Author: Staff Writer

With the COVID-19 outbreak in South Africa projected to peak around August, Gauteng – the country’s epicentre with 1 252 cases to date – is leaving no stone unturned in its preparations to fight the scourge. On Friday, President Cyril Ramaphosa paid a visit to the sites identified as COVID-19 facilities in Gauteng. These include the quarantine facility at the Nasrec Expo Centre, Johannesburg Central Food Bank and Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital. The President expressed confidence in the province’s efforts to ramp up its hospital bed capacity, screening efforts and measures to mitigate the socio-economic blow of the virus on…

Over the next month, the state will shift its response to the COVID-19 pandemic by preserving the economy, developing immediate recovery plans and pivoting the economy in a position of growth. This was revealed by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni on Friday during a press briefing in which he outlined a R500 billion economic support package. The package was initially unveiled by President Cyril Ramaphosa during an address to the nation on Tuesday. In May, the government will focus on three phases. The first phase, which the state is currently in, aims to preserve the country’s economy. “It is designed to…

As of today, there are 318 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 in South Africa, bringing the total number of cases to 3953. Today we regrettably report 10 new deaths. This brings the total to 75. The new deaths are from the following provinces: Western Cape: 6 KZN: 2 Gauteng: 1 Eastern Cape: 1  “We convey our condolences to the families and friends. Preventing COVID-19 from spreading is everybody’s job.” As of Thursday, the Western Cape surpassed Gauteng’s confirmed cases and now has the highest number of COVID-19 positive cases in the country. “A further analysis is being done as we…

The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy has issued a directive to all mining operations to ensure safe start-up procedures as the sector prepares to ramp up to 50% of capacity. “The directive was issued to ensure compliance with Section 5(1) of the Mine Health and Safety Act (Act No. 29 of 1996), as amended, which requires that every employer must as far as reasonably practicable, provide and maintain a safe working environment,” the department said. The start-up procedures must also address measures to be taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19, as well as actions to provide a safe…

South Africa’s parliament returned to work last Thursday with lawmakers to hold virtual meetings in both the National Assembly (NA), the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) and their committees. Presiding Officers have agreed to draft guidelines and rules on how virtual committee meetings and voting must be conducted. Virtual sittings of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces will deal with legislation and other matters needing approval or consideration from the Houses. On Wednesday, parliament published the rules for virtual meetings. The statement said these rules take into account procedures, precedents, practices and conventions developed by the House…

South Africa has 3 635 confirmed COVID-19 cases, the Minister of Health, Dr Zweli Mkhize, announced on Wednesday. This is an increase of 170 cases from the previous night. In a statement, Mkhize confirmed that seven more COVID-19 related deaths had been recorded, bringing the total number to 65. Five of the deaths occurred in the Western Cape, while two were recorded in KwaZulu-Natal. To date, South Africa has conducted 133 774 COVID-19 tests, with 6 868 of these done in the last 24 hours. The provincial breakdown of infections is as follows: Gauteng: 1 224 Western Cape: 1 079…

Only a unified and coordinated response offers Africa the best possible chance of containing the COVID-19 outbreak. To achieve this, the continent’s leading business people will have to be a catalytic proponent confronting what President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his capacity as African Union chairperson, has called one of Africa’s defining modern-day challenges. President Ramaphosa made the remark while addressing leading African businesspeople and various heads of state during a virtual meeting on Wednesday. “The continent’s private sector is well placed to assist in many of our most pressing challenges. Combining our resources, we can implement the screening, testing and contact…

The Joint Standing Committee on Defence has unanimously supported the employment of additional members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to assist government’s intervention in the fight against COVID-19. On Thursday, the committee considered a number of letters from President Cyril Ramaphosa on the employment of the SANDF. The President is compelled — in terms Section 201 (3) of the Constitution and Section 18 (2) of the Defence Act (No 42 of 2002) — to inform Parliament regarding the reasons, place, number of soldiers, cost involved, as well as the period of employment – to which Parliament must…

Police Minister Bheki Cele has expressed concern at a large number of public officials arrested for violating COVID-19 regulations. Cele, during a visit to KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday to assess adherence to the National State of Disaster regulations, revealed that 131 officials have been arrested since last month. Those arrested include security forces, government officials and councillors. Among them were two Sergeants from Katlehong, Gauteng, who were arrested after allegedly demanding a bribe from a businessman, who had contravened the lockdown regulations on Monday. Cele said the two allegedly promised the businessman that they would destroy the docket in exchange for…

The International Women’s Forum of South Africa (IWFSA) has praised President Cyril Ramaphosa’s R500-billion economic stimulus and recovery plan, saying it will help beleaguered communities, particularly the youth, women and small businesses, as the coronavirus continues to wreak havoc on the world’s people and economies. “We are pleased that this package – the biggest economic rescue package in our nation’s modern history, is a product of input from all partners, including government, business sector, labour and civil society,” said Irene Charnley, President of IWFSA. “It is especially important to note that the package is focussed on addressing the pressing needs…

To save small businesses and support government funding for Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs), a group of South African entrepreneurs, funders and small business experts have banded together to launch Save Your Local. Save Your Local is a non-profit online aggregator that connects small businesses with their communities and customers by giving them access to a variety of voucher and donation platforms. Incepted just 10 days ago, Save Your Local aims to support small businesses by sustaining cash flow and averting business closures due to COVID-19. This is being achieved by providing online income-generating opportunities for businesses currently unable…

Amazon Web Services (AWS), an Amazon.com, today announced the opening of the AWS Africa (Cape Town) Region. With this launch, AWS now spans 73 Availability Zones within 23 geographic regions around the world and has announced plans for 12 more Availability Zones across four more AWS Regions in Indonesia, Italy, Japan, and Spain. Starting today, developers, startups, and enterprises, as well as government, education, and non-profit organisations can run their applications and serve end-users in Africa with even lower latency and leverage advanced AWS technologies to drive innovation. “The cloud is positively transforming lives and businesses across Africa and we…

As the country continues to battle the impact of COVID-19, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) applauds President Ramaphosa’s fiscal stimulus to the economy. The JSE believes that the well-timed announcement balances South Africa’s fiscal challenges with the need for stimulation and growth in the economy. The government’s R500 billion stimulus package is a clear indication of government’s commitment to stimulating the economy whilst prioritising the fight against COVID-19. For more read: SA President Ramaphosa Announces R500-bn Stimulus Package The JSE believes that the additional measures mentioned in the stimulus package will be constructive in enhancing both consumer and business confidence…

South Africa’s confirmed COVID-19 cases now stands at 3 465 as of Tuesday. The total number of tests conducted are 126 937 of which 5 427 were done in the last 24 hours. The provincial breakdown is as follows: Gauteng                       1199 Western Cape              1010 KwaZulu-Natal               671 Eastern Cape                 345 Free State                      106 Limpopo                          27 North West                      24 Mpumalanga                  …

DHL Global Forwarding has launched a dedicated 100-tonne weekly air freight service for organizations and governments shipping goods from China to Africa and the Middle East. Capitalizing on Dubai’s strategic geographical location as the gateway to countries in the region, the leading international provider of air, sea and road freight services will consolidate cargo from across China into Guangzhou and air freight them via Dubai to their various destinations across Africa and the Middle East, all within two or three days. “DHL Global Forwarding is bolstering logistics support to our customers in the region who need to ensure stable supply…

Pick n Pay has launched digital grocery vouchers – a safe and easy way to make sure someone you care for has access to essential items. It can also serve as a surprise to let someone know that you are thinking of them. Available through Webtickets or at any Pick n Pay Money counter, this new offering will provide a convenient way to purchase and send digital grocery vouchers. Vouchers will be available from R50 up to R1 000 and once purchased, customers can simply send the digital grocery voucher to anyone via SMS or email. The digital grocery vouchers can…

We have received numerous calls and emails from our readers asking questions about how Covi-ID app works. Yesterday, we published an article titled: Coronavirus: New App Tracks COVID-19 and Ends Need for Lockdown The app, Covi-ID, employs QR code scanning to track and trace our citizens’ health status. It operates on blockchain technology in order to ensure the privacy of all users information, offering a decentralised solution. One of the unique selling points is that even those without access to a smartphone can benefit and make use of Covi-ID. We have below an article written by Associate Professor Co-Pierre Georg…

The total number of confirmed COVID19 cases in South Africa is now 3 300. “Today we regrettably report 4 new COVID19 related deaths. “We convey our condolences to the families. Stay at home unless it’s essential. We are going through a most challenging period, but we shall overcome.” Testing Data Tests have been conducted on 121 510 patients in both the public and private sectors. The tables and graphs below confirm the significant increase in testing which is mainly attributed to the mass community screening and testing taking place in provinces. Ban on cooked hot meals gazetted Government has gazetted…

JSE-listed technology group EOH has agreed to sell R240 million worth of assets to RIB Limited and owners of LSD Information Technology (LSD). The deals are in line with EOH’s strategic intent of reducing debt and improving liquidity. EOH said on Monday it will sell its 30% stake in Construction Computer Software (CCS) to RIB. The deal is valued at R143 million. In July 2019, EOH Mthombo sold 70% of its shares in CCS to RIB. The remaining 30% shareholding in CCS was retained as EOH planned to participate in the growth of CCS through RIB’s broader distribution and development…

In response to the global COVID-19 crisis, Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) is planning to manufacture face masks and medical equipment, which could be crucial in protecting South African citizens from the coronavirus. VWSA has partnered with Gusco to produce soft fabric face masks aimed at reducing the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Following a successful trial batch, production of these masks began last week, with the goal of delivering a few thousand masks over the coming weeks in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro. The idea to produce face masks stemmed from the national and global shortage of protective masks.…

Twelve police officers, including a reservist, have been arrested for allegedly violating the National Disaster Management Regulations, as well as for corruption. “The arrest of our own is both disheartening and at the same time, pleasing, in a sense that it shows that the South African Police Service (SAPS) remains unbiased, as well as that it has the capacity and the capability to decisively deal with criminality within its ranks,” National Commissioner of the SAPS, General Khehla Sitole, said on Monday. The 12 were arrested in three separate incidents at the weekend. In the first incident, five members, including a police…

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday expressed concern at the alleged theft of food parcels meant to assist distressed families and individuals during the COVID-19 nationwide lockdown. “A number of provinces have received reports that callous individuals, some of them allegedly government officials, are hoarding or selling food parcels earmarked for the needy and destitute, or diverting them to their friends and families,” said the President in his weekly newsletter. In the letter, the President vowed to deal with individuals harshly, should the allegations prove to be true. Like many other countries around the world, South Africa has imposed the lockdown…

MiWay is refunding millions of rands to customers stuck at home during the coronavirus lockdown. The short-term insurer said it would give back R18 million in total to customers. “The implication of the extension of the lockdown by a further two weeks is that MiWay is in a position to give an additional 7% premium discount on all motor premiums. This is consistent with the 10% discount we gave for the initial 3-week lockdown,” MiWay CEO René Otto says. “We believe the right thing to do is to pass this saving of R18 million on to our clients. This brings…

Yoco, a financial platform for small business, announced that it has launched a suite of online payment solutions for merchants to sustain their cash flow during and beyond lockdown. Known for in-person payments, enabling online payments marks a step-change for the company and its customers. “Yoco’s mission has always centred around helping small businesses thrive and supporting them is more important now than ever before. The national lockdown has had a severe impact on our merchants,” said Katlego Maphai, co-founder and CEO. “Through our platform and the results of a recent merchant survey, we have seen up to a 90%…

SA’s Wireless Application Service Providers’ Association (WASPA) advises mobile users that they should expect to receive educational SMS (Short Message Service) text messages to do with the current COVID-19 emergency. “Aside from expecting these messages disseminated by the country’s mobile network operators (MNOs) and wireless application service providers (WASPs), mobile consumers should also be aware that they cannot opt-out of these vital communications,” says Ilonka Badenhorst, General Manager of WASPA. Government has mandated that MNOs, in particular, should twice daily transmit educational text messages relating to combatting the current pandemic. In this regard, WASPA draws the public’s attention to Clause…