Author: Staff Writer
In 2018, Kate Maakane placed second in a hackathon. She was hungry for the opportunity, bright and ready to be challenged. The tech industry didn’t come knocking. It took six more years before she got her shot. A comprehensive 2024/2025 research report titled “Decoding ICT Demand”, conducted by The Collective X, a South African non-profit organisation focused on the digital skills ecosystem, says the country has 118,000 unfilled digital roles, a 37% vacancy rate across the sector, with 41,000 of those positions at junior level. Their data is compiled by analysing job advertisements from major platforms like Pnet and CareerJunction,…
Google Cloud and Salesforce today announced an expanded partnership that will enable AI agents to execute end-to-end workflows across both platforms by solving the long-standing challenge of fragmented data and disconnected systems. With new integrations across Salesforce and Google Cloud, customers can deploy AI agents in tools like Slack and Google Workspace, while Agentforce and Gemini Enterprise provide the intelligence and context behind the scenes. This allows agents to work across systems, reduces risky data movement, and eliminates time lost to context switching. Under the expanded partnership, the two companies will also develop new features that will make it simpler…
Entrepreneurship is rarely a straight line. For many, it begins as a quiet idea nurtured after hours, a side project built between the demands of a corporate career. However, the leap from providing a service to leading a scalable business requires a fundamental shift in mindset and technical capability. Philile Ngubane, the founder of The Office Ship, has navigated this transition, turning her passion for organisation into a robust operational backbone for growing businesses. While in a corporate role, Philile noted a growing demand for virtual assistants. She first launched her small business in 2020, officially registering the company in…
Eskom enters the 2026 winter season with a resilient power system, projecting a winter period of continued energy stability from 1 April to 31 August 2026. This positive outlook follows the successful conclusion of the summer period, during which the national grid operated with ongoing sustained reliability. With the Generation Recovery Plan firmly embedded in day‑to‑day operations, Eskom has moved beyond short‑term recovery into a phase of stability and sustained energy security, ensuring that homes, businesses and industries remain powered through the peak winter months. This stability is underscored by Eskom maintaining a consistent energy supply of 98.9% in the…
As we enter the second quarter of 2026, the hard-won momentum of South Africa’s economic recovery is facing its ultimate stress test. A global energy shock has ignited a severe cost-of-living hike, with soaring fuel prices threatening a new wave of logistics-driven inflation that touches every corner of the consumer landscape. From the price of basic essentials to the stability of household liquidity, the national narrative has shifted into a high-stakes balancing act between domestic optimism and international turmoil. Housing market resilience faces macro-economic headwinds The upward momentum in the residential property sector, which first gained traction during the monetary…
Two South African technology startups—Loop and Vambo AI—have been selected to join the 10th cohort of the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa. Chosen from an exceptionally competitive pool of nearly 2,600 applications, these innovators are part of a final pan-African group of 15 companies. With an acceptance rate of less than 1%, their selection highlights the immense technical talent and resilience emerging from [Country]’s digital ecosystem. The selected South African startups are utilising Artificial Intelligence to address critical local and regional challenges: Loop: Digitises mobility and payments in Africa, helping people, businesses and communities access simpler, more connected transport and…
As AI adoption accelerates, organisations are rethinking the network infrastructure required to support data-intensive workload. Against this backdrop, Huawei’s OptiX Club 2026, hosted in Johannesburg focused on the role of optical networks in enabling faster, smarter digital environments. The event brought together more than 120 customers, partners and industry stakeholders to explore how AI is changing the demands placed on enterprise networks. Opening the event, York Ning, Director of Huawei South Africa ICT Marketing & Solution Sales Department noted that intelligent upgrades still depend on a stable network foundation. “Frankly speaking, in the AI era, networks are the foundation. Networks…
Vodacom is revolutionising customer engagement as we head towards the end of the Easter season with an innovative Augmented Reality Easter Egg Hunt at Vodacom World in Midrand. Running from Wednesday, 22nd April to Saturday, 25th April 2026, from 9am to 5pm daily, the event offers participants the chance to win their share of R250,000 in exciting prizes. Using cutting-edge augmented reality technology, customers will hunt for virtual Easter Eggs while physically exploring Vodaworld, blending digital innovation with tangible experiences. Prize offerings are extensive and include smartphones, tablets, laptops, televisions, gaming consoles, smart appliances, data bundles, and airtime. To amplify…
Apple announced that Tim Cook will become executive chairman of Apple’s board of directors and John Ternus, senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, will become Apple’s next chief executive officer effective on September 1, 2026. The transition, which was approved unanimously by the Board of Directors, follows a thoughtful, long-term succession planning process. Cook will continue in his role as CEO through the summer as he works closely with Ternus on a smooth transition. As executive chairman, Cook will assist with certain aspects of the company, including engaging with policymakers around the world. “It has been the greatest privilege of…
As South Africa navigates ongoing energy constraints and rising electricity costs, attention is increasingly turning to a less visible but significant contributor to electricity demand – residential water heating. “Electric geysers are the largest energy loads on residential developments, accounting for up to 40% of all electricity consumption,” says Matthew Whalley, Managing Director of Balwin Properties. This makes the electric geyser one of the largest drivers of residential demand, yet most systems still operate on fixed schedules or manual timers, heating water regardless of whether it is needed. This pattern contributes to unnecessary electricity use and intensifies pressure on the…