Author: Staff Writer
Pan-African telecoms group Liquid Telecom has announced their partnership with Zayo Group, a global leader of communications infrastructure. The partnership will see Liquid Telecom and Zayo leveraging existing networks for many of their customers who have operations in North America and Europe in addition to their African operations. “We have long been committed to building Africa’s digital future, and know that for African companies to be competitive, they have to be a part of the global digital economy. This strategic partnership will assist many of our African customers who are looking to extend into operations beyond Africa, as well as…
MetroFibre Networx on Tuesday revealed its three-year plan to cover 300,000 residential homes across South Africa with fibre-to-the-home services. This plan was disclosed as part of the announcement by MetroFibre that African Infrastructure Investment Managers and STOA have respectively acquired a minority equity stake and increased their shareholding in the South African open-access fibre network operator. AIIM, one of Africa’s largest infrastructure-focused private equity fund managers, has acquired a minority equity stake in MetroFibre Networx, through the newly incorporated Digital Infrastructure Investment Holdings platform. “The successful capital raise will enable MetroFibre to continue with its growth strategy and explore acquisition opportunities, connecting customers with…
Numerous businesses have adopted the paperless policy by taking measures to stay ahead of time, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on businesses. Businesses are now moving away from the traditional way of signing documents and using electronic and digital signatures. These two types of signatures may come across as being similar; however, many of their differences are centred on their level of security. Digital signatures will not allow any changes to the document; and to truly protect the integrity of a signed document, this measure is enforced through cryptography (encryption codes/coding), to seal the evidence and bind…
The new MINI Countryman: always online and up-to-date thanks to intelligent networking, according to the carmaker. “The progressive character of the new MINI Countryman is reflected in new digital MINI Connected services and, what is more, the desire for individualisation is catered to more radically than ever before with the range of additional optional extras and Original MINI Accessories.” The new MINI Countryman is equipped with a SIM card that is permanently fitted in the car. “This enables use of Intelligent Emergency Call with automatic detection of vehicle location and accident severity, as well as MINI TeleServices,” the company said…
With courier deliveries booming due to the rise in ecommerce, few customers are aware of the obstacles and complexities that face drivers in seeking to deliver a parcel on time, and to the exact location. The legacy of apartheid spatial planning has meant that many South Africans still fail to own a clear or adequate address, which is unacceptable, unnecessary, and causes frustration for both the recipient and the courier company, while potentially placing drivers at risk. An innovative use of GPS technology has been tackling this challenge. Express parcel experts, Dawn Wing, have teamed up with what3words, who are developing a global standard…
Checkers Sixty60 has won the 2020 BCX Digital Innovation Awards, which recognises excellence in digital innovation in the corporate category. Sixty60, the first 60-minute grocery delivery service from a South African supermarket chain, also recently won the People’s Choice Award and the Best Enterprise Solution at the 2020 MTN Business App of the Year Awards. These awards recognise Sixty60’s innovation and the gap that it quickly filled since it was first launched in November 2019, shortly before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. To meet the massive increase in demand during lockdown, Checkers rapidly expanded Sixty60 to provide a much-needed…
Vodacom KwaZulu Natal Region, in partnership with KwaZulu Natal Department of Education and Durban University of Technology (DUT), are launching an exciting programme that will see over 300 young girls between the ages of 14 and 18 from previously disadvantaged schools receive coding and robotics training. Vodacom’s #CodeLikeAGirl programme aims to encourage more girls to explore careers that require coding skills to help them get a start in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Female participation is lagging in a field that is expanding globally and men continue to dominate the number of STEM graduates in most countries.…
Vodacom Tanzania’s Smart Kitochi, enabled by KaiOS, wins the Last Mile Connectivity Award at AfricaCom 2020 Awards. The Last Mile Connectivity Award recognises organisations and initiatives that have significantly increased access to reliable and affordable internet in underserved areas. KaiOS powers low-cost devices to significantly increase access to reliable and affordable internet in underserved areas and help build a better, more inclusive, digital world. Today KaiOS has shipped 135 million devices to over 150 countries. The first KaiOS-enabled device in Africa was announced at 2018 AfricaCom, and now these devices are available in most of the Sub-Saharan Africa countries and…
The Gauteng Driving Licence Testing Centres (DLTCs) will from Monday dedicate 70% of their capacity to driving licence renewals to address current backlogs. “Working together with all the stakeholders, the province will ensure that 70% of all slots made available to the DLTCs will be dedicated exclusively to processing driving licence renewals on a daily basis. “We have also taken a decision that available capacity in the DLTCs, such as equipment, machinery and staff will be dedicated to addressing the backlog in driving licences renewals,” said the Gauteng Public Transport and Roads Infrastructure MEC, Jacob Mamabolo. Mamabolo on Wednesday said…
DStv’s much-anticipated DStv Explora Ultra has officially launched, ushering in a new world of video entertainment for customers, with more choice and value. The new Explora Ultra will be available at participating retail stores from next week. As part of the new experience, Netflix will be available for the first time on the Explora Ultra decoder. The first generation Explora launched seven years ago with updated versions of the device released over the years culminating in the Explora 3B decoder. The Explora Ultra builds on its predecessor with exciting new features. DStv, Netflix Partnership As part of the partnership, the…
Black Friday is a major shopping event each year, where consumers have traditionally flocked to retail stores to capitalise on massive specials and pre-Christmas deals. However, with COVID-19 fears still high and social distancing protocols in place, South African consumer behaviour has shifted away from physical stores and into the digital world, with Google statistics indicating that 77% of South African shoppers say the pandemic has affected how they will shop for the holidays and 51% deciding to avoid retail stores on Black Friday this year. Today, consumers are Phygital (Physical + Digital = Phygital) as they purchase goods and…
FinChatBot, a creator of conversational AI solutions for the financial services industry, has attracted $1.6 million (R25 million) in investments. The investment was led by Saviu Ventures, a French investment holding company which focuses on African startups; Mauritius-based Compass Venture Capital and leading South African venture capital firm Kalon Venture Partners. Both Compass Venture Capital and Kalon Venture Established in 2016, FinChatBot’s solutions have become key conversation and customer service channels for most financial service providers in South Africa. It now services 20+ top-tier financial service providers including banks and insurers, helping to sell and service financial products with no…
There are significant business opportunities in the mobile broadband space in building an ecosystem of affordable mobile devices to support user migration to 4G and 5G cellular network technology. This was the message emerging from the 5th Huawei Africa Mobile Broadband Salon taking place at the online Africacom Africa Tech Festival from 9-12 November. Delegates heard that the ICT industry had never been more important to society, and that it was now at the forefront of social development and restoring economies affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. “Connectivity is the foundation for digital transformation,” said Salon facilitator Mohamed Madkour, vice president,…
Five winning bidders have been announced for the controversial National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) tender to supply laptops to students. The five shortlisted bidders are Pinnacle, CEOS Technologies, MLO Distinctive Solutions, ANG Group and East Side Group. The winning bidder will be responsible for procuring 730 000 laptops to benefit 430 000 students in 26 universities and 300 000 students in 50 TVET colleges across the country. The tender has been cancelled twice due to corruption allegations. “The review of the end to end procurement process was performed by NSFAS external legal attorneys,” NSFAS said in a statement. “The…
Sun Exchange, South African renewable energy start-up, today announced its expansion into sub-Saharan Africa with the launch of the crowdsale for a multiphase 1.9 megawatt (MW) solar-plus-storage project for Nhimbe Fresh, one of Zimbabwe’s biggest fruit and tobacco producers. This will be the largest Sun Exchange solar installation to date and the first outside South Africa. The multiphase solar and battery project will power Nhimbe Fresh packhouses, cold store facilities, pump sites, and Churchill Farm. The introduction of continuous, reliable power, at a lower cost than running diesel generators, is forecast to reduce the Nhimbe Fresh facilities’ energy costs by…
Mondia, a Dubai-based tech firm, has announced the launch of its time-based entertainment platform Monsooq in South Africa. Monsooq is a first-of-its kind model where time is the currency and users pay only for the time they spend consuming content. Monsooq does not require contracts or subscriptions. Instead, new visitors to monsooq.com will receive 60 minutes’ worth of free access to content, after which pricing is just R2 per 30 minutes. This unique time-based model allows consumers to buy entertainment time just as they would cellular airtime and use that time to consume any content they choose, including movies, series,…
South Africa’s Internet Service Providers’ Association is warning the country’s 11 million gamers to minimise their chances of being targeted for vindictive hacking by being respectful online. The global gaming industry has exploded under lockdown when it was already the third most popular entertainment genre in the world after books and gambling. Unfortunately, more people playing games professionally or for leisure online has exposed the ease with which gaming consoles can be hacked, especially by fellow gamers with an axe to grind. Online games are played on PCs, mobile phones and dedicated gaming consoles. When it comes to the latter,…
Showmax has introduced a subscription-free streaming service in South Africa. Showmax Free features a hand-picked content slate that gives customers an opportunity to sample some of Showmax’s award-winning entertainment. At launch, titles on the service include local movies, series and sports shows. Users will be able stream movies and binge-watch the first few episodes of available series for free. Expect early episodes and some full seasons of many of South Africa’s most-loved series, including telenovelas like International Emmy nominee The River; Gomora, recently named Most Popular Soapie at the 2020 Royalty Soapie Awards; record-breaking reality shows like the Showmax Originals…
Telkom and the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) today announced a partnership to launch a new streaming channel, TelkomONE. The mobile operator channel will house the public broadcaster’s free-to-air radio and TV channels. The five-year partnership, a first-of-its-kind digital carriage agreement for the SABC, will showcase South Africa’s most-watched TV programmes and most listened to radio platforms, on one online platform. TelkomONE will stream live SABC’s television channels 1, 2, Sport and Education as well as all 19 SABC radio stations. “We are excited about the opportunity to provide South Africans with free access to watch their favourite SABC content,…
The Nedbank Digital Team has been vital in the bank’s digital transformation journey, enabling the group to offer clients cutting-edge digital banking solutions to meet their unique needs. Despite COVID-19 making the job market unpredictable, a total of 29 digital design roles are available in specialized fields ranging from design research, product design, to design ops and UI and UX design. “Design at Nedbank is embraced as strategic capability and engages with all aspects of the value chain from business modeling, design research, Digital Customer Value Proposition development, design systems, UI & UX and design ops,” Head of Design Strategy…
South Africa’s first Mara Experience Store today opened its doors exactly one year since the opening by Mara Phones of the country’s first smartphone manufacturing facility. Eager shoppers at Soweto’s landmark Maponya Mall practised social distancing as they waited in line ready to snap up opening specials at the franchise owned by well-known broadcaster, philanthropist and businesswoman, Chante Jantjies. The opening of two Mara Phones facilities – one retail and one manufacturing – within a short space of time represents bold steps for Africa’s most established home-grown smartphone brand in a challenging but promising environment. An impressive 50 Mara Experience Stores,…
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula says a recently unveiled multifaceted security plan, anchored on insourcing capacity, will make an invaluable contribution to the fight against theft and vandalism of rail infrastructure. Mbalula on Tuesday participated in a debate in the National Assembly, which focused on the impact that the ongoing damage to public rail infrastructure has on the economic lives of the most vulnerable and poor commuters. Security-related incidents in the rail environment increased by 20% between 2017/18 and 2018/19 from 7 737 to 9 268. Since 2012/13, security-related incidents per million train kilometres increased by 175% per million train kilometres.…
Internet of Things (IoT) innovator IoT.nxt has beefed up its management team to handle global growth as the roll-out of its solutions picks up pace across different territories. IoT.nxt has offices in South Africa, The Netherlands and USA. South African telecoms company Vodacom, a subsidiary of Vodafone, acquired a majority stake in IoT.nxt in 2019 which will drive the companies’ global roll-out of IoT solutions. “Our partnership with IoT.nxt majority shareholder Vodacom and its parent company Vodafone has fast-tracked access to markets globally, as both companies have added our advanced IoT offerings to their enterprise solutions for customers across a…
EasyEquities has partnered with Synatic to create data aggregation and data integration components for all the systems it uses to track clients current lifecycle, trading and investment history. The solution gives a comprehensive view of all client activities. The investment platform, aimed at making share trading accessible for all, needed to make sense of the data of its more than 500 000 clients. The challenge was to give the same level of customer experience to all its clients, regardless of the investment size. EasyEquities caters for all investors regardless of their wealth. It attracts investors big and small, young and old,…
South Africa’s largest digital bank, Capitec, has partnered with SA Home Loans to launch its first full home loan offering. Built on the principles of simplicity and affordability, the product has one of the fastest application processes in the country – allowing consumers to initiate an application in under 5 minutes – alongside highly competitive linked interest rates from 6%. Francois Viviers, Executive of Marketing and Communications at Capitec, says the offering was developed in response to strong demand for a simple and efficient, digitally-led home loan option. “We’ve continually received requests from both clients and the public asking us…