Author: Staff Writer
South Africa is currently under lockdown Alert Level Four about to enter Alert Level Three and has seen every sector of our economy shaken to the core by the COVID-19 Pandemic. As the country moves to Alert Level 3 on 1 June 2020, the economic outlook for the rest of the year is that we are about to experience a deep recession of between -4.5% and -8.0% Gross Domestic Product contraction, significantly more severe than the -1.5% GDP contraction of 2009. “We experienced a sharp slowdown in applications at the end of March and part of April 2020, however our…
As part of COVID-19 relief measures, Huawei Technologies in partnership with Social Development Deputy Minister Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu and NGO Afrika Tikkun have provided 300 vulnerable families living in Alexandra Township, north of Johannesburg with food parcels. Social Development Deputy Minister Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu shares information on Covid-19 prevention with Alexandra residents. During a visit to the Alexandra Township, Deputy Minister Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu said; “The initiative is important, in Alexandra the numbers are going up, the living conditions aren’t the best and people are congested. We need to make sure that within these living conditions people are wearing their masks and understand…
An intelligence-driven operation by Gauteng Provincial Organised Crimes: Narcotics Unit led to the bust of a drug laboratory last night, in Kensington, Johannesburg, said police. Gauteng police spokesperson Kay Makhubele said on arrival at the address, the police search the premises and discovered a drug laboratory in what was believed to be a meth laboratory. Police further discovered drugs in a car, chemicals and equipment used to manufacture drugs. The car was also impounded. During the operation, one suspect was arrested. The suspect will appear in the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court soon. Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Elias Mawela commended the…
The Gauteng Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Roads and Transport says the opening of rail during level 3 lockdown could spell a public transport catastrophe. The committee said it is was not pleased with the measures presented by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa’s administrator, Bongisizwe Mpondo, on their readiness to receive passengers under level 3 lockdown regulations. “As the bulk of working-class citizens go back to work, trains are expected to be operational effective 1 June 2020. However, plans presented by PRASA are short of a Gauteng province integrated system and could lead to a public transport disaster during…
The South African cellular network industry has improved in the customer satisfaction stakes according to the latest South African Customer Satisfaction Index (SA-csi) for Mobile Telecommunications Services, conducted by Consulta. SA’s three largest cellular networks, Cell C, MTN and Vodacom, have all recorded improvements in satisfaction since the 2018 measures, however, long-term trends indicate a degree of inconsistency when it comes to keeping their customers happy. One pertinent finding is that Customer Expectations have consistently declined over a four-year period. This is cause for concern as declines in Customer Expectations have been proven to foreshadow inevitable drops in Perceived Quality, value and…
Bolt, the transportation platform, has closed an investment round of €100 million (R1.9 billion) as it continues to scale all of its product segments from ride-hailing to micromobility and food delivery in Europe and Africa. The investment comes from Naya Capital Management, the global investment manager founded in 2012 by Masroor Siddiqui, a former partner at The Children’s Investment Fund, and brings Bolt’s total funds raised to more than €300m. In South Africa Bolt operates in up to 34 secondary towns and cities across all nine provinces of South Africa – with its aggressive expansion strategy in 2019 seeing it…
Thabiso Hamilton Ndlovu, a Johannesburg-based businessman, opened up on videos showing several new cars being delivered to his house and the public support and backlash that followed. The video circulated on Sunday on social media showing several new vehicles: Lamborghini, Jeep and three Porsches bought by Ndlovu. For more read: Video: Hamilton Ndlovu Buys Lamborghini, Jeep and three Porsches Ndlovu reflects on the video “Over the past weekend, a video showing several new vehicles that I recently purchased for my family’s use was posted on my social media timeline,” said Ndlovu in a statement published on his Twitter page. “After…
The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) says a move to level 3 lockdown, which will commence from 1 June 2020, will enable the agency to accelerate the pace of paying out the COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress grant. “At the moment SASSA is operating with a third of its staff during level 4 and a move to level 3 will increase human resource capacity drastically so that payments are made quicker than it is the case currently,” said SASSA CEO Totsie Memela. Memela said that much progress has been made in preparing for the payment of large numbers of…
Africa has marked the 57th Africa Day amid the Coronavirus pandemic with African Union Chair, President Cyril Ramaphosa, calling on the continent to use the global crisis as an opportunity to re-imagine a new Africa. Africa Day is celebrated on 25 May 2020 and marks the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). Africa has not been spared from the COVID-19 pandemic with almost 96 000 people infected with almost 3 000 having lost their lives. Delivering the keynote address on the Africa Day special virtual broadcast on Monday, President Ramaphosa said the pandemic will have a lasting impact…
MTN announced on Monday that it remains the ‘Most Admired African Brand’ based on spontaneous consumer responses in Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands 2020 survey released on Monday. MTN is also the only African brand in the rankings of the ‘Most Admired Brands in Africa’. In a survey carried out in 27 countries, representing around 80% of the population and the GDP of Africa, the group is now also considered one of the continent’s most admired media brands. MTN Mobile Money – through which MTN provides more than 35 million Africans access to financial services – remains one of Africa’s…
With the economy expected to shrink by an estimated 15% in 2020, direct selling offers an opportunity for South Africans with an appetite for entrepreneurship to generate steady and reliable income, says Mthunzi Mbali, vice-chairperson of the DSA of South Africa (DSA). The government has done a phenomenal job in many respects with regards to encouraging entrepreneurship through various entities offering both intellectual capital and funding support because it recognises that small businesses are the real engine of our economy and a strategic sector when it comes to arresting rising unemployment, says Mbali. “Sadly, many entrepreneurship opportunities require considerable capital…
A partnership between Putco and fleet-management organisation Netstar has enabled the bus company to exponentially improve the safety of its fleet at a time when people are especially reliant on essential bus services. The COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown regulations mean that mobility is limited and licensed transport operators such as Putco are responsible for much of the people movement within and between provinces. A network of onboard cameras ensures Putco can monitor adherence to social-distancing guidelines, check that drivers and passengers are wearing masks, that passengers are sanitised when boarding the bus and that there is compliance with lockdown…
The outbreak of coronavirus and the implementation of the nationwide lockdown is threatening the livelihood of millions of people, with Business for South Africa (B4SA) estimating that over a million employees will swell the ranks of the unemployed due to depressed economic activity. In line with its efforts to empower women through an earning opportunity, leading global beauty and personal care company Avon Justine is leveraging its expertise in the direct selling business spanning nearly 130 years by embarking on a recruitment campaign to help those that need extra income and those that don’t have employment. In an unstable economy…
MTN customers are now able to purchase 1GB of data for one day for R29; or pay R149 upfront for a daily allocation of 1GB of data every day for seven days. This amounts to R21 for 1GB a day – with MTN’s all-new EverydayGigs offer. Developed specifically to cater for customer’s daily data usage needs and affordability constraints, MTN’s EverydayGigs is an easy, hassle-free and cost-effective data solution that guarantees daily connectivity for MTN customers. For high-data prepaid usage, customers can purchase a 30GB monthly bundle for just R499 once off and get an allocation of 1GB data every…
Thabiso Hamilton Ndlovu, a Johannesburg-based businessman, has bought Lamborghini, Jeep and three Porsches on the same day. The businessman, who owns Hamiltonn Holdings, has been trending on social media. He bought one Porsche for the kids and another for his mother, and one Lamborghini Urus, two Porsches and two Jeeps for himself, the kids, his parents and wife. It’s people like Hamilton Ndlovu that inspire us to do better in life 🙌🏽. I don’t know him but I can never be so proud 🙌🏽 Congratulations brother ✨💫 pic.twitter.com/lqDK6TODsF — Banele Gumede (@BaneleGumede10) May 24, 2020 According to the company’s website, Hamiltonn Holdings…
South Africans are not happy with Cooperative Governance Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma who is believed to be calling for the alcohol and cigarette ban to continue. News24 says they have been reliably informed that Dlamini-Zuma has told the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) this week that the sale of tobacco and alcohol should continue to be banned until the country reaches Level 1 of the lockdown. News24’s source went on to say that no decision had yet been taken, “The discussion goes on and on and there is no finality,” the insider said. Where was minister #dlaminizuma when the decision…
As the country prepares for the reopening of schools, the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government has assured parents and stakeholders that all necessary precautions will be taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This follows an announcement by Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga on Tuesday that schools will reopen, starting with the return of the teachers on 25 May 2020 and the opening of schools on 1 June 2020 with Grade 7 and Grade 12 learners returning to the classroom. The reopening of schools follows the National Coronavirus Command Council and Cabinet’s approval of the Basic Education Department’s plan to return to…
MTN today implemented the data usage rate service which enables both prepaid and contract customers to monitor their usage history and the effective consumption rate of the last five bundles purchased in the last 30 days. This service can be accessed free of charge by dialling the zero-rated USSD *135# or by using the MTN App. MTN customers will also be presented with an option to access the most affordable bundles based on their unique usage profile as well as information on other products and services to enable them to get the best value for money. USSD steps: Customers will…
Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) announced on Thursday it has to date produced 23 000 face shields and donated thousands of these face shields to the KwaZulu-Natal health sector, dealers, suppliers, as well to its staff. This is part of TSAM’s bid to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the country. The first external benefactor was Prince Mshiyeni Hospital in Umlazi, Durban, receiving 900 face shields in April, while a further 10 000 units will be delivered to other hospitals and clinics during the month of May. “We have long expressed that as an organisation, we are first and foremost a corporate…
The current global COVID-19 pandemic is creating major economic and financial distress for consumers across the globe. Many jobs in the South African economy are already being impacted or at risk due to drastic demand shifts. The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on household incomes of South African consumers has stayed broadly stable over recent weeks, but the number of consumers who have lost their jobs has increased sharply since the beginning of April, according to newly released research from TransUnion. This online survey of 1,005 adults in South Africa was conducted on 4 – 11 May, 2020. “The pandemic…
The COVID-19 outbreak looks set to further deepen and accelerate a well-established trend towards ‘cocooning’ in South Africa as families stay home to keep safe and make better use of their finances – a trend that is likely to outlast the pandemic. This is according to new Consumer Pulse research from GfK South Africa into the behaviours of online consumers during the Level 5 lockdown. Some 85% of consumers who usually work full time reported a significant impact on their working habits. Nearly half (47%) of full-time employees were able to work remotely, but among this group, 74% claimed they…
MyWill is an online solution for creating a Will, available as a service on the MyLegal online law platform. MyWill allows anyone to quickly and affordably create a valid Will at a once-off fee of R199 for a Single Will – or pay R250 once-off for a Joint Will. With the recently reported spike in requests for wills, South Africans are waking up to the seriousness of protecting loved ones and their assets, should they pass away. The brainchild of attorney Matthew De Wet, MyWill reimagines the way we think about the legal process behind a Will. The often-complicated process…
A Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) survey has revealed that 8.1% of its respondents lost jobs or closed businesses as a consequence of the COVID-19 outbreak. The survey, titled Wave 2, studied the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on employment and income in South Africa. Stats SA released the findings on Wednesday. The survey was conducted between 29 April and 6 May. According to the report, almost nine in ten (89.5%) respondents who were employed before the national lockdown remained employed during the lockdown. “The survey also found a decrease in the proportion of respondents who usually derive their income…
Fans of Mzansi’s much-loved telenovelas Gomora, The River and Isibaya will have something scintillating to look forward to as these shows return to the small screen on 25 May. This magnificent news comes in the wake of the easing of lockdown regulations from the beginning of this month, allowing television productions to return to set, albeit with stringent measures in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Kutlwano Ditsele, the executive producer of the popular telenovela Gomora, expressed his excitement to be back in the hot seat. “The lockdown was a necessity, but we missed being on the set of Gomora. Any opportunity to…
Africa Data Centres, part of the Liquid Telecom Group, has completed the acquisition of a state-of-the-art Tier IV data centre in Johannesburg from Standard Bank, Africa’s largest bank. The acquisition, which has been unconditionally approved by the South African Competition Commission, will prove highly disruptive to the South African data centre and co-location market and consolidates Africa Data Centres’ position as the largest pan-African provider of interconnected, carrier and cloud-neutral data centres. The facility is widely recognised as the most prestigious and highly specified data centre anywhere in Africa, offering world-leading levels of security, resilience and capacity. It is also…