Author: Staff Writer

A group of six outstanding young South African scientists are set to showcase their scientific brilliance at the world’s largest pre-college Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) competition in Los Angeles, California in the USA. These exceptional individuals got the opportunity to represent the country at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) from 11 – 17 May 2024, following their successful entries in the Eskom Expo International Science Fair (ISF), held in October last year. More than 1 600 young scientists from around the world will compete at this year’s ISEF at the Los Angeles Convention Center, standing…

HUAWEI Consumer Business Group today announced last night at the launch held in Dubai the HUAWEI WATCH FIT 3, the latest edition of the brand’s WATCH FIT Series. Since its inception, maintaining a fashionable, trendy and slim profile has been the guiding design principle of the HUAWEI WATCH FIT series of square watches. Following four years of being in the market and three generations, the all-new HUAWEI FIT 3 is a refreshed version of its predecessors in both design and technology. It features a comprehensive upgrade in square design, material craftsmanship, and interactive design – cohesively innovating the smartwatch’s design…

As South Africa anticipates the upcoming 2024 National Elections, Telkom proudly reaffirms its pivotal role in facilitating the seamless execution of this cornerstone of our democracy. Serving as the trusted ICT partner to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), Telkom stands poised to enable yet another milestone in South Africa’s democratic journey. Since our nation’s inaugural democratic elections in 1994, Telkom has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the IEC, facilitating six national elections and five municipal polls. As Mzansi commemorates 30 years since the first democratic elections, the proudly South African Telco’s commitment to excellence shines brighter than ever. “This partnership with the…

Volvo Car South Africa today announced that the first Moss Yellow examples of the new EX30 have made local landfall, bringing an expressive new hue to this game-changing fully electric car’s colour palette. While yellow is not a shade typically associated with modern-era Volvo models, it is a hue that has featured throughout the Swedish firm’s storied history, having been applied in various forms to iconic vehicles such as the P1900, the 1800ES and, perhaps most famously of all, the limited-run 850 T-5R. This new iteration, dubbed Moss Yellow, was conceived specifically for the EX30, which serves as the cornerstone…

Western Digital has expanded its SanDisk portfolio with the new 8TB* SanDisk® Desk Drive, its highest capacity yet on an external desktop solid state drive (SSD). Featuring the speed and reliability of an SSD, this new class of drives gives content creators and business professionals an easy way to back up and access their high-resolution photos, videos and files quickly in a single, convenient location. From photo and video pros to tech enthusiasts, there are a growing number of digital creators generating massive amounts of content who need flexible high-capacity storage solutions to do more, faster. “As digital content creation…

The SPAR Group (SPAR) has been approved for a secondary listing on A2X Markets (A2X) and its shares will become available for trade on A2X from 15 May 2024. SPAR has wholesale warehousing and distribution operations in Southern Africa and parts of Europe that support over 4 500 stores through 14 distribution centres. It operates in 11 countries and reported revenue of R149 billion in 2023. In Southern Africa, SPAR has over 1000 grocery stores, almost 900 TOPS at SPAR liquor stores, 400 Build it stores and 125 pharmacies. TOPS at SPAR and Build it are South Africa’s largest liquor and…

Audi South Africa today announced the return of the Audi driving experience, set to take place in Gauteng at the famed Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit. Following the resounding success of 2023’s relaunch, which ignited widespread enthusiasm among Audi fans, this year’s event promises to elevate the adrenaline even further. The Audi driving experience is not just a track day; it’s a premium, performance-based, advanced, full-day driving programme meticulously designed to unleash the potential of Audi driving technology. From July to November, participants will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of high-performance driving with three events: Event 1:…

The surge in AI technology deployment and demand for more efficient cloud storage drives the growth of data centres globally, with the north and east of Johannesburg in South Africa a preferred location for big data centre operators, underscoring the country’s relevance in the global data centre landscape. Areas including Midrand and Samrand in the north and Isando and along the R21 highway in the east already have a high concentration of data centres with the likes of Africa Data Centres, BCX, NTT, Vantage and Teraco. Suitable available land attracts big data centre operators, however, the availability of electricity is…

Amazon, the US-based e-commerce behemoth, has discreetly unveiled its online marketplace dedicated to South Africa, now live at amazon.co.za. Amazon announced the launch of Amazon.co.za, providing customers in South Africa with a new online shopping experience. Available by either downloading the Amazon Shopping App or visiting www.amazon.co.za on desktop or mobile browsers, customers can now discover and shop from a selection of local and international brands across 20 different product categories, take advantage of great prices, and enjoy same-day and next-day delivery. For products fulfilled by Amazon, customers will enjoy free delivery on their first order, followed by free delivery for subsequent…

JSE-listed Attacq today announced that Attacq Waterfall Investment Company (AWIC) will buy 20% undivided share of the leasehold rights and rental enterprises of the Mall of Africa from Att MOA 20 Proprietary Limited. Post the transaction, AWIC will own 100% of the Mall of Africa. AWIC is 70% held subsidiary of Attacq. Att MOA 20 Proprietary Limited is beneficially held by Atterbury Property Holdings. The purchase consideration for the Undivided Share is more than R1 billion, which equates to an initial forward yield of c.8.0% (based on estimated net operating income for the 12 months ending 30 June 2025, inclusive…

Stack Overflow, a Prosus company, and OpenAI today announced a new API partnership that will empower developers with the collective strengths of the world’s leading knowledge platform for highly technical content with the world’s most popular LLM models for AI development. “Stack Overflow is the world’s largest developer community, with more than 59 million questions and answers. Through this industry-leading partnership with OpenAI, we strive to redefine the developer experience, fostering efficiency and collaboration through the power of community, best-in-class data, and AI experiences,” said Prashanth Chandrasekar, CEO of Stack Overflow. “Our goal with OverflowAPI, and our work to advance…

Today, the City of Cape Town demonstrated its powerful new crime-fighting aerial surveillance technology during a staged search, rescue and car chase scenario. The City’s information, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) technology will take information gathering to the next level in the fight against gang incidents, poaching, stolen vehicles, vegetation fires, and various criminal activities. ISR, commonly referred to as Eye-in-the-Sky, is a two-seater piloted aircraft fitted with state of the art cameras to provide high-definition aerial imagery for smarter policing operations. The aircraft can fly higher than a drone, and is fitted with infrared cameras, allowing it to register the…

IBM today announced that the availability of its software portfolio is expanding globally to 92 countries in AWS Marketplace, a digital catalogue with thousands of software listings from independent software vendors (ISVs) that make it easy to find, test, buy, and deploy software that runs on Amazon Web Services (AWS). The software availability now will be available in 18 African countries (Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Morocco, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda).The addition of these countries will help make procurement easier for clients, streamline purchasing and create new efficiencies…

Moya Mone, a South African fintech startup founded in 2021, has been rebranded to Bloo Money effective May 2024. The rebranding mirrors the company’s continued development since revising its branding assets in early 2024. Reasons for Rebranding The decision to change the name stemmed from a desire to differentiate itself from other companies with a similar name, bringing a burst of colour to the fintech industry and because cofounders operate in different continents. Thulani Masebenza operates from Johannesburg and Sabica Pardesi operates from Oxford in the United Kingdom. The name “Bloo” is a name that also resonates geographically across all borders.…

BlackBrick has transformed the former Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) head office in Bedfordview into a dynamic new apartment hotel through adaptive reuse. Growthpoint Properties (JSE: GRT) took the lead as the primary developer, leveraging its cross-sector development expertise for the R200 mILLION residential conversion project. This initiative was undertaken in a joint venture with Setso Property Fund (49%) and in collaboration with BlackBrick Hotels, presenting a ground-breaking solution to the surplus of office space in the market and the scarcity of residential space. Encompassing a sprawling 35,000sqm, BlackBrick Bedford transcends traditional accommodation, serving as a lush sanctuary nestled within…

Get ready to experience the ultimate fusion of luxury and sporting prowess as Johnnie Walker Blue Label proudly unveils its inaugural appearance in the second installment of the esteemed Johnnie Walker Polo event, set to take place on 2 June 2024. As the icon of luxury in the world of Scotch whisky, Johnnie Walker Blue Label is thrilled to bring its signature sophistication to the exhilarating sport of kings. This year, Johnnie Walker Blue Label Polo promises to dazzle attendees with an unprecedented twist – it will mark South Africa’s premiere evening polo event. As the sun sets, the thrill…

Infobip, the global cloud communications platform, and Nokia today announced a partnering agreement that will enable the global developer community to leverage both companies’ Application Programmable Interface (API) platforms in order to build a wider array of telco network powered applications faster for consumer, enterprise, and industrial customers. Infobip’s market-leading cloud Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) provides developers with APIs for integrating real-time omnichannel communications features such as SMS, voice, video, chat apps, and network APIs into their applications. Nokia’s Network as Code platform with developer portal offers developers APIs for tapping into 5G network capabilities like quality of…

Today HP announced role-based artificial intelligence (AI) partner training and certification programme, together with new partner Growth Play opportunities, tailored for Video Collaboration and AI Data Science. “We continue to deliver on our commitments with the official go-live of new industry-leading partner benefits to empower our partners to drive long-term sustainable growth,” said Kobi Elbaz, SVP and General Manager, Global Channel, Sales Innovation and Operations at HP. “By equipping our Amplify partners with the Future Ready skills and expertise, we unlock new market opportunities and optimize customer experiences. Together, we are shaping the future of technology solutions and delivering on…

Today, Nature published an Intel research paper, “Probing single electrons across 300-mm spin qubit wafers,” demonstrating state-of-the-art uniformity, fidelity and measurement statistics of spin qubits. The industry-leading research opens the door for the mass production and continued scaling of silicon-based quantum processors, all of which are requirements for building a fault-tolerant quantum computer. Quantum hardware researchers from Intel developed a 300-millimetre cryogenic probing process to collect high-volume data on the performance of spin qubit devices across whole wafers using complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) manufacturing techniques. The improvements to qubit device yield combined with the high-throughput testing process enabled researchers…

Zakhaa, a FinTech startup, emerged with a clear mission: to empower small and medium enterprises (SMEs), facilitating smoother and more efficient business operations. It offers customised tools and resources designed to tackle the challenges of debt management and Zakhaa epitomises innovation fueled by real-world market demands. Its goal? To cultivate a stronger ecosystem where small businesses can not only survive but also flourish and grow. Teboho Twala, the visionary founder and CEO of Zakhaa, has pioneered a tech solution revolutionising small business operations. Zakhaa operates as software seamlessly integrated into devices tailored for small business needs. This FinTech marvel transcends…

Huawei introduced its eKit brand of network solutions to the South African SME market at the China (Shenzhen) – South Africa Investment Promotion Conference. Hosted by the Development and Reform Commission of the Shenzhen Municipality at the Bank of China Johannesburg Branch in Sandton recently, the event sought to strengthen ties between South Africa and the Shenzhen municipality. “Over the past 40 years, Shenzhen has developed from a small fishing village on the coastal border into one of the cities with the highest economic, enterprise, innovation, and talent density in China ” said Guo Ziping, Director of the Development and…

In an era marked by an unquenchable thirst for data, Boniswa Group is poised to be a driving force in transforming South Africa’s telecommunications landscape. As a manufacturer and operator of masts and towers for mobile network operators, our goal is to bolster connectivity, revolutionise infrastructure, and pave the path for a digital future. “We are seizing the opportunities presented by the consolidation and greater competition in the telecoms sector,” says Lynnette Magasa, Boniswa Group CEO. “We are committed to playing a pivotal role in reshaping the industry.” For a small, female-owned business like Boniswa, the journey has been marked…

Founders Factory Africa, Africa’s most hands-on early-stage tech investor, has seen one of its portfolio companies,  BuuPass, finalise its acquisition of Quickbus, a significant player in the bus ticketing service sector in Nigeria and South Africa. BuuPass is a B2B2C mobility marketplace that enables users to search, compare, and book their tickets through the BuuPass, the Buupass app (available on Apple and Android) and a USSD system that can be used on any mobile phone. Founded in 2016, BuuPass has sold over 6 million travel tickets and generated over $100 million in total value of goods sold. Its current platform…

Google has announced the opening of applications for the 8th cohort of its Google for Startups Accelerator Africa programme. This cohort will have a strong focus on startups leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to address critical challenges and unlock new opportunities across the continent. Startups are the lifeblood of innovation, driving economic growth, creating jobs, and solving some of society’s most pressing challenges. In Africa, digital transformation is accelerating rapidly and startups play a vital role in shaping the continent’s future. from fintech and agritech to healthcare and education. The Google for Startups Accelerator Africa is a…

Phos, the global leader in software point-of-sale (SoftPoS) orchestration for businesses, has partnered with the leading cloud platform for global card processing, Silverflow, to help businesses leverage a best-in-class solution for accepting contactless payments directly to mobile devices.  “This partnership marks a significant step forward for our business. By combining our expertise with Phos, we’re providing a comprehensive and ready-to-deploy solution that streamlines the go-to-market process for our clients,” said Anne Willem de Vries, CEO and Co-founder of Silverflow. ” We’re confident that this collaboration will unlock tremendous growth opportunities within the omnichannel payments landscape.” The partnership combines Phos’ innovative…