Author: Staff Writer

Infobip Group, a global cloud communications platform company for businesses, has acquired the number one SMS firewall service provider Anam. Anam offers solutions to more than 80 mobile network operators (MNOs) with more than 606 million customers across the world. The purchase price remains undisclosed and consists of a combination of cash and Infobip shares. This strategic acquisition strengthens Infobip’s position as the first choice for mobile network operators through enhanced product and service offerings. Their combined product portfolio for MNOs represents an exceptional proposition to mobile operators that will also vastly benefit subscribers and includes best in class SMS Firewall, SMS Hubs,…

If technology optimists are to be believed, we’re about to enter a new “Roaring 20s”, a decade where technology and innovation drive significant improvements in the way we do business, work, live, and play.  Three technologies, in particular, will drive that change:  5G, artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing. And if South Africa is to grow its economy, while ensuring the best possible quality of life for its citizens, it needs to combine the implementation of skills related to these technologies, with the natural human skills of its people. That was the overriding message to come out of a virtual…

Mobicred, an innovative virtual credit product for online shopping, has attracted more than 3 000 online retailers and continues to grow fast, signing over 150 stores a month during the pandemic. Before the pandemic, online shopping was growing at a steady pace. However, the retail landscape has deeply changed this year, due to the spread of COVID-19 and consumers avoiding physical stores. The credit provider’s customers have hundreds of millions of Rands available to spend on their accounts, despite having access to mainstream credit cards. Turning the e-commerce tide Getting this far has been no small feat, given South Africa’s…

ReCharge, an e-commerce subscription platform, today announced that it has raised $277 million (R3,9 billion) in growth capital. The California-based company has raised the funds from Summit Partners, ICONIQ Growth, and Bain Capital Ventures. Founded in 2014, ReCharge was self-funded for over five years before accepting outside financing. The company also announced the appointment of Andrew Collins, Managing Director at Summit Partners to its Board of Directors, and Aaref Hilaly, Partner at Bain Capital Ventures, and Yoonkee Sull, Partner at ICONIQ Growth will join the company as Board Observers. “We believe the most successful bootstrapped companies learn to operate with the utmost efficiency…

The Telkom Foundation is bringing students and youth educational content through a platform called IGNITE. The platform is an extension of the company’s video streaming platform, TelkomONE. From today, High School students in grade 10-12 can gain free access to the new educational platform and will not be required to pay a subscription fee to sign up and be able to utilise the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths)-based content that has now been added. TelkomONE IGNITE content will focus on fours content areas: STEM-specific topics and subject matter (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths); Content that directly supports the SA…

Dineplan, a South African software company, has clinched an agreement with Google to allow users to make instant bookings at restaurants directly from Google Search, Maps or Assistant. In a blog, Dineplan said it has integrated with Reserve with Google for diners to see live availability at their favourite restaurants, and conveniently book directly via Google. Dineplan is used by thousands of restaurants nationwide to manage their bookings. Consumers can use Reserve with Google to plan their week and stay notified through Google Calendar, Gmail and via their devices, as well as use the Dineplan mobile app to cancel, confirm…

MTN customers stand a chance to win a share of R50 million in rewards through the MyMTN YelloBucks loyalty and rewards programme from today until 30 September 2021. In the months of May and June, MTN will give away R1 million in grand prizes each month – five customers will each win R100 000 in MoMo cash, and ten customers will each win a holiday experience to the value of R50 000. MTN customers can win entries into the monthly draws by playing the YelloBucks Tap & Win game on the MTN App, or by just being a MyMTN YelloBucks…

Volvo Car South Africa has launched My.Volvo, a unique online store that will enable South Africans to purchase or rent a new car in as little as 20 minutes – and without leaving home. The store – the first for Volvo in the Sub-Saharan Africa region – is available exclusively to South Africans. However, this is not the first time that Volvo has dipped its toe in the online shopping arena. Volvo Cars global launched its first online sales store in 2020 as a result of lockdown restrictions the world over. My.Volvo offers a smooth, convenient and secure end-to-end vehicle…

Direct Transact, the largest independent provider of transaction processing solutions for banks and businesses in SA, is appointing three financial industry heavy-hitters to expand the local industry’s open finance capabilities in the global market. The company, which handles more than R30 billion in financial industry transaction flows per month – the flows of nearly 70% of SA’s second-tier clearing banks and nearly 10% of SA’s monthly transactional value through BankservAfrica – is appointing FinTech trailblazer Christo Davel as the company’s Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), C-suite banking veteran Arina McDonald as Non-Executive Director and banking technologist Clinton Haley as Executive Head…

Cyber protection company Acronis has received more than $250 million (R3, 6 billion) in a funding round from CVC Capital Partners VII and other investors. The investment values the company at more than $2.5 billion (R36 billion). Acronis said it will use the funds to further accelerate growth by expanding its portfolio of natively integrated cyber protection products. A significant portion of the investment will be used to further enhance Acronis’ go-to-market initiatives by expanding its partner network – most notably managed service providers (MSPs) – to help them better serve the cyber protection needs of their clients. Acronis has…