Author: Staff Writer

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…

MTN Pulse has announced the launch of the new MTN Pulse Daily, Weekly and Monthly Social Pass bundles promotion, effective immediately to 16 July 2020, which sees the introduction of 1GB valid for a day for R25. The new MTN Pulse Social Pass bundles are an extension to the existing Social bundles. These competitive bundles provide Youth customers on MTN Pulse with access to Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter and YouTube, all in one bundle. MTN Pulse subscribers can now connect with friends and family for longer, without breaking the bank. “Social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube and…

Information Communication Technology Union (ICTU) said on Friday it was surprised by Cell C’s sudden notification that it plans to retrench as much as 960 out of 2500 total staff complement. This is more than one-third of the total workforce at the Bargaining Level, where the ICTU, which is the sole workers representative, has a vast majority of the membership. ICTU said it is enraged by thus unlawful notification because CellC hasn’t officially notified the Union about its plans to retrench and why Cell C is violating the conditions set out on recapitalization application made out to the Competition Commission.…

South African signatories have called for the South African government to implement five urgent and effective measures to curb the abuse of alcohol. In his speech to the nation on Wednesday 17 June 2020, President Ramaphosa stated that “we will also need to look at further, more drastic measures to curb the abuse of alcohol”. “We now call on the government to draw on the best international evidence, follow the advice of the World Health Organisation and implement those measures which have been shown to be effective in other countries,” said the signatories. These measures are to: Ban advertising of…

The Public Investment Corporation (PIC) has welcomed the arrest of seven suspects allegedly involved in the collapse of VBS mutual bank. This comes after the Hawks on Wednesday arrested four suspects during a raid on 10 properties in Gauteng and Limpopo. A further three were expected to hand themselves over to investigators, while a warrant of arrest for the eighth suspect is yet to be effected, as he is in COVID-19 isolation. The seven are today expected to appear before the Johannesburg High Court, sitting at the Palm Ridge Magistrates Court. The PIC was a significant shareholder in VBS [Venda…

In March this year, FNB announced Cashflow Relief measures which offer customers a 3-month payment breakthrough a separate credit agreement and assistance with credit insurance claims where relevant. The relief measures have been available from 1 April. As of 15 June, nearly 300 000 individual customers were offered payment breaks through a separate credit agreement worth approximately R5 billion. Payment breaks through a separate credit agreement are offered at prime interest rates with 60 months repayment term and no penalty fees on early settlements. In addition, the bank expects to approve approximately R150 million worth of credit life insurance claims…

Government has emphasised its support for the national carrier, South African Airways (SAA). This comes following the publication of the carrier’s business rescue plan on 16 June 2020. “Government, as the sole shareholder of SAA, supports the business rescue plan where it results in a viable, sustainable, competitive airline that provides integrated domestic, regional and international flight services,” said the Department of Public Enterprises. This is to resolve the untenable situation of the current South African Airways specifically for its employees and its creditors, as well as to support important economic objectives. “The aviation industry in South Africa requires the…

South African FinTech company Centbee launched a new feature in its Bitcoin wallet today that allows you to purchase prepaid electricity, airtime and data. This is the realisation of a dream by co-founders Lorien Gamaroff and Angus Brown, finally making the vision for bitcoin as electronic cash a reality. South African Centbee users have been able to top up their wallets with Bitcoin from over 50 000 retail stores since early 2019 and from their South African bank accounts since February 2020. In addition, Bitcoin can be bought from South African cryptocurrency exchanges VALR.com and AltCoinTrader and sent to a Centbee…

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) has pounced on eight suspects allegedly behind the plundering and collapse of the Venda Building Society (VBS) Mutual Bank. Four suspects were arrested when the Hawks descended on 10 properties in Gauteng and Limpopo on Wednesday morning. While the further three are expected to hand themselves over to the investigators, the warrant of arrest on the eighth suspect is yet to be effected, as he is in COVID-19 isolation. The seven are expected to appear before the Johannesburg High Court, sitting at the Palm Ridge Magistrates Court. The arrests are a culmination of…