Author: Staff Writer

Vodacom today pays tribute to its independent non-executive director David Brown, who tragically passed away on Sunday 19 June 2022. David was highly regarded and widely respected by his fellow Board members. Over a period of more than ten years, David made a significant contribution to the Board, having served Vodacom with impeccable measure and sound judgement. His leadership leaves an indelible mark on the Vodacom team and his generous advice and wise counsel will be sorely missed. Vodacom Group CEO Shameel Joosub says “David was an invaluable member of the Vodacom family, who was held in great esteem by all who…

The artistic skills of most African youth lay latent, awaiting a trigger. So, amid the commemoration of Youth Month, it is apt to take an intensified note of the creative possibilities of the young ones. Such prospects could emerge from harnessing the deep-rooted ability of the youth to create. On that account, encouraged observation and learning from the journey of arts from elders is essential to spark the youth’s hidden talent. An inspiration standing tall and worthy of note among patriarchs is that of mama Noria Mabasa. Forming part of her numerous achievements is that Mabasa is the recipient of…

BMW South Africa has launched Charter products, a new an all-inclusive finance solution that offers the benefits of driving the latest BMW and MINI vehicles, without having to own a vehicle. The BMW Group Financial Services Charter solution allows consumers the use of a BMW or MINI vehicle, at a fixed monthly rental payment, without the need to consider a deposit, depreciating values, interest rate fluctuations or final balloon payments. BMW Group South Africa, in adapting to the changing needs of consumers, has meticulously designed the Charter finance solution for individuals who drive fewer than 20,000 km per year, prefer an…

Kyndryl, the world’s largest IT infrastructure services provider, has announced the appointment of Andreas Beck as the company’s Managing Director in the Middle East and Africa, with predecessor Vickram Nagi taking on a new role as vice president, Delivery Transformation Leader at Kyndryl. Beck returns to the region with a wealth of experience, working across numerous regions, industries and business units. Most recently, he served as Chief of Staff to Kyndryl’s Group president. Based out of the company’s headquarters in New York, Beck was leading strategic initiatives around the formation of Kyndryl and ensuring alignment of business strategy and priorities…

This month, commentators were abuzz after an exchange launched with a pan-African focus. MARA became the official partner of the Central African Republic with $23 million of funding, and commentators began speculating. So, what is the future of African cryptocurrency exchanges? “The CAR is the second country to make Bitcoin legal tender, but the conditions are all wrong for success. If you look at the demographics and the technological infrastructure, the move was symbolic more than economic,” said Richard Gardner, CEO of Modulus, a US-based developer of ultra-high-performance trading and surveillance technology that powers global equities, derivatives, and digital asset exchanges. “If you’re…

Vodacom has launched a follow-up to its stimulating #CodeLikeAGirl programme that will see 700 girls between the ages of 14 and 18 receive coding training from 27 June – 15 July 2022. The Vodacom #CodeLikeAGirl programme is aimed at inspiring more girls to explore careers that require coding skills to help them get a start in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields and industries. Often referred to as the jobs of the future, STEM drives innovation, social wellbeing, inclusive growth, and sustainable development the world over. Female participation is lagging in STEM fields in most countries. A report…

Africa Data Centres, part of the Cassava Technologies Group, a pan-African technology group, announced today is building a second data centre in Cape Town, South Africa. The new 20MW facility will cover 15,000 square meters in eight data halls and is situated on the northern periphery of Cape Town city centre. According to Tesh Durvasula, Chief Executive Officer of Africa Data Centres, there is a clear pipeline of demand for colocation space that cannot be served from the existing Diep River data centre. “The new Cape Town facility is a critical part of Africa Data Centres expansion drive in the area”.…

As part of Uber’s commitment towards safety, the company has initiated a Safety Sessions Programme in collaboration with South African Police Service (SAPS) to help address the safety concerns raised by drivers and delivery people on the Uber platform. During these sessions, held in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town over the past several months; SAPS officials were brought together with drivers on the platform to better understand the realities on the ground and how best to partner to assist in improving the safety of all. “We believe that e-hailing drivers should have regular engagements with SAPS officials in their…

South Africa’s digital systems aggregator and solutions provider, Nexio, a subsidiary of the Vodacom Group, has appointed Ed Gassner as the company’s CEO on an interim basis with immediate effect and until a permanent replacement is appointed. Gassner’s appointment follows last week’s resignation announcement of Mickey Mashale, who had been at the Nexio helm since August 2020. For more read: Mickey Mashale Steps Down As CEO Of Nexio, A Subsidiary Of Vodacom Gassner holds a B.Sc. Mechanical Engineering degree from WITS University and has extensive executive leadership experience spanning 30 years, specialising in technology companies. His most recent permanent role…

MTN Group today announced the appointment of Riaan Wessels as Chief Risk Officer: FinTech with effect from 1 July 2022. Riaan has 13 years’ experience at MTN. He first joined the company in 2004, as General Manager: Business Risk Management and returned in 2017 as Group Executive: Risk and Compliance. “As Chief Risk Officer: Fintech, Riaan will continue to add immense value at MTN by effectively managing risk exposures to the business and ensuring robust processes and controls,” said Serigne Dioum, Group Chief Fintech Officer. Over the past 20 years, Riaan has implemented complex programmes at multinational companies in the…