Author: Staff Writer

Having deployed most of its R180m Section 12J Venture Capital Fund: KNF Ventures, Knife Capital today announced that it is extending the fund for new investors to participate and build on the success and momentum created. One of the main challenges to the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa is access to equity finance. To assist higher-risk ventures in overcoming this challenge, the Section 12J venture capital company (VCC) regime was established where qualifying investors in approved Section 12J VCCs can deduct the full amount of their investment from taxable income in the tax year that the…

Michael Page has published the 2020 South Africa Salary & Skills Guide. The salary benchmark is derived from our proprietary database capturing job advertisements and placements throughout 2019. The last year has proven to be challenging for the professional labour market within South Africa, due to various economic and political reasons. The year started cautiously, with the General Elections held 8th May, and investors adopting a ‘wait and see’ approach. This has, however, continued with policy uncertainty such as expropriation of land without compensation, underlined by the highest unemployment rate since comparable data was recorded in 2008, peaking at 29.1%…

Controversial JSE-Listed Net 1, the company behind Cash Paymaster Services that used to run SA’s social grant payment system, is selling its South Korean business KSNET. Net 1 is selling 100% of KSNET, a South Korean payment processor, to Stonebridge Capital and Payletter for $237 million (R3.4 billion). The transaction, which is not subject to a financing condition, is expected to close in March 2020. “KSNET is a profitable and cash generative business, but operates autonomously and in a more developed economy with limited overlap with the group’s other activities. We also believe that the intrinsic value of KSNET was…

Vodacom’s Summer ShakeUp! campaign is shaking up lives for the better. Today at Highveld Mall Vodacom handed over the keys of a brand-new Audi A4 to Songezo Mampungu from Witbank. Born in Mount Frere in the Eastern Cape, Songezo moved to Witbank 10 years ago to join his family and spends his days making sure other people’s cars are spotless at the local car wash where he works to help support his family. Not only is this 28-year-old Songezo’s first set of wheels, but the first car in his immediate family and a big deal for everyone. “My employer previously…

Three MTN customers will start the new year on a high note after being announced the latest MTN CakeCrush competition winners. The winners, who represent the 14th, 15th and 16th grand prize winners, will each drive away with a brand-new VW Polo Vivo worth nearly R200 000. The three lucky contestants are Nozipho Mgaga from Newcastle in Kwa-Zulu Natal, Ongezwa Ngonyama from Mandala in the Eastern Cape and Lungile Mbuyazi from Mandeni in Kwa-Zulu Natal. “We wish to congratulate the latest winners of the MTN CakeCrush competition on their new set of wheels,” says Jacqui ‘O Sullivan, Corporate Affairs Executive: MTN…

Global beauty and personal care company, Avon, is on a mission to showcase their latest skincare innovations and give women first-hand insight on how to better take care of their skin and reverse visible signs of ageing. This groundbreaking initiative will see three leading South African influencers with different skin shades participate at the global Avon 2020 Skincare Summit in New York, USA. At the summit, Avon skincare experts and scientists will empower the delegates by sharing science-based revelations to reclaim their anti-ageing skincare journeys. Avon said in a statement that its selected Beauty Ambassadors, Liesl Laurie, Nicolette Mashile and…

Olwethu Mthengwane, 24, from Thembalethu in George will start the year on a high note as she drives away in a brand-new VW Polo Vivo – bringing the total number of winners in the MTN Cake Crush competition to 16. The first MTN Pulse customer to win in the competition, Olwethu is currently a merchandiser but aims to study HR and move on to become an HR partner at a reputable company, thus living her passion for people. And where does she hope to drive in her new car? “A road-trip to Cape Town is definitely on the list,” said…

“Crypto-to-crypto transfers are instantaneous, but processing delays come into play when customers need to move crypto into traditional fiat accounts.

The results of these projects are already maturing into products and the first commercial AI application developed under the collaboration is scheduled to go live in a customer production in a few months.

MTN has delivered on its commitment to the growing number of TikTok users in South Africa by launching customised MTN TikTok data bundles, available to all prepaid customers. The data bundle is available on *136*2# from as little as R5 for a 100MB daily bundle. TikTok is a short-form video sharing app which, according to DataReportal has surpassed 1.5 billion downloads and 500 million active users worldwide. Although there are no official figures to measure the penetration of TikTok in South Africa, local hashtags such as #tiktoksouthafrica and #southafrica indicate that the social media service has a total of 7,000…

Short-Term insurance brands are among South Africa’s most successful businesses and have changed consumer perceptions of what used to be grudge purchase with smart branding and ongoing product innovation. Nonetheless, short-term insurance remains a slippery transaction. Consumers often pay premiums for years on end, without claiming or receiving anything in return for their purchase. But this year everything will change. Solvency, an emerging financial services challenger brand, is disrupting the status quo with an Insurance Savings Account (ISA) that is funded through car and household insurance premiums. Solvency is a product underwritten by GENRIC Insurance Company. “The Solvency solution offers…

South African venture capital firm Kalon Venture Partners announced its investment in cyber-security email protection and compliance business, Sendmarc. Sendmarc was launched in 2018 by Sam Hutchinson, Keith Thompson and Sacha Matulovich. These key founding members were the pioneers in identifying a need for a safer and more secure email environment for small to large companies. Sendmarc provides the setup, implementation and reporting functionality for a global email protection standard known as DMARC. This protocol is designed to give email domain owners the ability to protect their domains from unauthorised use, such as impersonation attacks or email spoofing. The purpose and…

Naked, South Africa’s first end-to-end artificial intelligence-driven insurance platform, is building on its significant success in car insurance by bringing its next-generation insurance to the home insurance market. Customers can now get comprehensive, instant, and hasslefree cover for their home and the things they own through Naked’s completely automated digital process. Naked offers customers a comprehensive set of short-term personal insurance products that are built on new generation technology and a fairer business model. In April 2018, Naked launched an award-winning car insurance offering that uses automation to offer significant premium savings and higher levels of customer control over the…

Liquid Telecom is to launch the first 5G wholesale roaming service in South Africa. The company said the wholesale roaming service would be available from early 2020 in all major South African cities, this latest fifth generation of mobile internet connectivity will enable wholesale operators to create innovative, ultra-fast and scalable digital services for their customers. The 5G wholesale network will also help accelerate the evolution of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) in South Africa. Reliable connectivity up to 10 times faster than 4G will allow businesses to harness trends such as the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics and artificial…

SAP announced BCX as top place winner in the category of SAP EMEA South Award for Partner Excellence for Service Excellence at a ceremony on 14th January. The award is measured by year on year increase in certified personnel. “This award is around service excellence,” said BCX CEO, Jonas Bogoshi,” And is a great way to kickstart 2020 across our markets. It talks to our values of collaboration, innovation, service and agility. “BCX has repositioned itself with a customer centric strategy, focusing on customer service challenges and putting the customer at the heart of the organisation, so to be recognised…

There were lots of big winners in 2019. In politics, Boris Johnson came up trumps (no pun intended). At the Oscars, Bohemian Rhapsody was the big winner. In motorsport, Lewis Hamilton reigned supreme. And, in the South African motor industry, the Volkswagen Tiguan was the big winner in the resale value stakes. According to Darryl Jacobson, managing director of True Price, this enterprising start-up has conducted the first-ever study into annual winners in the resale value stakes. “We decided to analyse which 2018 model year vehicles achieved the best resale value (measured against the original list price) during 2019. This…

The National Traffic Information System (NATIS) has introduced an online method to report accidents for insurance purposes. If you are involved in a minor accident there is no need to visit your nearest South African Police Services. You can just visit the NATIS website to automatically generate a Crash Report Number for insurance. Only accidents in which no one was injured or died can be reported on the NATIS website. According to the NATIS website, the submission of a crash report will be legally binding and the criteria are as follows: All crashes must be reported within 24 hours or the…

Enhanced automobile displays will soon be able to locate open parking spaces, see-through obstructions, and coach drivers into safer operation visually, using the world around them. Altia, an advanced automotive cockpit display solutions provider, is showcasing what’s next in driver interface design at CES 2020, in multiple exhibits and demonstrations taking place throughout the show. Altia is a software and services company offering a complete solution for production user interfaces. The company will be showcasing HMIs (human-machine interfaces) that include the newest features and innovations in: 3D graphical displays that give instruments and objects increased realism and value Integrated cockpit designs with…

Dr Xolani Humphrey Mkhwanazi passed away peacefully in the early hours of Saturday morning, 4th January 2020 at the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre in Parktown Johannesburg, having been admitted on the 14th December 2019. Dr Mkhwanazi was appointed to the JSE-listed technology group EOH board on the 5th June 2019, as chairman and independent non-executive director, lending his tremendous credibility and insight to the company and the board at a most critical time for the organisation.  “I worked closely with Dr Mkhwanazi who played a pivotal role in helping to guide EOH towards a better future,” Stephen van Coller,…

FNB says its partnership with the ENTERTAINER has been renewed for another year, giving customers access to two-for-one discounted offers at various restaurants, beauty salons, health & fitness facilities and hotels for the duration of 2020. The ENTERTAINER app users usually pay an annual fee to access discounted offers across South Africa’s major cities – Durban, Cape Town, Johannesburg and Pretoria. FNB and RMB Private Bank customers will once again reap these benefits at no cost, saving them a total of R1 580 between 2 January and 30 December 2020. This proposition is also available to FNB Business customers who…

While South Africans countrywide are in a festive mood, retailer Woolworths came under fire for lack of diversity in their leadership team. The South African retailer on Monday posted an image of the Woolworths leadership team on the brand’s official Twitter account after the team dropped by a Woolworths store to “help store staff during the Christmas rush” by packing groceries. In the tweet, the Woolworths leadership team consist only of Caucasian and Indian people. Instead of stirring emotions, the tweet caused an outrage, with users blasting it for its lack of diversity and failing to represent all South Africans.…

Hyundai will unveil its first concept Personal Air Vehicle (PAV) as part of the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) landscape. The use of airspace is expected to alleviate road congestion and give back quality time to city commuters. The South Korean automaker’s vision continues with its Purpose Built Vehicle (PBV). This highly customizable concept with the autonomous driving feature allows for limitless possibilities to turn the vehicle to be more than just a means of transportation. These two smart mobility devices will come together at the Hub, which will be located throughout cities in the future and used as community spaces. According…

FNB today announced that FNB Connect will now offer the newly introduced and first-ever made-in-South Africa, Mara Phones – the Mara X and Mara Z. FNB customers will also get to enjoy great deals available on the FNB Connect online shop, from 23 December 2019, payable over 24 months. Devices are paired with an FNB Connect SIM, on a Top Up Lifestyle plan, that includes monthly data, voice minutes and SMS allocations on a 2-year contract and comes fully integrated into FNB’s digital platforms where customers can view balances and buy more bundles if and when necessary. Mara X, Top…

Pam Golding Properties is selling 9 bedrooms all en suite home in Steyn City, probably the best-designed estate in South Africa. This R65 million home is situated on 2053sqm of land in the heart of the prestigious suburb of The Lakes and has amazing views over the estate towards the Magaliesburg mountains. Watch the sunset while sipping cocktails on your rooftop balcony, says Pam Golding Properties. Steyn City is an ideal setting for balancing life, work and play. It is located near Broadacres in Johannesburg The home also boasts a spacious pajama lounge, a playroom, an outdoor shower, 3 guest…

French anti-fraud solutions provider Evina has unmasked malware on the GooglePlay app store that has been downloaded over 285 000 times by mobile users in 11 African and European countries.   The malware dubbed ‘Venus’ has been detected in eight apps so far and takes the form of a family of Trojan bots that have now made their way into Belgium, France, Germany, Guinea, Holland, Morocco, Poland, Portugal, Senegal, Spain and Tunisia.   Of the eight Venus malware apps that were discovered by Evina, only one has been removed from the PlayStore after being downloaded over 100 000 times. Evina’s…