Author: Staff Writer
A man experiences a medical emergency, activates his car’s autopilot, and it navigates him safely to a hospital. A woman’s smartwatch detects an irregular heartbeat, sends her an alert urging her to seek medical attention, diagnosing her with a life-threatening arrhythmia that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. An elderly man lost in the wilderness is found by a drone after three days of futile searching. Two hikers stranded on Table Mountain are saved thanks to location-sharing technology and an EMS helicopter. These aren’t movie scenes; they’re real-life examples of how technology is no longer just an enhancement—it’s a lifeline. Yet,…
Fleet management is transforming rapidly thanks to the introduction of technologies like predictive maintenance, sophisticated GPS monitoring, and even automation. The advent of these systems (and many more) has brought myriad benefits to the logistics industry, allowing for reduced operational costs, improved fuel efficiency, and—an increasingly important aspect these days—reduced environmental impact. While all these innovations have modernised fleet management, the industry will receive a push into the future, thanks to the introduction of data-driven technology, advanced telematics, and Internet of Things (IoT) equipment. According to British-Dutch oil company Shell, it is estimated that in 2028, more than 35 million trucks…
Despite a severe financial crisis, the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) continues to waste money on Telkom lines instead of adopting cost-saving Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology. This was revealed in an audit by the Gauteng Department of e-Government. VoIP, which converts voice into digital data transmitted over the internet, could save the province R33.9 million annually, a 91% reduction in costs. However, key departments remain resistant to the switch. The biggest offenders include: Health: R29.1 million Education: R3.2 million Social Development: R916,918 Michael Waters, DA Gauteng Spokesperson for e-Government, criticised the GPG’s reluctance, stating, “Given the financial crisis caused…
Walter Isaacson makes interesting observations about innovation in his book The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution. “But the main lesson to draw from the birth of computers is that innovation is usually a group effort, involving collaboration between visionaries and engineers and that creativity comes from drawing on many sources,” writes Isaacson. He adds: “Only in storybooks do inventions come like a thunderbolt, or a lightbulb popping out of the head of a lone individual in a basement or garret or garage.” Why invoke Isaacson’s words? Simply because South Africa’s recent celebration of…
The single most powerful way to empower tens of millions of South Africans quickly is to drive down the cost of smart devices and get cheap, reliable broadband into their hands. The ability to participate in e-commerce, remote work, online education and digital financial services creates a world of opportunity currently closed to the poor and unemployed, writes Solly Malatsi. Malatsi, minister of communications & digital technologies, writing in the Sunday Times stated that it was his mission to change that by opening wide a path to a digital future for every South African, from the most remote rural area…
A Vereeniging-based metal castings producer, Yellow Star Manufacturing (YSM), allegedly paid R14 million a year in bribes to Emfuleni municipal employees to secure an illegal electricity connection and tamper with meter readings, according to explosive claims by its former CEO, Andries Mar Sunday Times reports that the illicit arrangement reportedly saved YSM, a supplier to major mining and steel firms, millions of rand monthly, slashing its power bill by half. The scheme was so audacious that a transformer was allegedly stolen from an Eskom depot in the Free State and installed on YSM’s premises. Sunday Times reported that this alleged…
As South Africa faces a persistently high unemployment rate, with 35% of women unemployed in the last quarter of 2024, global mobility leader inDrive is stepping up to drive meaningful change. With a mission to impact 1 billion people globally by challenging injustice, inDrive is committed to increasing female representation in South Africa’s e-hailing industry and creating economic opportunities for women. This International Women’s Month, inDrive is taking a bold step toward inclusivity by setting a target to onboard over 400 female drivers in Cape Town. This initiative aims to create more earning opportunities for women while addressing the growing…
South African young scientists are set to showcase their innovative research on the global stage, competing in the environmental science and computer science categories at this year’s International Festival of Engineering, Science and Technology in Tunisia (I-FEST²). Eskom Expo International Science Fair 2024 Gold medal recipients, Hamzah Ismail and Vibhav Ramdas, both Grade 12 learners at St Dominics Newcastle School in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, earned their opportunities to showcase their research projects at the I-FEST² from 21 to 27 March 2025 following a nomination by a panel of academics and professionals at the Eskom Expo. The learners will be accompanied on the trip by Eskom Expo’s Dr Kenneth Kaunda…
Many consumers are unaware of the differences between a conventional hybrid and a plug-in hybrid, commonly called a PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle). In short, PHEVs provide the best of a traditional combustion-engined vehicle and a fully electric car. Equipped with an electric motor and sizeable battery pack, they can travel reasonable distances on electric power alone and even be charged like an EV. However, when charging isn’t possible, they can rely on the combustion engine for longer-distance travel. That sounds great, but what are the actual benefits? PHEVs offer significantly lower fuel consumption and reduced emissions, benefiting your budget…
Eskom has announced the suspension of loadshedding effective today at 10:00, following the recovery of over 3,000MW of generation capacity and the replenishment of sufficient emergency reserves over the past 44 hours. In a statement, Eskom confirmed that coal operations at Kusile Power Station have reached optimal levels, with all units that were offline as of Friday now back in service. Additionally, progress on the recovery of Koeberg Unit 2 is well underway, with Eskom reassuring the public that the unit remains safe. The utility emphasized that planned maintenance outages, aimed at preparing for winter and meeting regulatory and environmental…
Eskom has announced that Stage 3 loadshedding will be implemented from today at 14:00 until Monday, 10 March 2025 at 05:00. This decision comes after a loss of 2700MW in the past 14 hours. This includes Koeberg Unit 2, which was taken offline after being brought back on Wednesday, and two Kusile Units whose coal operations went sub-optimal following adverse weather in the area. Higher levels of planned maintenance outages, aimed at winter preparation and meeting regulatory and environmental licensing requirements are still underway. The constrained capacity resulted in the increased reliance on emergency reserves during this week, which makes…
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng has lodged a formal complaint with the Public Protector, demanding an urgent investigation into the Gauteng Department of Education’s (GDE) questionable payment of over R1.8 billion to the Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership and Governance (MGSLG). The DA’s call for action follows revelations uncovered in a response from Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane, which detailed that the GDE paid a staggering R1,868,760,369.50 to MGSLG between 2019 and 2024. These funds were allegedly allocated for “cutting-edge” capacity-building programmes for school management and leadership, as well as teacher development initiatives. Shockingly, these payments continued even during…
South African startup Sensor Networks has secured a strategic partnership with Ariston, the world’s largest geyser manufacturer based in Italy. This collaboration will bring cutting-edge smart water heating solutions to South African households in 2025, marking a significant milestone for homegrown technology on the global stage. The partnership follows months of rigorous product development, refinement, and certification, culminating in the rollout of Ariston geysers integrated with Sensor Networks’ smart geyser devices across leading plumbing retailers in South Africa. This marks the first time that a locally developed smart-geyser technology has been adopted at such a scale by a global heating…
The Huawei Cloud Summit, with the theme “Accelerate Intelligence, Amplify Success”, concluded today in Barcelona, bringing together hundreds of industry leaders and experts from sectors including carrier, finance, Internet, and government. Huawei Cloud unveiled a series of cutting-edge services and solutions, solidifying its commitment to driving intelligent transformation across diverse industries. Today, AI is changing everything. Countries and companies are putting AI as a core strategy, and have the chance to build their own models. AI is not a game of heavy costs. AI models can be optimized by leveraging the achievements from the open source community. Data, especially high-quality…
At the Huawei Product & Solution Launch during MWC Barcelona 2025, Yang Chaobin, Huawei’s Director of the Board and CEO of the ICT Business Group, launched the company’s AI-Centric Network solution. According to Yang, the emergence of high-quality, low-cost, and open-source AI models will give rise to a wide range of new innovation in applications and accelerate the advent of an intelligent world. Advancements in AI will transform society at three levels. It will enable a truly individualised experience for consumers, drive intelligent collaboration in organisations, and lay the groundwork for more inclusive intelligence for everyone. As for the ICT…
NTT DATA, a global leader in digital business and technology services, today announced the appointment of Amantha Naidoo as Managing Executive for South Africa, effective 1 May, 2025. In this strategic role, Naidoo will be responsible for driving NTT DATA’s growth and strategy execution in the South African market, while supporting the company’s broader mid-term plan for fiscal years 2025-2027 and beyond. “We are delighted to welcome Amantha to NTT DATA,” said Alan Turnley-Jones, CEO of NTT DATA for Middle East and Africa (MEA). “Her exceptional track record in business transformation, strategic leadership, and deep expertise across multiple industries aligns…
Deputy President Paul Mashatile is facing backlash from fellow ANC government ministers for supporting Communications Minister Solly Malatsi’s decision to withdraw the SABC Bill. According to the Sunday Times, tensions ran high during a cabinet meeting this week, where ANC ministers confronted Mashatile over his endorsement of Malatsi’s reasoning for pulling the bill. As the leader of government business in parliament, Mashatile presented Malatsi’s rationale for the withdrawal on Wednesday, which did not sit well with several ANC members. The SABC Bill was drafted to replace the outdated Broadcasting Act of 1999, which predates the rise of the Internet and…
Hybrids sales continue to outpace other new energy vehicles, with prices dropping and demand rising. Meanwhile, more affordable electric cars are gaining traction in South Africa’s used car market. South African car buyers have traditionally been slow to adopt new-energy vehicles (NEVs), but that’s starting to change. According to the recently released AutoTrader 2024 Annual Car Industry Report, interest in hybrids, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), and electric vehicles (EVs) continues to rise as more consumers explore efficient and eco-friendly alternatives. While manufacturers are working towards a fully electric future, hybrids and PHEVs remain important stepping stones to emissions-free mobility. Electric vehicle and…
The City of Cape Town has secured R2.8 billion in development finance to support major electricity grid upgrades. This agreement, made with the German Development Bank (KfW) on behalf of the German Government, forms part of the metro’s transition towards a more dynamic and decentralised energy future. Largest Infrastructure Investment by a Metropolitan Municipality Cape Town is set to invest R39.5 billion in infrastructure from July 2024 to June 2027 under the City’s ‘Building For Jobs’ Budget. This represents the largest three-year infrastructure investment ever made by a South African metropolitan municipality. Within this, more than R4 billion will be…
iStore South Africa has announced that the iPhone 16e is available online and in-store, starting today at 8am. Customers can choose to purchase the latest iPhone 16e for cash, or upgrade their Vodacom, MTN, or Telkom cellular contracts through iStore, with a range of trade-in offers making this upgrade to iPhone 16e more affordable than ever. Up to R22 000 cash back when you trade in — As Apple’s only Premium Partner in Africa iStore is also setting a new standard for trade-in values, offering up to R22,000 cash back when you trade in your current phone. Customers can get their trade-in value as cash back into their…
A UK-based group called Everyone Hates Elon has seemingly taken credit for a controversial anti-Elon Musk poster that has been spotted in London and is rapidly gaining attention online, according to Euro News. The poster, which appeared in Bethnal Green, depicts a Tesla rebranded as the “Swasticar” and features an image of Musk performing a Nazi-like salute at Donald Trump’s 2017 inauguration rally. The message beneath the image reads: “Goes from 0 to 1939 in 3 seconds,” a reference to the outbreak of World War II. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Everyone Hates Elon…
What do South Africans want in a car? AutoTrader reveals a clear shift: value for money and efficiency are driving car-buying decisions like never before. 2024 was a turbulent year for the South African automotive industry, shaped by various external factors. Shifting market conditions, evolving consumer needs, and changing car shopping behaviours played a role, while interest rate fluctuations, inflation, and unstable fuel prices impacted sales and buyer sentiment. While 2025 shows positive signs of increased consumer sentiment, the annual AutoTrader Car Industry Report reveals how things have changed in the automotive industry, with buyers changing their car-buying priorities and focusing on…
OPPO today officially announced the launch of its new Reno13 series, ushering in a new era in mobile photography for South Africans. Designed to capture life’s most vibrant moments, even beneath the surface, the Reno13 series sets a new benchmark for smartphone imaging. It combines OPPO’s industry-leading AI enhancements with cutting-edge water-resistant technology. The Reno13 series features a sleek and durable design. Featuring a customised MediaTek Dimensity 8350 platform, the Reno13 series delivers smooth performance and energy efficiency. The Reno13 5G has a 5,600mAh battery and 80W SUPERVOOC Flash Charge, allowing for extended usage and rapid recharging. The 1.5K 120Hz…
Private equity fund manager Clearwater Capital has announced the purchase of Etlin International (Pty) Ltd’s temperature-controlled storage and logistics arm through a business rescue deal. This division, SnoLink Logistics, will continue to serve its existing customer base, which includes several Blue Chip retailers. “This acquisition reflects South Africa’s evolving supply chain, offering a reliable and trustworthy route to market,” commented Clearwater Capital Executive Chairman, Harish Mehta. “Clearwater has had an interest in this sector for several years – this acquisition was a strategic one. Furthermore, It creates new opportunities for importers of temperature-sensitive products, like ice cream and mechanically deboned meat, to access the…
Huawei South Africa’s position as a top employer, as certified by the Top Employers Institute for the eighth year running in 2025, reflects the company’s substantial impact on the local employment landscape. This sustained recognition highlights Huawei’s deep dedication to its employees and the company’s significant investment in creating a positive work environment. As a leading force in the country’s growing ICT sector, Huawei strives to work in ways that contribute positively to local economies and empower communities with skills and access to the latest digital technologies. The institute has certified over 2,400 companies from 125 global companies based on…