Author: Staff Writer
Salesforce, customers, and partners accelerate AI adoption, customer transformation, and skills development across South Africa As businesses across South Africa look to grow revenue, improve productivity, and unlock the transformative potential of artificial intelligence, one message emerged with clarity from Agentforce World Tour Johannesburg: no organisation transforms alone. Held on 3 June 2026 at Kyalami International Convention Centre, Agentforce World Tour Johannesburg drew nearly 2000 business leaders, technologists, and innovators for a full day of keynotes, expert-led sessions, live demonstrations, and partner showcases. The event — the most significant Salesforce ecosystem gathering on the African continent — made clear that…
A young woman unwillingly must leave her disabled mother at home to walk to the local library just to use the public internet to pay the household bills. A few blocks away, a family rations its online time, relying entirely on a son’s cellular data plan to check critical medical updates because traditional broadband is too expensive. At the weekly outdoor farmers market, small business owners regularly turn away customers because weak cellular signals prevent them from accepting credit cards. These are the everyday realities in Bellflower; a suburb of 75,000 people located just 25 minutes outside of Los Angeles. Despite its proximity to America’s second-largest city, the community has long suffered…
Las Vegas, NV – In today’s increasingly complex financial markets, successful investing requires more than identifying opportunities—it demands discipline, risk awareness, and the ability to adapt to constantly changing conditions. For Brian Ferdinand, Portfolio Manager and Trader at EverForward, these principles form the foundation of a trading philosophy centered on consistency, accountability, and long-term performance. As financial markets become more data-driven and globally interconnected, investors face a growing volume of information and rapidly evolving market dynamics. Ferdinand has built his approach around combining structured analysis with disciplined execution, helping guide portfolio construction and capital allocation decisions across diverse market environments.…
Eskom today launched Eskom Green, a dedicated renewable energy business designed to accelerate the development of utility-scale renewable energy projects and support larger power user customers in achieving their decarbonisation and energy transition objectives. Eskom Green has been designed in response to global benchmarking research on over 20 utilities. The insights indicate that the development of renewable energy projects requires agile decision-making, access to diverse sources of capital, partnership-based delivery models, and bankable project structures. These differ materially from Eskom’s legacy vertically integrated generation model. “Eskom Green is a utility-scale renewable energy business that rapidly accelerates the options available to…
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup takes centre stage across the globe, SuperSport is set to redefine morning television with the launch of The Morning Cup. Premiering on 11 June, this brand-new, live daily broadcast is an electrifying collision of football, culture, music, entertainment, and unapologetic conversation. Anchored by dynamic SuperSport presenters Lwazi Ziqubu and Fiso Mazibuko, the main studio boasts a formidable, pan-African roster of co-hosts. Bringing their unmatched star power to the desk are legendary SA television and radio personality Phat Joe, Nigerian comedy icon Basketmouth, award-winning Kenyan actress Sarah Hassan, and Egyptian-Jamaican sports presenter Sirayah Shiraz. For Phat Joe,…
How do we address youth unemployment while ensuring the automotive sector has the skills needed to keep South Africa’s automotive industry moving? The question is becoming increasingly urgent. According to Statistics South Africa’s Q1 2025 Quarterly Labour Force Survey, unemployment among young South Africans aged 15-34 rose to 46.1%, with young women continuing to face even greater barriers to entering technical and traditionally male-dominated industries. At the same time, the automotive sector is evolving fast. Modern vehicles are increasingly reliant on advanced diagnostics, electronics and connected technologies, creating growing demand for technicians with far more than mechanical skills alone. For…
As the global community prepares to mark World Environment Day on 5 June under the theme of Climate Action, Mr Price Foundation is demonstrating how South Africa’s bright minds can contribute to environmental sustainability, and economic growth. Through the Waste Innovation Challenge, delivered in partnership with the Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) programme, the Foundation is moving beyond traditional cleanup campaigns. Instead, it is shifting the narrative by framing plastic waste not merely as an environmental crisis, but as an untapped economic opportunity, by mobilising South Africa’s youth to reimagine waste as a driver of economic opportunities. South Africa…
One of South Africa’s leading bond originators, BetterBond, has introduced a faster, paperless and more secure digital home loan journey designed to simplify the property finance process for South African buyers. Designed to eliminate repeated data capture, reduce administrative delays and offer 24/7 digital access while keeping consultants at the centre of the experience, BetterBond Online represents a significant step forward in digitally enabled home loan origination. “Buying a home is one of the most significant financial decisions a person will ever make. It should not be defined by paperwork, delays and frustration,” says Stephan Potgieter, CEO of BetterHome Group Mortgage…
BMW Group South Africa is celebrating 20 years of the BMW IT Hub, a milestone that recognises two decades of investing in South African people, skills and digital capability. Established in 2006 as a specialised support unit, the hub is one of four business entities in South Africa and has transformed into a cornerstone of the BMW Group’s global digital ecosystem. Today, it stands as the largest BMW IT Hub outside of Germany, powered by more than 2,500 technology professionals managing everything from production line data to customer-facing platforms across more than 130 BMW locations worldwide. A major player in…
As football fever sweeps across the globe, McDonald’s South Africa is bringing the excitement of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ closer to home with a nationwide campaign designed to unite fans through great food, exclusive collectibles, family experiences and unforgettable moments of national pride. At the heart of the campaign is the launch of the limited-time McDonald’s FIFA World Cup Meal, giving fans the chance to enjoy their favourite menu items while celebrating the beautiful game. Customers who purchase the FIFA Meal (Large Big Mac Meal or 10 piece Chicken McNuggets Meal) get a FREE collectible cup for only R99.90.…
Johannesburg, South Africa – June 3, 2026 – Salesforce today marked a significant moment for South Africa’s technology sector at its annual World Tour event at the Kyalami International Convention Centre in Johannesburg, unveiling a series of announcements designed to accelerate the country’s transition to what the company terms the “Agentic Enterprise,” a new model of work in which humans and AI agents collaborate to drive productivity and customer outcomes. The event brought together business leaders, technology practitioners and ecosystem partners across more than 40 expert sessions. The programme opened with a keynote address delivered by Linda Saunders, Country Manager…
Absa has announced a significant renewal of its long-standing strategic collaboration with Salesforce, through a new three-year agreement that will support the bank’s growing focus on artificial intelligence, automation, and real-time data insights to create more personalised and efficient banking experiences for customers. This agreement extends across various business divisions with broader deployment planned across the Group’s African Regions. The renewed agreement reinforces Absa’s position as the leader in the continent in digital innovation supported by its pioneering use of generative AI. Over the next three years, the collaboration will focus on several key technology capabilities across the Group which…
Aions Ventures has launched Aions Seed Fund I, a R100 million seed fund to back early-stage South African technology startups and help bridge the country’s gap between early traction and Series A. The fund includes R60 million allocated through the High Impact Seed Fund of Funds (HISFoF), a R300 million fund-of-funds initiative managed by the SA SME Fund and backed by the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) and E Squared Investments. A further R40 million has been committed directly to Aions Seed Fund I by TIA, bringing the fund’s total committed capital to R100 million. The HISFoF is mandated to allocate…
According to new data from South Africa’s leading digital assets app Luno, tokenised stocks and ETFs are attracting first-time investors to the US market. Luno has just reached 50,000 xStocks (tokenised stocks) customers since the launch in August 2025. xStocks are digital representations of popular US shares and ETFs. The top five most popular buys by volume are: Tesla (TSLAx) Gold ETFs (GLDx) Nvidia (NVDAx) MicroStrategy (MSTRx) S&P 500 ETF (SPYx). The mix reflects a blend of high-conviction tech companies, macro hedging via gold, and broad index exposure. Adoption has been rapid, says Christo de Wit, Luno’s country manager for…
A phone call regarding an overdue account is generally one of the most dreaded conversations a consumer can have. Even when a missed payment is merely an oversight, the interaction feels deeply personal and embarrassing. Yet, as South Africa grapples with an escalating household debt crisis, a surprising trend is emerging in customer experience: some consumers are finding genuine comfort in talking to AI voice agents rather than human debt collectors, explains Bruce von Maltitz, CEO of1Stream. The reality of South Africa’s credit crunch Von Maltitz says one of the more interesting trends emerging currently is that some consumers are…
The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) recently prioritised diversity when updating its Listings Requirements (effective 16 February 2026) with initiatives aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This agenda emphasises board diversity across gender, race, age, and culture, with a sharpened focus on age inclusion as part of its broader agenda to foster equitable and representative corporate leadership. While gender and race remain important considerations, the inclusion of age diversity underscores the JSE’s recognition of the value of intergenerational collaboration in driving sustainable growth. This progressive step ensures that boards reflect not only demographic representation but also a balance of generational…
From today, 1 June 2026, all travellers crossing South Africa’s borders must submit an online customs declaration and declare any foreign-registered vehicles they bring into the country. This launch of the South African Revenue Service’s (SARS) new digital Traveller Declaration System, together with stepped-up education of customs rules at every port of entry, marks a major step in modernising border controls, streamlining legitimate trade and travel, and curbing non-compliance. The new requirements are grounded in South African law, specifically Section 15 of the Customs and Excise Act, 1964, which obliges travellers to declare all goods, including vehicles, when entering or…
Nearly half of young South Africans are locked out of formal work. Youth unemployment is now 45.8%, and for many entering the job market is not an option. Instead, many of them build their own business, increasingly with income streams that are diversified beyond South Africa’s borders. A designer in Johannesburg could invoice clients in Europe. A developer in Durban could programme for a US tech firm and receive payment in dollars. A Cape Town copywriter could write for clients in the UK and charge a London rate. Others might sell goods through Etsy or YouTube, earning foreign currency while…
Huge Group Limited (JSE: HUG), a South African investment holding entity focused on building and managing strategically integrated enabling ecosystems, today announced the publication of its Integrated Annual Report for the financial period ended 28 February 2026. The report details Huge Group’s continued evolution as an investment holding company focused on ecosystem investments and provides a comprehensive account of the largest investment entities in its Portfolio, with particular focus on the milestone progress achieved by Huge NXTGN; an investment made by Huge Group in 2024. “Success is not always swift. It requires patience, resolve, and unwavering resilience.” says James Herbst,…
Bloomberg has named South African-founded fintech Omnisient one of its African Startups to Watch in 2026, recognising the company’s work in helping banks and insurers assess people who are excluded from affordable financial services because they lack traditional credit histories. Bloomberg positioned Omnisient around a simple but powerful question: what if your grocery basket could unlock access to credit? It is a question increasingly relevant to banks, insurers and lenders across Africa and other markets, where millions of people earn, spend and manage money responsibly but remain invisible to traditional credit scoring models. Without a formal credit history, many are…
MortgageMarket, a FinTech and the largest online marketplace for home loans in South Africa, today announced a landmark industry development becoming the first company in 25 years to secure direct bank mortgage origination contracts with major lenders including FNB, Absa, Standard Bank, Nedbank, RMB and Investec. This milestone fundamentally changes how industry players such as, real-estate agencies, property developers and mortgage aggregators, submit home loan applications, using their own white label platform to get multiple quotes within 48hrs. For the first time in over two decades, bank origination capability has been extended beyond a narrow group of incumbents, opening the…
Vodacom M-Pesa Tanzania has announced a new partnership with PayPal that will enable customers in Tanzania to seamlessly transfer funds between their PayPal and M-Pesa wallets through the M-Pesa Super App;. As part of M-Pesa’s broader Global payments solutions, this marks a significant step forward in expanding access to global digital financial services. Through this integration, eligible M-Pesa customers will be able to deposit funds directly into their PayPal wallets and withdraw funds from PayPal back into their M-Pesa wallets securely and conveniently, simplifying international transactions for freelancers, developers, content creators, entrepreneurs, gig economy workers and other digitally connected customers.…
In 2020, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the United States launched an anti-trust lawsuit against Facebook in conjunction with 46 states. The FTC alleged that Facebook’s purchases of Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014 – which the FTC had approved – had allowed Facebook (now Meta) to accrue monopoly power in the social media sector. According to Daryl Dingley, Partner at Webber Wentzel, Facebook appears to habitually leverage its dominant position within the sector by either purchasing competitors or undermining them through limiting access to its ecosystem. “It’s a strategy referred to as ‘buy or bury’, with Facebook…
South Africa’s emerging developers are building close to the ground, with many of the strongest solutions at the inaugural Huawei Code4Mzansi finals focused on the systems people use every day: township retail, healthcare, energy, agriculture, payments and the creative economy. The competition was held in partnership with the Department of Small Business Development. “The Code4Mzansi competition is not just a celebration of achievement, it is a launchpad for the future,” said Minister Stella Ndabeni, whose department co-hosted the event and delivered the closing address. The finals showed a clear pattern in the way young innovators are approaching technology, a shift…
Artificial intelligence is reshaping property valuations in South Africa by combining trusted data, machine learning, and human expertise to produce faster and more accurate results, moving beyond valuation as professional judgment and historical comparables. The scale and depth of data underlying the use of AiVM, Lightstone’s AI-powered tool used for residential property valuation, matters because valuation models are only as strong as the information they learn from. “By combining deeds records, cadastral data, municipal rolls, listing data, point-of-interest information, and imagery, Lightstone’s system builds a much richer view of property value than traditional methods alone”, Hayley Ivins-Downes, Managing Executive Real Estate, Lightstone Property, said at The Africa Valuation Conference 2026…