Author: Staff Writer

Huawei, one of the world’s largest technology providers, is optimising its travel and navigation experience with enhanced features on Petal Maps. Following its rollout across Africa during the second quarter of 2021, the app is now available for users with a limited, weak, or non-existent internet signal, as they can download the maps of cities they wish to discover in advance and enjoy access regardless of their connectivity. Fast and accurate updates in real-time and in multiple languages guarantee smooth sailing with no interruption from distracting ads as users explore surroundings on foot, on bike or by car with seamless…

MediaTek, a global fabless semiconductor company powering nearly two billion connected devices every year, today launched the Dimensity 700 and Dimensity 1200 chips across the African market with unrivaled AI, camera and multimedia features for powerful 5G experiences. This launch of chipsets will give device makers a full suite of options for 5G smartphone models – from premium to mainstream market devices – making 5G more accessible for consumers everywhere. “MediaTek continues to expand its 5G portfolio with highly integrated solutions for a range of devices from the high-end to the mid-tier,” said Rami Osman, Director for Corporate Sales and…

At MWC 2022 held in Barcelona earlier this month, Safaricom, Close the Gap and Huawei received the Global Mobile GLOMO Award in recognition of the TECH4ALL DigiTruck project’s outstanding contribution to the UN’s sustainable development goals. The DigiTruck project was launched in Kenya for the first time in 2019. It was launched by Huawei in collaboration with international NGO Close the Gap, Kenya’s Ministry for ICT, Computer for Schools Kenya, GSMA and operator Safaricom. The project aims to bring digital technology to resource-poor regions and enable people to receive quality education and improve their lives. By the end of 2020,…

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) South Africa has announced two new appointments to the country’s leadership team. Michael Langeveld has been appointed as Chief Technology Officer and Celeste Le Grange assumes the position of Head of Channel, Commercial, Mid-Market and SMB. These appointments will help accelerate HPE’s strategy of becoming the edge-to-cloud company by giving our customers the cloud experience everywhere with HPE GreenLake. “I am delighted to welcome Michael Langeveld and Celeste Le Grange to my leadership team to help us to continue our momentum in South Africa,” said Sandile Dube, Acting Managing Director for South Africa, HPE. “Both Michael…

The latest South African Customer Satisfaction Index (SA-csi) for Life Insurance (2021) conducted by Consulta reveals how satisfied customers are with their life insurers over the last year. The benchmark measurement for Life Insurance (2021) provides important insights into the levels of customer satisfaction of  South Africa’s major life insurers – 1Life Insurance, Absa Life, Discovery Life, FNB Life, Metropolitan, Old Mutual, Sanlam and Standard Bank Life Insurance. The index surveyed over 2100 customers of SA’s largest life insurers by market share during the last quarter of 2021. “Two years into the pandemic and it is clear that any excuses…

Financial technology insurance consultancy Askari has concluded an agreement with Hollard Mozambique Insurance to launch its digital strategy targeting cross-border trucking fleets. Vehicles travelling across South Africa and the Mozambique border must have third-party motor insurance and the insurance digitisation process completed in January this year will help to further eliminate potential fraudulent practices while also improving the user experience for customers. Gary Wild, CEO of Askari says, “before embarking of this digitisation process, the insurance processes at the border were paper-based and riddled with inefficiencies, and for many others they still are. Now, the wait for cash to exchange…

TymeBank, one of the world’s fastest growing digital banks, has partnered with National HealthCare Group to bring quality, affordable medical insurance to consumers, through the launch of TymeHealth, an app-based offering that provides medical insurance for as little as R139 a month. Statistics show that just 8,9 million South Africans are covered by a medical scheme, with the high costs of contributions making membership of a medical aid unaffordable for most of the population. Tauriq Keraan, TymeBank CEO says: “Our country has a population of just over 60-million people, and the dire reality is only one in seven South Africans…

After remaining unchanged at 43 points in the fourth quarter of 2021, the RMB/BER Business Confidence Index (BCI) increased to 46 in the first quarter of 2022. Although this is just below the neutral-50 mark reached in the second half of last year, the latest reading is nonetheless encouraging in that it equals the BCI’s long-term average which, at 46, is a far cry from the five-index-point low recorded at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Figure 1: RMB/BER Business Confidence Index Source: BER, SARB (Shaded areas represent economic downswings)    The fieldwork for the first quarter survey was…

Jaguar has unveiled its third all-electric virtual gaming sports car – the Jaguar Vision Gran Turismo Roadster. Jaguar’s latest all-electric virtual race car joins the grid for the launch of Gran Turismo 7 – the latest and most immersive iteration yet of the world-renowned racing game. The Jaguar Vision Gran Turismo Roadster is an all-electric single-seater that combines the race-proven powertrain from the Coupé with a taut, sculpted form inspired by the iconic, timeless Jaguar D-type. “As a car designer, being part of the team that has delivered three virtual cars for the Gran Turismo series has been a dream…

A private sector-driven task force will provide small businesses with instant financial assistance to survive the latest round of load shedding. It was re-initiated in Cape Town at the end of 2021. The “SME Load shedding Task Force” was launched by Lulalend, a fin-tech business that offers real time business funding to South African small businesses and which counts the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) amongst its investors. Lulalend CEO Trevor Gosling says the task force has been reinstated to prioritise applications and provide an almost instant response to businesses in crisis due to load shedding. Many small…