Author: Staff Writer

Omnia announced today, a strategic partnership with Swedish-based Hypex Bio Explosives Technology (Hypex) and the acquisition of a minority equity stake in the company. Hypex is at the forefront of innovative and sustainable civil explosives solutions and has developed a ground-breaking emulsion using hydrogen peroxide (HP), offering substantially enhanced environmental benefits compared to conventional products. This collaboration marks a significant milestone for both Omnia and Hypex as it will notably enhance the ongoing development and commercial rollout of Hypex’s HP emulsion technology in key markets. Additionally, it provides Omnia, the parent company of global blasting solutions provider BME, with access…

Sasai Money Transfer, a business of Cassava Technologies and one of the fastest growing international money transfer operators has announced the expansion of its money transfer service from South Africa and the United Kingdom into Lesotho through a partnership with Econet Telecom Lesotho’s EcoCash Spache Fono (mobile money wallet). According to the World Bank, remittances in Lesotho account for up to 22,5% of the GDP with inflows from South Africa reaching $477 million per year while $3 million inflows come from the United Kingdom. Over 50% or these remittances into Lesotho are sent to rural areas The Executive Head for…

One reason to consider why shoppers abandon purchases is hidden costs – 51% of South Africans prefer the delivery charges to be rolled into the cost of the goods, says DHL Online Shopper Survey. The survey discovered that being up-front about delivery charges – or rolling them into the product’s pricing – can reduce cart ditching. DHL eCommerce has surveyed 11,500 shoppers from 13 countries to gain a unique insight into their e-commerce purchasing patterns. The 2023 Global Online Shopper Survey offers insights into where and why consumers shop cross-border, what they buy and spend, their attitudes to delivery and…

Frogfoot Networks, a licensed open-access fibre infrastructure provider, has acquired Garden Route Networks and Route Networks to extend its connectivity and infrastructure capabilities along the South African coast. The acquisition allows for the organisation to seamlessly improve its capabilities and service delivery to existing customers while opening up the opportunity to connect with new customers using a robust and highly agile infrastructure. “The acquisition of these two companies is a natural fit for us as it extends our footprint and we gain more density which is a good fit for our infrastructure,” says Shane Chorley, CEO at Frogfoot Networks. “It…

As part of ongoing efforts to bridge the digital divide by providing tech-driver education, the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Hon. Mondli Gungubele, today unveiled a state-of-the-art ICT Laboratory at Nyanga High School in the Eastern Cape. The ICT Lab, built through the Telkom Foundation’s Connected Schools programme, is expected to empower more than learners, teachers and unemployed youth around the Engcobo with the ICT skills and devices they need to thrive in this increasingly digitalised world. Telkom is the backbone of South Africa’s digital future through its network infrastructure which provides an unrivalled footprint of connectivity across the…

Deel, the all-in-one HR platform for global teams, today launched Deel IQ, a global work assistant powered by AI. Deel IQ allows employers from small startups and larger enterprises to access reliable global HR information and insights effortlessly. Underpinned by OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Deel IQ is enhanced by access to Deel’s Global Knowledge Base—informed by a 200-person in-house team of local HR experts and lawyers. These resources give Deel IQ the power to turn any organization into a global HR expert with a single source for compliance information. Businesses leveraging Deel IQ can get accurate information on local laws and best…

From loadshedding to ever-increasing inflation, food cost increases and rising petrol prices, 2023 has been another tough year for consumers. So, this summer, MTN is doing what it takes to help South Africans ‘Skip to the Good Stuff’ with the very best deals and special offers on SA’s best network.  “After another taxing year, we believe it’s time that South Africans get their moment to ‘Skip to the Good Stuff, doing summer their way and experiencing it in the style best suiting them. Whether that means taking it easy, settling into it, or hitting it full on, ‘KeDezemba’ is around…

A massive inter-governmental search and seizure operation across five provinces was carried out today to break the back of a sophisticated criminal syndicate of alleged coal-smugglers, who played a major role in exacerbating the energy crisis and loadshedding. The South African Revenue Service (SARS) was the lead agency in today’s search and seizure operation because information became available regarding a host of tax crimes allegedly committed by members of the coal-smuggling syndicate. This success of today’s operation is due to exceptional inter-governmental co-operation and information-sharing under the auspices of the NATJOINTS Energy Safety & Security Priority Committee tasked with unmasking…

A business case for the electrification of municipal vehicle fleets was recently developed by the City’s partner GreenCape, who has done a case study on the three year Electric Vehicle (EV) pilot project. The City’s Fleet Management Department funded the project and elected the City of Cape Town Traffic Services fleet to form part of this initiative.   ‘Our aim with this pilot project was to eventually have a solid local business case for the electrification of municipal vehicle fleets. Municipal fleet managers who are exploring the procurement of EVs for their fleets now have this case study to refer to…

Tripplo, the Johannesburg-based innovative logistics software platform, has secured a $1.8 million or R33.8 million equity investment to close out its seed funding extension round. The round was led by Futuregrowth Asset Management (representing Old Mutual Life Assurance Company South Africa) and followed by Galloprovincialis. The two investors join Standard Bank of South Africa, Founders Factory Africa and Digital Africa Ventures. This capital injection will further enhance Tripplo’s vision of becoming the best logistics platform globally and its mission of revolutionising the logistics industry, driving innovation and efficiency in the movement of goods. “We are thrilled to welcome Futuregrowth Asset…

In today’s increasingly interconnected world, the impact of cyber threats and reduced availability of resources can’t be overstated. Businesses need high-performing, secure and easily managed storage more than ever. At Dell Technologies World in May, we announced updates across our storage portfolio in two key areas we’ve identified as critical to success: cyber resiliency to secure and protect data everywhere and breakthrough efficiency to lower both operational and energy costs. PowerStoreOS 3.5 kicked off the year with software-driven innovation to address these requirements, introducing features that accelerate Zero-Trust security adoption and improve operational efficiency. But we’re not done yet. PowerStore’s 3.6 release continues to help…

The majority of South African car shoppers are inclined towards owning an electric vehicle (EV) in the future, according to the 2023 South African Electric Vehicle Buyers Survey. Unsurprisingly it’s the youth (24-35 year-olds) rather than the oldies (over 65) who are most likely to be future EV buyers.   But the EV’s higher price remains its biggest drawback along with charging time, lack of charging infrastructure and impact of load shedding. Its main advantages according to respondents? Reduced carbon emissions, reduced air pollution, and cheaper running costs. “The perceived disadvantage regarding the initial cost to purchase has decreased by 3.4% from…

Dutch-based technology platform Lisa BV will launch its smart leasing platform in South Africa after acquiring its core leasing technology platform from Inospace, South Africa’s largest last-mile logistics operator. Rael Levitt, founder and CEO of Inospace, announced Lisa’s breakthrough market entry today and confirmed that Inospace has entered into a three-year license agreement for Lisa to manage its half-a-million-square-metre property portfolio. Several South African property companies have already contracted with Lisa, which is rolling out its solutions to listed and unlisted property companies with portfolios of more than 200,000 sqm and 200 tenants. “Inotech was launched in 2021 to market…

Global investment manager with South African roots Ninety One has signed a new long lease with Growthpoint Properties for the building it has been in for more than two decades, signalling its commitment to the Cape Town CBD and environmental sustainability. Ninety One is based at the Growthpoint-owned 36 Hans Strijdom building in the Cape Town Foreshore, which it shares with Investec. However, next year Investec will be relocating to its new building at the V&A Waterfront. In a decision that was greatly influenced by Ninety One’s net zero carbon aspirations, after evaluating multiple options for its offices, including new…

Liquid Intelligent Technologies (Liquid), a business of Cassava Technologies, a pan-African technology group, has partnered with wingu.africa a pioneer provider of carrier-neutral data center services in Tanzania, and the foremost specialist carrier-neutral data center group in East Africa to introduce the second Azure Hyperconverged Infrastructure (HCI) stack. This investment from Liquid Tanzania will provide a more conducive environment for local businesses to accelerate their digital transformation journeys.“In 2021, we were the first to bring Azure Stack to Tanzanian businesses, helping them gain access to cloud solutions that met the local data regulatory requirements and efficiently run latency-sensitive business applications. This…

Ecentric Payment Systems, the leader in retail payment processing in South Africa and 17 other African countries, has announced its acquisition of the IP, people, and customers of innovative technology payment solutions company Thumbzup, in a move that will benefit both business’s customers and support Ecentric’s strategy to become the dominant omnichannel player for retailers with a national footprint. Ecentric is already known for its best-of-breed technology for what is traditionally known as Tier one enterprise customers. It processes 20% of South Africa’s card transactions and serves as a trusted payments partner to 65% of the JSE-listed retailers, serving their…

Having co-developed the virtual wheeling solution with Eskom and concluded our agreement, we estimate that we will move approximately 30% of Vodacom South Africa’s power demand onto renewable sources, says Sitho Mdlalose, CEO of Vodacom South Africa. He added that this is  a significant step towards the company’s renewable energy ambitions. “We are really excited that we have the opportunity to contribute to the national grid, and truly hope that through sharing our understanding of virtual wheeling and engaging both government and private participants on this solution, similar actions can be taken by other businesses across the country.” Mdlalose was…

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to own the Huawei Watch GT 4 – a perfect blend of style, innovation, and convenience. From only R6 999, get yours today from Takealot, Bash or from the HUAWEI online store and any HUAWEI Experience Store and you will receive a free Huawei Freebuds 2 SE and the HUAWEI Refresher Service, which includes, software updating, watch cleaning (including watch crowns), UV disinfection, and strap cleaning. From only R199 per month for 24 months you can get your Huawei Watch GT 4 from Vodacom, Cell C and Telkom or pop into any Totalsports or…

At this year’s Eskom Expo International Science Fair, young scientists have reaped the benefits of their hard work and ingenuity, receiving full- and partial bursaries, cash prizes, laptops, tablet computers, and opportunities for work-based exposure during their school holidays. The fair was held at the Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre in Boksburg from 3 to 6 October 2023, and brought together the brightest young scientists from across South Africa and various countries around the world. Title sponsor, Eskom awarded 23 full bursaries valued up to R450,000 each, and four Special Awards to the Best Female, Best Development, Best…

Paratus Zambia today announced that Starlink has launched its business services in Zambia today.  “It is a very exciting opportunity for us to be involved in this initiative. We recognise and applaud the hard work done by our government, regulator, and other authorities, in conjunction with Starlink, in ensuring this leading-edge technology is available to the Zambian market. As Paratus, we pride ourselves on being technology and telecommunication leaders; and being directly involved with Starlink aligns to this,” Country Manager of Paratus Zambia, Marius van Vuuren says. “We are well prepared to take the Starlink service to our customers, both…

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) today announced the winners of the third annual Virtual Trading Game (VTG).  The winner of the Speculator Portfolio is Avuzwa Mphithi from the Western Cape, with Ivone Stanley from Gauteng taking top honours in the ETF/ETN Portfolio. The winners will take home R60 000 each. The winners were announced at the 4th “Ring the Bell for Financial Literacy”, a campaign initiated by the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) in partnership with the International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) in support of World Investor Week (WIW). WIW is a global campaign aimed at raising awareness about…

Hundreds of local app developers will participate in the annual MTN Business Hackathon from 6-8 October, with the objective of designing app solutions to solve some of South Africa’s unique social challenges. From solutions to assist communities in locating critical services from the palm of their hands to developing energy efficiency awareness apps, this 60-hour hackathon hopes to bring a myriad of solutions through the talents and innovation of South Africa’s novice app developers. In their efforts to develop solutions that will contribute to the future sustainability of the country’s energy and water sectors, the Energy and Water Sector Education…

South Africa’s first truly global discretionary fund manager (DFM), Cogence, announces Jonel Matthee-Ferreira at its first Chief Executive Officer effective 2 January 2024. Cogence is the first South African DFM making leading global fund research and insights available to local advisers through a powerful collaboration with BlackRock, Discovery and RisCura.  Matthee-Ferreira has almost 20 years of senior management experience in asset management, including more than a decade heading leading multi-managers. She joins Cogence from Sanlam Multi-Management, and held a similar role at Absa Multi-Management. Prior to that, she held the position of Chief Investment Officer at Metropolitan Multi-Managers. Discovery Invest CEO,…

Bank Zero now offers commercial banking. Michael Jordaan, Chair of Bank Zero, says this means that businesses of any size can benefit from Bank Zero’s uniquely simple, effective and technology-driven approach to banking. “Bank Zero is ushering an innovative new approach far from the legacy ‘me-too’ solutions of traditional banks,” he says. “We have completely rethought commercial banking to bring it into the Digital Age. We’ve built it from the ground up, which means we have no legacy systems that are both cumbersome and costly, leading to inefficiency and high bank charges.”  Yatin Narsai, Bank Zero CEO, says: “It was…

Payments infrastructure company Stitch today announced a $25 million or R481 million Series A extension, led by Ribbit Capital, bringing the total raised to $52 million or R1 billion. Stitch will use the funding to continue building its end-to-end payments solutions – designed to meet complex and evolving payments needs for global enterprise clients – and expand its reach to serve more markets. In addition to Ribbit Capital, existing investors including PayPal Ventures, The Raba Partnership and CRE Venture Capital have renewed their support, and several new investors joined including 9 Yards Capital. “We’ve known the Ribbit team for a…