Author: Staff Writer
Work has begun in earnest at the Toyota Parts’ Distribution Warehouse in Atlas Road, East Rand, where Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) is expanding the facility to double in size from 40 000m² to 80 000m². TSAM is investing a total of R365 million in the project and, when completed in 2021, the facility will be the largest automotive parts’ warehouse in the Southern Hemisphere. The investment is a reflection of TSAM’s commitment to both the South African economy as well as the local automotive sector. “This investment will also strengthen our position as a Toyota regional manufacturing hub with…
Deputy President David Mabuza says Eskom has committed to completing the construction of Medupi power station this year, while Kusile will be completed by 2023. The Deputy President announced this when he responded to oral questions in the National Assembly on Thursday. Mabuza said while the system remains under pressure, government is confident that Eskom has put in place the necessary measures to keep the lights on. He said the contribution of the New Build programme to energy availability is critical in the mix of initiatives to ensure energy security. “Eskom has to deal with cost overruns and defects affecting…
The Department of Basic Education says while the decision to reopen schools was not taken lightly, as it tries to save what is left of the academic year, it is not going to gamble with human lives. During the virtual ministerial briefing of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on Thursday, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said they take their responsibility to manage public schooling very seriously, especially in the face of COVID-19. “We understand the immediate threat that the COVID-19 pandemic poses to our teachers, learners and broader society,” Motshekga said. She said the department aims to salvage the…
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) has confirmed the arrest of a former Merafong Local Municipality senior official for allegedly illegally depositing funds into the collapsed Venda Building Society (VBS) Mutual Bank. Mattheys Gerhardus Wienekus, 64, a former senior official in Merafong, appeared in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crime Court on Thursday after being subpoenaed to face charges of contravention of the Municipality Finance Management Act 56 of 2003 in the ongoing investigation linked to the bank. “The suspect, who was arrested this morning, was employed at Merafong Local Municipality as Manager: Budget and Treasury until his retirement,” said…
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has announced that the 2020 Filing Season will begin on 1 August 2020. In a statement issued on Thursday, SARS said on the day, a significant number of taxpayers can expect to receive an SMS indicating that SARS has prepared their tax returns on their behalf and that a draft assessment is available on eFiling or Mobiapp to consider. With this year’s filing season coinciding with the economy-damaging COVID-19 pandemic, SARS has conceded this will detrimentally affect collection rates. Amid the pandemic, SARS said it continues to play its critical revenue collection role to…
The relaxation of rules under level 3 of the lockdown regulations allowing for more economic activity comes amid a continuing job’s bloodbath. Several large South African corporates including SAA, Edcon, SABC and Cell C among others have recently announced plans for massive reductions in headcount. Karl Muller, operations manager at Tiger Brands Foundation, says the development follows disappointing financial performances all round. In his adjusted budget speech, the minister of finance also announced that the economy is expected to contract by as much as 7%. Muller says the number of people who will soon be out of work from large,…
Amazon Web Services (AWS) today announced the general availability of AWS Outposts in South Africa. AWS Outposts delivers fully managed and configurable compute and storage racks built with AWS-designed hardware that allow customers to run AWS compute, storage, database, and other services on-premises, while seamlessly connecting to AWS’s broad array of services in the cloud. AWS Outposts brings native AWS services, infrastructure, and operating models to virtually any datacenter, co-location space, or on-premises facility. With AWS Outposts, customers can use the same AWS APIs, control plane, tools, and hardware on-premises as in the AWS cloud to deliver a truly consistent hybrid experience.…
JSE listed company TeleMasters, a licenced communication service provider in the South African market, has announced the acquisition of a 25% stake in data centre specialists ConexLink. The acquisition by TeleMasters came into effect on 1 June 2020. ConexLink, a new carrier neutral and vendor neutral facility outside Pretoria, brings to Gauteng an carrier grade disaster recovery centre that ticks all the boxes for physical security and georedundancy, says TeleMasters CEO Jaco Voigt. Agreements have been concluded with a number of leading fibre providers who now have nodes in place at the facility to support enterprises that must comply with…
iSchoolAfrica announced on Friday a partnership with iStore which aims to bring iPads to 10 000 South African matriculants through the #MyFuture programme. iSchoolAfrica is an education trust which brings the world’s best technology to under-resourced schools in South Africa. “School closures have necessitated a move to e-learning. In theory, this could be an important step towards a more equitable education system. But the reality is very different. Most South African learners lack access to devices, data and quality educational resources,” says Michelle Lissoos, Director of iSchoolAfrica Education Trust. It is with this in mind that iSchoolAfrica in partnership with iStore,…
Uber Eats is now available in East London, Eastern Cape Eaters can enjoy ordering their favourite meals from their long time favourites Milky Lane, Rocomama’s and McDonald’s as well as local favourites Sanook, Angela’s Coffee Shop and Earth Forrest. For those who are not close by and would love to surprise their friends or family, Uber Eats has introduced a new feature that allows users to easily send food to loved ones and share the status of that delivery with a simple link. “We are so delighted to be launching in East London to provide small businesses with an extra…
Cape Town-based IMPower has developed a market-leading medium-sized solution comprising of solar and energy storage technologies for the commercial & industrial market, which includes business parks, factories, shopping malls, schools and many others, providing reliable, affordable power. Energy storage technologies are viewed as a potential game-changer for widespread adoption of renewable energy generation throughout Africa. They facilitate the management of renewable power intermittency, demand response services and the dispatchability of stable, clean and sustainable power into the local or national grid system. “Our energy solution combining solar and energy storage provides a maximum benefit solution for the market, ensuring security…
Gameloft has partnered with MTN to create a unique subscription platform for millions of South African users. The platform is available for a fixed daily subscription fee, with a large catalogue of premium mobile games such as Asphalt Nitro, NOVA Legacy, PAC-MAN and Sonic Runners Adventure. MTN Arcade allows users to immerse themselves in a complete mobile gaming universe with hundreds of games of all genres with exclusive features such as tournaments and esports events, in one single environment. For the past 20 years, Gameloft has been working together with over 330 global distribution partners to bring its games to…
Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa has approved plans for the resumption of football. “The plans of the Premier Soccer League have been approved, considering the mitigation strategies and plans in relation to the level 3 risk adjusted strategy in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic,” the Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture said on Wednesday. The plans have further been subject to analysis by health authorities and the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), who have recommended that the measures put in place by the organisation meet and in some instances, exceed, the required protocol for a safe return to…
Mobile operators throughout South Africa are experiencing increased traffic as the coronavirus pandemic drives users online for information. According to online search data from Upstream’s Zero-D, during March and May this year, coronavirus accounted for 15% of all online searches nationwide. Interest in general health news also saw a dramatic increase, jumping from just 5.2% between December 2019 and February 2020, to 28.6% by May 2020, accounting for more than a quarter of all news content. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the top trending search query in South Africa was “How to get free data?” Since the outbreak, this has…
First National Bank (FNB) has been voted as the best digital bank in the 2020 SITEisfaction survey. The bank dominated overall customer satisfaction metrics on both the Best Mobile Banking and Best Internet Banking categories. Conducted for 9 consecutive years, the survey benchmarks internet banking, app and customer experience against that of competitors as well as against previous years’ performance. “Our consistent approach to digital banking has provided customers with an innovative, contextual and an agile banking experience. Our banking processes have evolved to one that can operate through challenging market conditions with changing consumer perceptions, sentiment and dynamics,” says…
Seven weeks after the initial announcement of the company’s plans to provide a temporary medical facility for COVID-19 patients, Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) today handed over the first phase of this project to the Eastern Cape Department of Health. VWSA announced on 5 May that they would make their former Port Elizabeth plant, situated in Neave, available as an overflow facility to provide care for those diagnosed with COVID-19. With funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), VWSA has since completed the first phase of equipping this facility, which can now accommodate 1 485…
Stellenbosch-based FinTech startup Paymenow today announced it has been accepted into Catalyst Fund, the global inclusive fintech accelerator managed by BFA Global, supported by UK aid and JPMorgan Chase & Co. and fiscally sponsored by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. Paymenow’s participation in the seventh cohort of the Catalyst Fund acceleration programme provides the company with £80,000 in grant capital, bespoke and expert-led venture building support for six months and 1:1 connections with investors and corporate innovators that can help them scale. Paymenow offers financial inclusivity through a responsible early access to wages platform, enabled via a secure mobile app, developed specifically…
The Departments of Basic Education and Health are working together to support 204 learners and hostel assistants who have contracted Coronavirus at Makaula Senior Secondary School in KwaBhaca, Eastern Cape. The Department of Basic Education said a team of doctors and tracers has since been sent to attend to the school. Meanwhile, the department is also lending a helping hand to educators and parents who are affected by the incident. As of Monday, COVID-19 infections are now sitting at 101 590 in the country and the Eastern Cape is the third most hardest-hit province with 16 895 cases. According to…
The first participants in South Africa’s first clinical trial for a vaccine against COVID-19 will be vaccinated this week. The first clinical trial in South Africa and on the continent for a COVID-19 vaccine was announced on Tuesday during a virtual press conference hosted by the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (Wits). The South African Ox1Cov-19 Vaccine VIDA-Trial aims to find a vaccine that will prevent infection by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. In South Africa, over 100 000 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since March when President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a national state of disaster and lockdown.…
We are the only Registered Satanic Organisation in South Africa, Rev. Riaan Swiegelaar, the cofounder of the first South African Satanic Church, wrote in a church blog. “I sincerely believe we will see more ones rising in the near future.” Swiegelaar co-founded the South African Satanic Church with T/Dr Adri Norton. The South African Satanic Church was launched in February 2020. The Church in South Africa is located in Century City in Cape Town. “It is in the creation of this next step of Satanism in South Africa that I hope to fulfil the need for information and assist in…
All things considered, it’s no surprise that eCommerce has fundamentally changed over the past few months. The COVID-19 pandemic has encouraged consumers to switch to online shopping and contactless payment alternatives to abide by social distancing practices and lockdown regulations. Stats released by the online payment gateway, PayFast show that Generation Z, aged 18 to 24, is paving the way for innovation in the eCommerce space, with Baby Boomers aged 55 to 64, not far behind. “The eCommerce boom was bound to happen, but COVID-19 definitely accelerated industry growth. We’ve seen adoption rates soar following on from the lockdown, this…
The Jaguar I-PACE – the world’s first premium all-electric performance SUV – now offers a new fast, intuitive infotainment system and quicker charging capability, making owning and driving an electric vehicle easier than ever. It now delivers even more technology to make living the electric life simpler and more rewarding than ever. It is the first Jaguar to feature the new Pivi Pro infotainment system. I-PACE now comes with an 11kW on-board charger as standard, enabling customers with access to three-phase electricity supplies to enjoy significantly faster charging: when connected to an 11kW wall box 53km of range (WLTP) per…
Stellenbosch-based FinTech startup Paymenow today announced it has concluded an initial equity investment round with ViaMedia (part of the Digital Ecosystems Group) for a R4 million equity stake. Paymenow offers financial inclusivity through responsible early access to the wages platform, enabled via a secure mobile app, developed specifically for the South African market. Paymenow uses gamification to drive financial education and inclusion amongst its users and is working with South African employers to help move South Africans out of a vicious debt cycle and into a savings mindset. “This equity investment round will bring about operational cash flow in the…
The Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) is investigating UIF (Unemployment Insurance Fund) fund fraud and money-laundering. The Sunday Times report stated that nearly R6 million in COVID-19 relief funds – intended for 200 workers at risk of starvation – were diverted to one man. The report states that in an instant Tshepang Phohole went from having R12 in his account to more than R5 million. The money was then quickly sent to friends and businesses over the course of five days. The AFU and police are now probing the UIF to establish whether employees acted in concert with Phohole. The AFU has frozen 28…
Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Dr. Blade Nzimande has hailed a partnership between Huawei and the South African College Principals Organisation (SACPO) as a milestone for South African ICT education and building ICT professionals for the future economy. He was speaking during an online launch of the Huawei ICT Academy, which will be rolled out at TVET Colleges across South Africa, preparing the country for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and creating jobs and opportunities. The launch follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding between SACPO and Huawei, which aims to establish Huawei ICT Academy at all…