Author: Staff Writer

As of today, 12 April 2020, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Africa is 2 173, with no reported increase in deaths. Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize said this is an increase of 145 cases from the previously reported cases on Saturday. The number of deaths still stand at 25. He said the total number of tests conducted to date is 80 085. “We are also seeing an increase in test conducted at public laboratories. Of the 5 032 tests conducted in the past day, 3 192 were done in public laboratories,” Mkhize said. The provincial breakdown…

African Union Chairperson President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Dr Donald Kaberuka, Tidjane Thiam and Trevor Manuel as the African Union’s COVID-19 Special Envoys. The newly appointed envoys are tasked with mobilising international support for Africa’s efforts to address the economic challenges African countries will face as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Special Envoys will be tasked with soliciting rapid and concrete support as pledged by the G20, the European Union and other international financial institutions. “In the light of the devastating socio-economic and political impact of the pandemic on African countries these institutions need to…

Vodacom will donate 20 000 smartphones plus 100 terabytes of data and 10 million voice calls minutes to the National Department of Health. The donation is worth R40 million. This will be used by frontline health workers to collect and transmit data in real-time for resource planning purposes as the government accelerates its COVID-19 testing campaign. The donation Vodacom will also assist the Government by ensuring that medical care resources are efficiently and effectively distributed to help those who are infected or require critical medical assistance. Each of the 20 000 smartphones will be loaded with 5GB of data and…

Inspired by the role that ecommerce and online food delivery companies have played around the world supporting people during the COVID-19 crisis, Mr D Food announced on Thursday a partnership with Kauai. Kuai is launching Kauai Real Food Market, selling a range of make-at-home smoothie mixes, frozen meals, protein powders and healthy snacks on the Mr D Food app. Customers will also be able to get Kauai’s sugar-free sparkling sodas and a selection of their healthy real-food ingredients like their famous wraps, Schoon artisanal bread, sugar-free nut butters and 100% local real honey delivered in a safe, contactless way. Through…

South Africa can flatten the curve, without extending the nationwide lockdown, the World Health Organization (WHO) told ENCA. Spokesperson, Dr Margaret Harris, says people must, however, maintain social distancing, keep hands clean and identify cases quickly. “Africa has an advantage and understands the importance of surveillance. While the rest of the world was taken by surprise, My feeling is Africa is better placed in many ways”. “It is still relatively early, There is still time to flatten to curve”. Watch the interview below: The number of coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2, infections rose to 1,845 in South Africa, with 18 people confirmed to have…

The South African Police Service has noted with concern a photograph of two females, in SAPS uniform, each holding what appears to be a bottle of beer and posing next to packs of liquor. “We are currently investigating the authenticity and origin of the picture to determine the identity of the persons in photograph as well as when and where the picture was taken,” said SAPS in a statement. “Such behaviour by any South African Police Service member is unacceptable and it is condemned in strongest terms by police management.” As soon as the investigation is concluded and the picture…

South Africa, together with the rest of the African continent, has handled the COVID-19 pandemic well, given the circumstances that the world finds itself under. “I think we’ve handled it well. Much more proactively than other countries. I think Africa as a whole, what has been apparent is a significant amount of coordination among African countries early on,” said Chief Executive of the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) Elizabeth Sidiropoulos. Speaking to SAnews, Sidiropoulos said the African continent has taken lessons learnt from other countries in dealing with the pandemic that has grappled the world. “I think both South…

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) is to donate fees derived across all asset classes traded on Wednesday 15 April and Thursday 16 April as part of a brand-new campaign #Trade4Solidarity to the Solidarity Fund. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the Solidarity Fund on 23 March 2020 to unite the nation in action against the COVID-19 crisis.  The Fund is a rapid response vehicle designed to fund impactful initiatives that will augment the national health response contributions to national humanitarian efforts. The third focus area of the fund aims to mobilize South Africans to flatten the curve and manage the pandemic and…

Over the past few weeks, South African retailers and companies have been forced to significantly change the way they do business and serve customers as a result of  COVID-19 pandemic. With the government introducing a 21-day National lockdown requiring people to stay at home, the demand for delivery of essential items is rapidly accelerating. At the same time, demand from the business community for delivery services to help them keep up with consumer demand has dramatically increased. In response, today Uber is offering a delivery service for businesses, leveraging its logistics technology and network of drivers to provide retailers and…

Mr D Food has teamed up with Checkers to deliver prescriptions and medication to its MediRite pharmacy customers. This initiative aims to provide a crucial service to MediRite customers and will also benefit vulnerable individuals and those not easily able to leave their homes. In the drive to flatten the curve, this partnership is just one example of how food delivery apps can play an important role in supporting government initiatives to promote social distancing. Customers can place their prescription and medicine orders with their local MediRite pharmacy and request delivery from Mr D Food. To arrange the delivery of…

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa is waiting for a “scientific assessment”, due this week, on the effect of South Africa’s COVID-19 lockdown before deciding whether it should be extended. In an interview with News24, Ramaphosa said: “We are still doing an assessment about the effectiveness of the lockdown. In terms of compliance, we are finding that many of our people throughout the country are abiding by the lockdown, and its regulations. There are pockets, here and there, of people who are still getting on with their lives as though there is no coronavirus. “We will be able to make a proper, if…

The Presidency’s Solidarity Response Fund has already raised R500-million in its first week to help South Africans affected by the coronavirus outbreak – and now it’s become even easier for individuals and businesses to donate to the Fund, thanks to the addition of a payment platform that will allow payments to be made in as little as 8 seconds. The Solidarity Response Fund, swiftly developed by President Cyril Ramaphosa to help manage the coronavirus crisis in South Africa, aims to help detect and prevent the further spread of the virus, while also providing care and support to those who have…

MTN announced on Wednesday that it has introduced MoMo social bundles and is waiving MoMo cash in service fees. The launch of MoMo social bundles will see MTN customers use their positive MoMo cash balance to buy any of the five new bundles offered to suit their unique usage needs and budget. For a nominal fee of R8, customers will be credited with 500MB to access their favourite social media platforms. This bundle is valid for 24 hours. For R15, MoMo users will have access to 1GB, which will be valid for 3 days. Moderate users can opt for a…

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), which is used for protection from exposure to coronavirus (COVID-19), is in short supply globally, but companies that import PPE are saying that they face challenges in getting the equipment to the countries that need it. Leon Stoltz, CEO of Stoltz One, an international trading company based in Cape Town with offices in Atlanta, Tokyo and Zurich, says that a variety of factors are contributing to the global shortage but chief among them are middlemen looking to make a quick buck. Stoltz says, “Middlemen are trying to insert themselves into orders and get a cut, which…

South Africa’s Section 12J specialist fund manager Anuva Investments has come to the rescue of health and wellness product manufacturer Biodelta, by way of a R20 million capital injection. The company which produces and distributes health and wellness products has in the last weeks become a crucial supplier in the fight against COVID-19, extending its product range and manufacturing focus to deliver much-needed COVID-19 key products. Virus test kits, three-layer surgical masks, sanitisers and immune booster supplements have now been fast-tracked in their production output thanks to the capital advanced to fund the current worldwide critical short supply. The timeous…

President Cyril Ramaphosa has summoned communication minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams for a meeting after she was exposed violating the government-imposed lockdown by having lunch with former deputy minister Mduduzi Manana. Speaking to the media after a visit to Rand Water on Tuesday, Ramaphosa said he had seen the picture of Ndabeni-Abrahams having lunch with Manana. “I have seen the picture of minister Ndabeni Abrahms sitting at a luncheon with a number of friends and other people, I have asked her to come and see me so she is going to come and see me and I am going to have a…

15 years after founding Vuma Reputation Management in 2005, Janine Hills; one of South Africa’s foremost reputation management experts, has said her final goodbyes to Vuma Reputation Management. Janine’s leaving is as a result of the completion of a transformation process that started in 2017 with a Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBBE) transaction in which members of the company’s executive team acquired 51% of Vuma Reputation Management (Pty) LTD. Vuma Reputation Management as a business is the leader in its field and with its current client base and growth prospects is sustainable and poised for growth, the perfect time for…

South Africa’s financial regulators today launched the Intergovernmental FinTech Working Group (IFWG) Innovation Hub to respond to changes in the financial sector driven by financial technology (FinTech) and to promote responsible innovation in the sector. The Innovation Hub is intended to support the sector in introducing innovations that complement the core mandates of regulators, including financial stability and soundness; consumer protection; financial inclusion; and fair lending practices. FinTech innovation leverages technology to address inefficiencies and other challenges in the financial sector. It embraces agility, adaptability and responsiveness, traits that are essential as local and global economies navigate this period of…

With most forms of public transport at a standstill amid the COVID-19 lockdown, the country is relying heavily on the local minibus taxi industry to transport the bulk of South Africa’s essential workforce and at considerable risk to their own health. As Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula continues to work with the industry to amend legislation and implement intervention aimed at providing reliable transport services during this period while minimising transmission risk, SA Taxi has stepped in to donate R3-million worth of hand sanitisers and facial masks to help battle its spread at taxi ranks and within taxis. “We are encouraged…

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been admitted to an intensive care unit after his ‘persistent symptoms of coronavirus’ worsened on Monday, reported The Guardian. The Guardian reports that the British foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, will run the country’s coronavirus response in Johnson’s absence. Global infections stood at 1,347,803, with deaths at 74,807, as of 05.42GMT, according to the Johns Hopkins tracker. Boris Johnson, the UK’s prime minister, explained in under 650 words An ardent backer of Brexit, Johnson has a reputation for brashness, bending the truth, and bad hair, which has earned him comparisons to President Donald Trump (who is a fan of his). Johnson can…

Former Jam Alley TV presenter Vinolia Mashego, popularly knows as V-Mash, has passed away. She was currently a host of Bheka Sik’bambile on Moja Love. …o e kgathile tema kgadi kgolo ya ga Mashego. Tsela tšhweu #RIPVMash pic.twitter.com/XVQbWjKuDr — Aaron Moloisi (@aaronmoloisi) April 6, 2020 BREAKING NEWS: Former TV presenter of Jam Alley fame Vinolia ‘V – Mash’ Mashego has passed away. Confirmed by Mashego Family. #RIPVMash #RIPVinoliaMashego @IOL @TheCitizen_News @SABCNewsOnline @dailysunsa @SundayWorldZA @IsolezweNews @eNCA @Newzroom405 @News24 pic.twitter.com/9JeGBS6BOh — Khanyi Magubane (@Khanyi_Magubane) April 6, 2020 #RIPVMash We wouldn’t miss an episode of Jam Alley because of you. pic.twitter.com/jvKeukvUqb — Goodwill…

South African Airways (SAA) has concluded an agreement with the Brazilian government to charter a flight to return Brazilian nationals back to their home country today. “SAA has concluded an agreement with the Brazilian government to charter a SAA flight to return Brazilian nationals to Sao Paulo on 6 April,” said the national carrier in a tweet on Monday. The national carrier expressed pride at being of service in the repatriation. The repatriation of Brazilian nationals comes as South Africa entered day 11 of the national 21-day lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19). On 22 March, the…

Avon Justine is donating more than a million rand to non-governmental organisations that are offering support to women and girls facing abuse, particularly during the nationwide lockdown where the victims and survivors are confined to their homes and rendered more vulnerable to their abusive partners. The initiative is part of Avon’s fight against gender-based violence during the nationwide lockdowns around the world, themed: You are isolated not alone. The Global Peace Index statistics show that the violence in South Africa is similar to countries at war or in conflict, there were 2 930 women murdered in 2017/2018. Avon Justine through…

The world at large is set for a tough economic recovery period following the coronavirus pandemic. In such times we see much anxiety, job loss, fear and desperation. It will be more important than ever, to safeguard your hard-earned money and not fall for ‘get-rich-quick schemes’, says Direct Selling Association of South Africa’s (DSA) chairman, Rajesh Parshotam. “It’s to be expected that opportunists will take the recovery period as a chance to exploit people. We would like to take this opportunity to warn the public to err on the side of caution,” he said. Parshotam says there will be opportunities…

MyBroadband Insights has released its Q1 2020 Mobile Network Quality Report, which shows that MTN has the best mobile network in South Africa. The report is based on 310,868 speed tests which were performed by thousands of MyBroadband Speed Test App users across South Africa between 1 January and 31 March 2020. The research shows that South Africa had an average mobile download speed of 25.57Mbps and an average upload speed of 9.07Mbps. MTN had the highest average download speed at 43.47Mbps, followed by Vodacom on 29.79Mbps, Telkom on 19.11Mbps, Cell C on 17.52Mbps and Rain on 15.20Mbps. Best mobile…