Author: Staff Writer

Onde, a tech company powering over 200 ride-hailing companies in 70 countries, announces an online edition of Ride.Right.Now – a conference for ride-hailing entrepreneurs. This year’s topic is Hack the Crisis: Business Tips for Post-covid Era. The online event is to happen on July 23, 2020. The event will gather ride-hailing entrepreneurs, stakeholders, and experts from around the globe. Speakers will share insights and best cases on how to survive the crisis that has hit the mobility industry. Registration is free of charge. Ride.Right.Now will feature talks with mobility and innovation trend-watchers, discussions of the opportunities emerging as the world…

Refinitiv today released a 2020 first-half investment banking analysis for sub-Saharan Africa. According to the report, investment banking fees in Sub-Saharan Africa reached an estimated US$64.5 million during the second quarter of 2020, half the value recorded during the first quarter of 2020 and the lowest quarterly total since Q1 2012. Around US$196.1 million worth of fees were earned in the region during the first half of 2020, down 27% from last year and a six-year low with fee declines recorded across M&A advisory, debt capital markets underwriting, and syndicated lending. Debt capital markets underwriting fees declined 45% to US$26.2…

There is reason for “cautious optimism” when it comes to the used car market in South Africa. That’s according to George Mienie, CEO of AutoTrader, who points to a number of positive trends in this sector of the automotive industry. “Prices have begun to increase – albeit slightly – while cars are also selling faster than experienced earlier this year. Both of these factors bode well for the used car market,” he notes. His statements are based on AutoTrader’s Used Car Rate of Sale (ROS) indicator, which has just been released for the period ending June 2020. As the largest…

South Africa has exceeded the 300 000 mark to reach a cumulative total of 311 049 confirmed COVID-19 cases, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announced on Wednesday. Mkhize also confirmed a further 107 deaths, bringing the total number of COVID-19 related deaths to 4 453. Of the reported deaths, 41 were from Gauteng, 38 from Western Cape, 12 from North West and 4 from Eastern Cape, and 4 from KwaZulu-Natal. Mkhize has conveyed his condolences to the loved ones of the departed, and also thanked the health care workers who treated the deceased. The provincial breakdown of cases: Eastern Cape 55…

In an effort to eliminate the risk of criminals President Cyril Ramaphosa has assured South Africans that saving lives during this pandemic is important as government is set to engage stakeholders in the education sector on the reopening schools. Interacting with communities across the nation through a virtual Presidential Imbizo on Coronavirus on Wednesday, the President said government will in the next few days engage parents, student organisations, unions as well as other organisations, on the matter of reopening schools. “Once this had been done, we are going to assess what we have heard and discuss it with the medical…

FNB Life is extending credit life insurance benefits to cover a portion of cashflow relief instalments for customers who already have credit life insurance. Under normal circumstances, customers pay an additional amount to extend insurance cover, however, the provider is extending this benefit to protect qualifying customers against the financial impact of COVID-19. The FNB Cashflow Relief Plan covers a number of instalments that a customer has with the Bank, through a separate credit agreement. The extended credit life insurance benefit will cover the portion of the Cashflow Relief Plan that has been used for the customer’s credit instalments where…

Clickatell, a global mobile communications and chat commerce firm, today announced the launch of Chat Desk, a digital contact centre solution that helps agents resolve customer queries and obtain customer insights in real-time using chat channels for live agent support. The solution addresses the growing consumer demand for easy and personal experiences by transforming the traditional call centre with one simple integration. “For decades, businesses have spent significant resources on the call centre experience – generating 265 billion customer service calls each year – and most of this investment does not create desired outcomes for businesses or consumers. It’s cost-prohibitive…

The South African Rand (ZAR) has been exploding in interest in the forex market. Over the last decade alone, the Rand’s trading volume has grown by over 182%. The massive surge in interest surrounding the Rand has prompted the award-winning Bitcoin-based margin trading platform PrimeXBT to list ZAR alongside other new forex currencies from emerging economies. ZAR was listed for trading against USD, EUR, and GBP, alongside other newly listed currencies MXN, THB, CNH, and HKD. The Rand was hit hard by the initial outbreak of COVID, but has since gained against many top currencies. However, uncertainty surrounding remiposing quarantine-like…

CineMagic, SA’s newest Video-on-Demand (VOD) streaming service, is now available to millions of cellular users via the Vodacom Video Play and MTN Play mobile content platforms. The service is unique in providing mobile users with access to award-winning short-form video movies, series and documentaries that are designed for smaller mobile screens. Launched in June by founder Exceptional Rights, CineMagic offers director-driven, well-acted and high-value curated video content from five to 30 minutes in duration. “There is an unmet consumer demand for short movies that display beautifully on mobile,” says Joanne Raphael Katz of Exceptional Rights. “The support from the mobile…

The Basic Education Department has reiterated that any decision on whether schools will be closed or not, will be taken by Cabinet. The department reiterated its stance following a resolution taken by South African Democratic Teachers Union on Tuesday, which called on government to close schools nationally as the country braces for the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The government is extremely concerned about teachers, principals, non-teaching staff who use any platform to attack government for going back to work; ostensibly creating an impression that they should be treated differently from the rest of the other public servants. “CEM [Council…