Author: Staff Writer

Africa Data Centres, a business of Cassava Technologies, a pan-African technology group, announced today that it is building its first data centre in Kigali, Rwanda. The data centre will have 2MW of IT load and will be purpose-built to meet growing demand in the region. “It is an exciting time for Africa Data Centres,” says Tesh Durvasula, the company’s CEO. “Our decision to build a data centre in Kigali was an easy one, given Rwanda’s robust economic recovery post the COVID-19 pandemic and the Government of Rwanda’s focus on digital transformation”. “This latest announcement adds to and complements our existing…

Liquid Intelligent Technologies, a business of Cassava Technologies, a pan-African technology group, officially announces the launch of its operations in Nigeria. As a one-stop shop technology company offering high-speed connectivity, cloud and cyber security services with unmatched resilience and scalability, Liquid Intelligent Technologies entry into Nigeria will give new impetus to the country and region’s digital transformation journey. “We were the first African company to lay over 100,000 km of fibre network across the African continent, and we plan to extend our reach into Nigeria. Expanding our operations here reiterates our interest in working with the government to achieve the…

The first batch of over 100 South African solar industry practitioners received training from Huawei this week in Johannesburg, South Africa, marking the official kick-off of Huawei’s “Thousand Digital Power Talents Programme“. The programme aims to upskill more than 1 000 solar practitioners across Sub-Saharan Africa. With the theme “Together, for a Better and Greener Africa”, the programme was a significant milestone in Huawei’s effort to drive growth and expand the ecosystem for Africa’s solar sector. Sector stakeholders including John van Zuylen, CEO of Africa Solar Industry Association (AFSIA), and Dr. Rethabile Melamu, CEO of South African Photovoltaic Industry Association…

Large numbers of South African school-goers face significant digital and literacy gaps. Through its DigiSchool programme, Huawei supports NGO Click Learning’s efforts in addressing the problem. Merely 49% of South African schools have some form of connectivity, of which only 20% use it for teaching and learning, while the remaining for administration. Supporting initiatives like DigiSchool also underscores Huawei’s commitment to connecting more unconnected people and organisations to foster positive social change. “Many people around the world remain unconnected. So connecting them is the first step. This will give them greater access to knowledge, digital skills training, and opportunities,” said…

MTN Zambia today launched our 5G network, becoming the first mobile operator in Zambia to offer 5G services commercially after successfully undertaking trials of the transformative technology over the past 11 months. “The launch of this ultra-fast communication capacity serves as a clear indication of MTN’s commitment to being a major player in Zambia’s digital economy,” said Mcebisi Jonas, MTN Group chairman. “We look forward to continuing to work together to meaningfully impact the growth and development of Zambia.” MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita said MTN Zambia was the Group’s third operation in Africa (after Nigeria and South Africa) where…

Petshop Science, the one-stop-shop for all pet essentials, will launch Black Friday deals for the first time, with savings of up to 50% on products in-store and online between Thursday 24 and Sunday 27 November.  Pet parents can look forward to great deals on a broad selection of products, including food, treats, toys, and more from premium brands at supermarket prices.  Some of the deals available both in-store and online include:  Buy any Hill’s Science Diet Dry Dog or Cat Food and save 30%   20kgs of Montego Classic Adult Dog Food for R299 – save R140    Any Bravecto Chewable Tick & Flea Tablets for Dogs – save 40%  2 x 2kg bags of…

Huawei South Africa launched a new commercial venture aimed at growing its partner ecosystem and attracting small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) customers within the education, retail, manufacturing, mining, and finance sectors. At the launch event held at the Sandton Convention Centre on 22 November 2022, Huawei outlined the aims and objectives of the new commercial business. Huawei is very committed to developing together with our local partners. Our goal is to promote digital transformation for customers in various industries,” said Gene Zhang, Managing Director of Huawei South Africa’s Enterprise Division. “We believe that by working together with our partners we…

Digital technologies deliver real benefits to companies in French-speaking Africa. They improve communication with value chain partners, lower operating costs and boost marketing and sales. But poor-quality, expensive internet connections mean many firms struggle to digitalize. That’s the main message of a new International Trade Centre (ITC) report exploring ways to make small businesses in francophone Africa more competitive. The fifth annual edition of SME Competitiveness in Francophone Africa: Fostering digital transformation finds that improving digital skills through training, hiring and educational practices and policies is essential. The report is based on data from 4973 businesses interviewed by ITC and the Permanent Conference…

Huawei has signed a global commitment to join the International Telecommunication Union‘s Partner2Connect digital alliance, which will bring connectivity to about 120 million people in remote areas in more than 80 countries by 2025. Liang Hua, Chairman of Huawei, announced the decision at the company’s 2022 Sustainability Forum, Connectivity+: Innovate for Impact. The forum explored how ICT innovation could unleash the business and social value of connectivity and drive sustainability in the digital economy era. Speakers at the event included senior leaders from the ITU and United Nations, telecom ministers and regulators in Cambodia, Nigeria, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, and business…

Financial group Hantec officially announced yesterday its ongoing global expansion into Rwanda. Hantec offers its prestigious financial services and opens the doorway to new global trading opportunities. “Expanding the footprint into Rwanda and the rest of Africa enables us to offer more international trading opportunities for our valued clients,” said Freddy, CEO of Hantec Group. Hantec Financial also draws up a highly localized approach by cultivating local teams, and integrating local culture into its operations, to serve investors and clients from all over the globe. Hantec Financial as a trusted financial service provider believes in the power of technology to…

It is estimated that in 2020 alone, each stage of load shedding cost South Africa’s economy R500 million per day. In 2021, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) cautioned that load shedding would cost the country approximately R15 billion if left unresolved. In July 2022, experts estimated that Stage 6 load shedding had wiped over a whopping R4 billion from South Africa’s GDP — daily, that is. It is a widely known fact that load shedding continues to wreak havoc in the daily operations of most businesses. SMMEs, in particular, bear the brunt of this disrupted supply in…

Shoprite and Checkers looks forward to offering customers a wide range of Black Friday deals between Thursday 24 and Sunday 27 November 2022.  This year several of the new specialist Checkers stores – including Checkers Little Me and Checkers Outdoor – will all take part in Black Friday for the first time.   It is guaranteed to be the supermarket retailer’s biggest Black Friday ever, with plenty of stock, extended shopping hours and additional employees on hand to ensure a rewarding shopping experience for customers.  Checkers & Checkers Hyper  Philips Essential XL Airfryer 1.2kg/6.2L for R1 999 each – save R1 000  Baby Soft 2ply toilet paper (18 rolls) for R89 -…

Liquid C2, a business of Cassava Technologies, a pan-African technology group, opened the doors of its first Cyber Security Fusion Centre (CSFC) in Nairobi, Kenya, making this the second centre of its kind in Africa. “Kenyan businesses have seen increased digital adoption, and the country’s connected population in early 2021 was nearly 22 million. The increased number of digitally transformed businesses and individuals means that the target pool for malicious entities is also becoming wider. As a result, we have witnessed immense interest from customers wanting to partner with us to benefit from the services our Fusion Centre offers in…

Forge Academy & Labs is looking for 30 young adults between 18 to 28 years old from Johannesburg; and 20 youths between 18 and 28 years old from Saldanha Bay to partake in a paid-for learnership programme hosted in Saldanha Bay, in the Western Cape. The programme includes a 5G Foundations and Networking course developed by Nokia Bell Labs introduced post-launch of the Forge/Nokia 5G Future Lab in June this year, a first of its kind in Africa. The programme will lay the foundations for critical 5G and Cloud computing skills in high demand in the ICT sector. Furthermore, Forge…

With the national unemployment rate hovering at around 40%, it’s clear quality education is a necessity in South Africa, but despite the dire need higher education remains out of reach for millions of young people.  With the aim of providing individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds with the financial assistance they need to pursue a degree, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and its partners are working towards securing a better, more economically secure future for as many students as possible. In 2022 alone, the NSFAS allocated funding to over 690 000 students. With thousands of monthly payments needing to be disbursed,…

Kenyan financial product Spark Money, built by wealth management startup Dvara, walked away with the first prize at the Huawei Developers Competition (HDC) beating off rival teams from South Africa, Nigeria, and Tanzania. Its winning solution aims to improve financial wellness among both corporates and individuals. The Huawei Developers Competition (HDC) is one of the company’s global flagship events for ICT development and innovation. Themed Spark Infinity, this year’s competition encouraged African cloud developers to find novel solutions to real problems. More than 130 teams participated in the first phase which ran for four months and drew from enterprises, college…

State-owned entity Broadband Infraco announced the appoitment of Gift Zowa as acting CEO. Zowa’s appintment follows the end of term of Andrew Matseke. Zowa appointment is effective 16 November 2022. He is a seasoned Executive that is proficient in Telecommunications (Switching, Transmission Mobile (2G, 3G, LTE) and IP), IT, Strategic Management and Business Management. Zowa holds a BSc Hons in Electrical and Electronic Engineering and an MBA from the University of Pretoria. He is a Member of the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers, a Member of the Institute of Electrical Engineers (UK) and is registered as a Professional Engineer…

SAP announced at the SAP TechEd conference the launch of a powerful new offering to drive the next wave of business transformation by unleashing the expertise of those who know best – business users. Drawing on the unique depth and breadth of the SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP), SAP Build is a low-code solution that puts SAP’s world-class enterprise technology in the hands of business users, giving them direct, secure access to the end-to-end processes, data and context they need to make smarter decisions and drive innovation quickly. The offering empowers business users with minimal technical expertise to create and…

Vodacom is launching a real-time Specific Needs and National Relay Service (NRS), which expands its offerings for Deaf, hearing- and speech-impaired customers. This further strengthens the techco’s support to persons with disabilities and its commitment to building an inclusive digital society. “For almost two decades, Vodacom has championed the communication needs of persons with disabilities by providing access to products and services that address their challenges and help to improve their lives. The Specific Needs and NRS Centre offers an inclusive technology solution that advances our goal of empowering all South Africans and ensuring no one is left behind in…

MTN SA has lined up a series of winning deals for new and existing customers this Black Friday. From 18 November 2022 until 04 December 2022, MTN customers can save up to 60% on a number of PayAsYouGo, MyMTN Home, MTN Business and MTN contract deals. MTN is already offering exceptional summer deals to ensure customers stay connected to everything they love on South Africa’s best mobile network. And now, with big Black Friday deals, MTN customers can save even more with low-price points and best-value product offers. “After another long, hard year, everyone needs a win – and we are…

South Africa’s leading online retailer Takealot is anticipating its biggest Black Friday yet – a culmination of months of business-wide tech and operational focus to prepare for predicted increased traffic and shopper volumes. Black Friday was first introduced to South Africa by Takealot in 2012 and has since become a landmark shopping event in South Africa’s annual retail calendar. Year-on-year it has been a record breaker for Takealot. This year the business expects no different, expecting to ship millions of boxes to Takealot shoppers across the country in November alone. Its iconic five-day Blue Dot Sale famously kicks off 1…

A R300 million-turnover entity serving over 19 000 business clients across ten and counting South African cities. That’s how Dr Marius Oberholzer of Huge sees the near-term future of the newly-enlarged entity following Board approval of a Business Combination involving Huge Networks and Huge Telecom. Dr Oberholzer has been appointed to lead the new entity aimed at achieving scale, unlocking revenue growth and accelerating the delivery of increased shareholder value while preserving as many jobs and roles as possible. “The primary goal right now is to establish a stronger, more capable business with a combined turnover of some R270m and…

Africa’s youth prefer using local innovations and believe that the next tech billionaire could come from the continent, according to the recently launched Africa – innovator or imitator? Exploring narratives around Africa’s technological capabilities report by Africa No Filter. The research was done in Egypt, Morocco, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. The report interviewed 4500 people aged 18 to 35 to find out their perceptions of African-led innovation and if they are influenced by dominant narratives that promote the Global North as superior innovators. While the image of Africa as an innovator appears to be overshadowed by stereotypes…

To address Africa’s digital skills gap, MTN Group, through some of its operating companies, is partnering with SAS Training, Courses & Classes to train up to 100 young people in data analytics. This is part of the MTN Skills Academy’s work to promote digital skills for digital jobs, in turn supporting MTN Group’s strategic intent of providing digital solutions for Africa’s progress. Polaris Market Research puts the 2021 value of the global data science platform market at $95 billion and expects it to expand at a compound annual growth rate of more than 27% through to 2030, driven by the…

JSE-listed 4Sight Holdings today announced that all resolutions required to be passed by 4Sight shareholders to approve the share repurchase were passed by the requisite majority of shareholders. As such, the share repurchase will be implemented and the repurchase shares delisted from the JSE. 4Sight entered into the share sale and repurchase agreement to repurchase 125,521,898 ordinary shares of no par value in the Company at approximately 12.75 cents per share which represents a discount of 41.83% for a total cash consideration of R16 million. This represents 19% of the total 4Sight shares in issue at the time of purchase.…