Author: Staff Writer

The South African Rand (ZAR) has been exploding in interest in the forex market. Over the last decade alone, the Rand’s trading volume has grown by over 182%. The massive surge in interest surrounding the Rand has prompted the award-winning Bitcoin-based margin trading platform PrimeXBT to list ZAR alongside other new forex currencies from emerging economies. ZAR was listed for trading against USD, EUR, and GBP, alongside other newly listed currencies MXN, THB, CNH, and HKD. The Rand was hit hard by the initial outbreak of COVID, but has since gained against many top currencies. However, uncertainty surrounding remiposing quarantine-like…

CineMagic, SA’s newest Video-on-Demand (VOD) streaming service, is now available to millions of cellular users via the Vodacom Video Play and MTN Play mobile content platforms. The service is unique in providing mobile users with access to award-winning short-form video movies, series and documentaries that are designed for smaller mobile screens. Launched in June by founder Exceptional Rights, CineMagic offers director-driven, well-acted and high-value curated video content from five to 30 minutes in duration. “There is an unmet consumer demand for short movies that display beautifully on mobile,” says Joanne Raphael Katz of Exceptional Rights. “The support from the mobile…

The Basic Education Department has reiterated that any decision on whether schools will be closed or not, will be taken by Cabinet. The department reiterated its stance following a resolution taken by South African Democratic Teachers Union on Tuesday, which called on government to close schools nationally as the country braces for the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The government is extremely concerned about teachers, principals, non-teaching staff who use any platform to attack government for going back to work; ostensibly creating an impression that they should be treated differently from the rest of the other public servants. “CEM [Council…

Following the U.K. government’s announcement that it had banned Huawei from its 5G telecom network, the Chinese telecommunications and consumer device company issued a statement to the press. Speaking in Parliament, U.K. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said mobile network operators in the country would be forced to stop buying equipment from Huawei by the end of the year. They will also be required to strip out Huawei gear from their infrastructure by 2027. The decision follows sanctions imposed by Washington, which claims the firm poses a national security threat – something Huawei denies. Dowden said new US sanctions imposed on…

A total of 4 424 720 applications for Special COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) Grant have been approved. Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu said that the department has to date, received 7 558 555 applications through the various electronic application platforms, including Supplementary Service Data (USSD), Website, WhatsApp and email. “A total of 2 174 046 applications were found to be active on various databases, including those who are currently receiving social grants, receiving Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) benefits or are appearing on the active database of UIF contributors, those who are receiving National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) stipends, [and] those…

Telkom has unveiled a complete online education solution for learners through the Lightbulb Education platform. The company said the Lightbulb Education platform can be used seamlessly between school and home. The platform focuses on the goals of the learner and creates a path to achieve this goal through a personalised learning journey. Most classrooms in South Africa have over 50 learners per class, with one teacher having to give enough attention to each child, said Telkom. The company added that this is impossible in most cases, resulting in some children being left behind. 2020 has added additional strain to this…

The South African Municipal Workers (SAMWU), is now demanding the government to pay its members a “danger allowance” of R3 000 after 63 of its members succumbed to the COVID-19 pandemic. On Friday, SAMWU held a virtual Special National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting. The union said in a statement on Monday that it stands by its demand for a danger allowance of a minimum of R3000 which should be paid to all municipal workers who were on duty for the duration of the lockdown. “For purposes of clarity, we will henceforth call this demand a COVID-19 allowance,”  union’s general-secretary, Koena…

Telkom has recently unveiled its Big Deal for July 2020, which would make sure you don’t run out of data. “We’re aware that needs differ and that’s why this month we’re bringing you two unique deals,” Telkom said. “With the July Big Deal, you get to choose your monate with Home Unlimited Uncapped Fibre 10Mbps or SmartBroadband Wireless 10GB* Prepaid!” What is the Fibre Big Deal? The deal includes the following: Unlimited Uncapped Fibre 10Mbps R499 PM x 24 Includes WiFi router and installation on a month to month (24-month clawback) 3 Months Free Subscription subject to 24-month contract 1 email account with…

Recent revelations indicate that U.S. President Donald Trump may have used the U.S. clampdown on Huawei – an ICT firm founded in China – as a bargaining chip in the U.S.-China trade dispute, to boost his re-election campaign. The revelations come in recent excerpts published by the Wall Street Journal from former White House security advisor John Bolton’s forthcoming memoir, The Room Where It Happened. The excerpts paint a picture of a president consumed with his bid to win a second term in the White House and looking for leverage on issues where he might be seen to have achieved…

In the past three months, South African startup room.sh has emerged into the video conferencing tech space to compete with the likes of Zoom and Microsoft. The company has quickly grown to more than 100,000 video-calls a month. If there is a common thread woven through the story of South African start-ups it is that necessity breeds innovation, and this is no more true that the story of room.sh. In 2018 the founding team received investment from local VC’s Knife Capital as SkillUp Tutors with the investment thesis at the time being to expand their offering of online education technology.…