Author: Staff Writer
In celebration of Global Accessibility Awareness Day observed on 20 May, Vodacom is launching the Nokia 2720 – a smartphone designed to provide greater access for senior citizens, people living with disabilities and those who experience other communication barriers. “For more than two decades, Vodacom has been addressing the need for more inclusive technologies by providing products and services that are accessible to all. By expanding our portfolio with Nokia, we now offer a device equipped with features that meet the specific communication needs of the elderly or those living with disabilities,” says Karen Smit, Principal Specialist for Specific Needs,…
The Southern African Institute of Government Auditors (SAIGA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Association for Advancement of Black Accountants of Southern Africa (ABASA). The MoU is a means to help bring about transformation in the state of skills readiness in the South African public service sector. It is also aimed at helping with capacity challenges in the public sector, provide government officials, members and associates with access to a broader base of training and development courses, programmes, workshops, seminars, conference, research, and related activities. Some of the skills programmes including continuous professional development (CPD) through short…
Checkers Sixty60 is now available in all nine provinces in South Africa – after launching in Polokwane, Limpopo, today. It has created more than 2 100 new jobs since this one-hour on-demand grocery delivery service was first launched in late 2019. In the past three months, Sixty60 has rolled out to over 40 new areas, including Kimberley and Upington (in the Northern Cape), Klerksdorp (in the North West province) and most recently Polokwane (in Limpopo), making this service available from more than 130 Checkers supermarkets nationwide. There are now more than 15 000 products available on the Sixty60 app with…
Lucid Motors, a Saudi-backed electric vehicle startup, has revealed the in-cabin technology of its all-electric Lucid Air sedan. The sedan was unveiled eight months ago. The US-based electric vehicle maker said the interior of the Lucid Air features two primary touch-control displays – the Glass Cockpit and the Pilot Panel. The electric vehicle maker revealed the Luci Air’s Glass Cockpit 34-inch, 5K floating screen that sweeps around the driver, curving like the cockpit of a jet. The startup said the cockpit puts essential information into your sightline, with vehicle controls to the left, driving details in the centre, and navigation…
MTN has partnered with instant EFT solution provider, Ozow, to provide a fast and efficient payment method for customers to purchase data and airtime directly through WhatsApp. “Giving customers the ability to transact seamlessly on WhatsApp is a gamechanger in South Africa. It provides a seamless way to stay connected, in touch and in tune, while being simple and secure. Most importantly it will help improve financial and digital inclusion and enhance access for consumers,” says Jacqui O’Sullivan, Executive of Corporate Affairs at MTN South Africa. The service is provided within the MTN Chat platform, which was launched in 2019…
Infobip today announces the launch of its Infobip Startup Tribe programme. It will be led by newly appointed director Nikola Pavesic who joins from one of the world’s largest business media publishers and Financial Times parent company – Nikkei. Pavesic is based in Japan where he headed Nikkei’s startup and investor relations, alongside leading the largest tech conference series in Japan. Infobip Startup Tribe is a bespoke program aimed at finding and bringing together the world’s most innovative startups to help fast-track their growth and development. Qualifying startups will be able to apply for substantial credit allowances on Infobip’s products…
Pick n Pay Smart Shoppers can now earn points on their on-demand delivery orders with the Bottles by PnP app. This makes Pick n Pay the only retailer in South Africa to offer loyalty points across all its online shopping channels. “Getting something back for their loyalty is one of the things that our customers love most about shopping with us, and now they have more ways to earn points and save,” says John Bradshaw, retail executive: Omnichannel at Pick n Pay. To earn loyalty points when shopping on the Bottles by PnP app, customers will need to add their…
As expected Transaction Capital announced today it is increasing its shareholding in WeBuyCars, a South African online car marketplace. The JSE-listed company disclosed 15 days ago its intention to up the stake. Transaction Capital has concluded agreements to increase the group’s shareholding in WeBuyCars from 49.9% to 74.9%. The remaining 25.1% of the shares in WeBuyCars will be held by the family trusts of the founding shareholders, Faan and Dirk van der Walt. The group expects the additional investment of 25% in WeBuyCars which is subject to Competition Commission approval, to be immediately value and earnings accretive. Once the conditions…
South African biotech startup LifeQ has secured $47 million from top investors around the world. LifeQ has two key value propositions: enabling wearable devices to provide business-grade and near clinical-grade health information streams; and using this data to generate health and wellness solutions for consumer, business and clinical applications. “LifeQ is proud to partner with the world’s most distinguished investment groups to positively impact the future of health for all people,” said LifeQ co-founder and CEO Laurence Olivier. “We are in the midst of a global health crisis caused by sedentary lifestyle, increased work demands, and unhealthy foods resulting in…
Remote and blended learning during the pandemic spurred growth even further, but according to Snapplify, the EdTech company was seeing business expansion long before COVID-19. Snapplify is a global EdTech company that specialises in enabling digital learning for individuals and institutions (B2C). It also has the capacity to provide other education businesses with software solutions to assist in expanding their businesses even further (B2B). “Towards the end of 2018, we launched our freemium offering for our e-learning platform, Snapplify Engage. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with hundreds of new registrations each day from schools across Africa,” enthuses Wesley Lynch, founder…