Author: Staff Writer

Seeing explosive growth, SHAREit has ranked 4th globally after Google, Facebook and TikTok in the recently released AppsFlyer non-gaming Retention and IAP Index report across all categories. In Africa, the app has placed 8th in the gaming category on Android across the continent and ranks #8 globally across the various gaming categories. The attractive proposition to share files and games without using costly data has ensured the app’s popularity in South Africa with around 20m monthly active users. SHAREit’s Game Centre has attracted a huge following offering one of the world’s largest catalogues of over 2000 mobile games. With games…

Standard Bank today brings its customers Apple Pay, a safer, more secure and private way to pay that helps customers avoid handing their payment card to someone else, touching physical buttons or exchanging cash — and uses the power of iPhone to protect every transaction. Customers simply hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near a payment terminal to make a contactless payment. Every Apple Pay purchase is secure because it is authenticated with Face ID, Touch ID, or device passcode, as well as a one-time unique dynamic security code. Apple Pay is accepted in grocery stores, pharmacies, taxis, restaurants, coffee…

Vodacom customers can now enjoy out-of-bundle rates from as little as R0.49c and up to R5.00 when travelling to over 156 countries across 656 partner networks. This is a price cut of up to 88%. As the vaccination rollout continues, with 24,4% fully vaccinated South Africans as at the end of November, Vodacom hopes that customers will once again get to enjoy leisure travel soon. “We are on a mission to give value to our customers at every touchpoint of our business. We have slashed our data roaming prices by up to 88%, another way we strive to fulfil our…

Platzi, a professional education platform in Latin America, has raised $60 million (R955 million) in Series B funding led by Prosus, one of the largest technology investors in the world. Existing investor Foundation Capital co-invested in this round along with YCombinator, 500 Startups, FJ Labs, FundersClub, Hans Tung from GGV and Darian Shirazi from Gradient. Platzi will use the fresh funds to expand its educational offering in Portuguese, English and Spanish, ramp up its offering for businesses and continue building strategic partnerships with tech giants and governments. Founded by Freddy Vega and Christian Van Der Henst, Platzi aims to close…

Vodacom has launched a new payment plan called Easy2Own, which comes with a 1GB data bundle if you settle monthly instalments on time. Through the newly launched initiative, customers on the Vodacom network can purchase a smartphone and, after a once-off deposit, pay it off in affordable monthly payments over the next 11 months. To provide further flexibility, customers can settle their monthly payments via a direct debit order or EFT. “At Vodacom, we believe that access to mobile devices and connectivity provides endless opportunities for South Africans. The Easy2Own proposition is yet another innovation by Vodacom to help bridge…

Seventy graduates of the Huawei ICT Academy programme met with representatives from nine top South African technology partner companies, looking to recruit top ICT talent, at a job fair held online. The Huawei ICT Academy programme is run in 67 universities and colleges across the country and its graduates are given the opportunity to connect with prospective employers. Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Blade Nzimande was in attendance and stressed the importance of these kinds of programmes, especially for the building of critical skills. “To us, partnerships with our universities and colleges are a critical component of our…

African FinTech aYo Holdings has reached a major milestone in its ongoing technology transformation by fully migrating its Côte d’Ivoire insurance portfolio to a cloud platform. The company, a subsidiary of African telecommunications giant MTN, has more than 15 million customers using its microinsurance products across Uganda, Ghana, Zambia and Côte d’Ivoire. Group CEO Marius Botha says its vision is to grow into the largest financial services technology platform in Africa by enabling the distribution of a range of affordable and accessible micro financial services products. “We see ourselves as a technology company first and foremost, that happens to sell…

MTN Uganda announced today that it will proceed with the listing of its 22.4 billion ordinary shares on the Uganda Securities Exchange (USE), with trading commencing immediately. The listing has received the requisite approvals from the Capital Markets Authority in Uganda and the USE. It follows the successful completion of the largest initial public offering in Uganda’s history, raising a record UGX535 billion from applications for 2.9 billion shares (including incentive shares). “We are delighted with the successful completion of the offer. It clearly shows the confidence that Ugandans and other investors have in the company, its brand and its…

MTN Group will be implementing a mandatory vaccination policy for staff from January 2022. Africa’s biggest mobile phone operator said on Monday that this is part of its commitment to protect the health and safety of its people and workplaces, as well as contribute towards the rate of COVID-19 vaccinations across its markets. “The science is clear. Vaccination against COVID-19 reduces rates of serious infections, hospitalisation, and death. As an employer, we have a responsibility to ensure that our workplaces are guided by the highest standards of health and safety, and that has informed our decision to make COVID-19 vaccination…

MTNon Friday launched the construction of a state-of-the-art headquarters for MTN Côte d’Ivoire, as well as the start of a local trial of 5G services in Abidjan. Both took place during a state visit to the West African country by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. After the conclusion of the Côte d’Ivoire-South Africa Business Forum in which MTN participated, a foundation stone-laying ceremony was held at a site at the Akwaba Business Park in Port Bouët. It was attended by President Ramaphosa and Ivorian Prime Minister Patrick Achi. Both lauded MTN’s pan-African strategy and the Group’s contribution to Côte d’Ivoire…