Author: Staff Writer
IBM has unveiled its list of Women Leaders in AI, recognising South African, Itumeleng Monale from Standard Bank as one of 35 exceptional female business leaders from 12 countries who are using artificial intelligence to drive transformation, growth and innovation across a wide variety of industries. Itumeleng Monale is the Executive Head of Enterprise Information Management Personal & Business Banking at Standard Bank South Africa. As Data Officer for Retail Banking Operations of Standard Bank South Africa, Itumeleng was acknowledged for her commitment to strong data governance and management as she leads the proliferation of AI for enhanced customer experience.…
JSE-listed Blue Label Telecoms said management remains optimistic that the planned recapitalisation of Cell C will be successful. On 2 August 2017, Blue Label Telecoms, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, The Prepaid Company, acquired 45% of the issued share capital of Cell C for a purchase consideration of R5.5 billion. As at 31 May 2019, Blue Label Telecoms investment in Cell C was impaired to nil. It remains at nil as at 31 May 2020. Based on the following facts available, Blue label Telecoms informed investors on Thursday that management believes that Cell C will continue as a going concern for…
JSE-listed Blue Label Telecoms reported tentative signs of recovery after writing down of Cell C, which was a drag on its financials. As the carrying value of Blue Label’s investment in Cell C was fully impaired for the year ended May 2019, the financial results of Cell C did not have any impact on Blue Label’s earnings for the current year, the company informed investors. The comparative year reflected the negative contributions to core headline earnings by Cell C of R2.6 billion. Blue Label Telecoms disclosed that revenue fell 10% to R21.1 billion in the year to end-May 2020. Headline…
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) terminated a tender to supply students with laptops after corruption allegations. NSFAS Administrator, Dr Randall Carolissen, says a new tender for the supply and delivery of laptops will be submitted to Government Printing Works on Friday for publication on 4 September 2020. NSFAS was informed on 4 June 2020 by Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister, Blade Nzimande, that the scheme would manage the procurement process of laptops for NSFAS funded students, currently registered at universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges for the 2020 academic year. “NSFAS then prepared…
Today sees the launch of a new mini-documentary and case study series about very young African entrepreneurs designed to enable high-school and university educators to engage students meaningfully about entrepreneurship as a career path. #ItStartsWithYou sheds light on eight very young Africans whose passions, commitments and grit showcase what it means to embark on an entrepreneurial journey at a young age. The documentaries reveal new role models for other youth who might be considering entrepreneurship. Through the series, the Anzisha Prize is intentional in highlighting the importance of support from parents, educators, investors and policymakers if young people are to…
The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has called on its approved beneficiaries of the R350 COVID-19 grant to change their payment methods from the post office to a bank account. SASSA said in a statement published on Tuesday that it will once again open its system for approved applicants to change their preferred method of payment for the special COVID-19 SRD grant. The window period is scheduled for Monday 31 August to Sunday 06 September 2020, 24 hours a day. During this period, beneficiaries can change from receiving their grants at the post office to receiving them through their…
Mauritius has been a popular holiday destination for South Africans for many years, but the government’s recent concessions have made it more accessible and affordable for South Africans to retire, live and work than ever before. In June 2020, the Mauritian government’s changes to investment thresholds, the extension of work, residence, retirement permits, and attractive property acquisition options, led to renewed interest from South Africans, says Marisa Jacobs, Director at Xpatweb. “Skilled professionals and business owners with families in South Africa are taking note of Finance Minister Renganaden Padayachy’s changes and adjustments for foreigners. It is now easier to buy…
Enygma Ventures announced on Tuesday that it has made a R 4.2m investment into Job Crystal, South Africa’s recruitment company. “Never has there been a more critical time to get South African’s back into work,” says Sarah Dusek, managing partner and co-founder of Enygma Ventures. “We see the recruitment industry as vital in South Africa’s economic recovery enabling employers to navigate finding the right talent, quickly and efficiently, getting more people back to work sooner.” This investment into Job Crystal will enable this female-led company to develop incredible technology to speed up the process of recruitment making it easier for…
MTN is launching a new prepaid data campaign called MyTown Offers which will allow customers to get specific data bundles based on where they live. The aim of the tailor-made and town-specific data bundles is to suit the needs and budgets of people according to their towns. With MTN MyTown Offers, customers just need to dial *136*2# or *142# and select “MyTown Offers” to access special offers – all personalised just for them based on their pockets and their hometown. MyTown Offers are now available in 85 townships and suburbs across South Africa. The offers are: 500MB daily at R10…
Standard Bank has acquired a 35% equity stake in digital escrow company TradeSafe Escrow. TradeSafe is an online escrow platform that safeguards the buyer’s funds in trust in a transaction involving two or more parties. The funds are only released to the seller, and other approved beneficiaries once the buyer receives the goods or services in the agreed condition. Established in 2013, TradeSafe is the longest-running digital escrow company in South Africa. TradeSafe was also the first digital escrow organisation in the world to offer an API gateway which allows for online marketplaces and stores to offer escrow payments to…
Vodacom Group has announced Raisibe Morathi as its new Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Her appointment is effective 1 November 2020, when she will also be appointed to the Vodacom Group Board. As one of the most experienced and one of very few African black female CFOs of a listed company in South Africa, Raisibe’s appointment underscores Vodacom’s commitment to driving diversity across the workplace. Raisibe joins Vodacom from Nedbank Group, where she was the Group Chief Finance Officer since 2009. She was responsible for leading a team of over 900 people involved in finance and operations and focussed on…
South Africa is the first region to benefit from a new, white-label mobile payment, customer loyalty and rewards programme, with the launch of UBU International. The platform-based ecosystem converts the massive power of mobile search for products and services into feet through the doors of local physical and digital retailers. Many businesses have been severely impacted by the COVID lockdowns. Those who have survived the last couple of months are looking for ways to aggressively boost sales. A new platform-based solution addresses this challenge while allowing consumers to support their local retailers as well as their communities. The UBU International…
Two years ago, DataProphet received venture capital funding from Knife Capital to boost its innovation capabilities. DataProphet has now raised a $6 million (R101 million) Series-A funding round with Knife Capital following on, joined by the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa (IDC) and Norican Group, a leading foundry engineering and equipment company. The funding will be used to strengthen the operational footprint of DataProphet internationally and fast-track the strategy of growing through and with their strategic partners across geographies and industry verticals. Founded in Cape Town in 2014, DataProphet is a leader in artificial intelligence (AI) that enables manufacturers…
Capitec, South Africa’s leading digital bank has been voted as South Africa’s coolest bank in the 16th annual Sunday Times Gen Next Awards, which recognises the country’s top brands as voted for by South African youth and young professionals. Thabiso Ntando, Brand Manager at Capitec, says: “We’re excited to be announced the coolest bank in SA. We have always said that we are the bank for all South Africans and this award shows that we are catering to the needs of our youth. I believe it is our client-centric digital offering that sets us apart and I’m particularly excited about our…
While COVID-19 has had a dramatic impact on South Africa, work is afoot to create a new, inclusive economy that will create employment and foster sustainable growth for all South Africans, says President Cyril Ramaphosa. “As we work with our social partners to develop an urgent economic recovery programme, we are determined that we should not merely return to where we were before the pandemic struck. We are instead looking at actions that will build a new, inclusive economy that creates employment and fosters sustainable growth,” said the President on Monday. The President made this call in his weekly newsletter…
Huawei South Africa has added online training in Artificial Intelligence (AI) to its portfolio of free training it offers to South African ICT students of higher learning. This as part of its commitment to training in 4IR technologies such as 5G and cloud computing, which it kicked off last year. This was revealed by Huawei CEO Spawn Fan at the online opening ceremony for the 2020 ‘Seeds for the Future’ training programme to empower young people with globally relevant ICT skills. Seeds for the Future is Huawei’s global flagship CSR programme, designed to develop skilled, local ICT talent and bridge…
The world is all abuzz with the focus on the next most precious resource of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), data – the “black-gold” of the digital age. In order to be a major player in this new realm, South Africa needs to address its connectivity inequality. More and more human needs are being met through digital connectivity and a vital, thriving telecommunications market is the cornerstone for the acquisition of this new digital commodity. Valde Ferradaz, CEO of MVN-X, a business providing turn-key solutions for large scale organisations wanting to enter the mobile telecommunications market, believes Mobile Virtual Network…
In the face of COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of local South African heroes continued working, bringing information, hope and help to those less fortunate than themselves. MTN’s “Everyday Heroes” campaign called on South Africans to ‘shout-out’ their local heroes using #WeGoodTogether on social media, and the nation answered. Throughout the months of June and July, hundreds of nominations poured in, says Jacqui O’Sullivan, Corporate Affairs Executive for MTN South Africa. “Our campaign attracted the most heart-warming stories from South Africans, recognising those who are making lives brighter through their acts of kindness. In many cases these heroes are using their own…
MTN Group on Wednesday announced that the current group CFO of MTN Group, Ralph Mupita, has been appointed as the new group president and CEO. His appointment is effective from 1 September 2020. Mupita has served as the MTN Group CFO since April 2017 and has played a critical role in the development and execution of the group’s strategy, capital allocation processes, financial performance as well as in the resolution of a number of complex regulatory matters. “After a rigorous and extensive search process, we are pleased to have appointed someone of Ralph’s calibre, experience and ability to fill the…
Kaspersky analysis has revealed that phishing attacks are becoming increasingly more targeted. A number of new tricks have also been found – from HR dismissal emails to attacks disguised as delivery notifications. As a result of such tendencies, security solutions have detected 2,023,501 phishing attacks in South Africa, Kenya, Egypt, Nigeria, Rwanda and Ethiopia. These and other findings are documented in Kaspersky’s new spam and phishing in Q2 2020 report. Phishing is one of the oldest and most flexible types of social engineering attacks. They are used in many ways, and for different purposes, to lure unwary users to the…
Many South African businesses have been decimated, and millions of employees are losing their jobs on account of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yellow Pages by Telkom Business aims to fast track the growth of SMEs by offering telecommunications and marketing support and has now teamed up with Fundrr to offer loans to businesses wanting to grow. Yellow Pages, which is a division of Telkom Business, provides support packages that help small businesses develop their online visibility and grow their sales and branding into new markets. “Online presence is more important than ever, especially during Covid-19. We offer all small businesses access…
Norman Goodfellows is a third-generation family-owned retail and redistribution business. Established in 1976, the company has been providing the finest wine, spirits, malts, soft drinks, party services and gifts for more than four decades. Today, the company delivers up to 1 000 deliveries a day. Norman Goodfellows has partnered with Picup to build fully integrated on-demand delivery into its e-commerce platform. The entire solution was implemented within three days and can now handle hundreds of deliveries daily. The wine and spirits merchant engaged with Picup and quickly implemented its logistics software. This solution automates the grouping of orders into specific…
The South African government is formally considering launching a state bank, which will be able to access different forms of capital, in addition to taking deposits. The Sunday Times, which has seen the document in question. reported that the cabinet’s economic cluster has created an economic reconstruction and recovery plan which includes the ANC’s proposals to launch a state bank that would be able to access retirement savings at favourable rates. The proposal to launch a state bank and access pension funds was first mooted in the ANC’s own recovery plan last month. The Sunday Times, which has seen the…
While South Africa will move to alert level 2 of the national lockdown at midnight on 17 August 2020, current restrictions such as international travel will remain in place to minimise the spread of Coronavirus. In addition, the country will maintain its 50 people limit on gatherings, which among others, include funerals and religious events. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced Cabinet’s decision to move the entire country to alert level 2 on Saturday night. The President’s announcement comes as the country marked five months since it declared a national state of disaster to combat the Coronavirus pandemic. “As we look back at…
BMW Group on Friday announced its 10-year plan for sustainability, underscoring its commitment to the goals of the Paris climate agreement, the main focus being on the expansion of electric mobility. Vehicles of the BMW and MINI brands featuring electrified drive systems are now offered in 74 markets worldwide, where more than 500,000 electrified vehicles were sold by 2019. By the end of 2021, this figure will probably rise to over a million. As a result of the massive expansion of electric mobility, emissions produced by BMW Group vehicles per kilometre driven will be reduced by around 40 percent by…