Author: Staff Writer
Santam, South Africa’s largest general insurer, has announced the rebranding of its app-based digital client solution from JaSure to Santam Switch, following the 100% acquisition of the insure tech company a year ago. As part of its multi-channel strategy, Santam is accelerating its growth through a variety of distribution channels and business models to reach new market segments through “new age” digital insurance solutions. According to Atang Matebesi, the CEO of Santam’s Client Solutions business, the rebrand accelerates a fully digital solution for Santam and positions the brand for growth within a younger market segment, while leveraging Santam’s established brand,…
Most nascent entrepreneurs raise funding from a combination of savings, goodwill of family and friends and angel investors to convert their idea into a prototype or a minimum viable product (MVP). For entrepreneurs from historically disadvantaged backgrounds (HDPs) in South Africa, pre seed funding is a bigger struggle as many don’t have familial wealth or assets accumulated and lack access to angel investment networks. According to the 2022 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Report, banks and venture capital funds are still the most likely sources of funding for most businesses in South Africa. But getting this capital is fiercely competitive for early-stage…
Kaspersky experts share insights on distinguishing voice deepfakes. Deepfake (“deep learning” + “fake”) artificial intelligence has been growing at a rapid rate over the past few years. Machine learning can be used to create compelling fakes of images, video, or audio content. To determine whether some audio piece is a fake or a speech of a real human, there are several characteristics to consider: the timbre, manner and intonation of speech. For example, a voice deepfake will give out an unnatural monotony of speech. Another feature that should be considered is the sound quality. So, illegible speech and strange noises…
Women gamers around the globe experience high rates of gender-based harassment, keeping many from participating in gaming. Independent research recently conducted in Argentina and the UK has revealed how females are treated in competitive multiplayer games, with verbal abuse, death threats and gender-based frustration very much the order of the day. Participants in both research studies even claimed that they could not compete with an open microphone as games often become impossible to play if the other players hear a female voice. “With the number of South African girls and women in the video gaming community growing at a rapid…
The effects of South Africa’s power cuts, inflation, cost of living and brain drain disproportionately affect domestic workers – 94% of whom are women. The average domestic worker in South Africa is their family’s sole breadwinner and sole caregiver, supporting an average of four dependents at home. This is apparent in the data gleaned from SweepSouth’s 2023 Report on Domestic Workers Pay and Work Conditions, released today. Distilling the survey responses of more than 5,500 participants, the sixth edition of the annual report reveals that the average domestic worker in South Africa is 37 years old and earns about R2,989…
The QR code payment industry has seen a surge in adoption in recent years, with estimates suggesting a global market value of USD$9.98 billion in 2022. QR codes are seeing a marked increase in popularity in South Africa as well, says Pieter Roux, President Payment Strategy at Ukheshe. From the brand evolution of Masterpass to Scan to Pay, Powered by Ukheshe, our Scan to Pay data shows a growing demand for mobile payments as more consumers use their mobile devices – from entry-level devices to high-end smartphones – for payments with an average of 12 million transactions per month. QR…
Sanlam Private Equity (SPE), the private equity division of Sanlam Investments, today announces that it has acquired a majority stake in Danny’s Auto Body Parts (Danny’s Auto), a provider of a wide range of high quality aftermarket automotive parts and accessories for various vehicle types and models in South Africa and other sub-Saharan countries. SPE made the acquisition through its private equity fund, SPE Mid-Market Fund I, and aims to make a significant impact on job creation and support the democratisation of vehicle repairs and maintenance. Based in Springfield, Gauteng, Danny’s Auto has a 76-year track record as a successful…
Solar power and alternative energy specialist Metrowatt is redefining the concept of customer service in the energy sector with the opening of its first walk-in Solar Centre in Parkhurst, Johannesburg. Reflecting Metrowatt’s commitment to resolving domestic energy challenges, the Solar Centre allows consumers to interact directly with energy experts, derive optimal savings, and access customised alternative energy solutions suited to their unique needs. Metrowatt is part of the Myriad Capital Group, which was founded 23 years ago by Chairman Greg Wilson. “Over the years, we have committed ourselves to overcoming many of the connectivity challenges facing South African businesses and…
South Africa’s Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA) invites applications for its “ISPA Inspires Educational Sponsorship” for the 2024 academic year. Visit the ISPA Inspires website for more information and to register and submit your application. Sponsorship for the 2024 academic year will be awarded to one or more promising young candidates interested in pursuing a career in the ISP (Internet Service Provider) sector. Sponsorship is available for not only universities, TVET and technical colleges, but also any institution providing any type of accredited ICT training or sector specific courses where there is an identified shortage of skills in South Africa.…
The future of work in South Africa is evolving as remote work has become a prevailing trend. Recent studies indicate that remote work has witnessed a remarkable surge in South Africa after Pandemic, with over 70% of companies now incorporating remote work policies. The shift has been accelerated by technological advancements, changing employee preferences, cost effectiveness and the flexibility it offers to businesses and organizations during unforeseen disruptions as experienced in South Africa and indeed across the world during the COVID19 Pandemic. The success of remote work A leading research firm in South Africa, PwC in its latest survey, revealed…
As the second day of the SAPHILA 2023 conference – the African SAP User Group’s (AFSUG) official biennial conference for SAP users – opened, delegates were able to find out more on how SAP has addressed its own digital transformation to most powerful effect. SAPHILA 2023 took place at Sun City, North West Province, on 10 and 11 July 2023. Over the past 10 years, cloud technology has redefined entire industries and changed how companies run their day-to-day businesses. SAP has made a long-term commitment to become a fully-cloud company itself, and adopt SAP standard solutions. In this regard, Dr…
As one of the top ten mining countries in the world, South Africa’s economy relies heavily on this industry as well as those closely related to it, such as construction. Yet this also makes these industries attractive targets for cyber criminals. The mining industry is among the most at-risk industries for fraud and in some countries it tops the list of revenue lost due to fraud, closely followed by construction. Due to the nature of these industries and the often-elaborate fraud schemes that target them, huge losses can result from just one instance of fraud. Furthermore, fraud is on the…
Obscure Technologies – a dynamic cyber security specialist, has announced its strategic goal for further expansion across Africa. Building upon its exponential growth since its establishment in 2016, the company aims to capitalise on its collective efforts with vendors in these markets and thereby drive expansion into new territories. The plans will commence with the Indian Ocean Islands, East, and West Africa, where Obscure Technologies will establish a regional presence and support offerings. To accelerate the achievement of this objective, the company has appointed Yaadhna Singh Gounden as the Head of Development for the African region. Yaadhna brings over fifteen…
South African retailer Game, a leading provider of electronics and appliances, is offering their customers the opportunity once again to purchase the latest in home entertainment, office, cellular, large appliances, audio and gaming at everyday low, low prices with their Electronics Mania sale happening until 26 August 2023. The sale will run both in-store and online while stock last. Further, for customers needing some extra help with getting their tech set-up, Game has a hands-on Tech Squad that is a dedicated team of assistants who help customers set up any device, laptop or smartphone that they buy in-store. Mark Scott,…
The BMW Group celebrated the launch of its new test site in Sokolov, Czechia (widely known as the Czech Republic). With Petr Očko, the Deputy Minister for Industry and Trade in Czechia, and Petr Kulhánek, the Governor of the Karlovy Vary region, in attendance, Ilka Hortsmeier, BMW Group’s Board Member for People and Real Estate, and Frank Weber, BMW Group’s Board Member for Development, officially opened the Future Mobility Development Center (FMDC) for fully automated development and test drives. As the first development location of its kind in central Europe, the FMDC, in which 300 million euros have been invested,…
Despite technological advances in cybersecurity, humans remain the weakest link in companies’ security strategies – and social media isn’t helping. Says Tony Walt, co-founder and director at Port443, “Staff training is essential for cultivating cybersecurity awareness. Employees must understand that posting even ‘non-sensitive’ personal information can lead to identity theft. It also potentially exposes their work passwords and puts their employers at risk.” For instance, birthday wishes on your social media profiles can help threat actors work out the first six digits of your South African ID number. Your social media profile also gives criminals clues about the seventh to…
In January 2025, the global anti-money laundering watchdog, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), will review its decision to greylist South Africa and interrogate the public and private sector measures to address its concerns. The country will need to demonstrate a practical, scalable plan to combat money laundering, fraud and other financial crimes. Failing to achieve this will have serious economic knock-on effects, such as a significant decrease in international capital inflows and downgrading by credit rating agencies, all of which will negatively impact the Rand. An extended greylisting is also a serious threat to state-owned enterprises that rely on…
In the past year, identity theft has skyrocketed – a worldwide trend that has not gone unnoticed by the public. A report from earlier this year showed that consumers are looking for more security from their banks: 56% want more security measures for non-routine transactions, and 47% want more even for routine transactions. Clearly, it’s in the best interest of any organisation, but especially financial institutions, to constantly review and update their security systems. But what exactly should this involve? Paul Carter-Brown, Co-founder and CTO of fintech enablement partner Ukheshe, says there are broad components to digital financial security, referred…
Bayer South Africa recently hosted a hackathon organized in collaboration with Empire Partner Foundation (EPF) which brought together some of the most talented young minds to develop creative ways to raise awareness on women’s health and sexual and reproductive education. Despite making up half of the world’s population, women and girls are frequently disregarded and have their rights violated according to the UN. As a result, women and girls may be less empowered to make choices about their own health, sexuality, and reproductive health matters, making them more vulnerable to abuse, unhealthy behaviours, and avoidable maternal deaths[1]. The keynote speaker,…
During the recent Huawei Eco-Connect Sub-Saharan Africa 2023, Steven Zhao, Vice President of Huawei’s Data Communication Product Line, delivered a keynote speech outlining the security threats facing networks today. The speech, which was titled “Huawei Intelligent Cloud-Network: Innovations Never Stop”, also saw Zhao outline how Huawei products are helping address those threats. According to Zhao, the biggest security threats facing networks today include remote work, the cloudification of enterprise services, and ransomware. “Remote work has become mainstream in enterprise campuses, bringing a surge in IoT endpoint connections,” he said. “Additionally, the cloudification of enterprise services has accelerated, leading to a…
Salesforce, the global leader in CRM, will be hosting the Trailblazer Virtual Career Fair on Thursday, 3 August as part of its ongoing initiative to grow new digital skills for the South African market. Skills development is an issue of high priority for Salesforce globally, and particularly in South Africa and on the continent. At Salesforce World Tour Essentials that took place in Johannesburg last month, Salesforce reaffirmed their commitment to addressing the digital skills gap in South Africa through their ecosystem of partners. In October 2022 Salesforce announced that the ecosystem is expected to create 31,800 new jobs and…
The workforce is changing. The average age of workers is rising, and the number of young people entering the workforce is declining. This is a concern in a country where youth unemployment is so high. Young people in South Africa are underemployed at far higher rates than older people on the job market. According to Stats SA, by the end of the first quarter of 2023, the underemployment rate was 6.3% for 15 – 24 years of age, and 5.2% for those aged 24 – 34. This is significantly higher than the national rate (4.9%). Here is why it is…
South African ICT entrepreneur Doreen Mbhalati-Mashele recently saw her inspiring story go global when she was featured on Huawei’s international thought leadership platform Transform. Read by millions of people around the world, Transform is published several times a year and looks at how tech is shaping the present, while also providing a glimpse of the future. Mbhalati-Mashele’s feature comes at an apt time, with South Africa set to celebrate Women’s Day in less than three weeks. It’s a story that deserves to be told too. Having obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and Mathematics, Mbhalati-Mashele struggled to find work after…
In a South African first, Checkers has launched a competition that will see 120 winners each walk away with a comprehensive home solar solution worth over R100 000 to help its consumers offset rising energy prices and negate load shedding challenges. Each winner will receive a solar system that includes a Conti Solar Inverter (5.5KW), a Conti Battery (Lithium-ion/LifePo4 48V 100AH), six Conti Solar Panels (420W), a Conti Wi-Fi module, and standard home installation. “With this competition, Checkers aims to provide 120 loyal customers with some relief from the ongoing challenges experienced with loadshedding, as well as an opportunity to experience firsthand the benefits of renewable energy,” explains Mike Middleton, Chief Marketing Officer at Checkers.…
Kasha, an East Africa’s digital platform for last mile access to health. today announced its Series B financing of over $21 million or R377 million. The funding is led by Knife Capital, a pan African VC based out of South Africa, with participation from FinnFund, DFC, Altree Capital, Tim Koogle and Pam Scott, Beyond Capital Ventures, Bamboo Capital’s BLOC Smart Africa Fund, Five35 Ventures and other new and existing investors. With Series B funding, Kasha is scaling operations into South and West Africa to be Africa’s leading digital health access platform. Kasha is a digital retail and last mile distribution…