Author: Staff Writer
Zindi will host UmojaHack Africa, the first-ever pan-African inter-university machine learning hackathon, virtually due to coronavirus outbreak. The UmojaHack Africa competition which takes place on Saturday, 21 March 2020. Zindi will host the first-ever virtual inter-university artificial intelligence (AI) hackathon for students across Africa. Over 70 universities from 17 African countries, with an estimated 2500 students, have registered to participate in the hackathon taking place on Zindi’s online platform. “This level of collaboration and partnership across Africa is very exciting, and it is quite simple for students to join remotely through Zindi. The day’s activities will be live-streamed on our YouTube channel, from the launch…
Red Puppy, the latest South African, 100% black-owned online marketplace platform, today announced the launch of its website, with iOS and Android App to be launch by the end of March 2020. This addition to Red Puppy’s technology suite illustrates the startup’s initiative in bringing effective methods for delivering goods to South Africans. The platform features a variety of vendors displaying environmentally friendly products and will also be an advertising platform for services providers. The South African online shopping industry is a R10 billion market and stand to benefit from the Coronavirus pandemic. Global online giants such as Amazon and…
At Liquid Telecom, we believe that ‘every individual on the African continent has the right to be connected’. This enduring belief is guiding us as we respond to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak. The health and safety of our people and those of our customers, suppliers and other business partners is paramount. We have implemented robust contingency planning across the business to protect the health of our people and those with whom we come into contact. This includes, but is not limited to, implementing the advice of the authorities, particularly the World Health Organisation and other reliable sources. Liquid Telecom’s focus…
MTN Group announced on Thursday that it has completed the sale of ATC joint ventures. Africa’s largest mobile phone operator sold ATC joint ventures for R8.9 billion. The sale is part of MTN’s asset realisation programme (ARP), introduced in March 2019, which aims to reduce debt, simplify its portfolio, reduce risk and improve returns. Subsequent to MTN Group’s announcement on 11 March 2020 reporting its 2019 annual results and the conclusion of the disposal of its stake in ATC Uganda for R2,2 billion, MTN confirms that regulatory approvals have now been received for the disposal of its stake in ATC…
In these uncertain times, only one thing is really certain, and that’s that every company and its dog wants to tell you what it’s doing in the wake of the Corona crisis. Yet amidst the benign platitudes, gloomy headlines and pervasive uncertainty, here’s some really, really good news: TymeBank, South Africa’s first digital bank, will honour their commitment to their customers and keep their interest rate unchanged at 10%. Worth noting is that TymeBank has taken this decision before the Reserve Bank makes its announcement later today and likely cuts the benchmark interest rate by a considerable amount. TymeBank’s bold…
As part of its efforts to continuously give consumers more than what they bargain for, Telkom has announced that it has revamped its FreeMe offerings. From 20 March 2020, new Telkom mobile customers will get a bit of everything on the New FreeMe plans. This means more benefits across all tariff plans and MORE Monate for everyone. Some of the new product offerings like all network calls and extra data for streaming will be available across all packages. “Customers are at the core of how we innovate and improve our product offering. Over the years, we have been able to…
SA Express has suspended its operations effective as of Wednesday as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). “In light of adverse recent developments including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, SA Express announces that it will suspend operations from 18 March 2020 until further notice,” said the airline in a statement on Tuesday night. In light of the suspension, the airline will accommodate its customers on alternative flights. In addition, all non-critical SA Express staff will be placed on compulsory leave during this time. “The airline will utilise this period to review its current network and streamline operations for improved…
South Africa’s communications watchdog has temporarily suspended all public hearings, the regulator said on Wednesday. The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) said in a statement it was reviewing its day to day business to align itself accordingly in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. In view of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address to the nation on Sunday, 15 March 2020, ICASA has activated the crisis management initiatives as required by the organisation’s Business Continuity Policy to ensure its preparedness to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The following decisions have been taken in this regard: All public hearings have been…
South Africa is feeling the real impact of the rising numbers of the Covid-19 pandemic in both its communities and economy. The JSE is focused on ensuring the health and wellbeing of its people at all times. In line with World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines and national government, the JSE proactively implemented several precautionary measures to ensure that its employees are able to work safely and enable continuous trading in its capital markets. The JSE is of the view that the most prudent approach is to keep markets open to enable all market participants to conclude transactions in accordance with…
Staying informed about the latest news on the virus is the first step in stopping its spread. That’s why news outlets all over the world are dedicating entire news teams, segments and broadcast schedules keeping audiences up to date on every development. In South Africa, DStv has made a selection of channels available to all South Africans for free through DStv Now, the company said in a statement. DStv Now is the online version of DStv and it’s free to DStv subscribers. Watch on a smartphone, tablet, laptop, computer, smart TV or Xbox. In response to the COVID-19 situation, DStv Now has added…