Author: Staff Writer

The three-point seatbelt stands out as one of the most important innovations in automotive safety. Invented by Volvo in 1959, the Swedish automaker chose to share this life-saving device with the world instead of patenting it. As a result, the three-point seatbelt is estimated to have saved over one million lives since its introduction. A recent Volvo Car South Africa survey sheds light on seatbelt-wearing habits among local motorists and passengers. The findings revealed a concerning trend among younger individuals, many of whom avoid using their seatbelts. Additionally, the survey highlights notable differences in buckling up between genders. Cool factor: men care more…

McDonald’s beloved purple character, Grimace, wrapped up his South African adventure with a memorable appearance as he brought his signature magic to the Blitzboks, who secured their first home victory in nine years at the HSBC SVNS Cape Town tournament. In a thrilling final at the DHL Stadium, the Blitzboks defeated France 26-14, giving fans a historic and unforgettable moment. Grimace has a reputation for spreading luck to global sporting teams. From inspiring basketball and baseball triumphs in the USA to now uplifting South African rugby, his presence seems to be the charm that teams need to succeed. The Blitzboks’…

African law firm Bowmans has announced a new partnership with generative AI platform Harvey, a tool designed specifically for the legal industry. Bowmans is the first African law firm to integrate Harvey into its operations, a move expected to set a new standard for law firm innovation on the continent. Harvey offers a range of functionalities, including first-level contract analysis, legal research assistance, and due diligence and regulatory compliance checks. The platform has an intuitive interface and uses advanced AI algorithms to assist lawyers to efficiently and accurately review contracts, summarise and translate documents, and perform redline reviews. Bowmans’ decision…

Google has appointed experienced business leader, Kabelo Makwane, as its new Country Director for South Africa. Makwane will take up his new role early in the new year. The well respected leader has 20+ years of experience in the technology sector and joins Google from Vodacom Business where he currently serves as Managing Executive for the Cloud, Hosting, and Security business.  Prior to Vodacom, he was Managing Director for the Africa Global Unit at Accenture Operations, and also held the role of Managing Director for Cloud and Technology Consulting.  He also spent eight years at Microsoft in various roles including as Country…

Nedgroup Securities (Nedgroup) will now be able to transact across markets for the 174 companies and exchange traded funds listed on A2X across all key sectors, including media, property, mining, banking, retail, FMCG, financial services, insurance, healthcare and telecommunications. Kevin Brady, CEO of A2X Markets, said, “We are delighted to be welcoming Nedgroup as the latest broker authorised to trade on our market. The A2X team has been working closely with the team at Nedgroup and we are pleased that they will now be able to trade across markets and offer their clients best execution when they transact.” Brady added,…

The Western Cape is gearing up for what appears to be yet another record-setting festive season in 2024 as more domestic and international visitors flock to the province to enjoy its beautiful beaches, wine farms and nature reserves. Vodacom Western Cape region has implemented significant network upgrades to meet the rising traffic demands, ensuring that visitors to the province remain connected during the busy festive season. “We have pledged to invest R350 million this financial year to enhance the quality, capacity, and reach of our broadband network infrastructure across the Western Cape. As we approach the busy festive season, we…

The Shoprite Group has introduced GetPaid, an innovative new platform that enables small business owners to invoice and receive payments seamlessly, anytime, anywhere. With GetPaid there is no need for smaller enterprises to face the challenges of long delays between service delivery and payment, or the added expense of costly card machines and additional hardware. Leveraging the Group’s established in-store payment technology backbone that enables big business to receive bill payments, the new GetPaid self-service platform now gives small businesses the ability to generate digital invoices, payment links or unique scan-to-pay QR codes on their phone or computer, as well…

South Africa’s retail sector has been grappling with weak economic conditions, characterised by stagnant inflation-adjusted GDP over the past five years, persistently high unemployment, and elevated inflation. While consumer spending on essentials like groceries has seen a minor uptick in recent years, discretionary spending on items such as apparel, home goods, and electronics has decreased significantly. Over the next five years, South African consumers’ resilience will continue to be tested, with economists predicting a modest 2% annual real GDP growth. According to a survey released by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) titled Foreign e-tailers are here! Is South African e-commerce ready? around 20%…

Telkom is supporting the effort to fight the food poisoning outbreak in South Africa by zero-rating fixed and mobile calls on the Telkom network to the National Consumer Commission for three months starting 01 December 2024.  The zero-rating of calls to the National Consumer Commission’s helpline will assist the Commission and other organisations in receiving complaints and investigating the source of the problem.  “Telkom’s mission is to connect South Africans to a better life. We believe there can be no better example of this than making it easier for citizens to protect themselves and their loved ones during an emergency,”…

In collaboration with the JMPD, GPG, and private security companies, Vumacam continues to lead in combating crime and responding to emergencies. Heroic intervention following shocking double murder A shocking crime: On 22 November 2024, at 9:00 AM, a horrifying incident occurred at the corner of Goud and Pritchard Streets in central Johannesburg. Two people were tragically shot and killed, and one person was critically injured. The suspects fled the scene in a silver Audi, which was immediately flagged and loaded into Vumacam’s surveillance system. The dramatic turn of events: On 25 November 2024, at 12:08 PM, the flagged Audi was…