Author: Staff Writer

Ithala Bank-backed FinTech startup BlackPay announced the launch of a number of loan products tailored for traditionally black festivities. From the product names – Lobola Loan, Mcimbi (traditional ceremony) Loan, etc. – BlackPay has carved out features that address the specific needs of its market, powered by its alternative credit scoring technology which is approved by its licensed banking partners. Last year, Ithala Bank and Black Pay created a partnership aimed at financing township and rural development across the country. The alliance, valued at $15 million or R250 million, will finance township and rural development through home loans, backyard flats, and…

Invenfin, the venture and growth capital division of South African investment group Remgro, announced the acquisition by Aleph of South African media sales business, Ad Dynamo. The acquisition by Aleph, global partner to the world’s biggest digital media players, will accelerate Ad Dynamo into its next phase of growth — scaling its services to more platforms and more countries across the African continent. Ad Dynamo is the exclusive media sales partner for Twitter, Snap, Spotify and other platforms across Sub-Saharan Africa, and is viewed as the continent’s leading digital media sales business. Based in Cape Town, South Africa, the company has…

Tiger Brands has appointed Barati Mahloele as the company’s Venture Capital Fund Director. She joins the business from Zebu Investment Partners where she was vice president Investments. In her new position at Tiger Brands, Barati will be responsible for leading the company’s Venture Capital Fund which was launched in mid-2021. The fund’s mandate is to invest in startup businesses that align to Tiger Brands’ consumer-relevant growth platforms of health, nutrition, snackification, and economical food options, and to grow these businesses alongside the entrepreneurs running them. “Through the Venture Capital Fund we are looking to expand our participation in new product…

More than 7.6-million people around the world tuned in to watch a unique 5G live stream hosted by Huawei on Telkom’s 5G temporary network from Boulders Beach near Cape Town, home to the largest group of African Penguins in South Africa. “The popularity of the live stream demonstrates just how transformative 5G will be, not just in business and entertainment but also for education, conservation, and the promotion of tourism,” says Yang Chen, VP, Huawei Southern Africa. Held on 9 December 2021, the live stream was designed to showcase the capabilities of 5G and illustrate the power of technology in…

Audi South Africa is in partnership with GridCars to install ultra-fast charging stations across the country and will become the first electric vehicle brand to invest in this technology through publicly accessible sites. The 150kW public chargers initiated by Audi will be the first for the South African market. The charge points will provide up to 150kW of direct current (DC) charge to electric vehicles; meaning that an Audi e-tron 55 (with a 95kWh battery) will charge from 10% to 90% in approximately 30 minutes. As part of this, Audi will invest in setting up 70 new EV charge connectors…

Global customer experience management firm iSON Xperiences has been appointed as the outsourced customer service provider for MTN South Africa. Combined with the Vodacom business attained through its recent acquisition of Altron People Solutions, this five-year deal sees iSON Xperiences now covering more than 50% of the market share in the telecom segment in the country. “The project sees iSON Xperiences managing half of the outsourced customer service business of MTN South Africa. We feel we can add considerable value to the organisation, given our extensive experience in the telecom sector in Africa and the rest of the world,” says…

South African-based mobile games publisher Carry1st bags $20 million or R307 million to scale interactive content across Africa. The Series A extension is led by Andreessen Horowitz, with participation from Avenir and Google. The round represents Andreessen Horowitz’s first investment in a company headquartered in Africa, and Partners David Haber (fintech) and Jonathan Lai (gaming) will be joining Carry1st’s board as observers. A number of prominent angel investors participated in the round, including Grammy winner and renowned crypto investor Nas, and founders of Chipper Cash, Sky Mavis, and Yield Guild Games. In addition, investors from Carry1st’s May 2021 Series A are…

MNT-Halan, Egypt’s FinTech player, has announced the successful addition of its Buy-Now-Pay-Later (BNPL) feature to its comprehensive digital ecosystem that includes small and micro-business lending, payments, consumer finance, bill payments, e-commerce, and delivery, all of which are backed by Neuron, the company’s proprietary technology. As Egypt’s first provider of the full BNPL experience through the Halan consumer and merchant apps, users are given all the tools they need to purchase, pay and have delivered anything they want when they want it. Merchants benefit from accelerated growth in their business and increased customer loyalty by offering payment flexibility. Customers are also…

Oracle today announced the availability of its first cloud region in Africa to meet the rapidly growing demand for enterprise cloud services on the continent. The Oracle Cloud Johannesburg Region will boost cloud adoption across Africa while also helping businesses achieve better performance and drive continuous innovation. “The fourth industrial revolution, which is powered by cloud-led technologies, has significantly accelerated in South Africa and the wider African continent,” said Richard Smith, executive vice president, EMEA, Oracle. “In recent months, cloud technologies have played a vital role in helping African public and private sector organisations ensure business continuity, deliver essential services,…

SAP has appointed Emmanuel Raptopoulos as the new president for SAP’s EMEA South region, which comprises Southern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In this capacity, he will report to Scott Russell, SAP Executive Board member, Customer Success. With a presence in 75 countries, 24 offices and ~5000 employees across the region, EMEA South is at the forefront of SAP’s transformation to the cloud. Raptopoulos, who is based in Milan, succeeds Claudio Muruzabal, who has been promoted to President of SAP’s global Cloud Success Services organisation. This newly established organisation unites an impressive driving force of over 20 000 of…