Author: Staff Writer
In a strategic move aimed at enhancing client experience, inq., a global leader in Edge solutions, has directed its efforts on better servicing clients through South Africa, a key region with a significant presence of multinational corporations. This aligns with the new group-level strategy to leverage South Africa’s robust market landscape, ensuring that its diverse client base expectations are exceeded through the concentration of efforts in the region. “Along with this move, the Security Operations Centre (SOC) and Network Operations Centre (NOC) will be located in South Africa covering Namibia, Swaziland, Botswana and Mozambique” says Andile Ngcaba, Executive Chairman at…
From ‘Yahoo Boys’ who operate online to the seemingly innocent man or woman on the street, scammers are everywhere, and their tactics are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Dave Barber from Walking with Winners says, “You wouldn’t be able to spot a scammer in the street. They don’t have a distinct appearance, like being covered in tattoos and wearing thick gold chains, while offering you a brilliant investment opportunity. Scams are also not chance encounters. Scammers do their best to fit into society and in this way are able to gain your confidence.” According to the Southern African Fraud Prevention Service (SAFPS),…
Telkom welcomed the Competition Commission’s recommendation to the Competition Tribunal (Tribunal) to approve the proposed transaction to sell 100% of Swiftnet, with conditions. Telkom obtained shareholder approval on 24 May 2024 for the sale of the masts and towers business housed in Swiftnet for R6.75 billion to an infrastructure fund managed by a subsidiary of Actis LLP with Royal Bafokeng Holdings as its B-BBEE partner. This decision remains pivotal to Telkom’s goal of unlocking shareholder value and streamlining our focus on core operations and strategic initiatives. The disposal is now been referred to the Tribunal for their final decision. The…
Melon Mobile, Africa’s first truly digital telco, has launched a campaign inviting all South Africans to experience their fully customisable and super flexible mobile network — for free. This is the first time a mobile company in SA has allowed customers to sign up with the option to later opt out, putting the power of experience in the hands of those it belongs to, the customer. In a move that challenges the traditional business model, Melon Mobile is offering a 14-day free trial with 5GB Data plus unlimited Calls & Texts, allowing consumers to take their service for a test…
The DA notes reports that beneficiaries of South African Social Security Agency’s (SASSA) R370 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grants are struggling to verify their identities with SASSA’s new biometric identification system. The new system requires beneficiaries who have been identified by SASSA for identity verification or those that need to change their contact details to be supplied with a verification link from the Department of Home Affairs via SMS in order to submit a photo of their face. “There are however numerous beneficiaries who have not received this link due systems allegedly being down at Home Affairs at the…
Developing Markets technology systems integrator Cassava Technologies (Cassava) has announced that its AI activities will now operate as a separate business unit, Cassava AI. Since the advent of Generative AI, Cassava has forged strategic partnerships with industry giants such as Microsoft, Google, AWS, Anthropic, Oracle, Atlas AI, Cerebras and Palo Alto Networks. These partnerships enable it to offer superior systems integration and support to enterprise customers across strategic international markets. Cassava already provides services such as Data Centres, Cloud, Cyber Security, Fibre Connectivity, and Renewable Energy to large multinational and local companies. The organisation has already trained and deployed more…
Google today announced the 8th cohort of its Google for Startups Accelerator Africa programme. This year’s cohort features ten innovative startups from Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, and South Africa, selected from nearly 1,000 applications, highlighting the remarkable talent and creativity in the African tech ecosystem. Startups play a pivotal role in driving economic development and technological innovation in Africa. By addressing local challenges with tailored solutions, these startups are not only creating jobs but also enhancing the quality of life across the continent. Despite the current “funding winter” in Sub-Saharan Africa, where investment flows have slowed, the resilience and ingenuity of…
IBM today released its annual Cost of a Data Breach Report revealing the average cost of a data breach in South Africa reached R53.10 million in 2024, as breaches grow more disruptive and further expand demands on cyber teams. Globally, 70% of breached organizations reported that the breach caused significant or very significant disruption. Lost business and post-breach customer and third-party response costs drove the year-over-year cost spike worldwide, as the collateral damage from data breaches has only intensified. The disruptive effects data breaches are having on businesses are not only driving up costs but are also extending the after-effect…
Mineworkers Investment Company (MIC), a 100% black-owned broad-based investment holding company, announced a partnership with Grindstone, a global growth-engineer, respected for the pivotal role it plays in creating impact through engineering growth for startups. With a total of sixteen cohorts completed to date, Grindstone continues to expand its impact footprint and is excited about this next cohort in collaboration with MIC. This strategic collaboration marks the initiation of a new chapter of GrindstoneX, a specialised accelerator programme that fosters the growth of high-growth, innovation-driven, woman-owned startups. From the first cohort to the sixteenth, Grindstone’s alumni companies have raised over R2.2…
Shoprite Group’s Checkers Sixty60 on-demand delivery service has maintained its leading position in the South African market, showcasing an impressive 58.1% growth in the 2024 financial year, as reported on Tuesday. Checkers and Checkers Hyper reported sales growth of 12.3% with online sales from our Checkers Sixty60 on-demand platform increasing by 58.1%.. Shoprite and Usave reported sales growth of 10.7% and LiquorShop sales increased by 20%. Shoprite also reported that supermarkets RSA opened a net 201 stores versus 301 stores in 2023 including the stores acquired from Massmart) during the year to total 2 322 stores. Of these net new…