Author: Staff Writer

Streamlining Tax Management Processes and Empowering Businesses Konsise, a South African-developed tax management and tax compliance platform, hosted a highly informative webinar on 9th May 2023, where they introduced an exciting update to their user interface and demonstrated enhanced functionality and capabilities for efficient company tax management. Refreshed User Interface for Enhanced User Experience Konsise strategically upgraded its user interface to align with industry best practices observed in leading software platforms such as Salesforce and Monday.com. The new interface features a visually appealing darker theme and a simplified navigation system that utilises the entire page width. The left-hand bar has…

Growing South Africa’s digital economy has been a major policy pillar for the country’s government for some time now. It’s a key driver of economic growth around the world, with the global digital economy growing at 2.5 times the pace of its traditional counterpart. Additionally, reports from the World Economic Forum (WEF) and International Data Corporation( IDC) suggest that up to 60% of the global economy is now digitised. As such, boosting South Africa’s economy isn’t just a way for it to achieve overall economic growth. It’s also vital to the country’s ability to remain a competitive global economic power.…

Huawei has shown up in full force for MWC Shanghai 2023, with their activities all falling under their theme of “GUIDE to the Intelligent World”. This year, the company’s activities include an experiential tour that takes audiences to multiple cities to learn about their technology and business, as well as the launch of its newest innovative products and solutions for 5GigaGreen, 5G intelligent core networks, Intelligent OptiX Networks, private line + X products, and other intelligent digital transformation solutions. At these activities, Huawei will also host numerous roundtables and dialogues with global operators, industry partners, and opinion leaders, to explore…

At the opening day of MWC Shanghai 2023 today, Sabrina Meng, Huawei’s Rotating Chairwoman and CFO, gave a keynote titled “Embracing 5G transformation”. Meng pointed out that 5G has been in commercial use around the world for four years now. It’s driving new value creation, and 5.5G is the next step forward for 5G. Science and technology are moving towards large, complex systems. This requires matching technology to specific scenarios and performing systems engineering, in order to pave the way for 5G’s ongoing success. 5G is creating value along three different fronts 5G has been in commercial use for four…

Jaguar South Africa is proud to reveal the six female artists participating in the 2023 #GiveHerACrown campaign. Championing a diverse range of artistic disciplines, the women were chosen for their unique and ground breaking work which celebrates female creativity and empowerment. The 2023 campaign will see each artist create a bespoke piece aligned with the theme of “Celebrating the exquisite details of women”. Each art piece will portray a story that aims to not only inspire but encourage women to embrace their uniqueness and individuality. Jaguar firmly believes in empowering women and celebrating their fearless spirits and creativity, so as…

In 2022, Game stores introduced its Halfway Day sale for the first time – with astonishing results. This year, Massmart has taken the decision to extend this sale to its Makro stores, giving more South Africans the chance to shop categories like Electronics, Appliances, Lifestyle, and Essentials at the lowest prices in South Africa for one day only. The sale will once again run both in-store and online, on Friday 30 June. In-store shoppers can visit any Game store between 08:00 and 20:00 on the day, while Makro shoppers can shop between 08:00 and 18:00. For those who prefer to…

In today’s world, knowledge is the key to financial success. So, while a recent study by Nedbank revealed that South Africa’s youth are showing a commendable improvement in their commitment to saving, there is a pressing need for improved financial information and transparent guidance to help them achieve the outcomes they desire. That’s according to Vanesha Palani, Executive of Financial Management at Nedbank who says that the research findings point to the fact that young adults are eager to explore new savings products and methods, but that they are also seeking transparent and unbiased guidance to help them make informed…

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) welcomes the election of its Commissioner  Edward Kieswetter as Chairperson of the World Customs Organisation (WCO). The election took place on 24 June 2023 at the organisation’s Council session at the WCO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. The WCO has 185 members, three-quarters of which are developing countries and the Council is its highest decision-making body. It was established in 1952 as the Customs Cooperation Council (CCC), is the only intergovernmental organisation exclusively focused on Customs matters and is recognised as the voice of the global Customs community. In 1994, the CCC adopted the working…

Mzansi’s most loved culinary favourite KOO has been a trusted kitchen companion at the centre of bringing joy in South African households for over 80 years, which is why the brand remains in the Top 10 Iconic Brands in South Africa, the no. 1 Tinned Product and is the no.1 Baked Beans in Mzansi. With a wide range of fruit and vegetables, the heritage brand continues the journey to encourage all South Africans and food enthusiasts to eat better through its brand promise of growing the best, to nourish Africa best. With the ever-growing importance of delivering tasty and nutritious…

Africa REN, a leading renewables project developer in West Africa, is delighted to announce the successful financing of its Walo Storage project, in Senegal. The Dutch development bank FMO and the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF), acting through Ninety One, fund manager of EAIF will invest up to a total of €32 million in syndicated debt into Walo Storage, a project fully developed by Africa REN, with the support of the Seed Capital Assistance Facility and FMO. The financing is provided by: FMO, through a €11 million loan, and an additional €8m loan provided by the Access to Energy Fund,…

inDrive, a global mobility and urban services platform, announces the appointment of Mark Loughran as its Group President, effective July 12th, 2023. Reporting directly to founder and CEO Arsen Tomsky, Mark’s role is to chart and drive inDrive’s business strategy, scale the company’s investments and new businesses, and optimize internal processes. He will also spearhead further development of inDrive’s inVision hub, whereas the company engages in initiatives to support justice and equality in science, education, sports and the arts. The appointment comes amid inDrive’s transformation into a multinational and multi-vertical group of companies. This new decentralized structure will facilitate agile…

A technology training and skills development company, ALX, calls for the removal of barriers preventing South African youth from leveraging digital transformation opportunities. The call for action aligns with this Youth Month theme for 2023, “Accelerating youth economic emancipation for a sustainable future.” “Government, civil society and the private sector must rally to address infrastructural challenges and create opportunities for young people to acquire in-demand skills that will enable them to participate in the global digital economy,” says Divesh Sooka, General Manager at ALX South Africa (SA). This comes as ALX, yesterday, announced the opening of its first ALX Tech…

The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) warns the public to be cautious when conducting financial services business with Forex Private Jet Injectors (FPJI) and Kabelo Emanuel Mogale (Mogale). It has come to the attention of the FSCA that Mogale and FPJI operate as forex services providers. Mogale and FPJI provide trading signals in respect of forex to members of the public through social media platforms. The FSCA points out that persons offering advice and intermediary services in respect of financial products on behalf of South African citizens are required to be authorised by the FSCA. Mogale and FPJI are not…

The Komati Power Station’s transition from a coal fired station to a repurposed, multifaceted hub is well underway, with Eskom issuing a tender notice for a service provider to drive the socio-economic development plan for the transition from fossil to renewable energy. Komati was officially taken off the grid in October last year after serving the population since 1961. No Eskom employees lost their jobs as a result of the closure. “Part of the plan includes management and implementation of mitigation measures for the socio-economic impacts resulting from the shutdown of the fossil-fired generating units at Eskom’s Komati Power Station.…

Cell C says it has successfully completed its network migration ahead of schedule and is now operating with access to circa 14 000 towers countrywide, with more than 12 000 sites 4G/LTE enabled. The company said on Tuesday it is a win for its customers as they will benefit from the expanded national coverage, better quality connection, fewer dropped calls and generally a more stable network during loadshedding as the partner network is investing in back-up power.   “This is a huge milestone for Cell C and our valued customers,” explains Schalk Visser, Cell C’s Chief Technology Officer. “We have effectively…

Most South African retail workers are feeling overworked but the vast majority believe technology is the answer to their situation, a Microsoft-sponsored IDC study has revealed. “We often refer to them as ‘the deskless workforce’ – our economic lifeline during the height of the pandemic, working overtime to maintain our supply chains, at considerable risk to their own physical and mental health,” said Colin Erasmus, Chief Operations Officer at Microsoft South Africa. “We owe them solutions to their challenges, and technology has enormous potential for retailers to take the important first steps toward improving the employee experience for associates.” In…

In a world plagued by biased narratives and the spread of “fake news,” a seismic shift is underway. Brace yourselves for the arrival of newsGPT.ai, an unprecedented platform that promises unbiased AI news, leaving giants like CNN shaking in their boots. With a mission to revolutionize the way news is delivered, newsGPT.ai aims to excite and empower readers seeking genuine, trustworthy information while turning the tide against media giants. newsGPT.ai’s cutting-edge technology utilizes state-of-the-art algorithms and natural language processing to ensure unparalleled accuracy and fairness. By eliminating human biases and political inclinations, this groundbreaking platform guarantees readers access to unfiltered…

Through a new, international tech collaboration, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) will soon launch Colo 2.0 – an advanced managed infrastructure as a service (IaaS) solution that will provide JSE clients with cloud-based colocation services. “The launch of Colo 2.0 will further entrench our position as a centre of innovation for financial markets on the African continent. We will provide our clients with leading edge innovative hosting and connectivity solutions for their colocation needs.  This collaboration with two global market leaders is paramount to fostering innovation at the JSE,” says Langa Manqele, Head of Equities and Equity Derivatives at JSE.…

Liquid Intelligent Technologies, a business of Cassava Technologies, a pan-African technology group, has successfully installed the Mauritius Telecom T3 subsea cable connecting Mauritius to South Africa. This cable has been deployed at Liquid’s landing facility in Amanzimtoti, south of Durban. The move will bring a much-needed boost to the stability and redundancy around the connectivity that exists between the two countries. The T3 cable consists of four fibre pairs, with a design capacity of 13.5 Tbps per fibre pair and 54 Tbps for the whole system. With this, Liquid Intelligent Technologies South Africa is bringing a critical increase in the…

Vodacom has introduced a new range of mobile data bundles designed for students who are on Vodacom’s NXT LVL proposition. These student bundles are launched to offer relief at a time when the cost of living keeps rising and the interest rate is at a 14-year high, putting immense pressure on our already burdened youth segment. Accessible bundles include a 5GB All Access data bundle bolted with a 5GB Night Owl bundle for only R49, valid for 14 days. High data users can get access to a 30GB All Access data bundle, which comes with an additional 30GB Night Owl…

Salesforce remains steadfastly committed to helping solve one of South Africa’s key challenges –  the digital skills gap and job creation. Last year Ursula Fear, Senior Talent Programme Manager at Salesforce South Africa, announced the Salesforce ecosystem is expected to create 31,800 new jobs and generate $5.1 billion in new business revenue in South Africa by 2026. Further to this commitment Fear today announced Salesforce’s partnership with Collective, a private sector-led initiative aimed at addressing the massive gap between the oversupply of digital jobs and the undersupply of people with the skills to fill them in South Africa. “It’s a…

In the first half of 2023, the world’s central banks are at the end of rate hike cycles, leading to a weakened U.S. dollar. The banking crisis threatened to collapse financial markets and still influences them, shaping winning investment strategies. High inflation in early 2023 forced central banks worldwide to increase interest rates. This significantly impacted the financial sector, with many regional banks facing the risk of bankruptcy or going bankrupt. The demand for AI (artificial intelligence) technologies drove growth in capital markets. Having a clearer picture of the peak rates, investors can now consider investment options most likely to…

Visa today announced the launch of the new Visa Africa FinTech Accelerator programme to help enable Africa’s expanding start-up community through expertise, connections, technology, and investment funding.  The initiative was introduced by Visa Executive Chairman Alfred F. Kelly Jr. at Bloomberg New Economy Gateway Africa in Marrakech, Morocco. The Visa Africa FinTech Accelerator will enable up to 40 start-ups each year to accelerate and grow through a three-month intensive learning program focused on business growth and mentoring.  Following the program completion, Visa intends to further support fintech growth with capital investment in select participating businesses, while accelerating their commercial launch…

Cell C today announced the appointment of two esteemed industry leaders, Maya Makanjee and Godfrey Motsa, to its Board of Directors. The company said in a statement their inclusion in the board demonstrates Cell C’s strategic focus on accelerating growth and fuelling investor confidence.  Maya Makanjee is an accomplished business leader with a wealth of experience in various executive director positions across multiple industries spanning close to 30 years. With a Master’s degree in Business Leadership and a Bachelor of Commerce degree, Maya brings a diverse skill set to the table ranging from FMCG, Telecommunications, and Financial Services. Her track…

Huawei ranked No. 3 in South Africa’s IaaS market by revenue in 2022 while being the No. 2 IaaS vendor in China and the No.5 globally. Huawei maintains sustained high growth and ranked No. 3 in South Africa for IaaS by revenue in 2022. According to the latest research report “Market Share: IT Services, worldwide 2022” (April 2023) released by Gartner®, Huawei ranked No. 3 in the South African IaaS market by revenue in 2022 while being the No.2 IaaS vendor in China and the No.5 globally. The cloud computing IaaS market maintains high growth. In the Southern Africa region,…