Author: Staff Writer

Fans of Mzansi’s much-loved telenovelas Gomora, The River and Isibaya will have something scintillating to look forward to as these shows return to the small screen on 25 May. This magnificent news comes in the wake of the easing of lockdown regulations from the beginning of this month, allowing television productions to return to set, albeit with stringent measures in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Kutlwano Ditsele, the executive producer of the popular telenovela Gomora, expressed his excitement to be back in the hot seat. “The lockdown was a necessity, but we missed being on the set of Gomora. Any opportunity to…

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Africa Data Centres, part of the Liquid Telecom Group, has completed the acquisition of a state-of-the-art Tier IV data centre in Johannesburg from Standard Bank, Africa’s largest bank. The acquisition, which has been unconditionally approved by the South African Competition Commission, will prove highly disruptive to the South African data centre and co-location market and consolidates Africa Data Centres’ position as the largest pan-African provider of interconnected, carrier and cloud-neutral data centres. The facility is widely recognised as the most prestigious and highly specified data centre anywhere in Africa, offering world-leading levels of security, resilience and capacity. It is also…

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Aspirant data scientists in their final year of study still have until the end of June to apply for a bursary for the 2020 academic year that will see them enter the Shoprite Group’s Data Science Academy in January 2021. Based in Cape Town, the academy offers a year-long programme in which apprentices have the opportunity to extract knowledge and insights from complex data sets involving sales, inventory, consumer spending and much more. A key component of this programme is the mentoring each apprentice receives from an experienced data scientist. These mentors act as guides that help the apprentices navigate…

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Vodacom Group CEO Shameel Joosub announced last week that the company will spend R1 billion in the current financial year ensuring the network in South Africa is able to cope with widespread electricity blackouts. The company announced on Tuesday that much of this investment will be used to intensify security around the telco’s base station sites, install additional batteries and generators to ensure connectivity during load shedding. Vodacom said there has been a significant year-on-year increase in the number of battery thefts in its base stations, with the average increase at around 35%. For instance, on average 600 incidents per…

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Global technology company Zoho today announced that all its 45 plus business software applications are available at a fixed South African rand price. The move, part of the brand’s global survive-and-serve strategy, seeks to ease the impact of currency fluctuations, especially on small businesses. It also aims to significantly reduce barriers to entry for SMEs who are considering multiple solutions from different global vendors. Zoho, through the Small Business Emergency Subscription Assistance Program, is also offering its existing, qualifying small business customers a three-month waiver on their subscription fees. A number of additional initiatives and resources have been launched for…

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As South Africans continue to adjust to new ways of living and working, MultiChoice South Africa has once again expanded its content selection, value and reach. Africa’s most-loved storyteller is opening up a world of online learning, series and movies to its DStv customers from today. “As the nationwide lockdown continues, MultiChoice continues to provide an uninterrupted video entertainment subscription service with the best available content,” says CEO of MultiChoice South Africa, Mark Rayner. “We’re always looking for new and creative ways to add value for our customers – most recently during the current COVID-19 period.” Online Learning Udemy is…

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Wesbank has denied claims that it would repossess more than 45,000 vehicles due to non-payment during the national lockdown. It was stated on Twitter today that WesBank was planning to repossess a total of 45 000 vehicles from its customers. Bruh, 45 000 cars. The thing is, what are they going to do with them? They must just leave them & hope the clients catch up. https://t.co/agD6iMT4gz — Sizwe Dhlomo (@SizweDhlomo) May 18, 2020 These claims are false and unfounded, says Lebogang Gaoaketse, WesBank’s Head of Marketing and Communications. The claims on social media that WesBank is planning to repossess…

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SureStart Online Financial Services and TPI Insurance, have collaborated to launch Eyethu Funeral, a fully digital solution for distributing competitive funeral cover in South Africa. Consumers can chat to Timothy, the chatbot, on the Eyethu website or WhatsApp line to open their funeral policy. Eyethu funeral policies are underwritten by Guardrisk. Eyethu Funeral has partnered with 1Voucher and Flash in creating a new way for customers to pay monthly premiums. This partnership uses technology to make life easier for informal market consumers. Eyethu funeral policy premiums can be paid using 1Voucher at any of their partners including Flash shops, Pep,…

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FNB Life expects to approve approximately R100 million worth of credit life insurance claims by June 2020 for consumers whose finances have been negatively impacted by COVID-19. The insurance provider is a division of FNB, which previously announced relief measures for customers including assistance with credit insurance where relevant. Lee Bromfield, Chief Executive of FNB Life says they are processing between 2000 and 3000 claims a day to rapidly increase the resolution of valid claims while shortening waiting periods. “In some instances, due to lockdown restrictions, some customers take longer to provide the documentation required to validate their claim and…

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Although a number of South African law firms have shifted to online consulting solutions, many are under financial strain due to the current delays and limitations at the courts, deeds office, Road Accident Fund and other legal bodies. Only urgent matters are currently being heard, with delays in proceedings impeding billing hours and payment for many firms. Changing rules, misinformation and uncertainty are rife with widespread economic downturns causing a knock-on effect for law firms whose clients are under equal financial pressure. Many law firms need access to capital to get them through this period but are being turned away…

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