Author: Staff Writer

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…

Elevated customer expectations and tighter budgets will make 2020 holiday shopping more competitive than ever for retailers, as nearly 90% plan to spend the same or less than last year according to new research conducted by SAS, the leader in analytics. Nearly three quarters (74%) of South African citizens reported they plan to spend less on end of year expenditure this year. This included nearly one in four (24%) who said they would be spending less than half their usual amount. As well as smaller customer budgets, retailers must prepare for high expectations when it comes service quality. A quarter of customers would ditch companies after just one poor experience, while 63% would abandon companies after just two-to-five poor examples of customer service, before moving to competing brands. The shift to online shopping…

Pan-African telecoms group Liquid Telecom has appointed Wole Abu as Chief Executive Officer for Liquid Telecom Nigeria and its new Africa Data Centre (ADC) in Nigeria, effective January 2021.  The organisation had recently acquired a premium piece of land in Lagos to build the data centre, which will be the single largest data centre in Africa outside of South Africa. This new Data Centre in Nigeria once completed will address the growing demand for cloud storage and digital services on the continent, and Abu will be responsible for overseeing the strategic growth of ADC’s operations in this new market. “Abu…

Telkom will offer the new iPhone 12 lineup, including iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 12, and iPhone 12 mini. With a beautiful all-new design, iPhone 12 models feature unparalleled new camera systems, edge-to-edge Super Retina XDR displays for a more immersive viewing experience, the biggest jump in durability with the Ceramic Shield front cover, and Apple-designed A14 Bionic chip, the fastest chip in a smartphone. Customers will be able to pre-order iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 12, and iPhone 12 mini beginning on December 11, with availability on December 18. For complete pricing and…

Telkom Consumer and YahClick have signed an agreement which enables individual and business consumers to make high quality voice calls and access broadband data packages from anywhere in SA using only a satellite connection. For Phase 1, Telkom will commence with migrating a number of identified consumer customers first and launch to new customers in early 2021. This significantly expands access to affordable connectivity in rural areas nationally without access to fibre. YahClick Satellite Services will deliver the Telkom data and Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) packages through its Satellite Platforms, using the latest Hughes Gateway and Ground Segment technology.…

There is little doubt that the rapidly evolving point-of-sale (PoS) landscape and the growing number of digital applications and mobile payment methods is exciting for many retailers. However, it is also challenging, as the PoS environment must be made more agile and flexible. This is due to the sheer pace of change in the digital era, which means that only those businesses capable of rapid evolution will ultimately succeed. According to Norman Frankel, MD for Europe and UK at fintech solutions company Stanchion, constant innovation has become a challenge to solve, especially in an environment where security, regulation and compliance…

Vodacom today announced the first winner of the Vodacom ShakeOff 2020 competition launched last month. The country’s leading network has introduced new interactive gamification and rewards campaign called Summer #ShakeOff 2020. Vodacom is giving away three Mini Coopers, R4.5 million in cash prizes and more. Today, Vodacom’s Chief Officer of the Consumer Business Jorge Mendes handed over a Mini Copper to Samantha Cross. By simply shaking their devices, customers can receive rewards to supplement their spending this summer, with discounted offers, cash prizes, cash vouchers and awesome vouchers through Vodacom’s extensive reward partner network consisting of leading retailers and food…

Vodacom Business Africa has partnered with Crayon Africa – a global Software Asset Management (SAM, Cloud and Volume licensing and associated consulting services – to deliver seamless and improved cloud solutions to businesses in Africa. According to a study from Vodafone Business, ‘future ready’ businesses (FRBs) can be identified by six unifying characteristics, including adaptability, an openness to technology, and clear transformation goals. It is no surprise that businesses around the globe have been migrating their operations online as digital transformation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) change the business landscape. The traditional notion of the sub-scale private cloud within…

An innovative partnership between the South African Public Colleges Organisation (SAPCO), the Department of Higher Education and Huawei has led to the opening of 33 ICT academies at TVET colleges across South Africa, in an initiative that will boost inclusive digital skills transfer for SA’s young people. The opening of the academies was announced today at the SAPCO national general council event in Ekurhuleni. The initiative sees 33 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges enrolled in the Huawei ICT Academy programme across all nine provinces, with more than 300 students and lecturers having already participated in Huawei ICT…

South African FinTech group Capital Appreciation Limited (Capprec) has been approved for a secondary listing on A2X Markets. Its shares will be available for trade on A2X from 18 December 2020. The company said in a statement that it will retain its primary listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). Capprec is a financial technology company with proprietary and licensed platforms, solutions, products and applications targeted at the B2B market. CAPPREC’s client base includes all major banking institutions in South Africa, as well as many niche banks, large financial services institutions and other financial services companies. In recent times, the…

MTN today launches MTN Combo Bundles – all-new, all-in-one, convenient bundle solutions comprising voice and data bundles that offer prepaid customers convenience, savings and more value for money when compared to buying open market bundles. MTN Combo Offers are available in monthly, weekly and daily offers. Monthly bundles range from 500MB + 30min for R49 (comprising 200MB Anytime, 200MB Night, 100MB Video and 30 all-Net minutes) to 90GB + 800min for only R999 (comprising 30GB Anytime, 30GB Night, 30GB Video and 800 all-Net minutes). Weekly bundles range from 450MB + 30min for R25 (including 150MB Anytime, 150MB Night, 150MB Video…

Following on from its first successful hackathon, Empire Partner Foundation’s (EPF) Tech Hub will close out the year with a digital hackathon focused primarily on solving complex challenges that municipalities face today. This Digital Gauteng City Region (GCR) hackathon will take place over the 12th and 13th December 2020 in Illovo, Johannesburg. Municipalities today face a plethora of challenges in being able to effectively provide services to their residents while also increasing their own level of efficiencies. This hackathon will throw open to developers a number of problem statements allowing participants a free reign to innovatively solve these challenges in…