Author: Staff Writer

Pick n Pay Clothing today launched its online shop and customers can now view the full clothing range online and shop their favourite items for delivery straight to their doorstep nationwide. This new addition means that customers can now shop the full Pick n Pay in-store offering online – ranging from groceries to general merchandise, and now clothing. Customers have always had the convenience of finding the latest clothing trends in their supermarket or nearby Clothing standalone store, and now accessibility will be even easier with the launch of their online shop. This step makes PnP Clothing one of the…

South African based business accelerator Grindstone has launched a new venture capital fund, Grindstone Ventures, dedicated to provide early-stage equity funding to its cohorts of companies and alumni. Grindstone Accelerator is a structured entrepreneurship development programme that is jointly owned by leading venture capital fund manager Knife Capital and market access specialist Thinkroom Consulting. It takes South African SMEs with proven traction through an intensive year-long review of their strategies and provides them with the necessary support to build a foundation for growth in becoming more investable, sustainable and exit-ready. Key growth gaps identified are addressed during the programme, opening…

A total of 401 million online searches for used cars took place last year (an all-time record and an almost 40% increase year-on-year). Furthermore, the average selling price of a used car in the last year was R289 312, an increase of R9 003 over the previous year. These are amongst the key findings contained in the 2020 AutoTrader Car Industry Report, which was released on Monday, 3 August. This annual report details trends and insights into the South African used car market. As the largest digital automotive marketplace in South Africa, AutoTrader provides unparalleled insight into car-buying patterns in…

Capitec’s new banking app has reached the number 1 spot on both the South African Google Play and Apple app store charts. It currently trends on the charts ahead of Zoom, Whatsapp Messenger, Tik Tok and Facebook.  “Our digital banking services are the most widely used in the country, with over 7.5 million active users,” Gerrie Fourie, CEO of Capitec Bank, says. “We’ve also noted a significant increase between January and July 2020, with the bank welcoming almost 600 000 new digital banking clients.” This success comes at a time when bank’s traditional service channels are taking a back seat…

SASSA presents beneficiaries of the COVID-19 grant with an opportunity to receive their grants at their chosen and convenient outlets. Beneficiaries can now change from one payment method to another. They can change from receiving their grant at the Post Office to a bank account of their choice or vice versa. They also have the flexibility to move from one bank to another. In order to achieve this, SASSA is opening its system for approved citizens to update the channel through which payment should be made.  This will be open from Monday 03 August to Sunday 09 August 2020, 24…

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has paid 4 million people their R350 Social Relief Grant, according to Minister of Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu. Zulu made the statement on Thursday in a hybrid sitting of the National Assembly on “Socioeconomic Interventions to Mitigate the Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic”. Zulu said SASSA has received 7 million applications for the R350 Social Relief Grant and has already paid 4 million people. SASSA started taking nationwide applications for the grant on 11 May 2020 and promised to make the first payment on 15 May 2020. But millions of unemployed South Africans continue to complain that they have…

Capitec – South Africa’s largest digital bank – has taken the final step in its paperless journey with the introduction of an eSignature capability, by means of a biometric fingerprint. At a time of COVID-19 and social distancing, this is a crucial move to ramp up convenience and help keep South Africans safe. Biometric readers allow for sanitization after each client’s use, while paper documents cannot be easily disinfected between parties. “We’re constantly challenging the norm, helping our clients to live better through smarter, simpler banking. Our transition to paperless banking is in line with this, offering our clients improved…

MTN today launched another offering for avid gamers. Enter, MTN Arena, through which MTN is bringing the world of competitive gaming to the casual mobile gamer along with daily, weekly and monthly mobile tournaments – and the chance to win a share of R100 000 in prize money every month. Available on MTN Play, MTN’s portal for all things gaming, music and video, MTN Arena makes access to tournaments for games such as X-Wing fighter, Star Wars Rebels Special Ops, Spiderman Mysterio Rush and Angry Flappy Wings, quick and easy. MTN Arena comes on the back of the recent launch…

MTN Nigeria is attracting more customers as it prioritises upgrading its network capacity to accommodate growth in traffic while continuing to expand 4G network coverage, albeit at a slower pace given the constraints presented by COVID-19. In the first half of the year, MTN Nigeria achieved 6.8 million in net additions to connect over 71.1 million customers to its network. The company also connected 3.8 million new users to the internet, bringing its active data subscribers to 29 million. MTN Nigeria’s MoMo (mobile money) subscribers increased by 1.6 million to 2.2 million in the six months to end June, according…

FinTech startup Remitly has raised $85 million (R1.4 billion ) at a $1.5 billion (R24.7 billion) valuation in a funding round led by existing investor Prosus’s PayU. The funding will enable Remitly to expand its suite of financial services products and digital solutions as the global demand for digital remittances continues to surge during the COVID-19 pandemic. Returning investor Prosus’s PayU led the round at a $1.5 billion valuation. They were joined by returning partners DN Capital, Generation Investment Management, Owl Rock Capital, Princeville, Stripes, Threshold Ventures, and Top Tier. “As the current health crisis continues to devastate the global…

As the COVID-19 crisis continues globally, carriers need to be prepared in four areas of network construction and business development to quickly unleash network potential and inspire business growth, said Huawei’s executive director and president of the Carrier BG Ryan Ding. He was delivering a keynote speech at the Better World Summit 2020 today. 1. Carriers need to maximize the value of existing networks. They should make the most of their networks and rapidly expand their capacity by using software or adding boards or replacing RRUs. This can help them respond to the soaring data traffic during the pandemic and…

FNB announced on Wednesday it has launched a virtual card for individual and business customers. The banking group said in a statement that the virtual card will be available by October 2020. Customers can access the virtual card via the FNB App and the RMB Private Banking App. Once available, customers can request the card anytime, anywhere at no additional cost. The virtual card is available to individual customers across Debit, Fusion and Credit Cards and for business customers on Debit Cards. All 3 million FNB and RMB Private Bank App users can conveniently use Virtual Cards for QR code…

South Africa’s digital system aggregator and solution provider, Nexio has named former Vodacom Business chief sales officer as its new chief executive officer, turning to an industry veteran to help drive growth. Unlisted Nexio said in a statement it had appointed Mickey Mashale as its new chief executive, effective August 1. “We are pleased to welcome Ms. Mickey Mashale as the new Chief Executive Officer of Nexio. Mickey is recognised as one of the industry’s distinguished female business thought leaders,” Nexio Board Chairperson and Vodacom Business CEO, William Mzimba said. “During her reign as interim acting CEO, Mickey has demonstrated a…

DStv announced on Monday that the pay-TV service will be bringing back US sports channel ESPN. The US sports channel eased broadcasting in Africa on 31 July 2013. MultiChoice Group (MCG) and The Walt Disney Company Africa today announced that they have signed an exciting partnership, which will see a significant addition to the sports available to its customers across the continent. The agreement will result in two 24-hour ESPN channels being made available to DStv customers from 29 July, where they will be able to enjoy the very best of US sports. Featuring every major US sport as well…

On the opening day of the online Better World Summit, Huawei’s Rotating Chairman Guo Ping elaborated on how synergy across five major tech domains will help unlock the full potential of 5G to drive commercial success. Guest speakers from China Telecom, Etisalat, MTN, GSMA, and 3GPP/ETSI were also joined by several thousand online attendees from more than 80 countries to explore how information and communications technology (ICT) can power new economic growth both now and in a post-pandemic world. Guo Ping talks about 5G commercial success at the Better World Summit 2020 Working together to fight the pandemic with technology…

South African consumers look set to accelerate their journey towards online shopping beyond the pandemic as they stay in to enjoy the investments they have made in their homes during the lockdown. This is according to new Consumer Pulse research from GfK South Africa into the behaviours and sentiment of online consumers during the Level 3 lockdown. The survey reveals that consumers are preparing themselves for a prolonged period of cocooning, with 59% of consumers expecting the pandemic to last more than another 12 months, and 34% predicting that it will continue for another 18 months or more. Only 2%…

Many companies are looking for new ways to access markets and clients, given the impact of COVID-19 on our economies.  Current market conditions, as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown, have limited the opportunity for face-2-face sales meetings.  Manufacturing Indaba has developed a new virtual event platform that solves this market dilemma.  The new platform is known as Africa B2B and is a virtual business event providing 2 full days of virtual business meetings. Africa B2B affords companies with 2 days of new local and international clients to network, engage, sell, and showcase products and services.  Companies are looking for…

Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, says the 64-dish MeerKAT, the pre-cursor to the Square Kilometer Array (SKA), will be expanded by 20 dishes at a cost of R800 million. The Minister said this when he outlined the department’s spending priorities during a virtual sitting of the National Assembly on Friday. Nzimande said that astronomy in South Africa remains important to its socio-economic landscape and that the heritage will further be strengthened through the MeerKAT, which has already been able to give the world a glimpse into the star-formation history of the universe. “To extend its research…

The Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Ebrahim Patel, has tested positive for COVID-19, the Presidency announced in a statement released on Saturday night. The Minister received his results today, 25 July 2020. This was the Minister’s second test to be conducted since the outbreak of this virus. Minister Patel is in good spirits and is in self-quarantine, and will continue to work from home. Those that have been in contact with the Minister are also in self-isolation and have been encouraged to get tested. On Friday, Patel participated in the virtual parliamentary budget vote debate on the revised budget…

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) is investigating allegations that unscrupulous officials and businesses benefited from billions meant to fight COVID-19. According to a report by the Sunday Times, the SIU is investigating 90 companies that received contracts from the Gauteng health department. It is also investigating R30 million worth of allegedly irregular contracts in KwaZulu-Natal, as well as others in the Eastern Cape. The deals are believed to be worth more than R2.2bn, involving emergency purchases of personal protective equipment (PPE). Black Business Council president Sandile Zungu told the Sunday Times he was saddened to see that his lobbying for…

Police Minister Bheki Cele says the department will embark on a virtual media campaign to educate communities on the police’s response to reported gender-based violence cases. He said this when he outlined spending priorities for the men and women in blue during a virtual sitting of the National Assembly on Friday. Cele said police are supportive of initiatives that are aimed at improving access to support services for survivors through victim-centric criminal justice services. “As part of the Women’s Month activities, the department together with provincial departments will embark on a virtual media campaign to educate communities on SAPS response…

Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu says discussions on the mooted Basic Income Grant beyond October are in early stages. Zulu said this when she briefed members of Parliament in the National Assembly while outlining the department’s budget priorities for the year ahead on Friday. “As we consider multiple ways to extend the social protection coverage to those aged 18 to 59 years in the period beyond October 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic is bringing back the discussion about the Basic Income Grant. “The lack of social protection coverage for this group calls for an acceleration of efforts to put in place…

Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Ronald Lamola says the department will introduce a new bill that will enable victims of gender-based violence to apply for a protection order online. The Minister said this when he outlined the department’s priorities during a virtual sitting of the National Assembly on Thursday. “I am pleased that our Domestic Violence Bill will introduce modernization in a radical form. If passed, our domestic violence bill will make it possible for one to apply for a protection order online. “This will be a leap forward in the fight against gender-based violence and femicide. “This is the…

The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) has cut the repo rate by 25 basis points. “The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has decided to cut the repo rate by 25 basis points, taking it to 3.50% per annum, with effect from 24 July 2020. Three members preferred a cut of 25 basis points and two preferred to keep rates on hold,” Governor of the South African Reserve Bank, Lesetja Kganyago, said on Thursday. He said the implied path of policy rates over the forecast period, generated by the Quarterly Projection Model, indicates one repo rate cut of 25 basis points in…

Jaguar Land Rover and the University of Cambridge will help keep drivers’ eyes on the road and reduce the spread of bacteria and viruses in a post-COVID-19 world through new contactless touchscreen technology. The patented technology, known as ‛predictive touch’, uses artificial intelligence and sensors to predict a user’s intended target on the touchscreen – whether that’s satellite navigation, temperature controls or entertainment settings – without touching a button. The pioneering system, developed with engineers at the University of Cambridge, is part of Jaguar Land Rover’s Destination Zero vision – a desire to make its vehicles safer and the environment…