Author: Staff Writer

Johannesburg based FinTech company, Bitventure, a provider of state-of-the-art real-time automated verification and payment solutions, has acquired industry leading smart payment provider EasyDebit. The acquisition is set to bolster the company’s efforts to protect businesses against fraud while facilitating payment collections to increase cashflow and optimise onboarding processes. Bitventure CEO Junior Biola points out that fraud has become a growing concern in the post-pandemic world. “With online commerce growing significantly, cybercrime and fraud has become a real challenge for many companies. Consider, for example, that according to the 2022 PWC Global Economic Crime and Fraud survey, 46% of companies interviewed…

African insurtech aYo Holdings has taken the next step in its ongoing technology transformation by rolling out a cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to underpin its ambitious growth plans across the continent. aYo, which is 100% owned by MTN, has more than 16 million enrolled customers using its microinsurance products across Uganda, Ghana, Zambia and Côte d’Ivoire, with a vision of growing into the largest financial services technology platform in Africa by providing a range of affordable and accessible micro financial services products. The company’s new Oracle NetSuite ERP system replaces its previous on-premise solution, which was battling to…

South African tech start-up Enlabeler has closed its funding round with venture capital firms Kingson Capital and E4E Africa, as well as the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. Started in 2019, Enlabeler is a data labeling provider that offers high-quality data services, including data classification, annotation and data labeling for businesses globally. Enlabeler is taking aim at the local youth unemployment crisis by providing contract-based employment and growth opportunities for young unemployed people in South Africa and Kenya. The spark of inspiration behind Enlabeler was ignited when Founder and CEO (Chief Executive Officer) Esther Hoogstad wrote a research paper on…

MTN has announced price reductions and more value to customers on its MyMTN Home Fixed LTE and 5G home portfolios. The MyMTN Home Fixed LTE and 5G offers are available until 31 July 2022. “At MTN we are committed to providing connectivity at affordable rates for all South Africans to enable more people to enjoy the benefits of a modern connected world with as little impact on their pockets as possible”, says Mapula Bodibe, Chief Consumer Officer at MTN South Africa. The MyMTN Home Uncapped Fixed LTE and 5G internet promotional deals are shown below: In order to offer even…

Nedbank has made an equity investment into industry-leading technology led emergency response platform, RapidDeploy. The bank is the first South African firm to invest in RapidDeploy, which was established in South Africa after its founders Steven Raucher and Brett Meyerowitz experienced the antiquated, legacy technology that was available within the country’s public safety sector. Raucher experienced a personal tragedy when his brother drowned at sea and, to honour him, he volunteered for the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) of South Africa. This is where he came to realise that the emergency tools available could not achieve what was needed to…

Naspers, through its early-stage tech investment vehicle Naspers Foundry, announced a R40 million ($2.5 million) investment in Nile, an AgriTech company that connects farmers to buyers of fresh produce. The investment is part of a R83 million equity round led by Naspers Foundry, alongside new investors, Platform Investment Partners, Raba Capital and Base Capital. The transaction marks Naspers Foundry’s tenth investment since its launch in 2019 and forms part of Naspers’s R1.4 billion commitment to grow South Africa’s tech ecosystem. Nile was founded in 2020 to provide farmers with digital solutions that can address various pain points inherent to food…

Global Startup Awards Africa regional winners from across the continent with world changing UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)- aligned solutions will come together for the first ever Global Startup Awards Africa Summit in Cape Town on the 14th and 15th June. Hosted by the Global Innovation Initiative Group (GIIG), the event is a culmination of a 6-month long process of extensive and rigorous research, networking, and collaborations across the globe, with the aim of finding Africa’s most promising innovators. With the help of 30 Country Partners, 50 Ambassadors and 250 innovation hubs, the Global Startup Awards Africa found close to…

The new Volkswagen Taigo (pronounced ‘tie-go’) will join the Volkswagen T SUV model range in South Africa from June 2022. The Volkswagen Taigo, which is manufactured in Pamplona, Spain, is positioned between the T-Cross and the T-Roc in the Volkswagen T SUV model range. The retail pricing of the Volkswagen Taigo will be announced closer to the launch date. Customers who want to Pre-Order the Taigo before it officially goes on sale in June 2022 may do so on the Volkswagen website: https://forms.vw.co.za/app/pre-order/taigo With the new Taigo, Volkswagen has produced its first SUV coupé in this segment. Digitalised interior.  The entire…

Vodacom Financial Services has launched VodaLend Compare, a financial services marketplace aimed at offering unsecured personal loans for customers. Available exclusively through the VodaPay super app for now, with the web version launching soon, the proposition allows customers to compare personal loan quotes in three simple steps, enabling them to apply for the best option that suits their lifestyle needs and budget. “VodaLend Compare is designed to respond to consumers who may need a financial boost quickly for personal use, such as emergency medical expenses, unplanned relocation costs or home renovations, without a tedious application process. Through one journey and…

Community Investment Ventures Holdings (CIVH), the Remgro and New GX-controlled parent company of fibre infrastructure operators Dark Fibre Africa (DFA) and Vumatel, announced that effective 1 May 2022, its two fibre network assets would be managed under a new infrastructure company. The infrastructure entity’s name has not yet been announced. CIVH says this decision is a strategic step to meet ongoing customer and business requirements and increase open-access offerings across the networks. Although its two most significant operating subsidiaries (DFA and Vumatel) will be incorporated into this new infrastructure company, CIVH says each business will initially continue to operate separately.…