Author: Staff Writer

The Gauteng Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Roads and Transport says the opening of rail during level 3 lockdown could spell a public transport catastrophe. The committee said it is was not pleased with the measures presented by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa’s administrator, Bongisizwe Mpondo, on their readiness to receive passengers under level 3 lockdown regulations. “As the bulk of working-class citizens go back to work, trains are expected to be operational effective 1 June 2020. However, plans presented by PRASA are short of a Gauteng province integrated system and could lead to a public transport disaster during…

The South African cellular network industry has improved in the customer satisfaction stakes according to the latest South African Customer Satisfaction Index (SA-csi) for Mobile Telecommunications Services, conducted by Consulta. SA’s three largest cellular networks, Cell C, MTN and Vodacom, have all recorded improvements in satisfaction since the 2018 measures, however, long-term trends indicate a degree of inconsistency when it comes to keeping their customers happy. One pertinent finding is that Customer Expectations have consistently declined over a four-year period. This is cause for concern as declines in Customer Expectations have been proven to foreshadow inevitable drops in Perceived Quality, value and…

Bolt, the transportation platform, has closed an investment round of €100 million (R1.9 billion) as it continues to scale all of its product segments from ride-hailing to micromobility and food delivery in Europe and Africa. The investment comes from Naya Capital Management, the global investment manager founded in 2012 by Masroor Siddiqui, a former partner at The Children’s Investment Fund, and brings Bolt’s total funds raised to more than €300m. In South Africa Bolt operates in up to 34 secondary towns and cities across all nine provinces of South Africa – with its aggressive expansion strategy in 2019 seeing it…

Thabiso Hamilton Ndlovu, a Johannesburg-based businessman, opened up on videos showing several new cars being delivered to his house and the public support and backlash that followed. The video circulated on Sunday on social media showing several new vehicles:  Lamborghini, Jeep and three Porsches bought by Ndlovu. For more read: Video: Hamilton Ndlovu Buys Lamborghini, Jeep and three Porsches Ndlovu reflects on the video “Over the past weekend, a video showing several new vehicles that I recently purchased for my family’s use was posted on my social media timeline,” said Ndlovu in a statement published on his Twitter page. “After…

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) says a move to level 3 lockdown, which will commence from 1 June 2020, will enable the agency to accelerate the pace of paying out the COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress grant. “At the moment SASSA is operating with a third of its staff during level 4 and a move to level 3 will increase human resource capacity drastically so that payments are made quicker than it is the case currently,” said SASSA CEO Totsie Memela. Memela said that much progress has been made in preparing for the payment of large numbers of…

Africa has marked the 57th Africa Day amid the Coronavirus pandemic with African Union Chair, President Cyril Ramaphosa, calling on the continent to use the global crisis as an opportunity to re-imagine a new Africa. Africa Day is celebrated on 25 May 2020 and marks the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). Africa has not been spared from the COVID-19 pandemic with almost 96 000 people infected with almost 3 000 having lost their lives. Delivering the keynote address on the Africa Day special virtual broadcast on Monday, President Ramaphosa said the pandemic will have a lasting impact…

MTN announced on Monday that it remains the ‘Most Admired African Brand’ based on spontaneous consumer responses in Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands 2020 survey released on Monday. MTN is also the only African brand in the rankings of the ‘Most Admired Brands in Africa’. In a survey carried out in 27 countries, representing around 80% of the population and the GDP of Africa, the group is now also considered one of the continent’s most admired media brands. MTN Mobile Money – through which MTN provides more than 35 million Africans access to financial services – remains one of Africa’s…

With the economy expected to shrink by an estimated 15% in 2020, direct selling offers an opportunity for South Africans with an appetite for entrepreneurship to generate steady and reliable income, says Mthunzi Mbali, vice-chairperson of the DSA of South Africa (DSA). The government has done a phenomenal job in many respects with regards to encouraging entrepreneurship through various entities offering both intellectual capital and funding support because it recognises that small businesses are the real engine of our economy and a strategic sector when it comes to arresting rising unemployment, says Mbali. “Sadly, many entrepreneurship opportunities require considerable capital…

A partnership between Putco and fleet-management organisation Netstar has enabled the bus company to exponentially improve the safety of its fleet at a time when people are especially reliant on essential bus services. The COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown regulations mean that mobility is limited and licensed transport operators such as Putco are responsible for much of the people movement within and between provinces. A network of onboard cameras ensures Putco can monitor adherence to social-distancing guidelines, check that drivers and passengers are wearing masks, that passengers are sanitised when boarding the bus and that there is compliance with lockdown…

The outbreak of coronavirus and the implementation of the nationwide lockdown is threatening the livelihood of millions of people, with Business for South Africa (B4SA) estimating that over a million employees will swell the ranks of the unemployed due to depressed economic activity. In line with its efforts to empower women through an earning opportunity, leading global beauty and personal care company Avon Justine is leveraging its expertise in the direct selling business spanning nearly 130 years by embarking on a recruitment campaign to help those that need extra income and those that don’t have employment. In an unstable economy…