Author: Staff Writer

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) today lists its first China-focused Exchange Traded Fund (ETF), the Satrix MSCI China ETF. This ETF will track the MSCI China Index which will provide investors access to the broader Chinese equity market.    The Satrix MSCI China ETF offering exposes investors to an array of Chinese industries, ranging from online commerce, financials, communication services and many others.  “Our global ETF range has been very popular with investors seeking to diversify their portfolios. We track the MSCI World, MSCI Emerging Markets IMI, S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 indices,” Helena Conradie, Satrix CEO says. “The investor interest…

Telkom is transitioning its customers from copper-based internet to new-generation fibre technology in all fibre-ready regions across South Africa. The telecommunications provider is currently hard at work upgrading its customers from copper ADSL internet to fibre-based internet. This migration applies to all customers residing in fibre-ready regions around the country where the current DSL infrastructure overlaps with the FTTH footprint. Telkom notes that fibre promises a significant improvement in users’ connectivity experience and assures customers that they will receive the support that they need to undergo the upgrade with minimal stress and disruption. “With technology advancing so rapidly, we want…

One of the most common myths when buying a home is that you should find a home before getting pre-qualified for a loan. Before COVID-19, Estate Agents could show a home or several homes to a buyer whether pre-qualified or not. With the implementation of social distancing and the health and safety risks associated as a result of the global pandemic, it is no longer viable to show homes to clients that are not pre-qualified. Some of the most common things buyers say who do not want to first get pre-qualified for a home loan include: “I’m going to wait…

South Africa has continued to suffer adversely as a result of COVID-19, with the number of new cases having increased of late and the country currently recording the highest death rate on the continent (there have been 5,033 fatalities to date). This is continuing to take a socio-economic toll on the nation’s economy, which is expected to shrink by 6.9% in 2020 according to the S&P Global Ratings. The government is looking to combat this loss with a number of planned policy changes, as it looks to optimise growth potential in the near and medium-term. We’ll break these down below,…

Microgrid and off-grid home solar systems are being rapidly deployed in Africa, where power utilities have failed to keep up with demand. Many Africans are still without electricity or still struggling to access electricity, especially in rural communities. The only solution to this is by introducing microgrid energy. While South Africa has the highest electricity consumption in the sub-Sahara region, the demand continues to outpace the installation of generation capacity. Africa is rich in renewable energy sources which remain the most economical approach to powering microgrids. However, the development of micro-grids faces several barriers that must be unpacked. “Energy poverty…

General Electric (GE) announced on Monday that it has appointed Nyimpini Mabunda as the CEO for Southern Africa. In this role, Nyimpini will lead GE’s growth in the region and drive alignment across its Power, Healthcare, Aviation and Renewable Energy businesses. He will also drive GE’s BBBEE roadmap and processes in South Africa. Nyimpini holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Science, a Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing Management and an MBA from the University of Cape Town. His successes have been underpinned by his talent in people leadership, business turnaround, stakeholder management, digital disruption, execution excellence, and building strong brands. “I…

Harken Holdings, a business builder in South Africa, which owns brands such as Moneypanda.co.za, Insurehero.co.za, Jackmarx.co.za has launched fomo, it’s first app in the hospitality vertical. South Africa’s first food specials and events app launched this month as a tool to help both consumers find specials in their area, as well as restaurants, expand their reach outside of traditional instore and own social media marketing. Ryan Marx and Jacqueline du Plessis, co-founders of Harken Holdings and MoneyPanda, launched the app out of their own need to see up-to-date events and specials that are happening in their area. South Africa and…

rain, South Africa’s data-only mobile network launched its first Standalone 5G network in the country. Powered by Huawei, this is the first commercial standalone 5G network in Africa, and among a few networks of its kind globally. rain’s Standalone 5G is currently available in Cape Town covering areas including Sea Point in Cape Town, Claremont, Goodwood, Bellville, Durbanville, and Cape Town City Centre. The newly released Standalone 5G network are built on rain’s own sites. This allows rain to significantly enhance its fixed wireless broadband (FWA) service experience in the covered areas. “Standalone 5G will further improve 5G network performance…

IMPower is proud to announce a name change as the company was formerly known as All Power Systems. The name change will be effective from 3rd of February 2020. The name change came as a result of a name clash with a South African-based firm that had a very similar name and offered similar solutions. Founded in 2014, IMPower Pty Ltd is a leading engineering, procurement and project management contractor (EPCM) operating in the solar and energy storage industry. The company is focusing more on providing Solar Rooftop/Ground Mount Solutions (Grid-Tied), Micro-Grid/Storage Solutions, Energy Management & Reporting as well as…

South Africa’s five teacher unions are calling for the immediate closure of schools as coronavirus infections spike. The Sunday Times reported that five of SA’s teacher unions are unanimous in their support for the immediate closure of schools, but school governing body associations are divided, in what amounts to a stand-off between rich and poor. Twenty-two teachers have died of Covid-19 complications in the Western Cape, 12 in KwaZulu-Natal and eight in the Eastern Cape. Other provinces did not respond to inquiries by the Sunday Times. Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga met with the unions on Friday after meeting governing body…