Author: Staff Writer

Spring is one of the best seasons to buy a home. The weather is warming and the positive shift in weather is prompting people to come out of their winter hibernation and start the search for their next home. If you are on the hunt for a new house this spring, take a look at these six steps to guide you on your buying journey to the perfect home. Determine your budget and must-haves The first step before you begin the house hunt is to solidify your budget, what you can afford, and your must-haves for your next home. It’s…

Global beauty and cosmetics company Avon will be joining the global community in commemorating International Peace Day on September 21, and the company will use this day to amplify its campaign against gender-based violence by premiering a film that documents the experiences of women who have been at the receiving end of violence, including two South African women. The Avon film about International Peace Day will be live-streamed on the morning of Monday 21st September. International Peace Day is observed around the world each year on 21 September and provides a globally shared date for all humanity to commit to…

South African skincare, beauty, and cosmetics brand, Justine, has inked a partnership with award-winning celebrity chef and media personality Lorna Maseko to become the face of A-Firm Brightening range, one of the brand’s flagship products that have recently been launched to the market. Maseko will be the face of A-Firm Brightening range, a portfolio of products that are specifically formulated to address the aging skin concerns of women. “I wish to take this opportunity to welcome Lorna Maseko to the Justine family. The partnership with this dynamic entrepreneur is a marriage of two great brands that share similar synergies and…

The gazetting of the long-overdue draft policy on rapid deployment of electronic communications networks and facilities is good news for a South African economy that shrank 51% in the second quarter of 2020. That’s according to the Internet Service Providers’ Association of SA (ISPA) which says the boost to gross domestic product (GDP) delivered by facilitating investment in telecommunications infrastructure is essential to the local economy returning to pre-Coronavirus levels. “The recent pandemic perfectly illustrated South Africa’s digital divide. Those with affordable, high-speed Internet access transitioned to Zoom and passed lockdown with relatively little disruption, while most households struggled to…

President Cyril Ramaphosa says, as new COVID-19 infections decline and the pressure on health facilities is reduced, the country now has sufficient capacity to expand the criteria for testing. The President said this on Wednesday evening when he addressed the nation on South Africa’s risk-adjusted response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and announced that South Africa would move to lockdown alert level 1 from midnight on Sunday. “Among the categories of people we will now be able to test are all those who are admitted to hospital, outpatients with COVID symptoms, and individuals who have been in close contact with confirmed…

South Africa will reopen its international borders on 1 October 2020, under alert level 1 of lockdown. President Cyril Ramaphosa made the announcement during a televised address to the nation on Wednesday evening. While the country will move to alert level 1 of lockdown from midnight on Sunday 20 September 2020, international borders will only open up in October. “We will be allowing travel into and out of South Africa for business, leisure and other travel with effect from 1 October 2020. This is subject to various containment and mitigation measures,” announced the President. For international travel, government will place…

South Africa has withstood the Coronavirus storm and will move to lockdown alert level 1 from midnight on Sunday, 20 September 2020. President Cyril Ramaphosa made the announcement during a live address to the nation on Wednesday evening. “We have withstood the Coronavirus storm. Now is the time to return our country, its people and our economy to a situation that is more normal, that more resembles the lives that we were living six months ago. It is time to move to what will become our new normal for as long as the Coronavirus is with us,” he said. The…

BMW South Africa, in line with its expanded electromobility offering in the country, announced on Wednesday the appointment of established service provider GridCars as its official Charge Point Operator, effective 1 September 2020. Responses from existing BMW i3 drivers were considered when the new three-year agreement with GridCars was decided. Enhanced customer experience and access to Gridcar’s extensive network were instrumental in securing the deal. There will, however, be a defined sign-up process for BMW customers who register on the GridCars portal with their new (or existing) RFID ChargeNow cards. Customers will be able to use one card for access…

Naspers announced on Wednesday an investment in the food service industry with a stake in the Food Supply Network (FSN). FSN is an independent business-to-business marketplace that integrates ordering systems of manufacturers, distributors, and buyers (restaurants, hotels and retailers) of food products. Naspers’s R1.4 billion early-stage tech investment vehicle aimed at boosting the South African tech sector.  “Naspers Foundry invests in early-stage and founder-led South African tech companies and we’re delighted to announce our backing of Food Supply Network,” Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa, CEO South Africa of Naspers, said. “It’s the third investment we’ve made through Naspers Foundry and we’re excited to…

President Cyril Ramaphosa will today chair two virtual meetings that will deliberate on the country’s response to the Coronavirus pandemic and the economic recovery plan. The first virtual meeting the President will chair is the President’s Coordinating Council (PCC). The council is co-chaired by the President and the Deputy President and brings together Ministers, Premiers and the leadership of the South African Local Government Association. The meeting is expected to deliberate on a report from the National Coronavirus Command Council on the country’s response to the pandemic. The second virtual meeting that the President will chair is the National Economic…