Author: Staff Writer
South Africa’s youth have once again voted Avon the coolest make-up brand in South Africa. This is the eighth consecutive time that the iconic beauty brand wins this category at the Sunday Times Generation Next Awards. “We are pleased that the South African youth have once again given our Brand and fantastic products the thumbs up,” says Momin Hukamdad, Executive Director of Commercial Marketing at Avon Justine. “Winning this award for the eighth consecutive time highlights the quality and accessibility of our products and the fact that we work hard to ensure our customer’s needs and expectations are duly met…
S SBC) AfriTech, the leading global tech accelerator program in Africa, received 1804 applications for its 2019 cohort – an astounding 80% increase from last year. Now, the very best have been selected. The top 22 tech teams have been invited to attend the Final Selection Days to be hosted at Amazon Web Services’ Head Office in Cape Town from 10 to 11 July 2019. Of the 22 teams that were chosen, seven are from South Africa, six hail from Nigeria and two are from Kenya, with Uganda, Togo, the United Kingdom, Morocco, the United States, Senegal and Zimbabwe each…
SA Taxi has advanced its efforts to overcome the financial, structural and legislative hurdles facing the taxi industry by providing qualifying taxi owners with access to more affordable vehicle finance. The ground-breaking transformational ownership transaction, which secured the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) a 25% stake in SA Taxi as part of a deal worth R1.7 billion, has enabled SA Taxi to lower its cost of funding a minibus taxi. SA Taxi is now able to offer vehicle finance at interest rates as low as 15.5% per annum to lower risk grade customers, thereby expanding its product offerings to…
The MTN SA Foundation has partnered with Bellavista S.H.A.R.E., a division of Bellavista School, and USA-based non-profit Curious Learning, to pilot an award-winning child literacy app which significantly enhances reading fluency and comprehension. This is a response to calls growing louder for government, corporates and all citizens to step up to help solve a growing literacy crisis. The pilot of the ground-breaking app, called ‘Feed the Monster’, helps make learning the fundamentals of reading more meaningful and fun while reaching out to a wide community. In recognition of the importance of using the mother tongue to foster literacy at foundation…
Eighteen (18) young South Africans were selected to receive one of nearly 200 scholarships from the Avon Foundation’s Global Scholarship Programme. The programme offers financial support for Avon Representatives, their children and grandchildren to support their studies, education and career goals. These students from across the country will be awarded a bursary to support their tertiary education ambitions. They include: Ashima Alam Jadine Chetty Muchanyara Chitando Bernice Delport Andrew Howitt Nkosikhona Khumalo Mogatlogedi Malefo Nomagugu Sibong Mbane Sarini Moodley Patience Mutsvairigwa Okejimi Olufunke Monise Parazee Twane Roux Priyanka Sewnarain Aanisah Tootla Aletta Etrisia Van Wyk Philisiwe Zuma Jade Moodley Avon…
A new application round has opened for the R12.8million CDI Growth Fund to boost SME growth and job creation. The CDI Growth Fund is a grant fund specifically for growing South African small businesses who need a cash injection to scale up further and create jobs. Since its launch in 2017, it has already contracted with 38 SMEs, who have collectively created over 160 jobs. The CDI Growth Fund is managed by CDI Capital, which was incorporated as a subsidiary of the Craft and Design Institute (CDI) in 2016 to catalyse funding for SMEs. The funding has been enabled through…
IBM today announced the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits University) as the first African partner on the IBM Q Network. Wits University will also be the gateway for academics across South Africa and to the 15 universities who are part of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA). Quantum computing promises to be able to solve certain problems – such as chemical simulations and types of optimization – that will forever be beyond the practical reach of classical machines. IBM first made quantum computers available to the public in May 2016 through its IBM Q Experience quantum cloud service and has…
Cape Town-based firm HAVAÍC announced on Tuesday that it has concluded a pre-Series A first round of funding for an undisclosed amount with Taz Technologies Inc (trading as MPost). MPost has commenced it’s Series A equity fundraise, targeting a minimum of $2 million. It already has serious interest and commitments from various international investors. HAVAÍC has secured the rights to advance a significant share of this round. Developed by Kenyan founders Abdulaziz (Aziz) Omar and Twahir Mohamed, MPost is an innovative, simple and affordable solution that utilizes consumers’ mobile phone numbers to create internationally accepted postal addresses, virtual Post Office…
PayU, a unit of Naspers, announced today the acquisition of Iyzico – a digital payment services provider and one of the most hotly tipped FinTech start-ups in Turkey – for $165 million. The acquisition, which adds to the over $500 million PayU deployed across FinTech investments and M&A, is a further step in the company’s mission to become the leading payments provider in high growth markets and the world’s leading FinTech investor. The acquisition will allow PayU to consolidate its position as a leader in the payments space and accelerate scale and efficiency in Turkey, where there is a huge…
UK-based autonomous and driverless vehicles specialist Intercept IP announced on Tuesday its new plans to enter the South African usage-based insurance telematics market through a collaboration with Digicall. Digicall is to be the official distributor and reseller of Intercept IP’s technology in the Southern African region, following an agreement between the two parties. South Africa is one of the world’s leading markets in insurance telematics and stolen vehicle recovery. Millions of devices have been deployed over the last 20 years, but the key market players are now looking to enhance the performance of their technology and the services they offer,…
Avon the multinational beauty and cosmetics icon has been selected as one of the finalists in the prestigious Sunday Times Generation Next Awards which will take place on Thursday, 13 June. The nomination for the much-coveted award is a testament to the growing appeal of Avon products among the Generation Alpha, the tech-savvy young children of millennials, who are emerging as marketing’s power players, decision makers and very powerful influencers. Now in its 15th year, the Sunday Times Generation Next Youth survey, in association with leading youth market specialists, HDI Youth Marketeers, polls more than twelve thousand youths from around…
Travelstart, SA’s Travel Booking Firm, announced on Monday in a statement that it will buy Club Travel Group for an undisclosed amount. The company said the acquisition will boost its offering by adding Club Travel’s established complementary corporate and franchise divisions, creating a formidable full-service African travel group. “We love Club Travel because like us they have a long history in discount travel,” said Travelstart’s CEO Stephan Ekbergh. “Travelstart is strong in the consumer segment and we want to bring consumerization to the corporate and government sectors, where Club Travel is an emerging star.” While Africa’s travel and tourism market…
Old Mutual Insure has opted out of insuring computer equipment used for cryptocurrency mining. The Sandton-based insurer said on Monday that this is due to the unregulated nature of the industry, which is often associated with cybercrime, and its penchant for using modified electronic infrastructure that operates on a 24/7 basis, making it highly prone to overheating and other malfunctions. The world of cryptocurrencies or digital currencies is growing rapidly as digitisation continues to disrupt the financial services industry. Mining these cryptocurrencies usually requires expensive computers, servers and other equipment. It is important for people to note many insurers do…
Ethos Artificial Intelligence (AI) has invested R200 million in recently launched digital bank TymeBank, which is owned by African Rainbow Capital (ARC). The investment by the Ethos AI Fund in TymeBank will result in the Fund being an 8% shareholder in the bank. The transaction value was agreed with Ethos management before the bank was formally launched in February 2019. Since TymeBank was launched, more than 400 000 clients have signed up for bank accounts, which should lead to a considerable increase in the enterprise value of the bank. Customer acquisition achievements are significantly ahead of targeted projections and the…
MTN Group is embracing artificial intelligence (AI) and on Friday announced the launch of Africa’s ‘first’ Mobile Money (MoMo) AI service or “chatbot”. The mobile phone giant said the chatbot went live in Ivory Coast in May and will be rolled out across its MoMo footprint in the next few months. The AI mobile money “assistant” enables customers to engage with MTN’s MoMo services, including payments, on various social media platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, and via SMS. The company also said the service will also be included over time, in MTN’s own newly released advanced instant messaging…
Former professional Rugby player Dylan Des Fountain and his entrepreneur wife, Joy, have built and developed a mobile and desktop platform that allows users to easily snap, upload and submit expense claims instantly for approval. Slipztream, an expense claim app, uses Google’s Cloud Vision Technology which allows the information from the scanned slip to populate the expense claim, the company said on Thursday. With a mobile app, the user is able to capture, create and submit expense claims on their smartphone. Snap and upload receipts with ease and submit claims instantly. No more lost receipts. No more missed claim submissions.…
Dr Xolani Mkhwanazi has been named as the chairman of the troubled JSE-listed technology group EOH. His appointment is with immediate effect. Dr Mkhwanazi will lead board deliberations on all group matters, and more immediately, the findings of the investigation commissioned by EOH into public sector contracts being undertaken by ENSafrica. Having been presented the preliminary findings, Dr. Mkhwanazi and the board will assess these, ask for such additional work as may be required and engage with relevant stakeholders where appropriate. Relevant findings and associated actions will be disclosed as soon as practically possible after the next steps have been…
Noiseless, emissions-free but very powerful: the MINI Electric will soon enrich the experience of locally emissions-free mobility with the addition of unique driving fun and the individual flair that is so typical of the British premium brand. The recent “testing programme” for the first purely electrically powered MINI was equally unconventional: on a foray to Frankfurt airport, a close-to-series prototype of the new model demonstrated just what electromobility in the style of MINI is capable of setting in motion. The MINI Cooper SE slipped straight into the role of an aircraft tug, setting off to the loading point towing a…
MTN has revamped the Made for Me contract packages. The new data-led packages will be inclusive of Double data (Anytime & Night Express), and more calls (All-networks plus MTN-to-MTN minutes) to cater fully to its customer’s evolving mobile needs. Furthermore, customers also get a once-off free 20GB Anytime data and 14GB Entertainment Pass valid for 30 days. The new packages will launch on 1 June as a promotional offer to consumers. In addition, all post-paid customers who sign up or upgrade for these incredible SIM-only deals during the month of June 2019 will get a free MTN Entertainment Pass ranging…
From 1 July, FNB customers can look forward to reduced monthly fees for Easy Pay As-You-Use (R5.75 to R4.95), Easy Account Smart Option (R65 to R59) and Gold Fusion (R155 to R109). The bank is also offering free benefits for Premier, Private Clients and Private Wealth cheque account holders, while fees are unchanged on each of the accounts. Private Client and Private Wealth customers will also get a free Global Account with one Signature Card, a Money Maximiser as well as a Local and Global Trader accounts. The monthly fee on the Premier Spousal account is reduced (R185 to R149)…
Since launching its new music gateway in [April], Vodacom’s My Muze has rapidly established itself as a leader in South Africa’s digital music scene. Providing streamed and download access to over 30 million songs, My Muze has attracted 1.3 million visitors and almost a million app installations in the few months since it went live. The easy to use platform also provides subscribers with the ability to catch up on music industry news, watch music videos on integrated apps such as Video Play or YouTube Music and livestream radio and listen to podcasts from industry leading radio stations. Designed to…
ThinkMarkets, a provider of online trading in financial markets, announced on Wednesday that it will offer bank-like level of safety of $1 million (over R14.4 million) for traders on its platform. It is the first SA provider to offer capital protection on funds invested in CFDs. This means that South African traders will benefit from up to $1 million protection on their monies in the case of ThinkMarkets.com going into administration. The insurance is underwritten by Lloyds of London, one of the world’s oldest and leading insurance and reinsurance marketplaces. This means that if both, ThinkMarkets and the insurance broker,…
Daimler Trucks is establishing the Autonomous Technology Group as a global organization for automated driving, bringing together its worldwide expertise and activities, as of June 1. The main tasks of the new unit comprise overall strategy and implementation of the automated driving roadmap, including research and development as well as setting up the required operations infrastructure and network, heading towards the series production of highly automated trucks. The newly established Autonomous Technology Group is part of Daimler Trucks’ global effort to put highly automated trucks onto the roads within a decade. “We are the pioneer for automated trucks. With the…
The BMW X7 blends lavish presence, exclusivity and spaciousness with the versatile and agile driving properties customers would expect from a Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV). The latest and largest model in the BMW X line-up uses its outstanding powertrain and chassis technology, plus generous levels of space in each of its three rows of seats, a luxurious ambience and advanced equipment features, to deliver an unparalleled driving and interior experience. The expansive exterior dimensions of the new BMW X7 take luxury to a new level. At 5,151 millimetres in length, 2,000 millimetres wide and 1,805 millimetres tall, and with a wheelbase of 3,105 millimetres, the X7…
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