Author: Staff Writer
Ulwembu, a South African black-owned management consulting and ICT services company, has bought a stake in JumpCo Consulting. JumpCO Consulting is a professional service and software product business focused on delivering digital economy-ready enterprise solutions in integration and business process management (BPM), cloud and container technology, app development and DevOps. Established in 2000, JumpCO is a gold IBM and premier Red Hat business partner and solution provider. The partnership is a collaboration of the best of both companies, with Ulwembu taking a definitive step into the IBM services and product market, and JumpCO broadening its reach and consulting offering through…
“My Name is Reeva”, a tell-all documentary focusing on the late Reeva Steenkamp, her story and the impact her murder and trial had on her parents, family and close friends has received bids from four private investors. One of the investors, who cannot be named at this stage is a well-known distributor of premium content across the globe. Uprise.Africa, an equity crowdfunding platform, facilitated the fundraising campaign for the documentary during women’s month in August 2019 with the launch being in conjunction with Reeva’s birthday on 16 August. The campaign was open to only private funders during the launch with…
With South Africa’s unemployment rate recently increasing to 29%*, leading direct-selling beauty brand – Avon Justine – today announced the launch of its initiative to provide women with sustainable earning opportunities, tackling the country’s growing unemployment crisis while playing its part in empowering talented, yet undiscovered, local female entrepreneurs. Speaking about the launch, Nishani Singh, Director at Avon Justine Pty Ltd, who says “While its positive to note that the ratio of South African women engaging in early-stage entrepreneurial activity compared to men is on the rise (annual increase of 17%**), an environment that supports female entrepreneurs needs to be…
During ITU Telecom World 2019, Huawei unveiled the DigiTruck project, in partnership with Belgium nonprofit organization Close the Gap, to provide digital skills training to rural and remote communities in Kenya. The DigiTruck is Huawei’s latest effort driving their digital inclusion initiative Tech4ALL. The Launching Ceremony of DigiTruck With the rapid development of the global digital economy, the World Bank’s latest report [1] points out that Southern Africa’s demand for digital skills in 2030 is as high as 230 million people, which is in stark contrast to the current prevailing lack of digital skills in Africa. In Kenya, for example,…
Vodacom Tanzania and Smart Lab have today launched “Vodacom Digital Accelerator,” a program that intends to help early-stage and growth-stage technology startups become profitable and revenue-generating businesses. The new program which will run yearly aims at identifying and supporting startup entrepreneurs in mobile, telecom, FinTech, media, health, education, and e-commerce will have three phases which include application, selection and acceleration. During the program which also aims at leveraging corporate resources, networks, mentors, and partners, participants will present their progress to a panel of investors and associates at the end of a 3-month acceleration period from which winners will get further…
South African-based venture capital firm Vunani Capital announced on Wednesday it has invested in e-commerce player SnapnSave. The venture capital, which invested through the Vunani Fintech Fund, did not disclose the investment amount and valuation. SnapnSave is South Africa’s #1 cashback grocery coupon app that gives shoppers cashback on their favourite products, wherever and whenever they shop, just by snapping a photo of their till slip. The investment by Vunani Capital, a prominent pan-African diversified financial services group, will be used to further grow and scale the shopper and vendor base of SnapnSave to further enhance the company’s position as…
Since its initial introduction in April of this year, the DHL Africa eShop app has seen its user base grow rapidly, and within the first three months of operation, it had already been rolled out to 20 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). DHL Express announced this week that the innovative mobile and desktop platform is now available in 14 additional countries across the region. This increases the platform’s reach to 34 countries across SSA. Hennie Heymans, CEO of DHL Express Sub Saharan Africa, says that user uptake on the DHL Africa eShop app has been remarkable over the last five…
Apple has just officially announced the next generation of the Apple Watch, the Apple Watch Series 5. The new model has an Always-On Retina display that never sleeps, so it’s easy to see the time and other important information, without raising or tapping the display. Combined with the power of watchOS 6, users are empowered to take charge of their health and fitness with new features like Cycle Tracking, the Noise app and Activity Trends. The new built-in compass and updated Maps app allow users to see which way they are facing. With Apple Watch Series 5, customers can use…
The Vision EQS creates a connection between rationality and emotion. It presents the thrilling design of future EQ models from Mercedes-Benz. Its “one bow” proportion and dramatic fluidity are stylistic heralds of a new generation of electric Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The concept car will be unveiled at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt. With electric motors at the front and rear axles and the battery integrated into the vehicle floor, the Vision EQS represents a very well-balanced vehicle concept. The basis for dynamic high-level performance and safety comes courtesy of the electric all-wheel drive with axle-variable torque distribution and a battery…
Luno, South Africa’s cryptocurrency exchange, now has three million customers (wallets) spanning 40 countries. One of the reasons behind this positive trend is the growth of new online casinos. All the latest casino websites featured on this page allow to deposit and withdraw with Bitcoin and Ethereum, hence boosting the number of daily cryptocurrency trades. The trend is becoming so big that now, there are even casinos that operate only with cryptocurrencies . This new wave is certain to boost the value of bitcoin and other digital currencies that use similar technology. Marius Reitz, Luno’s GM: Africa, says that despite…
The BMW Concept 4 – a future-focused interpretation of the BMW Group’s enduring DNA that represents the magic of coupe driving at its most exciting. “The BMW Concept 4 embodies the aesthetic essence of the BMW brand. It combines perfect proportions with a clear and precise design,” says Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design. The BMW Concept 4 is being unveiled today at the 68th IAA Cars show in Frankfurt. The front end – the new face of the 4 Series range. The distinctive kidney grille, remarkable air intakes and prominently sculpted surfaces provide an immediate advert…
Sasol announced on Friday it has concluded two Local Development Agreements (LDAs) with the communities in Mozambique. The LDAs was signed with the communities of Inhassoro and Govuro districts in Inhambane Province, where Sasol’s Exploration and Production International Pande/Temane Gas fields and Central Processing Facility (CPF) are located. The LDAs represent a tripartite agreement between Sasol, local communities and district governments and are aimed at aligning the priorities of all three parties. From Sasol’s perspective, the LDAs are an opportunity to build on and leverage the Social Investment platform – totalling approximately $40 million between 2004 and 2018 – already…
Naspers confirmed today the completion of the exchange of its stake in Nasdaq-listed MakeMyTrip for a 5.6% stake in Ctrip.com. Ctrip is a Chinese provider of online travel. Naspers has swapped its interest in India-based online travel platform MakeMyTrip for a stake in Ctrip. The share exchange transaction allows Ctrip to enjoy a larger exposure to the India travel market and benefit from the growth of MakeMyTrip. The deal was announced in April “The India travel and tourism market continues to grow rapidly, with MakeMyTrip playing a pivotal role in the development of the industry since 2000,” Bob van Dijk,…
DappRadar, a global platform for discovering and analyzing dapps, has announced it has raised $2.33 million in seed funding. The investment was led by Naspers, a global internet group and one of the largest technology investors in the world, through its Naspers Ventures division, with participation from Blockchain.com Ventures and Angel Invest Berlin. DappRadar will use the investment primarily for R&D, developing new functionality to help the business expand its service and reach the next stage in its growth. DappRadar tracks over 2,500 dapps across seven blockchains, including Ethereum, EOS and TRON, with plans to expand to others, filtering data to…
The deadline for the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) Youth Challenge competition has been extended to 30 September 2019. The bank is impressed by the number of entries received since the launch of the campaign in July and believes that the deadline extension will provide more young people with more time to think through and submit entries, which can contribute to building Africa’s prosperity. Called the DBSA Youth Challenge, the competition invites entrants aged 18-35 to submit innovative development ideas that address infrastructural needs across various sectors. The winning submissions will attract a total of R1.5 million in prize…
MTN Group reiterates its stand against any form of xenophobia and damage to property and remains concerned about the situation in its markets. The mobile phone operator announced on Wednesday it has shut down all of its stores and service centres in Nigeria. MTN in a statement confirmed that over the last day four its outlets in Nigeria have been the subject of attacks and it had to close some stores in Johannesburg. The company said there are no reported injuries. “While we remain committed to providing uninterrupted services, the safety and security of our customers, staff and partners is…
The Molecular Sciences Institute (MSI) at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in Johannesburg, South Africa, in partnership with the Cirrus Initiative, today announced plans for a new artificial intelligence (AI) research operation in Africa. The AI initiative was announced at the 2019 AI Expo Africa in Cape Town. Hosted by the MSI in the Wits School of Chemistry, the newly formed Cirrus Initiative will focus on the analysis of research data in chemistry, with a view to collaborate with physics, technology and engineering projects using machine learning. Advances in AI and its application in addressing the challenges facing Africa…
As MTN we strongly condemn prejudice and xenophobia and we reiterate our unequivocal condemnation of any and all violence, Africa’s biggest mobile phone operator said in a statement on Tuesday. “As a leading pan-African telecommunications company with operations in 21 countries, MTN believes in the potential of an Africa whose nations pursue deeper trade, integration and cooperation,” MTN said. “We actively encourage the dialogue necessary to maintain peace and sustain strong relationships and urge all our customers and stakeholders to support and defend the principles of human rights, diversity and inclusion and an integrated collaborative Africa.” South African police on…
JSE-listed tech firm Datatec has acquired 70% of Cilnet, a Portugal-based Cisco systems integrator and managed services business. Datatec announced its subsidiary, Logicalis has bought 70% stake in Cilnet. The company, which is valued at more than R billion, said the transaction will increase Logicalis’ Cisco technical expertise for the Iberian region. It also complements the existing Spanish operation with a data centre, collaboration, networking, infrastructure and managed services capabilities. Cilnet was founded in 2000 and has over 90 employees, including 8 Cisco Certified Internetwork Experts (CCIEs). The company designs and integrates networking, data centre and contact centre solutions, complemented…
They have changed the way we live our lives, have simplified everyday tasks and made us more productive, and once again it is time for the biggest celebration of app development on the continent. The MTN Business App of the Year Awards is taking place on 24 October and event founder and organiser Creative Space Media is urging any local champions of app development talent in South Africa to enter. The Awards categories include best consumer solution, best enterprise solution, best incubated solution, most innovative solution, best health solution, best gaming solution, best agricultural solution, best educational solution, best financial…
Sun Exchange, a global solar micro-leasing marketplace, has kickstarted a R7 million ($460,000) Uprise.Africa equity crowdfunding campaign, for about 5.2% equity stake in the company. Following a two-week private sale period, the Uprise.Africa campaign is now open to the public. Sun Exchange is renowned as a technology and renewable energy leader across Africa. Since launching in 2015, the company has built a community of more than 8,000 Sun Exchange members across approximately 140 countries and brought solar power to 13 South African schools, businesses and organisations, offsetting 1,500 tonnes of carbon per year, and growing. It has received extensive accolades for its unique approach…
AlphaCode, Rand Merchant Investment Holdings (RMI)’s incubation, acceleration and investment vehicle has awarded R23 million supplier development loans to three FinTech startups, Zande Africa, Bright On Capital and Livestock Wealth. All businesses have exciting growth stories. Zande Africa started in 2016 with just two founders, Siya Ntutela and Mdu Thabethe. The business provides trade and merchant finance to spaza shops to enable stock purchases. It now has a turnover of R17 million with 71 staff and it is about to open a third depot in Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg, after growing its operations in Nelspruit and Ermelo. Bright On…
Vodacom Tanzania and Flickswitch today announced the availability of SIM Manager, a mobile connectivity management platform for companies looking to provide Mobility and Internet of Things (IoT) services. The new Vodacom service creates an innovative mobile eco-system that gives businesses in Tanzania with large scale communication needs access to self-help online SIM management tools. Customers can now self-provision mobile numbers and build their own monthly packages by setting up smart Top-Up rules. “We firmly believe that the launch of this service will stimulate innovation and support for both SME’s and large corporates alike with the necessary business tools to address…
The Telkom September Big Deal has been revealed. The operator is offering a FreeMe 20GB SIM Only Promotional Deal at R499 a month. This promotional deal is a month-to-month SIM Only promotion for the next 24-months with no device included in the deal. The FreeMe 20GB SIM Only Promotion will expire on the 30 September 2019. The deal provides more than 80GB of data. The deal also includes: 1500 free minutes on all networks 3000 Telkom-to-Telkom free minutes 2GB for WhatsApp calls and messages 10GB for music streaming 50GB for video streaming
The Presidential e-toll task team created by President Ramaphosa proposes that motorists pay R100 a month or 10 cents to pass under each gantry. According to City Press, the task team believes this will provide a 70% discount of the current fees for Gauteng’s e-tolls. The newspaper added that another proposal calls for the scarpping of Gauteng e-tolls. The Department of Transport, Sanral, the Gauteng provincial government and Treasury has until the end of last month to come up with a solution. The decision on the future of e-tolls is still awaited. The Austrian-owned ETC collects tolls on behalf of Sanral.…