Author: Staff Writer

Africa Data Centres, Africa’s largest network of interconnected, carrier- and cloud-neutral data centre facilities, has had its Tier III certification renewed by the Uptime Institute for its Nairobi-based data centre. The certification was renewed in recognition of the facility’s design, which supports “any planned work on the site infrastructure without disrupting operations”. Tier III Concurrently Maintainable criteria are founded on the capability to complete planned facility maintenance or modifications on a scheduled basis, the Uptime Institute’s CTO, Christopher Brown communicated. “It is with great pleasure that Uptime Institute Professional Services announces the successful achievement of the Tier III Certification of…

Pan-African telecoms group Liquid Telecom has announced their partnership with Zayo Group, a global leader of communications infrastructure. The partnership will see Liquid Telecom and Zayo leveraging existing networks for many of their customers who have operations in North America and Europe in addition to their African operations. “We have long been committed to building Africa’s digital future, and know that for African companies to be competitive, they have to be a part of the global digital economy. This strategic partnership will assist many of our African customers who are looking to extend into operations beyond Africa, as well as…

MetroFibre Networx on Tuesday revealed its three-year plan to cover 300,000 residential homes across South Africa with fibre-to-the-home services. This plan was disclosed as part of the announcement by MetroFibre that African Infrastructure Investment Managers and STOA have respectively acquired a minority equity stake and increased their shareholding in the South African open-access fibre network operator. AIIM, one of Africa’s largest infrastructure-focused private equity fund managers, has acquired a minority equity stake in MetroFibre Networx, through the newly incorporated Digital Infrastructure Investment Holdings platform. “The successful capital raise will enable MetroFibre to continue with its growth strategy and explore acquisition opportunities, connecting customers with…

Numerous businesses have adopted the paperless policy by taking measures to stay ahead of time, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on businesses. Businesses are now moving away from the traditional way of signing documents and using electronic and digital signatures. These two types of signatures may come across as being similar; however, many of their differences are centred on their level of security. Digital signatures will not allow any changes to the document; and to truly protect the integrity of a signed document, this measure is enforced through cryptography (encryption codes/coding), to seal the evidence and bind…

The new MINI Countryman: always online and up-to-date thanks to intelligent networking, according to the carmaker. “The progressive character of the new MINI Countryman is reflected in new digital MINI Connected services and, what is more, the desire for individualisation is catered to more radically than ever before with the range of additional optional extras and Original MINI Accessories.” The new MINI Countryman is equipped with a SIM card that is permanently fitted in the car. “This enables use of Intelligent Emergency Call with automatic detection of vehicle location and accident severity, as well as MINI TeleServices,” the company said…

With courier deliveries booming due to the rise in ecommerce, few customers are aware of the obstacles and complexities that face drivers in seeking to deliver a parcel on time, and to the exact location. The legacy of apartheid spatial planning has meant that many South Africans still fail to own a clear or adequate address, which is unacceptable, unnecessary, and causes frustration for both the recipient and the courier company, while potentially placing drivers at risk. An innovative use of GPS technology has been tackling this challenge. Express parcel experts, Dawn Wing, have teamed up with what3words, who are developing a global standard…

Checkers Sixty60 has won the 2020 BCX Digital Innovation Awards, which recognises excellence in digital innovation in the corporate category. Sixty60, the first 60-minute grocery delivery service from a South African supermarket chain, also recently won the People’s Choice Award and the Best Enterprise Solution at the 2020 MTN Business App of the Year Awards. These awards recognise Sixty60’s innovation and the gap that it quickly filled since it was first launched in November 2019, shortly before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. To meet the massive increase in demand during lockdown, Checkers rapidly expanded Sixty60 to provide a much-needed…

Vodacom KwaZulu Natal Region, in partnership with KwaZulu Natal Department of Education and Durban University of Technology (DUT), are launching an exciting programme that will see over 300 young girls between the ages of 14 and 18 from previously disadvantaged schools receive coding and robotics training. Vodacom’s #CodeLikeAGirl programme aims to encourage more girls to explore careers that require coding skills to help them get a start in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Female participation is lagging in a field that is expanding globally and men continue to dominate the number of STEM graduates in most countries.…

Vodacom Tanzania’s Smart Kitochi, enabled by KaiOS, wins the Last Mile Connectivity Award at AfricaCom 2020 Awards. The Last Mile Connectivity Award recognises organisations and initiatives that have significantly increased access to reliable and affordable internet in underserved areas. KaiOS powers low-cost devices to significantly increase access to reliable and affordable internet in underserved areas and help build a better, more inclusive, digital world. Today KaiOS has shipped 135 million devices to over 150 countries. The first KaiOS-enabled device in Africa was announced at 2018 AfricaCom, and now these devices are available in most of the Sub-Saharan Africa countries and…

The Gauteng Driving Licence Testing Centres (DLTCs) will from Monday dedicate 70% of their capacity to driving licence renewals to address current backlogs. “Working together with all the stakeholders, the province will ensure that 70% of all slots made available to the DLTCs will be dedicated exclusively to processing driving licence renewals on a daily basis. “We have also taken a decision that available capacity in the DLTCs, such as equipment, machinery and staff will be dedicated to addressing the backlog in driving licences renewals,” said the Gauteng Public Transport and Roads Infrastructure MEC, Jacob Mamabolo. Mamabolo on Wednesday said…