Author: Staff Writer

Safaricom’s mobile money service M-Pesa, Nigeria’s e-commerce sites Jumia and South Africa’s Takealot.com are picked as 100 tech challengers by global management firm Boston Consulting Group (BCG). BCG identifies 100 “tech challengers” that have already grown into powerful forces in technology and other industries.  Their impact is being felt in their home markets, regionally, and internationally. They have generally weathered the COVID-19 crisis well, with many showing increases in both customers and frequency of usage. While previous emerging markets tech leaders came predominantly from China, the current generation is much more geographically diverse, encompassing Africa, Asia, Israel, Latin America, Russia,…

A total of 50 companies, including Google and Telkom, have pledged R109.6 billion at the third annual South Africa Investment Conference. Today’s collective pledge brings the total amount of investment pledges to R773.6 billion worth of investments in the last three years. With this total amount, South Africa has now reached 64% of its total target of R1.2 trillion. “The world is still very much in the throes of a devastating pandemic that has thrown global markets into disarray. Tough decisions have had to be made on investments, on expansion and on entry into new markets. “It is therefore significant…

Vodacom Business has worked with Amazon Web Services (AWS) Professional Services, to develop the Vodacom Business Cloud Acceleration Suite for organisations who are looking to begin their digital transformation journey. Digital transformation within South Africa has accelerated as organisations of all sizes have embraced the remote workforce model to ensure their employee safety and remain productive during the COVID-19 pandemic.. “As a trusted digital partner to businesses, we’ve always believed that with the right technology and digital processes, South African businesses will be more competitive, resilient and capable of not only surviving, but thriving, despite external challenges,” says Kabelo Makwane,…

Simpli Connect, an Internet Service Provider, and SMTAX, a digital accounting firm primarily for SME’s, have partnered to provide qualifying small businesses with discounted rates on internet access packages. The partnership will officially commence on 16 November 2020 with SMTAX offering the range of SimpliLTE solutions as part of their onboarding process for new company registrations. “In today’s digital economy, it is imperative for any small business to ensure that they are always accessible to their customers, no matter where they are. With our plug & play SimpliLTE solution customers benefit from the widest network coverage in the country and internet access…

Pick n Pay has confirmed the launch of its own mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). Techcentral reported on Tuesday that Pick n Pay will be the first MVNO to use MTN South Africa’s newly launched platform to support these types of virtual providers. PnP Mobile will join Pick n Pay’s growing list of value-added and financial services offered in store to save customers time and money. This includes the ability to do their banking with our Deposits at till points service or TymeBank. Linked to Pick n Pay’s loyalty programme, Smart Shoppers can earn up to 2.5GB in free data…

BMW Group has unveiled the Mini Vision Urbanaut, which is a concept car that provides an interior space that can be used in many ways and offers a whole new ease of movement inside the car. The German carmaker said in a statement on Tuesday that this digital vision vehicle offers more interior space and versatility than ever before, but still on a minimal footprint. “The Mini brand has always stood for ‘Clever Use of Space’. In the Mini Vision Urbanaut, we extend private space far into the public realm, creating completely new and enriching experiences,” explains Adrian van Hooydonk,…

Mianzo Asset Management today launched two affordable unit trust products that will enable ordinary South Africans to invest in financial markets. It has introduced two affordable unit trusts products aimed at helping low-to-middle-income earners access financial markets. While the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) has fully recovered from the COVID-19 induced market crash, the market still provides opportunities for bargain-hunters to buy under-valued shares that are poised for strong growth. The main purpose of these unit trusts is to generate significant real returns for investors who are looking to expand their investment product universe beyond the traditional savings bank accounts. Investors are…

Capitec, South Africa’s largest digital bank, has quietly gone live with their virtual card, one of their many easy solutions for the modern consumer. You never have to worry about lost, stolen or duplicated bank cards again. If you are cautious about online transactions, worried about fraud and security, Capitec’s virtual bank card is your answer to safe shopping. Capitec is now expanding its digital offering to clients with the launch of a virtual banking card. The virtual card is a completely digital bank card that is saved on a client’s Capitec banking app. Like a physical card, clients can…

Africa Data Centres, Africa’s largest network of interconnected, carrier- and cloud-neutral data centre facilities, has had its Tier III certification renewed by the Uptime Institute for its Nairobi-based data centre. The certification was renewed in recognition of the facility’s design, which supports “any planned work on the site infrastructure without disrupting operations”. Tier III Concurrently Maintainable criteria are founded on the capability to complete planned facility maintenance or modifications on a scheduled basis, the Uptime Institute’s CTO, Christopher Brown communicated. “It is with great pleasure that Uptime Institute Professional Services announces the successful achievement of the Tier III Certification of…

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,…