Author: Staff Writer

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has called on its approved beneficiaries of the R350 COVID-19 grant to change their payment methods from the post office to a bank account. SASSA  said in a statement published on Tuesday that it will once again open its system for approved applicants to change their preferred method of payment for the special COVID-19 SRD grant. The window period is scheduled for Monday 31 August to Sunday 06 September 2020, 24 hours a day. During this period, beneficiaries can change from receiving their grants at the post office to receiving them through their…

Mauritius has been a popular holiday destination for South Africans for many years, but the government’s recent concessions have made it more accessible and affordable for South Africans to retire, live and work than ever before. In June 2020, the Mauritian government’s changes to investment thresholds, the extension of work, residence, retirement permits, and attractive property acquisition options, led to renewed interest from South Africans, says Marisa Jacobs, Director at Xpatweb. “Skilled professionals and business owners with families in South Africa are taking note of Finance Minister Renganaden Padayachy’s changes and adjustments for foreigners. It is now easier to buy…

Enygma Ventures announced on Tuesday that it has made a R 4.2m investment into Job Crystal, South Africa’s recruitment company.  “Never has there been a more critical time to get South African’s back into work,” says Sarah Dusek, managing partner and co-founder of Enygma Ventures. “We see the recruitment industry as vital in South Africa’s economic recovery enabling employers to navigate finding the right talent, quickly and efficiently, getting more people back to work sooner.” This investment into Job Crystal will enable this female-led company to develop incredible technology to speed up the process of recruitment making it easier for…

MTN is launching a new prepaid data campaign called MyTown Offers which will allow customers to get specific data bundles based on where they live. The aim of the tailor-made and town-specific data bundles is to suit the needs and budgets of people according to their towns. With MTN MyTown Offers, customers just need to dial *136*2# or *142# and select “MyTown Offers” to access special offers – all personalised just for them based on their pockets and their hometown. MyTown Offers are now available in 85 townships and suburbs across South Africa. The offers are: 500MB daily at R10…

Standard Bank has acquired a 35% equity stake in digital escrow company TradeSafe Escrow. TradeSafe is an online escrow platform that safeguards the buyer’s funds in trust in a transaction involving two or more parties. The funds are only released to the seller, and other approved beneficiaries once the buyer receives the goods or services in the agreed condition. Established in 2013, TradeSafe is the longest-running digital escrow company in South Africa. TradeSafe was also the first digital escrow organisation in the world to offer an API gateway which allows for online marketplaces and stores to offer escrow payments to…

Vodacom Group has announced Raisibe Morathi as its new Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Her appointment is effective 1 November 2020, when she will also be appointed to the Vodacom Group Board. As one of the most experienced and one of very few African black female CFOs of a listed company in South Africa, Raisibe’s appointment underscores Vodacom’s commitment to driving diversity across the workplace. Raisibe joins Vodacom from Nedbank Group, where she was the Group Chief Finance Officer since 2009. She was responsible for leading a team of over 900 people involved in finance and operations and focussed on…

South Africa is the first region to benefit from a new, white-label mobile payment, customer loyalty and rewards programme, with the launch of UBU International. The platform-based ecosystem converts the massive power of mobile search for products and services into feet through the doors of local physical and digital retailers. Many businesses have been severely impacted by the COVID lockdowns. Those who have survived the last couple of months are looking for ways to aggressively boost sales. A new platform-based solution addresses this challenge while allowing consumers to support their local retailers as well as their communities. The UBU International…

Two years ago, DataProphet received venture capital funding from Knife Capital to boost its innovation capabilities. DataProphet has now raised a $6 million (R101 million) Series-A funding round with Knife Capital following on, joined by the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa (IDC) and Norican Group, a leading foundry engineering and equipment company. The funding will be used to strengthen the operational footprint of DataProphet internationally and fast-track the strategy of growing through and with their strategic partners across geographies and industry verticals. Founded in Cape Town in 2014, DataProphet is a leader in artificial intelligence (AI) that enables manufacturers…

Capitec, South Africa’s leading digital bank has been voted as South Africa’s coolest bank in the 16th annual Sunday Times Gen Next Awards, which recognises the country’s top brands as voted for by South African youth and young professionals. Thabiso Ntando, Brand Manager at Capitec, says: “We’re excited to be announced the coolest bank in SA. We have always said that we are the bank for all South Africans and this award shows that we are catering to the needs of our youth. I believe it is our client-centric digital offering that sets us apart and I’m particularly excited about our…

While COVID-19 has had a dramatic impact on South Africa, work is afoot to create a new, inclusive economy that will create employment and foster sustainable growth for all South Africans, says President Cyril Ramaphosa. “As we work with our social partners to develop an urgent economic recovery programme, we are determined that we should not merely return to where we were before the pandemic struck. We are instead looking at actions that will build a new, inclusive economy that creates employment and fosters sustainable growth,” said the President on Monday. The President made this call in his weekly newsletter…