Author: Staff Writer

To assist in the transformation of South Africa’s smallholder agricultural segment and create a more inclusive agricultural economy for women, the Vodacom Foundation launched the Women Farmers Programme in August last year. The programme, in partnership with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and South African Women in Farming (SAWIF), introduces women farmers, especially those from underprivileged backgrounds, to technology as an effective tool in agricultural business. A year later, the programme has gone from strength to strength. Since the successful pilot of the programme in Limpopo in 2018, Vodacom has invested over R6.3…

Rand Merchant Investments (RMI) startup incubator AlphaCode has taken another step to find the next unicorn in financial services when it chose Oyi Medical Card and awarded it R450 000 at its first virtual demo day. Oyi is one of seven startups that were awarded entrepreneurial packages valued at R2 million each in 2019 as part of AlphaCode’s Incubate programme. The Oyi Medical Card is a savings card that can only be used for medical expenses and is supported by secure payments technology. Holders use this card to save for medical expenses. It removes the temptation to use the money…

Vodacom announced on Thursday that it is now a member of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the world’s largest corporate citizenship initiative, joining over 12 000 companies from more than 160 countries on the world’s largest corporate sustainability platform. “We are pleased to announce that we have joined the UN Global Compact (UNGC).  This sustainability milestone underpins our purpose to connect for a better future,” says Takalani Netshitenzhe, Chief Officer of External Affairs for Vodacom South Africa. “The UNGC principles on human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption not only complement our social contract but also our purpose-led journey…

For the fourth year in a row, the Avon Justine iThemba Walkathon will partner with Gauteng’s leading adult commercial radio station Kaya FM, to host the 15th edition of the annual biggest breast cancer awareness walkathon which takes place on Saturday, 31 October. “The partnership with Kaya FM represents the meeting of the minds and will unlock the inherent synergies that both brands share. Avon Justine is a very aspirational brand that unashamedly harnesses the power of beauty to champion the empowerment of women and supports the causes that resonate with them, while Kaya FM listener is an urbane, sophisticated,…

A feast for the palate is awaiting discerning wine lovers – Vuya Wines has launched to the market with an inaugural selection of two wine varieties, namely Sauvignon Blanc and Red Blend. The winemaker for both wines is the acclaimed Christiaan Groenewald. Groenewald, who is the founder of the New Cape Wines Company, won the prestigious Diner’s Club Winemaker of the Year Award in 2013 for Tannat Syrah 2011 and again in 2017 with Eagle’s Cliff Pinotage 2017.  He is one of only five winemakers to have received this award twice. Nosithembele Bhengu, the entrepreneur behind Vuya Wines, explains that…

Global beauty and personal care company Avon Justine will kickstart the commemoration of breast cancer awareness month in October with a webinar where medical experts will share insights on the medical journey that breast cancer patients go through and how chronic disease impacts many aspects of the lives of those infected and affected by this chronic disease. Breast cancer remains a leading cause of cancer death among women across the world. According to the National Cancer Register, apart from non-melanoma skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women of all races, with a lifetime risk of 1…

Applications are open for the next AlphaCode Incubate programme which aims to identify, partner and grow innovative financial services entrepreneurs. Successful applicants will receive funding, guidance from performance coaches and a panel of advisory experts, access to AlphaCode’s co-working space and opportunities to apply for further early-stage investment. The Incubate programme has disbursed R30 million in funding to 31 black-owned financial services businesses over the past five years and is viewed as South Africa’s most prestigious fintech startup initiative. “At AlphaCode Incubate we know how much determination is required to get an early-stage business or idea off the ground. Entrepreneurs…

In rural South Africa, a lack of access to healthcare is a daily reality for so many people. Even when a clinic is nearby, those in need of care still have to rely on an overburdened public healthcare sector – there is only one doctor per 4,500 people, and a single specialist for every 18,500 people. Access to medical specialists is virtually impossible if you live far from an urban centre. However, Vula Mobile, winner in the ‘Best Health App’ category of the 2019 MTN Business App of the Year Awards, has confirmed that where specialised expertise and technology combine,…

President Cyril Ramaphosa says the government has gazetted ministerial determinations that will enable the development of more than 11 800 megawatts (MW) of additional power generation. This follows commitments the government made to the State of the Nation Address (SONA) in February this year. South Africa currently has in the region over 30 000 MW of electricity available on the national grid each day. President Ramaphosa said reliable, secure and affordable energy supply is the lifeblood of any economy. “This new energy will be procured from diverse sources, including solar, wind, gas, coal and storage. While meeting our energy needs…

NTT, a global technology services provider, and Dimension Data, the South African systems integrator and managed services provider which represents the NTT business in the Middle East and Africa, today announced that construction works for their Johannesburg 1 Data Center has commenced. The data centre design is based on tier 3 standards and will be constructed in two phases. When fully built it will deliver a total of 6,000 sqm of IT space and 12 MW of IT load. The first phase of the site is scheduled to become operational beginning of 2022. Dimension Data already operates 11 data centres…