Author: Staff Writer

Pay-TV operator MultiChoice is looking to significantly expand its reach, investment in people and infrastructure, and its support of Ethiopian content and content creators. The company said on Monday that this includes investing heavily in local content as part of the Group’s hyper-local content strategy. MultiChoice has operated in the country since 1992. The group previously announced its intention to significantly increase its investment in Ethiopia, which is recognised as having huge growth potential with its large population (second only to Nigeria), impressive GDP growth and its largely untapped potential within the ICT sector. “Ethiopia is open for business and…

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has learned that the previous Minister of Social Development, Bathabile Dlamini, spent more than R2.5 million for a technical task team to review the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) business model and make recommendations in reforming how SASSA made its cash payments. In a reply to a DA parliamentary question, the Department of Social Development (DSD) said it paid six technical advisers a total of R2.5 million between May and October 2018. These technical advisors clearly did not fix any of the Agency’s challenges as reports confirm that SASSA is currently drowning under a backlog…

If South African companies hired and promoted women at the same rate as countries such as Norway, the economy could grow by 30%, according to a recent study by a leading research company. “To those who think that gender equality only benefits women, the numbers tell a different story,” says Shaun Rademeyer, CEO of MultiINET Home Loans. “Data makes it clear that gender equality is the engine for the global workforce. Greater female participation in the workforce can make a greater impact on the economy.” According to McKinsey & Company, gender-diverse companies around the world are 15% more likely to…

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 series, the power phone that empowers your work and play, is now available from MTN on South Africa’s best mobile network. Effective 1 September 2020, MTN customers can sign-up or upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy Note20 LTE, Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G and Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G. All deals come with free UV Sterilizer with wireless charging valued at R999, and the first one thousand MTN customers that sign up or upgrade in the month of September 2020 can also claim a free Samsung LED 24” flat monitor valued at R2199, while stock lasts, all redeemable…

Liquid Telecom has appointed Clayton Naidoo as Group Chief Business Officer (GCBO).  He will be responsible for driving growth, innovation and strategy in the enterprise market across the Group’s holdings. Naidoo will join the Liquid Telecom team in this role on 1 October 2020. A seasoned ICT professional, Naidoo has more than 14 years of experience in the industry. Prior to joining Liquid Telecom, he worked at Cisco in several key leadership positions. Most recently, he was General Manager – Sub-Saharan Africa, covering 31 countries. He was responsible for executing a region-wide vision and strategy that delivered transformational value to…

Over the next few years, Atterbury’s groundbreaking Barlow Park Precinct will add to the ever-changing skyline of Sandton. The redevelopment of the prime Barlow Park Campus, situated at 180 Katherine Street, Sandton. Barlow Park occupies a prime site adjacent to the M1 dual carriageway and Katherine Street in Sandton. Barloworld, Atterbury and African Rainbow Capital have partnered as co-investors in the redevelopment of the prime Barlow Park Campus. The initial property transaction involves each party holding one-third of the landmark site currently housing Barloworld’s corporate offices. The investment value will eventually climb to well over R3billion as the total redevelopment…

MTN is adding its voice to global efforts to raise awareness about the importance of wearing masks to fight the spread of COVID-19 with today’s launch of the #WearItForMe campaign across its markets. As society navigates the “new normal” brought about by the pandemic, wearing face coverings remains one of the most effective measures to slow its spread. However, many people refuse to wear them, wear them incorrectly, or still underestimate their importance. “COVID-19 has had profound health and socioeconomic impacts across the world. We empathise and mourn the lives lost to the pandemic. And even though the outbreak appears…

Discovery Health has fired 10 employees for bad-mouthing the company in a WhatsApp Group during the lockdown. The Sunday Times reported that the workers started the group to support each other after contracting COVID-19 at work in April. The employees complained to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration (CCMA) about their dismissal, arguing that they were unfairly dismissed and demanding 12 months’ salary from the company in compensation. The women’s lawyers, Nkisinathi Malgas, told the newspaper that Discovery Health had invaded its employees’ privacy by accessing WhatsApp messages “without their consent or a court order. This was gross violation…

World Cup-winning Springbok rugby captain Siya Kolisi, globally recognised for his meteoric rise from adverse poverty to lifting the Webb Ellis trophy in November 2019, has been named as the newest addition to the Mercedes-Benz family. Negotiated via Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports. The partnership will see Kolisi collaborating with the luxury carmaker on a range of projects in the coming 12 months. Kolisi, who led the Springboks back to the number 1 rugby rankings in 10 years and making history as the first black test player to captain the team in its 129-year history, dedicated significant time during the Covid19…

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the global economy to a standstill and put millions of people under financial stress. Understandably, people from all walks of life started looking for alternative income streams. In honour of Women’s Month this August, a global peer-to-peer bitcoin marketplace, Paxful, is shining a spotlight on women who have started successful side hustles powered by bitcoin. Not only are these side jobs providing women with additional income, they are also giving individuals an opportunity to develop new skills in the bitcoin and blockchain space. Blockchain skills are in high demand internationally and may unlock new career…

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…