Author: Staff Writer
MTN has announced its first commercial installation today of Supersonic AirFibre. The first commercial rollout will commence in Soweto, Mamelodi, Fairlands and Honeydew. AirFibre uses out of the box thinking to find innovative solutions that can help connect the unconnected. It harnesses existing open spectrum frequencies, which can lower the cost to serve customers. This is built as a premium uncapped technology that ranges from 5Mbps to 100Mbps, which allows users access to the internet as a full-fibre experience. MTN used the period since the launch of AirFibre for customers to register their demand. Since the announcement of the launch…
A recent decision of the Supreme Court of Appeal, handed down on 13 April 2021, will have a material impact on South Africa’s insurers, requiring them to review their policies. The King Price Insurance Company Ltd v Concise Consulting Services (Pty) Ltd case focused on the rejection of any insurance claim on the basis that a person who is not the policyholder, provided false, incorrect or dishonest information to the insurer, such as the regular driver (or persons covered under the relevant policy). In 2013, a company vehicle that was insured by King Price was damaged in a late evening…
The R350 COVID-19 grant for the jobless, hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic introduced by the South African Government last year comes to an end today. The special COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress grant of R350 a month is paid to individuals who are currently unemployed and do not receive any other form of a social grant or UIF payment. The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) in a statement reminded recipients of the Special COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress that it comes to an end today, Friday 30 April 2021. “This means that no new applications will be accepted after this…
Vodacom Group is strengthening its partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) South Africa. The company is embarking on a project to help restore and conserve healthy oceans and ensure the sustainable production and consumption of seafood. This project aligns with Vodacom’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The aim is to use digital innovation (SDG 9) to address sustainable patterns of consumption and production (SDG 12) to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for the benefit of future generations (SDG 14). According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), more than a…
Aura, South Africa’s security and medical response platform, recently announced its expansion into Kenya, followed closely by a move into the UK where it aims to have over 10,000 users receiving the company’s service within seven months. Later this year, the startup will look at possible expansions in Mexico and Nigeria. Warren Myers, Aura’s CEO believes that South African startups can compete with the best in the world thanks to a focus on smart innovations that answer real-world issues. “The biggest problems in the world are starting to feel fixable for the first time in history. Many people are still…
A positive attitude to change, being open to new technology, adaptability – these are three of the six traits that help ‘future ready’ businesses succeed, even as businesses around the world have faced disruptions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the new Future Ready report by Vodafone Business, ‘future ready’ businesses (FRBs) can be identified by six unifying characteristics, including a positive attitude to change; are open to new technology; have clear steps towards business transformation and a detailed strategy; they are up to date with trends and uncertainties, and are adaptable. These are the attributes of the…
FedEx Express, a subsidiary of Nasdaq-listed FedEx Corp., the world’s largest express transportation company, has launched its new state-of-the-art facility in Johannesburg, near the OR Tambo International Airport. The new Southern Africa hub, which consolidates three facilities into a single location, boosts operational efficiencies to meet growing customer demand across the region. With the new facility, FedEx Express has more than 6,000 m2 dedicated to operations and warehousing, and more than 11,000 m2 of office space in a modern, sustainable building. “Moving to this new facility reinforces our commitment to our customers in the region,” says Taarek Hinedi, vice president…
Prices of pre-owned electric vehicles (EVs) on AutoTrader show some models losing significant value in the first twelve months after registration. Although this might be bad news for those who bought new, it does give a handful of shrewd buyers the opportunity to buy EVs at much-reduced prices. Unfortunately, even in the pre-owned market EVs are still priced well beyond the average motorist’s car budget. Only four EV model ranges are available new in South Africa: the MINI Cooper SE, BMW i3, Jaguar I-PACE and Porsche Taycan. The Nissan LEAF is no longer available, since Nissan South Africa decided not…
The Printer Distribution Company (PDC) has been appointed as an authorised distributor of Honeywell, global leader in Safety and Productivity Services, within the Sub-Saharan Africa region. “We are very excited to have added Honeywell to our portfolio as this appointment enables our extensive partner network to add more value to their respective customers through the provision of world-class product solutions,” says Frikkie Koegelenberg, CEO at PDC. PDC provides industrial, back and front office enterprise printing solutions for customers throughout Africa. The company also distributes a large range of mission-critical printing equipment for the office, industrial marketplace and distribution supply chain.…
The Milken Institute and the Motsepe Foundation today launched the Milken-Motsepe Innovation Prize programme. The multi-year initiative will focus on global innovators and entrepreneurs on developing technological solutions that accelerate progress towards implementing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with a spotlight on the African continent. This programme will include multiple technology prize competitions in the areas of agriculture, energy, education, and health. “Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies have the power to solve complicated socio-economic and human problems. In the hands of entrepreneurs, these technologies can turn Africa into a global economic powerhouse and transform the world,” said Dr.…