Author: Staff Writer

StuDocu, an Amsterdam-based EdTech (education technology) company that is seeing exceptional growth, is announcing $50 million (over R700 million) Series B funding from Partech. The company plans to invest this capital in further boosting its exponential global growth and South Africa is one of the markets they’d like to expand. StuDocu offers students a platform to exchange knowledge, has passed 15 million users worldwide and reveals they have 100 000 South African students actively using their platform. Before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the world to move from social to remote, little to none was known about EdTech and the companies making…

Pick n Pay is encouraging customers to use over R200 million in unredeemed Smart Shopper points – the amount unclaimed by customers in the last 12 months. These points have been accumulated from everyday swipes and bonus points, or through Pick n Pay partners, such as BP. Pick n Pay’s Smart Shopper – South Africa’s favourite loyalty programme with over 8.5 million active members – last year delivered over R3.5 billion in savings to customers through personalised discounts, instant cash-off discounts with its Smart Price, points and multi-buy deals. But accumulated points worth R200 million have yet to be claimed.…

Marilyn Moodley has been appointed as South African Country Leader for SoftwareONE, an end-to-end cloud technology and software solutions company operating in over 90 countries. An eight-year veteran with the company, Moodley takes over the reins from Grant Bryce who is now leading SoftwareONE Ireland. Her new role comes at an exciting time for SoftwareONE as it rapidly expands its capabilities into areas like SAP migration services, application modernisation and hyperscale cloud services and solutions. In the last six months alone, the organisation has acquired five companies and formed two strategic partnerships – including a global SAP and app modernisation…

WeThinkCode has landed in Durban/eThekwini and applications are open for a full-time, fully-sponsored two-year programming course. The software programming academy is inviting potential candidates in the region to apply to its tuition-free, two-year software programming course which starts in July. One hundred places are available – part of WeThinkCode ’s plan to increase its total student intake to 450 in 2021. The academy already has campuses in Johannesburg and Cape Town. “We know that South Africa has a vast pool of untapped talent with the aptitude to be trained in technology.  At the same time our youth unemployment is among the…

MiX Telematics, a global SaaS provider of connected fleet management solutions, has launched MiX Vision AI – an extensive update to their video telematics offering. With this new solution, MiX Telematics further enhances its ability to help customers worldwide improve driver safety and reduce operating costs. MiX Vision AI leverages machine vision technology to detect and alert drivers and managers to unsafe or risky driving behaviour that impacts road safety. Driver monitoring events include fatigue, phone use, distraction, smoking and seat-belt use, while passive ADAS events include forward collision and lane departure warnings. In-cab, audible alerts warn drivers in real-time…

Global EdTech innovator iXperience secures $2.5 million (R35 million) in Series A funding to accelerate the way the world learns. The funding round was led by Kalon Venture Partners and Caleo Private Equity. iXperience is an educational-tech company that partners with high schools, universities and corporates to provide progressive education programs and services that equip students with industry-focused skills. iXperience was founded in 2013 by two Yale University graduates – CEO Aaron Fuchs (from South Africa) and CPO Rafi Khan (from the United States). The Cape Town-based company started as a coding bootcamp and has since become an industry leader…

Vodacom has partnered with the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to place twenty psycho-social professionals in their Schools of Excellence (SoE) across the country. The initiative, which is aimed at reducing the scourge of violence plaguing schools in this country, is a huge milestone for Vodacom in the fight against gender-based violence in South Africa. The programme is part of Vodacom’s gender-based violence ecosystem, which provides prevention, response, and victim support programs in partnership with government and civil society organisations. Following a rigorous selection process, which commenced in 2020 with the participation of the University of Stellenbosch, so far, ten…

Openserve, SA’s Open Access Service Provider is transforming its customer experience by providing customers with accessible information, additional communication platforms and self-enablement tools through its digital channels and interaction points such as the Openserve Connect App and now its recently re-launched new Openserve Connect website. Connectivity is at the heart of digital transformation and Openserve strives to keep South Africans connected by providing the ultimate broadband experience for households and businesses. The renewed and refreshed website is part of the company’s strategy to reach more South Africans and connect more homes and businesses through digital enablement. “There is a huge…

Clicks Group is buying Pick n Pay Retail Pharmacy Business, including 25 in-store pharmacies which will be rebranded to Clicks, for an undisclosed amount. The JSE-listed company said the acquisition will increase its national presence to 632 pharmacies. Clicks, which is the largest retail pharmacy network in the country, added that it will acquire the pharmacy licences and ethical drug stock, while all staff employed in the pharmacies will transfer from Pick n Pay to Clicks. “The acquisition of the pharmacy chain from Pick n Pay accelerates our strategy of extending the convenience and accessibility of the Clicks pharmacy network,”…

Volvo Car South Africa has announced the pricing for one of the most eagerly awaited cars launched in South Africa this year, namely the XC40 P8 Recharge all-electric. Volvo XC40 P8 Recharge orders are open from Monday, 10 May 2021. The deliveries will commence in August this year, and pricing for the car will start at R1,2 million (incl. VAT). According to Greg Maruszewski, Managing Director at Volvo Car South Africa, the company has worked hard to offer this luxury all-electric vehicle at a competitive price. “All-electric vehicles sold in South Africa have traditionally come with hefty price tags –…