingly popular promotion in recent years continued in the same, successful vein. According to Craig Duggan, Commercial Head at Transaction Junction, a fintech company…
The Campus Blockchain Hackathon is an initiative of Africa Blockchain Institute (ABI), to give students from institutions of higher learning in Africa, early exposure to the career and business opportunities being presented by the Blockchain/DLT Digital Innovations. The Hackathon creates a structured and sustainable community that nurtures and empowers awesome developers by providing and democratizing access to knowledge, capital and mentorship. “The African continent has this year become the new hotbed for peer-to-peer cryptocurrencies trading, as shown by the Chainanalysis crypto adoption index that places, for the first time, Nigeria and Kenya featuring in the top second and eight of…
JSE-listed tech group Altron today listed Bytes to on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange, and the Main Board of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange by way of a secondary inward listing. This marks the completion of the demerger of the Bytes group from the Altron Group, a transaction which Altron announced to the market in April 2020. The achieved price of £2.70 per Bytes ordinary share results in a market capitalisation R13 billion. The issue price was in the top half of the previously communicated price range of £2.40 to £2.90 per Bytes ordinary share. Approximately 40% of…
W inners of the middle and secondary school essay competition on the legacy of the great medieval scientist and philosopher Abu Nasr Al-Farabi were announced last week at a ceremony in Johannesburg. Fatima Karimova (Tajikistan/South Africa)came first in the essay competition. There were two second-place winners – Nabeel Ayob (South Africa, Tshwane), and Asiphe Magayiyana (South Africa, Eastern Cape). Third place was awarded to two winners – Zakiyyah Thokan (South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal) and Tazkia Ismail (South Africa, Tshwane). All the winners were given commemorative medals of Al-Farabi and other valuable prizes. Kazakhstan ambassador to South Africa H.E. Kanat Tumysh, who…
The Jaguar Vision GT SV is a dramatic and visually arresting car which showcases what’s possible when the traditional boundaries governing real-world car design are completely removed,” Julian Thomson, Design Director, Jaguar, says. “In bringing this car to life with a full-size design study we’ve been able to showcase the most extreme version of an electric Jaguar race car that is inspired by the past but looks fearlessly to the future.” Designed as the ultimate virtual endurance racer, the Jaguar Vision GT SV pays homage to its illustrious forebears not only in a host of styling and surfacing references but…
In a unique and new concept that is as important for today’s corporate landlords as it is for the country’s smaller creative retailers, We are EGG combines retail and e-commerce for a new generation of customer. The idea is to deliver an all-inclusive entertainment, locally sourced, learning and lifestyle fulfilment experience from a trip to the “mall”. Many small retailers cannot afford to have a shop in a big mall, and even when they are able to, they find the process incredibly daunting, with complex contracts, tons of rules and plenty of guidelines relating to ‘look and feel’. We are…
There is growing appreciation of financial inclusion and its role in economic development. Tied closely to this is the role of digital money and its contribution to promoting financial inclusion and development. According to Clayton Hayward, CEO and co-founder of Ukheshe, a SMME digital banking platform provider, South Africa remains highly regulated with licensed banks being the only institutions that can offer e-money services. This creates a major hurdle, limiting roll-out not only locally, but also in West Africa. In a 2019 report, GSMA said that globally registered mobile-money services rose from just one in 2001 to 290 in 2019…
DStv has added global streaming service Amazon Prime Video to its recently launched DStv Explora Ultra decoder. DStv customers with a Prime Video membership can now access the entertainment service, ranging from movies and TV series, including Amazon Originals with a click of a button on the Explora Ultra. Prime Video joins an impressive list of streaming services and apps available on the Explora Ultra, including Showmax, Box Office, Netflix and Joox. Prime Video’s award-winning TV shows and movies includes leading Amazon Originals such as The Wilds S1, Homecoming which starred Julia Roberts in Season 1 and Janelle Monáe in…
InMotion, Jaguar Land Rover’s venture capital and mobility services arm, has invested in blockchain technology firm Circulor. The investment will enable Jaguar Land Rover to source premium materials with greater transparency as to the provenance, welfare, and compliance of suppliers throughout its networks, the carmaker said in a statement. As part of its commitment to be a responsible business, Jaguar Land Rover said it is always innovating to reduce the environmental and ethical impact of its products across their lifecycle. The technology can trace valuable raw materials throughout a global supply chain from origin to supplier, with Circulor already using blockchain…
Vodacom KwaZulu-Natal Region announced today that it is rolling-out a 5G network in key municipal districts in KwaZulu-Natal province. The 5G network is currently available on 156 live 5G sites across the KwaZulu-Natal province and supports both mobile and fixed wireless access services. Vodacom customers with 5G enabled devices, and within a 5G coverage area, are now able to access the new 5G network in KwaZulu-Natal. Critically, the latest mobile networking technology will ultimately help the region bridge the digital divide between the urban and rural areas of the province by extending access to affordable mobile broadband, especially as an…