Author: Staff Writer
Global law firm Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer is adopting Legora as its firmwide general-purpose AI platform, marking a significant step in the firm’s investment in innovation and technology‑enabled legal services. Legora will act as an “intelligent legal colleague”. It supports smarter drafting and interaction with documents, insights generation, data analysis, summarisation and translation, enabling our lawyers to deliver even better outcomes for clients. As part of the phased rollout, HSF Kramer will also adopt Legora’s client portal to facilitate more direct client engagement through the platform – supporting secure collaboration, streamlined file sharing, a data-enriched document experience, and an AI-powered…
Spar became the latest JSE-listed company whose shareholders objected against the group’s executive pay policy and the way it was implemented. A substantial 61% voted against how executives were paid at the 2025 AGM. “The AGM backlash means shareholders are paying attention and legitimately using their voice to show discontent,” says Ray Harraway, Institute of Directors in South Africa (IoDSA) Remuneration Committee Forum Member. Shareholders and proxy advisers typically regard payments that can’t be attributed to performance and aren’t catered for in the remuneration policy as red flags, he says, and this is aggravated in a year with reduced Headline…
New technologies unveiled at OLX’s CLAIM AI conference show how intelligent platforms are improving marketplace efficiency. Recent developments at the CLAIM AI conference hosted by OLX Group in Lisbon, Portugal, highlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence in automotive marketplaces. The event brought together marketplace leaders, technologists, and industry executives to explore how AI is reshaping vertical classifieds platforms. Among the key announcements was AutoIQ, an automotive intelligence platform designed to help car dealers manage inventory, optimise pricing, and respond to buyers’ enquiries more efficiently. The system acts as a digital analyst for dealerships, providing insights and automation tools…
A series of enforcement actions led by MultiChoice Group and Irdeto, in partnership with South African law enforcement authorities, have resulted in arrests, seizures and multiple court convictions linked to illegal internet streaming operations in the Western Cape. The coordinated efforts form part of ongoing work by MultiChoice and Irdeto to combat digital piracy and protect creative industries across the African continent, working closely with investigators and prosecutors to identify and dismantle illegal streaming networks. Authorities recently conducted two successful raids in Cape Town during February and March 2026 targeting individuals involved in illegal internet streaming activities. In a search…
Vodacom South Africa has achieved a significant milestone—the first demonstration of this capability on the African continent—with the successful testing of SuperUpload, a 5G advanced technology that delivers uplink speeds of 254 Mbps. This breakthrough reinforces Vodacom’s ongoing 5G network leadership in the country, particularly on speed and performance, setting new standards for how it connects customers. What These Speeds Mean Uplink speeds of approximately 250 Mbps are typically associated with high-end fibre-to-the-home connections. With SuperUpload, customers experience the same lightning-fast performance on their mobile devices, enabling seamless cloud backups, rapid large file transfers, and high-quality video conferencing, all without…
McDonald’s South Africa is inviting Mzansi to discover their favourite way to enjoy the McCrispy, with three flavour-packed options now available on the menu – the Classic McCrispy, the bold Spicy McCrispy and the indulgent Deluxe McCrispy. Since arriving on menus, the McCrispy has quickly gained traction with customers looking for a satisfying chicken burger that delivers on both flavour and crunch. The expanded range now offers even more ways for fans to enjoy the signature McCrispy experience. Alongside the Classic McCrispy, the range includes the Spicy McCrispy, which adds a bold kick for those who enjoy a little heat,…
The “Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special” is coming to Disney+ on 24 March. The special will celebrate the iconic series that defined a generation — exactly two decades after its Disney Channel debut. The special will be filmed in front of a live studio audience and will feature an exclusive, in-depth interview with Miley Cyrus, hosted by Alex Cooper. The conversation will offer an intimate look at the creation of one of pop culture’s most iconic characters and the lasting impact the show and character have had on fans around the world. With heartfelt nostalgia and fresh perspective, Cyrus will revisit the moments, music…
Cape Town-based research technology company Yazi has raised its first institutional funding round from 3 Capital Ventures (3CV), the early-stage venture firm that originated inside Allan Gray, as enterprises and development organisations increasingly adopt WhatsApp as a channel for customer and population research. Founded in 2022 by Timothy Treagus (CEO) and Mzwandile Sotsaka (CTO), Yazi has built an AI-powered research platform that runs entirely through WhatsApp, enabling organisations to conduct surveys, qualitative interviews, diary studies and ongoing tracker research through the messaging platform their audiences already use. Yazi is a WhatsApp-native, AI-first research platform that enables organisations to conduct surveys,…
Tracker has appointed Silvia Schollenberger as its new Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) from 3 March 2026. The first CCO for Tracker, the appointment signals Tracker’s commitment to shaping a structure that enables stronger execution and quicker decision making – positioning the company for accelerated, sustainable growth. Schollenberger will lead the new Tracker commercial business area, overseeing the product, sales, marketing and customer operations. This brings Tracker’s customer-facing capabilities into a single area and strengthens collaboration across the full customer journey, ensuring the company continues to deliver the care and protection its customers rely on. Drawing on extensive commercial and leadership…
As part of its ongoing efforts to build digital skills and literacy among women in rural communities, the Women’s Development Business (WDB) Trust Training Academy will host two ICT graduation ceremonies in Mpumalanga and Limpopo. The events celebrate learners who have successfully completed a year-long ICT skills development programme. A total of 184 learners will graduate across the two sites, including 90 graduates from Acornhoek in Mpumalanga on 9th March 2026 and 94 graduates from Makhado in Limpopo on the 10th March 2026. The graduating class reflects both intergenerational inclusion and the high demand for digital skills, with young people…
Capitec, South Africa’s leading financial services group, has launched its in-branch Smart ID service in partnership with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA). Following a successful piloting phase, the service is now live in select branches, marking the beginning of a phased national rollout that will expand to 100 locations by mid-2026. Capitec clients can now apply for a Smart ID via a dedicated in-branch Self-Service Terminal (SSTs) with no prior booking required. The seamless, paperless process takes less than five minutes to complete, and is fully integrated with DHA systems, enabling secure, real-time processing right in the heart of…
Orca Fraud, a real-time fraud intelligence platform, has raised $2.35 million in an oversubscribed seed round to advance its transaction monitoring and fraud intelligence capabilities across Africa and other emerging markets. The round was led by Norrsken22, with participation from OneDayYes, Enza Capital, and CV VC Africa. The funding follows 16 months of rapid enterprise growth driven by increasing demand from banks, fintechs, telcos and payment providers operating in complex, high-velocity payment environments. “Rarely do you encounter a combination of technical brilliance and mission-driven clarity than what Carla and Thalia have built in Orca Fraud. Combatting fraud in Africa is…
With the recently launched Galaxy S26 series, Samsung unveiled a breakthrough feature that is set to change the way users experience privacy on their phones. Building on decades of display innovation, the AI(artificial intelligence)-powered Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra introduces the mobile industry and world’s first built-in Privacy Display[1] – a revolutionary technology that protects personal information at a pixel level. As the slimmest Ultra yet[2], the Galaxy S26 Ultra is not just engineered for performance and design excellence. It is designed for real-life scenarios. In a country where mobile phones are the gateway to banking, business, healthcare, and connection, Privacy…
The Vodacom Foundation, in partnership with the Gauteng Department of Education, has invested R2million in the School of Excellence model at Usizolwethu Special Needs School in Daveyton, empowering learners with intellectual disabilities through technology and digital skills. This landmark initiative strengthens Vodacom’s commitment to inclusive, quality education and demonstrates the transformative power of public-private partnerships in addressing systemic challenges in South Africa’s education. The School of Excellence is a core pillar of Vodacom’s comprehensive, multi-layered education ecosystem, launched in 2019 in support of the government’s Education Vision 2030. This integrated strategy aligns with the government’s ambition to promote academic excellence…
Today, Vodacom launched the 2026 cohort of the UN Global Compact SDG Innovation Accelerator at Vodacom World in Johannesburg, welcoming 98 young professionals from across Africa to develop commercially viable business solutions aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As a three-time Top Employer and consistent top-ranked participant in the prestigious global programme since 2023, Vodacom is leveraging its participation to strengthen its talent pipeline, foster a culture of innovation, and equip high-potential young professionals with the skills and opportunities to drive sustainable business solutions. “This programme embodies what Vodacom stands for, which is empowering people to innovate…
n a quiet corner of the South African construction sector, Nzwalo Investments (Lumacon) is serving as a case study for the future of technical work. While global industry reports often treat gender diversity as a numerical target to be met, Lumacon has built a culture where nearly 80% of the organisation is female. And now it is a high-performance engineering firm where technical mastery happens to wear a different face. As we celebrate International Women’s Day, the stories of three women at different career markers – a senior leader, a project manager, and a junior engineer – reveal a shift…
iStore, South Africa’s only Apple Premium Partner, has announced the launch of MacBook Neo, an all-new Mac designed to bring powerful Apple silicon performance to more customers than ever before. Starting from R11 999, MacBook Neo combines Apple silicon performance, a colourful aluminium design and a brilliant 13-inch Liquid Retina display — making it ideal for students, professionals, and small businesses. Available in four vibrant colours, MacBook Neo is powered by the A18 Pro chip, delivering fast performance for everyday tasks such as managing spreadsheets, editing photos, streaming content and running business applications. With up to 16 hours of battery life, MacBook…
Axiz, the leading value-added distributor in sub-Saharan Africa, has launched its 2026 Graduate Programme in collaboration with SUSE, a global leader in enterprise open-source solutions. The strategic collaboration combines Axiz’s established distribution reach with SUSE’s enterprise-grade, open-source technologies and training expertise to develop production-ready ICT professionals for the regional market. The 2026 cohort will begin a 12-month structured development cycle in mid-February, specifically engineered to produce specialists in enterprise Linux, cloud-native infrastructure and cybersecurity. This initiative addresses a critical market mismatch: the high demand for cloud and DevOps professionals versus the shortage of practical, workplace-ready experience among graduates. Sustaining the…
iStore, South Africa’s only Apple Premium Partner, has announced that iPhone 17e is now available for pre-order, giving customers a more affordable way to experience iPhone. Customers can purchase iPhone 17e from R14 599, or from only R7 099 when trading in their current iPhone through iStore’s trade-in programme. With market-leading trade-in offers, flexible upgrade options and added protection included, iStore continues to offer the most value when upgrading to iPhone. More ways to get the new iPhone 17e at iStore: iStore offers some of the highest trade-in values in South Africa, helping customers pay significantly less for their new iPhone.…
The trailer and poster for “Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice” are now available to download and share. The original R-rated action-comedy from 20th Century Studios will debut 27 March, streaming exclusively on Disney+ internationally. “Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice” stars Vince Vaughn, James Marsden, Eiza González, Keith David, Jimmy Tatro, Stephen Root, Lewis Tan, Ben Schwartz, Emily Hampshire, and Arturo Castro, and is written and directed by BenDavid Grabinski, produced by Andrew Lazar, p.g.a., and executive produced by Richard Middleton and Vanessa Humphrey. The film is a hilarious, stylized, R-rated action-comedy about two gangsters and the woman they love trying to survive…
Huawei released a series of all-scenario U6 GHz products today at MWC Barcelona 2026 to help carriers unlock the full potential of 5G-A and set the stage for a seamless transition to 6G. The company also launched enhanced AI-Centric Network solutions that will help carriers prepare for the agentic era by enabling intelligent services, networks, and network elements (NEs). Huawei is also showcasing its SuperPoD cluster for the first time outside China, which they have created to offer “a new option for the intelligent world”. The theme of Huawei’s booth for this year’s conference is “Advancing All Intelligence”, reflecting the…
Otinga, a new AI-powered innovation partner for enterprise businesses, has officially launched with a clear mission: to help organisations run impactful, practical and scalable innovation programmes that deliver measurable business value. Built for large enterprises navigating constant disruption, Otinga helps organisations move beyond “innovation theatre” and into structured, outcomes-driven innovation. Through AI-powered hackathons, innovation challenges and human-centred programmes, Otinga enables businesses to unlock internal creativity, align innovation to strategy, and turn ideas into real business outcomes. “We believe innovation should not feel chaotic or disconnected from the business,” said Francois van der Merwe, Founder and CEO of Otinga. “People are…
During MWC Barcelona 2026, Huawei released 115 industrial intelligence showcases, together with its customers, during Industrial Digital and Intelligent Transformation Summit 2026. The summit, titled Advancing Industrial All Intelligence, was held by Huawei to explore new practices in industrial intelligence with its customers, partners, and peers. In addition, Huawei also announced the launch of upgrades to its SHAPE 2.0 partner framework. Huawei also showcased 22 new industrial intelligence solutions with partners, for the electric power, manufacturing and retail, finance, transportation, oil and gas, ISP, media, public service, and smart city sectors Huawei proposed the ACT Pathway: A replicable intelligence framework…
Today, the Huawei Cloud Summit, themed “Huawei Cloud: Solving Industry Challenges with AI”, took place in Barcelona. At the summit, Huawei Cloud unveiled its Industry AI Foundry, introduced the next-generation hybrid cloud offering Huawei Cloud Foundation (HCF), and showcased CodeArts, an AI-powered coding agent, for customers across industries to thrive in the AI era. Prioritizing Strategic Investments to Boost Value Creation In his opening remarks, Dr. Peter Zhou, CEO of Huawei Cloud, emphasized that cloud and AI stand at the core of Huawei’s strategy, driving steady investment in R&D and innovation. Over the past year, Huawei Cloud has achieved remarkable…
Ecommerce in South Africa is on a rapid growth trajectory, transforming how consumers shop and how businesses operate – and South African ecommerce platform Bob is positioning itself to meet this surge with the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer. A 2025 report by World Wide Worx shows how rapidly South Africa’s online retail market has grown over the past few years. Ecommerce made up less than 1 percent of total national retail sales in the early stages of development. By 2023, that share had increased to 6 percent, with online turnover reaching R71 billion. Growth accelerated in 2024,…