Author: Staff Writer
MTN Rwandacell Plc (MTN Rwanda) announced today that it will list on the Rwanda Stock Exchange (RSE) on 4 May 2021. The listing has been approved by the Capital Market Authority (CMA) and the Rwanda Stock Exchange (RSE). The listing is by introduction on the RSE and the approval of Crystal Telecom’s (CTL) shareholders to distribute the 20% of MTN Rwanda’s shareholding held by CTL to CTL shareholders effective from the listing date. “The official listing of MTN Rwanda’s shares on the RSE will take place on 4 May 2021. We look forward to participating in the capital markets of…
Zoom today announced the Zoom Apps Fund, a new $100 million (R1, 4 billion) venture fund created to stimulate the growth of its Apps ecosystem, integrations, developer platform, and hardware. The company said in a statement that portfolio companies will receive initial investments between $250,000 (R3.6 million) and $2.5 million (R35 million) to build solutions that will become core to how Zoom customers meet, communicate, and collaborate. Zoom Apps announced at Zoomtopia 2020 leading applications that will bring productivity and engaging experiences directly into the Zoom platform. Dozens of Zoom Apps are currently in development and are an important component in…
Despite public pushback, Facebook-owned messaging app WhatsApp will be going ahead with the privacy policy update it announced earlier this year. While the public has begun to appreciate that WhatsApp’s privacy rules are in fact still very much in favour of the user, with messages sent remaining private and encrypted at all times, what will this mean for brands that use the app to reach and engage with consumers? “The benefits for brands are massive,” says Kyle Oosthuizen, chief operating officer at Blue Robot – creators of messaging solutions that allow brands to communicate with their audience at scale. “These…
MetroFibre has acquired the fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network and infrastructure of Link Africa in Gauteng and Kwa-Zulu Natal, adding another 10 000 homes passed to MetroFibre’s rapidly growing fibre network in South Africa. The deal is effective 1 April 2021 with a transition period that is expected to be completed by the end of June 2021. At the close of the deal, MetroFibre will rank among the top five fibre network operators in South Africa in terms of the number of homes passed, with its open-access network currently passing over 205,000 homes in five provinces across South Africa. “As part of…
Swedish automaker Volvo is to supply cars for Chinese ride-hailing giant DiDi’s autonomous driving fleets. DiDi, a Chinese Uber competitor with more than 550 million users and tens of millions of drivers, and Volvo have signed a strategic collaboration agreement on autonomous vehicles for DiDi’s self-driving test fleet. Volvo Cars will provide DiDi with XC90 cars equipped with necessary backup systems for functions such as steering and braking, and collaborate with DiDi Autonomous Driving to integrate the additional software and hardware required to make it fully ready for autonomous drive. The XC90 cars will be the first to integrate DiDi Gemini,…
Capitec, South Africa’s largest digital bank, has launched an innovative feature on their new app that makes it possible for consumers to open an account from anywhere, anytime using facial biometrics. The process takes only a few minutes and uses advanced technology to ensure that an actual person is in front of the camera and not a photo, with images verified against the Department of Home Affairs’ database in real-time. While many traditional banks offer the ability to open an account with a selfie, they mostly still require a branch visit to activate the account. Capitec’s gives clients an active…
South African Internet of things (IoT) solution provider, Beyond, has recently entered into a long-term agreement with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to supply its remote cold chain monitoring solution in support of UNICEF’s global vaccination programme. UNICEF will be responsible for distributing COVID-19 vaccines to 92 low and lower-middle-income countries while also supporting procurement for more than 97 upper-middle-income and high-income nations. Together, these represent more than four-fifths of the world’s population. UNICEF is working with vaccine manufacturers, logistics companies and technology partners to procure, distribute and monitor 2 billion COVID-19 vaccines by the end of 2021. Ian Lester, CEO of Beyond,…
Showmax mobile subscribers across Africa will pay on average 20% less for access to the full catalogue on a single mobile device. In South Africa, Showmax has reduced the mobile plan price to R39 a month versus R49 a month. Speaking about the price change, Yolisa Phahle, MultiChoice Group CEO for Connected Video, says, “We know that consumers are under pressure at the moment and we believe this change will be appreciated by our mobile customers as will the decision not to increase any of our other prices. We have our most exciting slate of Showmax Originals this year and…
Rectron, a South African distributor of IT products, is expanding its cybersecurity solutions with an additional offering from cloud services partner Acronis. Acronis provides end-to-end cyber protection in one platform, which includes preventative protection, backup and disaster recovery. Rectron partners, who have signed Acronis service provider agreements, will also be able to customise the security service into bespoke packages and billing options as they see fit for their business. “This past year has accelerated many businesses journey to the cloud while at the same time, there’s increased attacks from cybercriminals targeting remote working situations. With this updated menu of services…
Software giant Oracle has pulled off IT support for South Africa’s power utility Eskom. Eskom spokesperson on Friday told News24 that “there haven’t been any positive development between the parties”. Two weeks ago, Eskom lost a court battle to stop Oracle from withdrawing its crucial services over a dispute relating to billions of rands owed by the power utility. Eskom failed to convince the Johannesburg High Court to stop Oracle from withdrawing its crucial services. Oracle provides an online vending system that records 77 million transactions of electricity a month. The embattled power utility also uses Oracle’s products and services for load…