Author: Staff Writer

Aleph Group, a global enabler of digital advertising, fintech services and education technology, proudly marks its 20th anniversary with the launch of a bold company manifesto and video campaign, celebrating two decades of innovation, growth, and its mission to make the digital world more accessible for everyone. From its humble beginnings in Miami in 2005 to becoming a global leader in the digital advertising ecosystem, Aleph has consistently challenged the status quo, breaking down barriers and creating opportunities in over 150+ markets worldwide, with 60+ exclusive partnerships, serving more than 26,000 advertisers globally and 1500+ employees worldwide. “In 2024, Aleph…

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), in collaboration with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and GFA Consulting Group, has unveiled two key environmental planning tools in Pretoria. These include the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Guideline for green hydrogen projects and the South African Green Hydrogen Potential Atlas, an interactive geospatial tool mapping the country’s most suitable regions for green hydrogen development. CSIR experts in environmental impact assessment played a pivotal role in creating these tools, which aim to ensure the responsible planning and sustainable growth of South…

The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has announced the appointment of Lungile Binza as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective 01 March 2025. Binza has been serving as the Acting COO since February 2024, demonstrating exceptional leadership and a deep commitment to the SABC’s mission. Prior to this acting role, he was the Group Executive: Technology, where he led significant advancements in the organization’s digital transformation initiatives. A software engineer by profession, Binza holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and Mathematical Statistics. He has furthered his education with a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration (PDBA) from…

Strive Masiyiwa’s Cassava Technologies (Cassava), a global technology powerhouse of African heritage, has announced key leadership appointments as it enters a new phase of accelerated growth and competitiveness. Following the successful conclusion of its equity round and the strategic reorganisation of its business into a fully integrated digital solutions platform, Cassava is reinforcing its executive team. The newly appointed leaders bring extensive expertise to bolster the company’s offerings in Broadband Connectivity, Co-location (data centres), Cloud, Cyber Security, Compute (AI), and Payment services across more than 30 markets spanning Africa, the Middle East, India, and Latin America. Established in 2021, Cassava…

The City of Cape Town’s premier accelerator programme for start-up entrepreneurs, #YouthStartCT, is back for its ninth year! This dynamic initiative is designed to drive skills development, spark innovation, and create job opportunities in the Mother City. Applications close March 16, 2025 – entrepreneurs with existing businesses or groundbreaking ideas are encouraged to apply now! This year’s competition will support entrepreneurs in Agriculture & Farming, Information Technology, Finance & Business Services, Tourism, and Manufacturing—offering coaching, mentoring, and seed funding for top performers. ‘#YouthStartCT has helped hundreds of young business owners turn their ideas into reality. Thriving businesses create jobs, boost…

McDonald’s South Africa has announced a leadership change as Greg Solomon steps down as CEO after nearly three decades with the company, including 15 years at the helm. Leadership changes are natural for any organisation and while Greg has built a strong foundation that has been established, now is the time to welcome new leadership. “Greg has guided the company through both its most successful milestones and its greatest challenges,”said Daniel Padiachy, Chief Marketing Officer. McDonald’s South Africa. “Over the past 15 years as CEO, he has spearheaded the addition of 230 new restaurants resulting in a total portfolio of…

As South Africa continues to grapple with unemployment, businesses must embrace data-driven hiring practices to make informed decisions and secure top talent.  The country’s official unemployment rate stood at 32.1% in the third quarter of 2024, marking a decline from 33.5% in the previous quarter1. However, unemployment remains a major challenge despite this improvement,  making it crucial for businesses to implement data-backed hiring processes. Concerningly, about 27% of South Africans have considered emigrating, with higher consideration among the wealthiest (42%), the most educated (38%), those holding full-time jobs (36%), and the youth (32%)2. This potential talent drain exacerbates the challenge…

Melio AI, a leading AI startup, today announced the launch of Highwind, Africa’s first AI marketplace, offering businesses quick, affordable, and scalable AI solutions. Traditional AI projects require months of development, large budgets, and specialised teams. Starting at just $50 (R900), Highwind changes that by offering ready-to-use AI solutions through flexible subscription plans, pay-as-you-go pricing, and enterprise licensing options. This allows businesses to integrate expert-built models in minutes—without hiring a data science team. Highwind simplifies AI adoption by packaging data, models, and features into ready-to-use APIs and a simple user interface, covering use cases from document processing and fraud detection…

TikTok has been reinstated on U.S. app stores, with Apple and Google restoring the short-form video platform nearly a month after its removal, reported TechCrunch. The app, along with ByteDance-owned CapCut and Lemon8, was initially taken down in compliance with a national security law banning TikTok in the U.S. The law, signed by former President Joe Biden, required ByteDance to divest TikTok’s U.S. operations to a non-Chinese entity by January 19, 2025, or face a ban. Failure to comply would have resulted in severe financial penalties for app store operators. ByteDance challenged the decision, but the Supreme Court upheld the…

Small businesses are the driving force behind the South African economy, and they will be eagerly listening to next week’s Budget Speech. They want to hear how they will be meaningfully empowered to succeed this year. Looking at the turnover data and cashflow insights that Lula has access to, this sector is clearly under immense pressure.  “Our latest data shows that South African SMEs are facing immense pressure with a 50% drop in turnover year-on-year. The highest interest rates in more than 15 years have restricted consumers’ ability to spend and this has had a massive impact on turnover across…