Author: Staff Writer
This week Uber users in South Africa will have the option of receiving a four-digit PIN code to provide to their driver before starting a trip. This added layer of verification can help ensure users get in the right car and drivers are picking up the correct rider. Most users will be able to set up the PIN verification feature in their app, with the feature rolled out to all users in the coming weeks. Users can opt-in to the PIN code feature by navigating to their app settings and tapping “Verify Your Ride.” From there, users can choose to…
Dread diseases such as cancer not only have a devastating effect on individuals but can also prove to be costly for society, as they can have a potentially large impact on productivity and the overall economy. Every cancer-related death in individuals of working age, as well as every absence from work due to cancer—whether temporary or permanent—represents an economic loss to society. “Cancer is a costly disease, with potentially significant impact on productivity and the economy, meaning that aside from directly affecting the lives of those diagnosed, it potentially also has a largescale knock-on effect on communities. This should certainly…
Public Enterprises Deputy Minister Phumulo Masualle says there is still a commercial case for SA Express, and that it can play a critical role as a feeder airline to service secondary routes and key cities in the Southern African region. Masualle said this after engaging the business rescue practitioners of SA Express, which was placed under business rescue on 6 February 2020 by an order of the Johannesburg High Court. The business rescue process was as a result of legal action undertaken by service provider Ziegler. The service provider, whom SA Express had contended in its responding papers to the…
AutoTrader, South Africa’s largest and most trusted motoring marketplace, has invested in making the K53 learner’s book available free of charge to all South Africans via Help Guides. Leveraging the reach of one of the most visited sites in the country, AutoTrader’s goal is to champion wider access to the K53 manual as a crucial step to greater mobility and financial freedom to many. “As one of SA’s leading online auto trading sites, we have the opportunity to assist many South Africans,” said George Mienie, AutoTrader CEO. “Obtaining a driving license is a necessary step toward finding personal mobility.” AutoTrader’s…
iiDENTIFii, South Africa’s very own leading-edge company has been invited to demonstrate their innovative artificial intelligence development for thousands of leaders in the field at Finovate, Berlin, this month. iiDENTIFii provides a secure and user-friendly technology platform that authenticates physical identities in a connected world. And they are on a mission to stop identity fraud by making seamless identity authentication accessible to everyone, everywhere, on any mobile device. Gur Geva, Co-CEO of leading digital authentication company iiDENTIFii, not only represented iiDENTIFii at this year’s Finovate event in Berlin, Germany, which took place from 11 – 13 February 2020 but he…
Amsterdam-based venture capital fund Two Hop Ventures has announced that it has taken a stake in Johannesburg-based Bitcoin SV (BSV) wallet and merchant payment startup Centbee. Centbee is growing globally from its base in South Africa. The deal comes after South African-based venture capital fund Paper Plane Ventures successfully exited to Two Hop. Centbee was in the news last year when it raised £1 million in a Series A round from Canadian-born billionaire entrepreneur Calvin Ayre. “Not only is Centbee one of the most used wallets in the BitcoinSV (BSV) ecosystem, it’s building products and services with a strong focus on regulatory compliance.…
Swiggy, India’s largest food delivery platform, has raised $113 million (R1.7 billion) to further develop its new lines of business, addressing visible gaps in the market. The latest round is led by existing investor Prosus N.V. and includes participation from Meituan Dianping and Wellington Management Company. Having grown beyond food delivery, Swiggy aims to use the funds to further develop its new lines of business, addressing visible gaps in the market. The company will continue to invest in new growth areas (Stores, Go and SuprDaily) as it delivers on its promise of bringing unparalleled convenience to the lives of urban…
Discerning Avon customers who have always yearned to adorn themselves with the most coveted designs by David Tlale are in for a treat following the announcement that the world’s fourth-biggest beauty company will collaborate with the internationally acclaimed couturier to launch a selection of items for the fashion-savvy customers. The announcement of this ground-breaking collaboration was made to the media and celebrities in the fashion industry at a glittering ceremony held in Johannesburg. The partnership between Avon and Tlale is the first collaboration of its kind at Avon and in the direct selling business in South Africa. In terms of…
Volkswagen has taken the first step in its journey towards electric mobility in South Africa through the launch of the e-Golf pilot project. The e-Golf pilot project will see six fully electric vehicles being tested by motoring and lifestyle media, selected dealers as well as Volkswagen employees in an effort to gain valuable consumer insights into the varying experiences of driving and living with an electric vehicle in South Africa. Through the involvement of selected Volkswagen dealers in Gauteng and Western Cape, the e-Golf pilot project seeks to drive customer awareness and education regarding electric vehicles. The e-Golfs will be…
Known as the place of peace, Polokwane has become synonymous with being a keepsake in South African history. From its untouched architecture to having more public statues per capita than any other Province, this city is more than just a capital of a Province but the food powerhouse of the country given that it produces up to 60% of local fresh produce. That’s why the launch of Uber Eats today in Polokwane is an exciting chapter for the city. “We’re excited to launch in Polokwane, bringing the convenience, affordability and reliability synonymous with the app to it’s locals. Uber Eats…
Finance minister Tito Mboweni has sparked a debate on Twitter, after he called on Mzansi citizens to debate on whether we should continue to bailout SOEs or invest the Public’s tax money on roads and other public goods. Mboweni, who is known as Tweeto Mboweni on the social media site, said: “I mean, REALLY?!! Let’s have a public debate!” Ok. I hear you. For example, what are the citizens’ views on whether we should continue to bailout SOEs or invest the Public’s tax money on roads and other public goods!? I mean, REALLY?!! Let’s have a public debate! — Tito…
The SA Post Office is losing at least R60 million a month from distributing social grants to millions of citizens, who rely on the government’s welfare net for survival, reports the City Press. The report attributes this loss to the high fees the SA Post Office must pay to cash-in-transit and security fees to ensure that hard cash delivered to pay points. The social grants deal was originally seen as a big opportunity for the struggling SA Post Office to earn more revenue. “The Sassa project won by the Post Office has proved to be a loss-making initiative that the…
The South African government is negotiating with mobile phone operators for big data price cuts and free daily data allocation for users. “The competition authorities are now working towards a resolution with the large mobile operators to secure deep cuts to data prices across pre-paid monthly bundles, additional discounts targeted at low-income households, the free daily allocation of data and free access to educational and other public interest websites,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said. Delivering his State of the Nation (SONA) Address to a Joint Sitting of Parliament on Thursday, President Ramaphosa said this is an important step to improve lives,…
The government will this year open up and regulate the commercial use of hemp products, providing opportunities for small-scale farmers, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Thursday. Delivering the State of the Nation Address (SONA) before a joint sitting of the two houses of Parliament, President Ramaphosa said the government will formulate policy on the use of cannabis products for medicinal purposes, to “build this industry in line with global trends”. “The regulatory steps will soon be announced by the relevant ministers,” President Ramaphosa said. He reiterated that agriculture is one of the industries with the greatest potential for growth. This…
President Cyril Ramaphosa says government will this year introduce Coding and Robotics in Grades R to 3, in 200 schools – with a plan to implement it fully by 2022. This is one of the steps taken by the government to improve education in the country. Government is piloting the Coding and Robotics Curriculum for Grades R – 3 in selected schools across the country to equip learners with the required skills for the 4th Industrial Revolution. Delivering the State of the Nation Address in Parliament on Thursday, President Ramaphosa said the most significant contribution government can make to inclusive…
President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that the government will establish a new university in the city of Ekurhuleni. The new university will focus on science and innovation. “We have decided to establish a new University of Science and Innovation in Ekurhuleni,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said. Delivering his State of the Nation (SONA) Address to a Joint Sitting of Parliament on Thursday, President Ramaphosa said Ekurhuleni is the only metro in our country that does not have a university. “This will enable young people in that metro to be trained in high-impact and cutting-edge technological innovation for current and future industries,”…
To improve the quality of general and specialised police investigations, the government will be establishing a Crime Detection University in Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria. This was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday evening when he took to the podium in Parliament to deliver the State of the Nation Address. He said his plans for investment and growth in South Africa would require a safe, stable and crime-free environment. “It is fundamental to the aspirations of all our people to live in security, peace and comfort,” the President said. He further said that police visibility, effective training and better resourcing…
The news has reached us that Billcrypt is reaching the final phase of his ICO, with which he intends to raise funds for an ambitious project that we are going to talk to today. We are going to try to explain carefully what they offer us, step by step, as to some extent it can be complicated. What problem existed? For Billcrypt there is a big problem of disconnection between several sectors that should be working together in the blockchain sector. Partly because we have companies that have detected a need for blockchain-based services, or simply at some point need…
Canadian entrepreneur, Mike Quinn, is all set to reveal what it takes to pioneer a tech start-up in Africa with the upcoming release of ‘Failing to Win’, a candid recollection of his time spent building Zoona, a billion-dollar company on a quest to create A Cashless Africa. “’Failing to Win’ is my honest glimpse inside the black box of pioneering a start-up in Africa and the journey I took towards connecting impact investors with purpose-driven African entrepreneurs,” says Quinn. “It’s been incredible to watch Africa’s tech start-up wave grow over the past couple of years, and I am hoping that my book can…
Leading beauty and personal care company Avon will partner with Forbes’ Woman Africa Leading Women Summit to participate in this year’s commemoration of International Women’s Day, which will be hosted on March 06 at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli ICC complex in Durban. Avon will join other companies and organisations that have been part of this initiative. Avon will use the event to avail its ubiquitous digital platforms to give women an opportunity to document and share with the world their experiences, success and challenges in line with the 2020 Avon global theme for International Women’s Day, which is HerStory. The…
Cape-based property investment specialist Flyt Property Investment has launched Africa’s first property-backed security token. The Flyt token (FLYT), which resides on the Ethereum blockchain, allows investors to subscribe for, redeem and transfer shares in the Flyt Hospitality Fund, a South African Section 12J fund investing in hospitality property and apart-hotels. One Flyt token is equivalent to one share (which is currently valued at R100) in the Flyt Hospitality Fund. The breakthrough in fund technology has been developed in conjunction with Swiss-based financial technology supplier Bakari. “South Africa has a developed, forward-looking financial sector and it is not surprising to see…
Konga Travel and Tours, a 21st-century lifestyle travel booking agency, has rolled out a special promo offering prospective customers a chance to travel in style with a chauffeur-driven ride to the airport in a Rolls Royce. The promo, which kicks off on Monday, February 10, will run until Tuesday, March 31st, 2020. Equally important, prospective travelers can book their discounted flights online at travel.konga.com or offline in any Konga Travel retail store nationwide. Intending flyers who book their flights during the promo period stand a chance to be selected for the special treatment in the Rolls Royce. Apart from being…
Volkswagen was the biggest winner at the fifth annual Cars.co.za Consumer Awards held at Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit on 6 February. Widely regarded as South Africa’s most definitive automotive awards programme, the Cars.co.za Consumer Awards, which are exclusively supported by WesBank, South Africa’s largest vehicle finance provider, have become a highlight in the automotive calendar since the inaugural event in 2016. The wins at the Consumer Awards come after a record-breaking 2019 where the Volkswagen brand achieved a 20.4% passenger market share, the highest in 23 years, and the manufacturing plant in Uitenhage achieved an all-time record for production in…
Avon Justine kicked off cancer awareness month by recognising Dr Lillian Dube’s efforts to raise awareness of breast cancer in South Africa. The gesture is the first in a series of events that Avon Justine will be hosting in line with its breast cancer promise which outlines the importance of ensuring that all women in the country know about breast cancer and understand their screening options. A global breast cancer study by Avon in numerous countries, including South Africa reported that only 2 out of 5 women know the early signs of breast cancer. “This indicates that there is still…
Dot, an India-based offline-to-online (O2O) commerce and FinTech startup, announced on Thursday it has raised $8 million (R119 million) initial seed funding from Prosus-owned PayU. PayU, an online payments service provider in India and 17 other high-growth markets across the world, also announced recently the creation of a new digital lending leader in India. For more read: Prosus’ PayU To Invest R2.8bn In A New Credit Business In India These transactions reinforce Prosus’s long-term commitment to India, having invested close to $5 billion in its Indian operations and partner companies over the past five years. In addition to the investments…