Author: Staff Writer

For hundreds of years banks have put financial excellence at the heart of their operations. But as traditional banks rush to compete with the nimbler fintechs and digital-only challenger banks, too many leaders are neglecting the human element of their digital transformation programmes and the result of this neglect could end up costing them far more than many imagine.  A 2022 EY research report has found that businesses that put humans at the centre of their transformation efforts are 2.6 times more likely to succeed. For many banks, paying attention to the human element simply means designing the best possible…

+OneX, the new-age solutions and systems integrator in the Reunert Group, has onboarded over 300 clients and has grown its full-time employee headcount to around 320 people to enhance its value proposition. The company now aims to dramatically scale up its managed services capability and position itself as an end-to-end digital transformation partner that can help organisations across their digital consulting, cloud, unified communications, data, software, end-user computing and security needs. Speaking at the company’s inaugural +OneXplore event, CEO Rob Godlonton, said that +OneX has delivered strong growth since it was founded in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting…

Discovery Bank and its online financial education partner, Worth, today announced an exciting, limited offer to give more people access to the benefits of good financial knowledge. The objective is to empower every South African to make the right choices for a brighter financial future. Until 30 September 2023, it is possible to complete a financial course that usually has a price tag of R5 000 for only R5. This practical financial education has been a catalyst for thousands of South Africans to change their money matters around for the better through small behavioural changes. Discovery Bank, a fully digital…

Higher Education, Science and Innovation Deputy Minister, Buti Manamela, says a sharp focus on artificial intelligence, machine learning and future skills is needed to enhance the objectives of the Young Scientist Forum (YSF). “Further to this, we also believe that consideration must be given to the human and social sciences. “We believe that all these areas of focus are critical for the development of all BRICS countries and essential for their resilience and the long-term psychological well-being of their respective populations,” the Deputy Minister said on Wednesday. Manamela was speaking in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, where he was delivering the closing…

When determining the cost of tertiary education, parents and guardian often focus on the fixed costs of education such as tuition fees, accommodation costs and textbooks, however they get blindsided by miscellaneous expenditure such as commuting expenses incurred by student to travel between their homesteads and their places of accommodation at university campuses. These variable costs are particularly hard-hitting for students who have to travel long distances to their institutions of higher learning which are mainly concentrated in Gauteng, Kwa-Zulu Natal, Eastern Cape and the Western Cape. These travel costs which are not covered by any student financial aid, are…

Today, MTN, and Disney+, the streaming service from The Walt Disney Company, have joined forces in conjunction with the launch of a Mobile Plan for Disney+ in South Africa. MTN will offer a bundle to its customers who sign up for a Disney+ Mobile Plan at the cost of R49. Paying for that bundle with their airtime or adding it to their bill, they will get 500MB of free streaming data per month. MTN will also offer its customers a Disney+ mobile entertainment pass that will include 2GB of streaming data for R59 per month. Plans are in development for…

Kaspersky experts have detected a wave in scams related to the RAM courier service in South Africa: fraudsters are employing deceptive tactics to trick unsuspecting users into divulging their financial information by claiming packages were undelivered due to unpaid customs fees. RAM is one of South Africa’s most popular courier services. Cybercriminals are sending deceptive emails that appear to be from RAM courier service, falsely claiming that a package was not delivered due to pending customs fees. To create a sense of urgency, the email urges users to click on a provided link for further instructions. When users click on…

The Shoprite Group invites high-performing students to apply for its bursary programme for the 2023 and 2024 academic years.    Students enrolled for degree studies  in Criminology, Accounting, Information Technology, Retail Business Management, Food Science and more can now apply for funding by visiting the Group’s careers page before 30 September 2023.   The comprehensive bursary programme includes tuition fees, on-campus accommodation, a grocery allowance and guaranteed employment upon graduation.    In the last financial year, the Group spent over R16 million on its bursary programme, which funded 206 students.  As the largest private sector employer in South Africa, the retailer is…

Tertius Zitzke, CEO of 4Sight, says that the company is seeing huge interest in artificial intelligence (AI) from its customer base and 4Sight is already delivering these solutions incorporating AI to drive productivity as the ultimate goal for business. “The launch of ChatGPT end of 2022, created huge excitement in the market because it brings us closer to artificial generative intelligence (AGI), where AI becomes much more like human intelligence,” he says. “But we are only at the beginning of a steep learning curve as companies start to integrate AI into the way they do business. My prediction is that…

Modern consumers have become used to a plethora of easy pay options when transacting. One doesn’t think twice about using their phone or smartwatch to pay for their morning coffee after a workout session at the gym. Contactless payments (such as tapping your card or using your smartphone or smartwatch at a point of sale (POS) machine), are becoming increasingly popular due to the convenience they offer. However, with convenience comes great responsibility and the need for consumers to be more alert and aware as this payment method, like any other platform or area where money or the transfer of…