Author: Staff Writer
Vodacom South Africa is excited to announce the launch of its new RED VIP flagship plans, designed to offer customers additional value and a host of new features and benefits. These plans are tailored to meet the evolving needs of our customers, ensuring they stay connected on South Africa’s most reliable network. Vodacom launched these RED VIP plans to provide customers with additional value to meet the growing demand for cost efficiency, particularly in response to the challenges posed by the tough economic times where consumers are seeking more for less. “We are excited to offer customers a portfolio of…
It’s been an interesting month for used car sales in South Africa, with the latest data from AutoTrader revealing that used car sales have fallen by -9.6% year-on-year and -10.3% compared to last month. While overall sales have taken a dive, several models saw growth in September 2024. Overall, September used car sales totalled 28,609, with a combined value of just under R11.6 billion. This represents a year-on-year decrease of -8.7% in accumulative sales value. It’s no surprise that Toyota, Volkswagen, and Ford retained their top three positions, with 4,964, 4,134, and 2,962 units sold, respectively. Toyota experienced a modest -2% decline…
Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG) and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) have signed an agreement to improve access to financing for Singaporean companies looking to expand into Africa. This marks the first partnership between EnterpriseSG and a multilateral development bank, under the Enterprise Financing Scheme – Multilateral Development Banks (EFS-MDB). The partnership will allow Singaporean businesses to tap into new financing options from one of Africa’s key lenders as they venture into the continent. Through the EFS-MDB, EnterpriseSG offers risk-sharing of up to 50% to support lending from partner multilateral development banks. The partnership will cover financing needs such as working capital,…
Terra Firma, a South-African independent power producer (IPP) and renewable energy company, has announced a new R1.3-billion utility-scale solar energy build programme that will deliver a combined 110MWp of wheeled energy services once completed. Grant Berndsen, CEO at Terra Firma, says the project will provide improved cost savings and sustainability benefits to customers throughout the country. “Commercial and industrial customers specifically in the manufacturing, extractive and digital infrastructure sectors with power purchasing agreements (PPAs) in place will benefit from cost-effective renewable energy delivered via Eskom’s grid. We believe wheeling will be a vital part of South Africa’s rapidly evolving energy…
SA-founded B2B software-as-a-service fleet management company GoMetro, now headquartered in London, has been selected as a recipient of a £147,000 or R3.2 million grant from the UK Freight Innovation Fund. This comes within months of GoMetro announcing its Series A funding of £9 million ($11.4 million), led by Zenobē Energy and Futuregrowth Asset Management. “The grant will be used to finance a six-month trial with leading UK logistics companies Maritime Transport and Welch’s Transport to implement GoMetro’s EV-FIT solution for electric vehicle (EV) fleet transformation and the GoMetro Bridge fleet management software platform,” says Group CEO and founder of GoMetro…
Huawei Cloud will take its mission of building an equal, diversified, and prosperous digital South Africa to the next level, when it hosts its first ever South Africa Cloud Summit in Johannesburg. This landmark occasion will see over 600 industry leaders from a broad range of sectors meet at the Gallagher Convention Centre on the 24th of October for discussions, speeches and product showcases that will shape the future of South Africa’s digital industries. From being the first international vendor to host a local hyperscale cloud data centre in South Africa, Huawei Cloud has consistently shown its commitment to introducing…
Electrified vehicles (EVs) remain a rare sight on South African roads. Still, an increasing number of consumers are interested in battery-electric vehicles, traditional hybrids, and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), according to the 2024 AutoTrader New Energy Vehicle Report. And it’s not hard to see why. Lower running costs, superior refinement, and, of course, the environmental benefits are all draw cards. Despite this, 94% of survey respondents said they have not owned an NEV. Among those who have previously owned an NEV (6%), 73% of NEV owners said they have owned hybrids, while 21% had owned electric vehicles. 6% of these respondents have…
The Chief Operations Officer of the South African Institute of Professional Accountants (SAIPA), Dr Gavin Isaacs, has been dismissed with immediate effect. Both the SAIPA (former) Chief Executive (CE), Shahied Daniels and Isaacs, faced disciplinary hearings chaired by independent chairpersons. The CE was dismissed two weeks ago. Both processes have now been concluded. FOUR CHARGES AGAINST ISAACS Isaacs faced four charges, summarised as contravening the Institute’s rules, policies, codes, processes, procedures and amounting to gross negligence, misconduct and serious governance breaches by: Being directly involved in the improper procurement of the services of an international company; Issuing instructions for the establishment of a company in Switzerland without…
A new generation of tech pioneers have been recognised as winners of the SATNAC 2024 Industry Solutions Challenge, which invited postgraduate and undergraduate students who are passionate about innovation to address real-world problems. They were required to propose cutting-edge solutions, across five key categories: Energy and Sustainability, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Customer Experience and User Experience, and Networking Technologies. This allows students to translate academic knowledge and research into practical, industry-ready innovations. Under the theme “The AI-driven hyperconnected future; Co-creating shared value,” the competition attracted more than 300 students from 13 academic institutions, including from Malawi, Lesotho and Eswatini.…
Old Mutual has launched a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) service known as Old Mutual Connect. “The launch of the MVNO service which will be known as Old Mutual Connect is a part of our Integrated Financial Services (IFS) strategy to deliver tangible value-added services to our customers”, says Clarence Nethengwe, Managing Director of Old Mutual Mass Foundation cluster and CEO designate of the OM Bank. “Affordable data and reliable connectivity is critical for our customers in the Mass Market to fully participate in the mainstream economy. It is also an important enabler for our customers to interact with the…
Locally, digital solutions play a pivotal role particularly for underserved populations. As the digital landscape evolves and expands, many startups across South Africa are emerging as powerful catalysts for change, driving innovation in both urban and township economies. Among these pioneering ventures, there are certain companies that are making significant strides in addressing the unique challenges faced by South African consumers and small businesses. Here are some standout examples of small businesses that are leading the pack in their respective industries. Cloudy Deliveries Cloudy Deliveries was founded by Colin Mkosi in 2020. A delivery service similar to Uber Eats, this…
Southern Africa Telecommunication Networks and Applications Conference (SATNAC) today confirmed the attendance of Solly Malatsi, Minister of Communications & Digital Technologies, highlighting the conference’s pivotal role in shaping telecommunications across the region. Also, the speaker lineup, will be joined by keynote speaker Professor Benjamin Rosman, a pioneer in artificial intelligence. As a Director of the Machine Intelligence and Neural Discovery (MIND) Institute at the University of the Witwatersrand and Chief Science Officer at Lelapa AI, Professor Rosman’s work has significantly advanced AI and machine learning, with a strong focus on African innovation. His expertise in reinforcement learning and decision-making in…
Today the Shoprite Group opened its 100th Petshop Science store, with the opening of its newest location in Glen Marais, Kempton Park. It became the first local retailer to launch standalone pet shops in April 2021 in response to the country’s booming pet economy. With over 22 million pets in South Africa, consumers spend an estimated R8 billion on pet food and accessories annually, a number which is expected to increase by 2.5% by 2026. “Petshop Science’s rapid expansion accentuates the increased demand for specialised pet care, complemented by expert advice from knowledgeable employees,” comments Willem Hunlun, Chief Operating Officer…
Airtel, a leading telecommunications provider, is celebrating Customer Service Week with a renewed commitment to delivering exceptional customer experience. The weeklong annual celebration highlights Airtel’s dedication to recognizing and appreciating its customers, who are at the heart of the company’s operations. Speaking at the launch of Customer Service Week, during a groupwide Employee Townhall, Airtel Africa CEO, Sunil Taldar, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to providing superior experience and enhancing the customer journey across all touchpoints. “At Airtel, our customers are at the heart of everything we do; they are the reason we exist. Our commitment to delivering excellence in customer…
Comic Con Africa 2024 wrapped up on a high note, and AXE, South Africa’s leading male fragrance brand, delivered a show-stopping experience that left fans buzzing with excitement. The AXE activation, which ran from Thursday, 26 September to Sunday, 29 September at the Joburg Expo Centre (NASREC), proved to be a highlight of the convention. Attendees were captivated by a blend of live performances, immersive VR zones, and a star appearance by AXE’s ambassador, Robot Boii (Mzwakhe Mbuli Jr.). Feedback from the activation has been overwhelmingly positive, with attendees expressing their enjoyment of the dynamic, multi-sensory “Axe-pierance.” Robot Boii’s live…
StarSat, operated by OnDigital Media (ODM), confirms that earlier today, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), accompanied by the South African Police Service (SAPS), entered its Midrand offices and disconnected services. During this process, not only were ODM’s services impacted but also those of StarTimes Media’s pan-African broadcast. As the service provider to ODM and a subsidiary of the larger StarTimes Group, StarTimes Media holds a valid individual electronics communication network service (ECNS) licence for transmissions across Africa. “While we acknowledge ICASA’s mandate to shut down ODM’s South African services, we are appalled by the manner in which…
Last-mile delivery services depend on reliable vehicles to deliver precious cargo all across South Africa. These vehicles must traverse bustling urban environments as well as challenging rural roads. The Trusted Trio 3 main vehicles are favoured for last-mile delivery, two of which are from the Japanese brand, Nissan. The brand makes up 37.6% of Fastway Couriers’ delivery fleet, with the NP200 ranking first on the list of top 3 vehicles used for last-mile delivery. A 19.5% slice of the pie belongs to this workhorse while its stablemate, the NP300 gets 14.8%, followed by the Toyota Hilux in third place with…
South Africa’s first electric minibus taxi model, eKamva, was launched by a consortium led by GoMetro, alongside an integrated new electric vehicle (EV) business model and charging infrastructure product called flx EV at the Smarter Mobility Africa summit. eKamva was launched by a partnership of companies and research institutions, led by GoMetro, a transport technology platform. The partnership kicked off in 2023 to investigate and advance the feasibility of an electric minibus taxi in South African conditions by testing production vehicles in South Africa. The project team, consisting of GoMetro, Powerfleet (formerly MiX Telematics), HSW, ACDC Dynamics, and various entities…
OPPO recently released the newest member of its A series smartphones, the OPPO A60, in South Africa. Housed in a premium and functional design, the OPPO A60 features a 950-nit Ultra-Bright Display and Dual Stereo Speakers for next-level audio-visual experiences in every daily scenario. With more extensive storage and memory, a longer-lasting 5,000mAh battery with 45W SUPERVOOCTM Flash Charge, and more, the OPPO A60 offers smooth and stable performance with exceptional efficiency, making it the ultimate summer accessory to get into the #KeDecember spirit! Trendy, Practical, and Durable Design In keeping with the iconic thin and lightweight design of the…
The International Bar Association (IBA), the global voice of the legal profession, has formally endorsed the Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law. The Framework Convention is the first ever international legally binding treaty for the governance of artificial intelligence (AI). The Convention aims to ensure that activities within the lifecycle of AI systems are fully consistent with human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Almudena Arpón de Mendívil Aldama, President of the IBA, commented: ‘The Council of Europe’s AI Convention establishes a necessary foundation to protect human rights,…
JSE-listed Growthpoint Properties has partnered with 1ai, a leader in intelligent automation, to develop a bespoke solution that streamlines the processing of municipal invoices while unlocking critical sustainability data. This initiative is part of Growthpoint’s broader efforts to leverage technology for operational efficiency and to reduce its environmental impact in line with its sustainability goals. With a portfolio of around 350 buildings in South Africa, Growthpoint handles over 1,100 municipal invoices monthly, a process that used to require about 160 hours of manual work. This manual handling made it difficult to extract and apply crucial data on utility consumption, such…
Anchor Stockbrokers (Anchor) have commenced trading on A2X Markets joining eleven other brokers who are connected and trading on A2X. Anchor can now transact across markets for the 173 companies and exchange traded funds listed on A2X. Anchor Stockbrokers is a niche focused stockbroker providing equity brokerage services and research into sectors in which it has a competitive advantage. It aims is to become a market leading niche focused South African stockbroker that provides clients with unparalleled market intelligence and insights into various sectors and investment markets. Kevin Brady, CEO of A2X Markets, added, “We are delighted to have Anchor…
In a significant development for South Africa’s startup technology sector, the SA SME Fund, the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), along with the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) and impact investor E Squared Investments, have launched a R300 million Seed Fund of Funds. This fund is aimed at providing critical early-stage capital to technology-driven startups. The initiative targets funding for at least 50 startups, with experienced fund managers at the helm, prioritizing innovation and transformation within South Africa. Ketso Gordhan, CEO of the SA SME Fund, underscored the importance of seed funding as a key driver of entrepreneurial success: “Seed…
Uber is launching a once-in-a-lifetime experience for its customers in Cape Town, South Africa. The latest experience in Uber’s ‘Go Anywhere’ series of limited-edition travel products, Uber Safari is a wildlife adventure offering travelers and locals alike effortless access to one of Africa’s most iconic experiences. Available exclusively in the Uber app from October 1 – February 1, Uber Safari is the perfect day trip for people in Cape Town looking to see the big five (lions, elephants, buffalos, leopards, and rhinos). In partnership with Aquila Private Game Reserve, one of South Africa’s most popular wildlife conservancies, riders will have…
Eskom’s Generation Operational Recovery Plan has successfully kept loadshedding suspended for over six months, achieving 184 consecutive days of uninterrupted power supply since 26 March 2024. Operational efficiency remains aligned with summer expectations, with unplanned outages averaging 11 911MW over the past week, down from 14 800MW during the same period last year. Increased Planned Maintenance and Reduced Unplanned Outages From 01 September to 26 September 2024, planned maintenance averaged 6 356MW, compared to 5 294MW last year, to enhance generation fleet reliability. Unplanned outages have also decreased significantly, averaging 11 524MW, compared to 15 934MW during the same period…