Author: Staff Writer
In South Africa, it’s estimated 70% of travel sales revenue will come from online purchases by 2028. In this growing and competitive market, online travel agents (OTAs) that innovate to offer people new ways to book and pay for their holidays will come out on top, says Rahul Jain, CEO of Peach Payments. He believes new payment trends provide insight into what OTAs should consider when it comes to the path-to-purchase in their sector. Trend #1: Upfront payments It wasn’t until a few years ago that many OTAs and travel aggregators started managing prepayments. “It used to be that a…
Changa Energy is thrilled to announce the launch of its cutting-edge 1MW solar plant system which went live at the BT Industrial Group site in Benoni recently. This innovative project, which marks a significant milestone in Changa Energy’s commitment to sustainable energy solutions has been developed in collaboration with client, BT Industrial Group, partners Nuvo Africa and Candi Solar. The project not only underscores the dedication to environmental stewardship by BT Industrial but also aims to ensure energy security that cushions the client against the increasing cost of energy supply which ultimately impacts the increase in cost of production. In…
Huawei Cloud has moved to help South African businesses overcome soaring costs and licensing challenges in the virtualisation space, offering secure, seamless and highly cost-effective alternatives to legacy virtualisation solutions. A roadshow staged in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban recently highlighted Huawei Cloud’s compelling offerings for local businesses caught in a virtualisation ‘dead end’, beset with high costs and inflexible infrastructure. Steven Chen, Managing Director of Huawei Cloud South Africa, said: “Unlike service providers that focus primarily on virtualisation, Huawei Cloud offers freedom and flexibility with a wider range of services, including container orchestration and serverless computing.” Chen noted that…
The fully electric Volvo EX90 is ready and on the road in initial markets. The first batch of our flagship SUV is being shipped to retailers in the United States and Europe right now, and the first customers in these markets will receive their cars before the end of September 2024. We will ramp up deliveries, including to more markets, between the fourth quarter of this year and the first quarter of 2025. On that note, Volvo Car South Africa expects the new EX90 to launch locally early 2025, with the first customer vehicles scheduled to arrive in South Africa…
Daniel Mtimkulu, a former engineer at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after being found guilty of fraud and forging his qualifications. Mtimkulu, who held a prominent position within the agency, was exposed for fabricating his engineering credentials, leading to his conviction and the severe sentence. His case highlights significant issues within PRASA and raises concerns about the vetting processes for key positions within the organisation. Mtimkulu (49) was sentenced today in the Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court, following his conviction on January 31, 2022. The court found Mtimkulu guilty…
30 women entrepreneurs and government leaders have now completed a course in advanced technologies, as part of the Huawei Women in Tech Digital Skills Training Programme. Not only did these tech-curious women get to upgrade their technical knowledge and work on their leadership skills, but they also built strong networks and camaraderie at the first in-person edition of the programme. Huawei Women in Tech, now in its fourth year, has established itself as a modern incubator that accelerates the progress of tech curious women entrepreneurs, over 300 of whom have participated in the programme since its launch in 2021. This…
This week, the Telkom Foundation hosted a technology-focused career expo at Kgola Thuto Secondary School in Phuthaditjhaba, Free State, specifically aimed at empowering female learners in Grades 8 and 9. The event sought to tackle South Africa’s widening digital skills gap by inspiring more young women to explore careers in technology. It also offered a valuable opportunity for these students to connect with female leaders in the tech industry and discover educational resources that can support their pursuit of STEM-related careers. “The tech world needs more women. Their perspectives, ideas, and problem-solving skills are essential to building a future that…
ISPA says smart young South Africans aspiring to careers in the ICT (Information and Communications Technologies) industry can submit their applications for consideration for the fifth instalment of the ISPA Inspires educational sponsorship from Monday, 2 September 2024. ISPA is South Africa’s official internet Industry Representative Body (IRB) and the ISPA Inspires sponsorship opportunity helps showcase promising future ICT sector entrants to ISPA’s 235 members while creating industry access points for young people with a passion for ICT. “South Africa’s most forward-thinking tech and telecoms firms are very likely to be ISPA members and this membership base remains dedicated to…
Sungrow, a global leader in PV inverters and energy storage solutions, has unveiled its latest Commercial and Industrial (C&I) Energy Storage System (ESS), the PowerStack 200CS, at Intersolar Europe. This innovation comes at a crucial time for South Africa, where energy reliability and efficiency are top priorities. Addressing South Africa’s Energy Challenges South Africa faces significant energy challenges, including frequent load shedding, an unstable grid, and the need for increased renewable energy integration. The PowerStack 200CS is designed to address these challenges directly by providing a robust, efficient energy storage solution that can help stabilize the grid and enhance energy…
An impressive 21 used car searches took place every second in South Africa during the first half of 2024. This is one of many fascinating insights to emerge from the 2024 AutoTrader Mid-Year Car Industry Report. The theme of this year’s report is #RethinkAutoSales, and – as George Mienie, CEO of AutoTrader, explains – traditional car selling methods are becoming outdated. “Hence, new data points and innovative strategies are needed. Successful dealers have embraced the #RethinkAutoSales strategy. They are creating efficiencies, emphasising transparency, and meeting consumer needs by utilising market intelligence, which is available thanks to AutoTrader technology and data analytics,”…