Author: Staff Writer
Africa Data Centres, a business of Cassava Technologies, a pan-African technology group, has announced it is now offering remote peering through its partnership with INX-ZA, further advancing the data centre giant’s development in sub-Saharan Africa. In essence, remote peering is peering at an Internet Exchange without the requirement of being physically present. Customers can use any Network Service Provider’s infrastructure to reach the IXPs, so they do not need to invest in any extra equipment. INX-ZA is a division of the Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA) of South Africa and operates a fully neutral, community-run Internet exchange point in South…
Pick n Pay has launched a new pick-up point for Takealot customers in a store in Cape Town. This is part of a pilot giving customers the huge convenience of picking up their non-food online orders while shopping for groceries. This new in-store service pilot at Pick n Pay Table Bay Mall store launched a week before Christmas and reached collection capacity within two days, strongly suggesting the potential of this concept. Pick n Pay aims to increase the number of in-store collections per day due to the impressive customer participation and will add more stores to the pilot in…
The return to the office, be it after a holiday or a shift from full-time remote working to a hybrid model, brings with it some worrying security habits and risks. While the holiday is not yet a distant memory, it is very likely that great security hygiene is, therefore companies need to prioritise cybersecurity awareness and training as they move into the new year. Anna Collard, SVP Content Strategy & Evangelist at KnowBe4 AFRICA, points out that the attack surfaces have increased when people return to their offices in a hybrid model, which means that there are even more vulnerabilities…
The overriding retail trend for 2023 will be convergence of technologies and this trend will have widespread significance. This is according to Ajay Lalu, Director and co-Founder of Q-HOP – exhibitor at NRF 2023 – who adds that retailers must wake up to the implications—and opportunities—of profoundly disruptive technology trends. “5G will continue to lead digital physical convergence. This is the beginning of the metaverse – which is (or will be) an interactive environment built on blockchain and internet technology like Web 3.0. From the retailer’s point of view, the ability to create a much more realistic virtual world means…
The BMW Group is sharing its vision of the future digital experience, both inside and outside the vehicle, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2023 in Las Vegas. BMW i Vision Dee is the futuristic mid-size sedan with a new and pared-down design language. The name “Dee” stands for Digital Emotional Experience – and that is precisely its aim: to create an even stronger bond between people and their cars going forward. Future digital functions will go far beyond the level of voice control and driver assistance systems we are familiar with today. The BMW Head-Up-Display extends across the full width of the windscreen, providing…
The Western Cape Department of Human Settlements strongly urges residents to be aware of online housing scams that request you to pay for government housing assistance. The Department recently learnt of a WhatsApp message that is being circulated, claiming to assist residents to receive a house within 2 weeks. Residents are then requested to pay R2,300 for the approval letter and title deed in order to receive a housing opportunity. Specific areas targeted include Khayelitsha, Stellenbosch, Montana Paarl and Mitchells Plain. Residents should be aware that no payment is required to be placed on the housing demand database (ie. waiting…
A new year brings plenty of opportunities to start afresh, but also a long list of back-to-school and student must-haves from a tech perspective, including laptops, tablets and cellphones. For most this process is a bit like walking a tech gauntlet. This is where TechMarkit really shines with their wide range of pre-owned and reconditioned laptops, tablets, cellphones and Kindles from both its store in Rosebank Mall and their user-friendly website. Preparing for the new school and varsity year is daunting, but TechMarkit has a wide range of high-quality tech items at more affordable prices that can make the process…
Online retail in South Africa passed the R50-billion milestone in 2022, driven by an ongoing boom in demand for home deliveries, according to new research findings released today. “Online Retail in South Africa 2022”, a study conducted by World Wide Worx with Mastercard, reveals that the total growth for online retail in South Africa in 2022 came to 35%, bringing the total of online retail in South Africa to R55-billion. This comes after 40% growth the previous year took the total to R42,3-billion in 2021. “One can call this the pandemic dividend,” says World Wide Worx MD Arthur Goldstuck, principal…
South Africa is ranked as the most food secure country in Africa, but with global agricultural supply being highly sensitive to shocks brought about by climate change, technology has an important role to play in ensuring the country’s food security. Huawei earlier this month demonstrated how the convergence of several technologies, including drones, 5G, and the internet of things (IOT) could contribute to a more sustainable future for the agricultural sector. At present, the sector is responsible for between 19 and 29% of greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, a growing global population and changing dietary demands are driving…
Customs officers of the South African Revenue Service (SARS) have seized possible counterfeit shoes (sneakers and sandals) with an estimated value of R3-milliion this past weekend. The Customs Detector Dog Unit (DDU) at the Lebombo border post with Mozambique searched a truck with two trailers entering South Africa. The DDU found 5237 pairs of various branded (possibly counterfeit) shoes and sandals. The items were found loaded in the back of the trailers of the truck. The shoes were handed over to the South African Customs State Warehouse for further processing and engagement with the relevant brand holders for confirmation of…
South African mid-tier gold producer, Pan Africa Resources says its 10 megawatt Elikhulu solar renewable energy plant for its Evander gold operations has become the first embedded project over 1 MW to receive full grid code compliance from Eskom. The plant has been developed by JUWI Renewable Energies (JUWI). This follows the South African government’s decision in 2021 to raise the licensing threshold for embedded generation projects from 1 MW to 100 MW, aimed at alleviating the energy crisis by unlocking private generation capacity. In order to attain grid compliance, projects need to demonstrate full compliance with the Renewable Power…
The Africa Blockchain Centre, the premier center of excellence for blockchain development in Africa, has today announced the graduation of its first cohort of 105 blockchain developers under its Blockchain Programming training course. The programme, which took 6 months, and was run by a network of global experts, is a practical based course that teaches the learners the core fundamentals of blockchain technology and decentralized systems and takes them through the various blockchain programming protocols with a focus on Cardano, Algorand and Ethereum. The Africa Blockchain Centre, a Kenyan Web 3.0 company launched in September 2021 with a mission to…
Xiaomi Corporation, a global consumer electronics, and smart manufacturing company, officially opened its first authorised store in Cape Town today, which became the second Xiaomi store to be opened in South Africa in less than two months. Located at Shop 82 on the lower level of Canal Walk Shopping Centre, the third-largest shopping centre in Africa, the store will be Capetonian’s gateway to affordable, quality smartphones and smart home products. Xiaomi fans can also bring their devices needing repairs to the store to start the process. The opening of the second store in South Africa is a testament to Xiaomi’s…
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…