Author: Staff Writer

DStv to set up a dedicated pop-up channel for various religious groups in the country during this Easter Weekend. The channel, named Africa Easter Channel, is in collaboration with the renowned TBN Africa, DStv Channel 343. Across South Africa, over 80% worshippers observe and celebrate the Easter period, hence different and various Christian denominations be will be looked after by the channel. The current restrictions due to the global pandemic, COVID-19, will see South Africans staying at home during the Easter Weekend. Accordingly, Africa Easter Channel’s offering of music and sermons is bound to keep DStv viewers engaged and fulfilled during…

As we enter the fourth-day national lockdown, MTN announced on Monday it was enabling South African women to exercise whilst in isolation in their homes. Available on MTN’s Youtube channel and on social media @MTNza, GiGYMA is a digital home-based workout series that is easily accessible from any smartphone, tablet, laptop, or PC. While there has been a revival of healthy living amongst all South Africans over the past few years, the popularity of online fitness challenges and workouts has grown rapidly over the past two weeks. Now that South Africans can’t go to the gym, a walk or run…

Vodacom e-School platform is proving to be invaluable for the scores of school-going children at home on extended school break as the country grapples with Corovavirus (COVID-19). User registration on the platform since schools closed has been unprecedented over the past two weeks with the total number of registered users now close on 1 million. On Sunday 15 March, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a raft of measures to protect the country from the spread of the COVID-19. Schools closed from Wednesday, 18 March until after Easter Holidays. This meant that parents had to find alternative methods to help their children…

The first-ever BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe sees BMW bringing the four-door coupe concept that has already enjoyed great success in higher vehicle classes into the premium compact segment for the first time. It is now available in South Africa. Recommended retail prices in South Africa  (including VAT, excluding CO2 tax): 218i – R 515 000 220d – R 595 000 M235i xDrive – R 725 000 Standout features include the dynamically stretched silhouette, the four frameless side windows and the rear lights extending well into the centre of the rear end, merging into a High-gloss Black band that runs up to and encircles the…

Jaguar Land Rover South Africa has made 11 vehicles available to the South African Red Cross Society (SARCS) in order to keep the organisation mobile in its efforts to control and minimise the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). The vehicles, which come from Jaguar Land Rover’s Experience and marketing fleets, have been supplied free of charge and will be dispatched nationwide to boost transport capacity for SARCS. Red Cross volunteers will now be deployed to critical areas where they will engage communities and educate on how the virus is transmitted and how to avoid risks. In many vulnerable areas the…

Social grant payments for the elderly and people with disabilities is in full swing as South Africa enters Day 4 of the 21-day lockdown to curb COVID-19. In preparation for the lockdown, social security agency – SASSA – announced that grants for the elderly and people with disabilities will be paid from 30 – 31 March 2020. The Social security agency’s decision to pay grants earlier is in response to the State of National Disaster, as announced by President Ramaphosa on 15 March 2020. On Monday, Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu, together with SASSA CEO Totsie Memela, Acting MEC Panyaza…

Essential services businesses like grocery stores and veterinary practices can look to Bolt Business Delivery, now launched by the ride-hailing service in South Africa, to help them fulfil orders within the confines of the South African government’s lockdown regulations. Bolt’s ride-hailing services are authorised by the regulations to operate between 5h00 and 9h00, and 16h00 and 20h00 each day. The service connects business with drivers on the Bolt platform during these hours so that essential services businesses can deliver to South African residents unable to leave home. “Bolt has been working around the clock to provide innovative solutions to assist…

As it escalates its efforts to help customers, FNB announced on Monday that from 1 April – 30 June 2020 it will implement measures to provide relief to individual and business customers whose financial stability has been impacted by COVID-19. Jacques Celliers, FNB Chief Executive Officer, said the banks interventions will assist customers who demonstrate sound banking behaviour, such as having honoured their repayments to the bank on a consistent basis prior to COVID-19. For those customers that qualify, FNB said its COVID-19 interventions will be for all products. They will be available for a period of three months, covering…

As part of its long-term commitment to fuel cell technology, BMW Group will launch the second generation of its hydrogen-based powertrain in 2022 on a small series of the BMW i Hydrogen NEXT based on the current X5 generation. The premium carmaker offers first virtual insights into the powertrain system for the BMW i Hydrogen NEXT and reaffirms its commitment to following a carefully considered and systematic route to emission-free mobility. “We are convinced that various alternative powertrain systems will exist alongside one another in future, as there is no single solution that addresses the full spectrum of customers’ mobility requirements worldwide,”…

Following the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa on the days of social grants would be paid, a number of industry bodies have made representations on the relaxation of hours public transport vehicles are allowed to operate.  A similar request was made by the Minister of Social Development, Minister Lindiwe Zulu. Having considered Minister Zulu’s request and representations made by various industry bodies, including the taxi industry, I have decided to amend the Public Transport Directions in order to accommodate grant beneficiaries. Effective from tomorrow, 30 March 2020 until Friday, 3 April 2020, buses and taxis will be permitted to operate…