Author: Staff Writer
Seven weeks after the initial announcement of the company’s plans to provide a temporary medical facility for COVID-19 patients, Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) today handed over the first phase of this project to the Eastern Cape Department of Health. VWSA announced on 5 May that they would make their former Port Elizabeth plant, situated in Neave, available as an overflow facility to provide care for those diagnosed with COVID-19. With funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), VWSA has since completed the first phase of equipping this facility, which can now accommodate 1 485…
Stellenbosch-based FinTech startup Paymenow today announced it has been accepted into Catalyst Fund, the global inclusive fintech accelerator managed by BFA Global, supported by UK aid and JPMorgan Chase & Co. and fiscally sponsored by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. Paymenow’s participation in the seventh cohort of the Catalyst Fund acceleration programme provides the company with £80,000 in grant capital, bespoke and expert-led venture building support for six months and 1:1 connections with investors and corporate innovators that can help them scale. Paymenow offers financial inclusivity through a responsible early access to wages platform, enabled via a secure mobile app, developed specifically…
The Departments of Basic Education and Health are working together to support 204 learners and hostel assistants who have contracted Coronavirus at Makaula Senior Secondary School in KwaBhaca, Eastern Cape. The Department of Basic Education said a team of doctors and tracers has since been sent to attend to the school. Meanwhile, the department is also lending a helping hand to educators and parents who are affected by the incident. As of Monday, COVID-19 infections are now sitting at 101 590 in the country and the Eastern Cape is the third most hardest-hit province with 16 895 cases. According to…
The first participants in South Africa’s first clinical trial for a vaccine against COVID-19 will be vaccinated this week. The first clinical trial in South Africa and on the continent for a COVID-19 vaccine was announced on Tuesday during a virtual press conference hosted by the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (Wits). The South African Ox1Cov-19 Vaccine VIDA-Trial aims to find a vaccine that will prevent infection by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. In South Africa, over 100 000 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since March when President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a national state of disaster and lockdown.…
We are the only Registered Satanic Organisation in South Africa, Rev. Riaan Swiegelaar, the cofounder of the first South African Satanic Church, wrote in a church blog. “I sincerely believe we will see more ones rising in the near future.” Swiegelaar co-founded the South African Satanic Church with T/Dr Adri Norton. The South African Satanic Church was launched in February 2020. The Church in South Africa is located in Century City in Cape Town. “It is in the creation of this next step of Satanism in South Africa that I hope to fulfil the need for information and assist in…
All things considered, it’s no surprise that eCommerce has fundamentally changed over the past few months. The COVID-19 pandemic has encouraged consumers to switch to online shopping and contactless payment alternatives to abide by social distancing practices and lockdown regulations. Stats released by the online payment gateway, PayFast show that Generation Z, aged 18 to 24, is paving the way for innovation in the eCommerce space, with Baby Boomers aged 55 to 64, not far behind. “The eCommerce boom was bound to happen, but COVID-19 definitely accelerated industry growth. We’ve seen adoption rates soar following on from the lockdown, this…
The Jaguar I-PACE – the world’s first premium all-electric performance SUV – now offers a new fast, intuitive infotainment system and quicker charging capability, making owning and driving an electric vehicle easier than ever. It now delivers even more technology to make living the electric life simpler and more rewarding than ever. It is the first Jaguar to feature the new Pivi Pro infotainment system. I-PACE now comes with an 11kW on-board charger as standard, enabling customers with access to three-phase electricity supplies to enjoy significantly faster charging: when connected to an 11kW wall box 53km of range (WLTP) per…
Stellenbosch-based FinTech startup Paymenow today announced it has concluded an initial equity investment round with ViaMedia (part of the Digital Ecosystems Group) for a R4 million equity stake. Paymenow offers financial inclusivity through responsible early access to the wages platform, enabled via a secure mobile app, developed specifically for the South African market. Paymenow uses gamification to drive financial education and inclusion amongst its users and is working with South African employers to help move South Africans out of a vicious debt cycle and into a savings mindset. “This equity investment round will bring about operational cash flow in the…
The Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) is investigating UIF (Unemployment Insurance Fund) fund fraud and money-laundering. The Sunday Times report stated that nearly R6 million in COVID-19 relief funds – intended for 200 workers at risk of starvation – were diverted to one man. The report states that in an instant Tshepang Phohole went from having R12 in his account to more than R5 million. The money was then quickly sent to friends and businesses over the course of five days. The AFU and police are now probing the UIF to establish whether employees acted in concert with Phohole. The AFU has frozen 28…
Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Dr. Blade Nzimande has hailed a partnership between Huawei and the South African College Principals Organisation (SACPO) as a milestone for South African ICT education and building ICT professionals for the future economy. He was speaking during an online launch of the Huawei ICT Academy, which will be rolled out at TVET Colleges across South Africa, preparing the country for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and creating jobs and opportunities. The launch follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding between SACPO and Huawei, which aims to establish Huawei ICT Academy at all…