Author: Staff Writer
South Africa’s protracted and more frequent power cuts are having a significantly negative impact on the country’s mobile network operators. Although the industry has proactively spent billions of rand in backup power solutions for network stability and continuity, customers are increasingly becoming frustrated when they experience a drop in network performance during higher levels of loadshedding. This is largely unavoidable when power generation capacity is reduced to Stage 4 and beyond. Speaking in his capacity as Chairperson of the recently launched Association of Communications & Technology (ACT), Shameel Joosub says: “South Africa’s power crisis continues to add pressure to an…
The opportunities for banking in Africa are immense. The region is a ‘sleeping giant’ when it comes to accessing traditional bank accounts, digital banking, and affordable financial services. According to the World Bank, 57% of Africans still do not have any kind of bank account, including mobile money accounts. This translates to about 360 million adults in the region and approximately 17% of the total global unbanked population without access to formal financial services, a recent study by BPC and Fincog found. South Africa’s Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) notes that banking regulations of digital services in most of Africa…
Huawei, MTN, Minetec Smart Mining and opencast Phalanndwa Colliery have launched a 5G connected coal mine operation, which the partners have described as a major step toward digital transformation of the coal industry. This collaboration, at Canyon Coal’s Phalanndwa Colliery sees Huawei and MTN provide an advanced 5G solution to ensure guaranteed connectivity within the mine and plant area, in the initial stage. The mine is taking the lead in combining digital applications with 5G, achieving the first trial use of 5G applications of mining solutions in South Africa, leading the digital transformation of South Africa’s mining industry. “Phalanndwa Colliery…
South African digital banking platform eZaga has partnered with fully-secured, global centralised exchange Digital Financial Exchange (DIFX) to launch a multi-asset investment platform – DoshFX. The new trading platform will serve the African region with over 700 investable assets, including select cryptocurrencies in a simpler, safer, transparent manner. Since 2014, eZaga has been a leading provider of digital banking services throughout South Africa with innovative tools and services that have enabled people to transform the way they manage finance through the use of mobile technology. Over the years, the African region has seen an influx of various financial applications due…
MTN, in partnership with ayoba, Africa’s Super App, has reached an exciting 20 million monthly active users on 5th of December 2022. This represents growth of 100% compared to the 10 million monthly active users recorded at the same time last year. “We celebrate this milestone and are pleased that, through ayoba, we are able to provide accessible communications, so that millions of people across our markets can enjoy the benefits of a modern connected life”, says MTN Group Chief Operating Officer, Jens Schulte-Bockum. ayoba is available globally with a focus on the African continent. Key markets in MTN’s footprint include Nigeria, Cameroon, South…
There are currently 49 nations across the world which offer remote working visas. Although this is not an option offered in South Africa yet, the City of Cape Town is leading the way having been highlighted as one of the 20 global hotspot destinations for remote workers. Additionally, the City has entered a partnership with Airbnb to attract digital nomads to our shores. Commenting on this, Max Urban, Co-founder and Managing Director at Propr, South Africa’s largest short term rental management company, says that the remote work trend is mostly drawn to South Africa’s coastal regions. “Digital nomads are looking…
Vantage Data Centers, a global provider of hyperscale data centre campuses, announced today the construction of a second campus (JNB2) in Johannesburg, South Africa. The JNB2 Isando campus is strategically located in Ekurhuleni, the greater Johannesburg Metropol’s trade and industry hub, and approximately 17 kilometres from Vantage’s growing JNB1 Midrand campus. JNB2 is sited near the OR Tambo International Airport and less than two kilometers from the NAPAfrica neutral Internet eXchange in a region that serves as the cloud on-ramp for several large technology companies. “South Africa continues to be a cornerstone for Vantage’s EMEA growth outside of continental Europe,”…
BMW Group South Africa announces its collaboration with the national Youth Employment Services (YES) programme, responding to the youth unemployment crisis in South Africa. YES, a South African not-for-profit company (NPC), born out of the CEO Initiative, is a joint national initiative between business, government and labour that aims to address the youth unemployment crisis in South Africa by providing 12-month quality work experiences to unemployed youth. It is estimated that more than seven million young people under the age of 35 in South Africa are unemployed or are discouraged from seeking work. The YES programme is a collaborative effort…
The limited-edition series Mercedes-Maybach S-Class Haute Voiture is a collectible piece designed for select occasions. Merging the aesthetics presented earlier this year, but now with new meticulous design details that elevate the customer experience. In line with the Concept Haute Voiture, the series car exterior is characterised by an exclusive two-tone paint finish: a combination of metallic nautical blue on top, with a light shimmering rose tone in the lower section and nautical blue metallic rims. An additional highlight now includes surround lighting with animated projection: When the doors are opened, animated Mercedes-Benz or Mercedes-Maybach patterns using LCD technology light up…
Vodacom today announces that its purchase of a 55% stake in Vodafone Egypt from Vodafone Group has cleared all outstanding regulatory and procedural hurdles, making this transformational deal unconditional and officially completed. Vodacom expects to consolidate Vodafone Egypt into its financial statements over the remainder of the financial year. In November last year, Vodacom announced an agreement to acquire 55% of Vodafone Egypt for an equity consideration of circa R48.1 billion ($2.738 billion), which has now been successfully settled through the issuance of 241 976 243 new Vodacom Group shares and a cash consideration of circa R10.8 billion. As a…
Determined to play a pivotal role in meaningful fintech enablement Ukheshe is committed to driving the creation of an accessible and sustainable digital economy. This is particularly important in emerging markets as the increase in mobile penetration has created a new frontier of possibility for fintech innovation to empower businesses to provide their customers with the tools for economic independence beyond the formal banking system says Clayton Hayward, CEO of Ukheshe. A notable highlight of 2022 has undoubtedly been the sense of accomplishment that shines through in everything we do, as we set up the business for ongoing success. We’ve…
MTN South Africa and MTN GlobalConnect, in partnership with the 2Africa consortium, which includes China Mobile International, Meta, MTN GlobalConnect, Orange, center3, Telecom Egypt, Vodafone and WIOCC, are pleased to land the 45 000km 2Africa cable in Yzerfontein and Duynefontein, South Africa. For MTN GlobalConnect, this landing is the first in a series of six across five countries: South Africa (*two), Sudan, Cote D’Ivoire, Nigeria and Ghana, will allow MTN GlobalConnect to showcase, in a tangible manner, the importance of connectivity and creating cross border networks, that connect Africa to the rest of the world. The 2Africa cable connection will go…
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) announced the winner of TCS Sustainathon South Africa 2022, a problem-solving competition that empowers the youth to find creative solutions to real-world challenges. Ten finalists showcased their ideas at the grand finale held at the Sustainability Institute in Stellenbosch. The ideas were based on the theme Zero Hunger, focusing on finding ways to ensure adequate nutrition and food security for children and all South Africans living in underprivileged communities. “TCS, along with its partners, believes that technology can play a pivotal role in solving the world’s most pressing problems. Through the TCS Sustainathon, we aim to…
Local automotive intelligence has found that criminals are now using sophisticated technology to target high-end and luxury vehicles featuring keyless or smart entry systems and emergency start capabilities. The rise in these crimes has partly been attributed to increased vehicle usage since businesses re-opened after the COVID-19-induced lockdown, as well as a new modus operandi on the part of criminals and syndicates, such as keyless access theft. While this phenomenon affects automotive brands across the board – as well as all makes of cars – Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) confirms that it has been proactively conducting extensive research and…
MTN SA has introduced its new Bonus Bonanza price plan for prepaid customers, effective immediately. The Bonus Bonanza price plan offers customers double bonus airtime value every time they recharge with R5 or more. The bonus airtime can be used for voice calls, data and SMS. Existing customers on any MTN prepaid plan can migrate to the new Bonus Bonanza price plan for free by dialling *136*4*1# or through the MTN App. New customers joining MTN from 9 December 2022 will by default be enrolled into the Bonus Bonanza price plan. All MTN customers benefit from personalised bundle offers via…
Business email compromise (BEC), where criminals steal money by simply ‘asking for it’, is on the rise. According to an Interpol report, BEC is one of the top five digital threats in Africa – and South Africa is the most likely target, shouldering 34% of the continent’s attacks. Ryan Mer, CEO of eftsure Africa, a Know Your Payee (KYP) platform provider, says these attacks can take many forms, but are typically orchestrated through emails that appear to come from legitimate sources. “In many cases, criminals intercept email accounts or pose as known clients or suppliers of an organisation and request the…
MTN GlobalConnect is honoured to have been awarded Best Fibre Infrastructure Deployment – Africa, Best Regional Diversity and Inclusion programme, and Best Smart Africa Infrastructure Solution at the prestigious Telecom Review Awards hosted in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. MTN’s GlobalConnect CEO, Frédéric Schepens, received the Africa CEO Merit leader of the year for operator’s award in recognition of his contribution to the Industry and visionary initiatives driven to unlock connectivity in Africa. Telecom Review Excellence Awards recognises industry leaders and businesses, celebrating innovation, vision, and excellence awarding the industry’s best companies, projects, and partnerships. The awards received are reflective of…
Huawei and OPPO have announced the signing of a global patent cross-licensing agreement, which covers cellular standard essential patents, including 5G. “After more than 20 years of continuous innovation, Huawei has developed multiple high-value patent portfolios in the global marketplace in domains like 5G, Wi-Fi, and audio/video codecs,” said Alan Fan, Head of Huawei’s Intellectual Property Department. “We are delighted to have reached a cross-licensing agreement with OPPO. The mutual recognition of intellectual property value between companies is a major step towards fostering a positive cycle of innovation and research in high-value standards: investing, receiving returns from investment, and then…
While e-commerce drove payments in LatAm, digital payments will drive African e-commerce Like in LatAm, alternative payment methods in Africa are key to driving financial inclusion EBANX, a fintech company that specializes in international payments in rising markets, released its annual Beyond Borders 2022/2023 report. For the first time, the bellwether research study on the latest megatrends and consumer behaviors tied to e-commerce, payments, and emerging global business opportunities includes a detailed analysis of African countries, in addition to Latin America. “Africa is the next digital frontier,” said Paula Bellizia, President of Global Payments at EBANX. “While it’s still…
Eskom and Hyosung Heavy Industries, one of the appointed service providers for the Eskom Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project, yesterday marked the beginning of construction of the first energy storage facility under Eskom’s flagship BESS project. The sod-turning ceremony was held at the Elandskop BESS site, located within Msunduzi and Impendle Local Municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal. Construction will take between seven and twelve months and the batteries on the site will be charged from the main grid via Eskom’s Elandskop substation. The facility will have a capacity of 8MW, equivalent to 32MWh of distributed electricity, enough to power a town…
BMW Group South Africa announces the appointment of Thilosh Moodally to General Manager: Group Communications and External Affairs, effective 1 January 2023. Moodally, currently the General Manager of Customer and Brand for BMW, has held several key roles over 20 years in BMW Group South Africa. Previously the Head of MINI South Africa, Moodally joined BMW South Africa in 2003 as a Chartered Accountant CA(SA) in the Finance Department at BMW Group Plant Rosslyn. Her experience spans the Finance, Customer Support, and Dealer Development areas within BMW Group South Africa. Said Moodally upon her appointment: “I have had the privilege…
Huawei this week further cemented South Africa’s reputation as a leading destination for data centres on the African continent, announcing new updates to its data centre facility channel partnership plan. These updates will improve continuity between Huawei Digital Power and its distributors and partners, focusing on the key areas of protection, profitability, simplicity, and growth. Speaking at the Huawei Data Centre Facility Ecosystem Strategy Launch this week, Mr. Xia Hesheng, President of Huawei Sub-Saharan Africa’s Digital Power Business, highlighted the growing importance of data centres, pointing out that in the coming decades, we can expect to see 10x growth in…
Ukheshe International, the UK-headquartered division of digital-first, Banking as a Service (BAAS) enabler Ukheshe Group (Ukheshe), today announced the conclusion of an investment agreement that will help accelerate its international expansion. The investment will be led by ADP III, a fund advised by Development Partners International (DPI), a premier, Africa-focused investment firm with $3 billion in assets under management and co-investment, alongside funds advised by Fireball Capital, a leading South African venture capital firm. The deal, which is subject to customary closing conditions, reinforces Ukheshe’s strategy and will support its long-term growth as the business continues to drive forward its…
Sun Exchange today announced that energy industry veteran, Martin Webb, has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer. Founder and former CEO, Abraham Cambridge, will continue to serve on the Board of Directors and serve as senior strategic advisor to the CEO and leadership team. Webb brings nearly three decades of energy industry experience, most recently having co-founded and served as CEO of Électricité de France (EDF) Renewables, an early-mover renewable energy company in South Africa. Under his leadership, EDF achieved fast growth, ultimately becoming established as a leading independent renewable asset owner-operator in South Africa, building a project portfolio of…
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) wishes to express its heartfelt congratulations to the outstanding recognition of its Head of Technology and Solutions Delivery (TSD), Intikhab Shaik, for receiving the Institute of Information Technology Professionals South Africa (IITPSA) President’s Award as the Visionary Chief Information Officer of the Year. What makes this prestigious accomplishment so noteworthy is that Mr Shaik’s work was compared against industry peers in both the private and public sectors. The determination that his performance is unmatched and stands head and shoulders above all others is a testament to the quality of his technology leadership. It was…