Author: Staff Writer

The BMW Group sold a total of 128,196 fully-electric BMW and MINI vehicles in the first nine months of 2022 – more than double its BEV sales in the same period of last year (+114.8%). The company was thus able to translate strong interest in its fully-electric products into robust growth. “The dynamic growth of our fully-electric models reflects how the BMW Group’s electric lineup is winning over customers – as we continue to press ahead with the transition towards electromobility,” said Pieter Nota, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Customer, Brands, Sales. “With our attractive,…

At the lavish International Property Awards ceremony held at the exclusive Habtoor Grand Resort in Dubai on 6 October 2022, Waterfall Management Company was honoured with the Best Mixed-use Development in South Africa award for Waterfall (which recently rebranded as Waterfall City) for the eighth time in nine years. In addition, Waterfall City walked off with two more Best in SA 2022-2023 accolades. LYT Architecture was awarded Best Leisure Interior for the Highline – Courtyard Hotel Rooftop Bar and Restaurant, while Balwin Properties won Best Leisure Architecture for the Munyaka Lifestyle Estate. Besides scooping these prestigious awards, all three winners were also nominated for Best in Africa accolades by the International Property Awards – Africa…

Cleverly combining the words ‘cancer’ and ‘survive’ in their name, Cancervive is a unique, cancer awareness project that is proudly backed by SPAR this Breast Cancer Awareness month. Using the stories of survivors to inspire and educate, the project aims to encourage people to empower themselves with the message that ‘early detection saves lives!’ says Bhavna Sanker, SPAR BRAND Promotions and Advertising Manager. “As a business that holds people at the heart of who we are, we are proud to play a part in this mission and share a personal story of hope from one of our own survivors, Rene…

The use of spreadsheets in accounting and finance departments has vastly improved data analysis and enabled fast and accurate reporting, computing and information storage. Life without them is almost unthinkable. However, danger lurks within and although the use of macros in Excel to automate processes can enhance efficiency, macro malware can put your entire business at risk says Ryan Mer, Managing Director of eftsure Africa, a Know Your Payee™ (KYP) platform provider. Macro malware was fairly common several years ago because macros ran automatically whenever a document was opened. Microsoft has disabled macros by default in recent versions of Microsoft…

Entrepreneurs attending Huawei’s Women in Tech digital skills training programme, say they are now open to embracing Cloud technology, following a three-day course showcasing the value of Cloud for SMMEs. The session opened with a survey amongst the women delegates of their knowledge of the uses and application of cloud computing. On a scale of 1 to 4, there was a resounding 0 or 1 response, but by the end of the 3rd session, this had soared to 3s and 4s, with commitments by many to join further Huawei training and accreditation opportunities. Said Vanashree Govender, Huawei’s Media Relations and…

Liquid Dataport, a business of Cassava Technologies,  is bringing much-needed access to affordable internet in South Africa. Liquid Dataport has acquired a pair of fibre cables on Equiano, the new West coast submarine cable, capable of delivering up to 12 Terabytes of new internet capacity, providing the South African economy with the boost it needs to ensure the successful digital transformation of businesses and individuals. The additional capacity augments Liquid Dataport’s existing pan-African fibre network, global satellite connectivity and subsea cable backbone that ensures businesses on the continent have access to affordable and reliable high-speed connectivity – a vital element…

Vodacom South Africa’s Midrand campus is being kitted out with solar photovoltaic (PV) panels as part of the telco’s sustainable strategy around energy management. This solution will allow Vodacom’s headquarters to generate around 10.8 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of its own clean power every year, which is roughly 21% of the HQ’s power consumption, reducing its reliance on coal-generated electricity from the national grid. “Everything we do is driven by our purpose to shape a digital society that is not only inclusive but sustainable, too,” says Sitho Mdlalose, Managing Director of Vodacom South Africa. “Reducing our environmental impact is woven into this…

Safaricom Ethiopia has today switched on its mobile telecommunications network and services in Addis Ababa, the country’s capital city. Safaricom Ethiopia is also holding a ceremony today to mark its national launch. The Ethiopian government launched Digital Ethiopia 2025 to help the country realise its digital potential and leverage technology to build a more prosperous society. As part of that process, Safaricom Ethiopia was granted a nationwide full-service Unified Telecommunications Service Licence and is the first company in the country to launch a competitive mobile service to Ethio Telecom, which is state-owned. Through its 34.9% stake in Safaricom and its…

Discovery Bank today announced the launch of share trading through its app in partnership with EasyEquities. Clients can now open a new EasyEquities account, or link an existing one, seamlessly through the Discovery Bank app, making investing in their favourite local and global brands and other asset classes simple and accessible. “The platform is transparent, easy-to-use and makes equity trading cost-effective and intuitive for all kinds of investors, from first-timers all the way through to seasoned traders. In collaboration with EasyEquities we’ve been able to make the journey to investing in equities simple and frictionless. This is all part of…

Good fibre is a cornerstone of the digital economy and governments, the private sector and industry bodies all have a role to play in ensuring that citizens have access to connectivity that has the potential to change lives. That was the overriding sentiment at a workshop held by Huawei at the Digital Council Conext Digital Infrastructure Summit, in Cape Town. In developed countries, the digital economy accounts for 51.3% of GDP-compared with 20% in developing countries so it is critical that all partners in the industry work together to find innovative new ways to improve broadband quality and fibre connectivity,…

Sun Exchange, the global solar leasing platform, today announced that leading South African automotive platform, Cars.co.za, has bought into a project that provides off-grid solar power plus battery storage to Karoo Fresh, a commercial farm in South Africa’s Karoo district. By using the Sun Exchange platform to buy more than 16,000 solar cells, valued at over R2.5 million, Cars.co.za is leveraging its balance sheet to drive sustainable energy, while creating an alternative income stream for its business over the 20-year lifespan of the solar project. The 332.1 kW solar plus 640 kWh storage project, which is now generating electricity, is…

Vodacom has achieved 2.4 Gbps throughput on a live site – a first for South Africa. The trial made use of a commercial smartphone and was conducted through the commercial base stations which serve Vodacom’s Midrand campus. The record throughput speed is approximately 100 times faster than the average fibre-to-the-home connection. Beverly Ngwenya, Vodacom South Africa Technology Director says “This achievement demonstrates Vodacom’s continued innovation as a 5G technology leader and a Network of Firsts, showcasing how fifth-generation mobile technology can unlock incredible fibre-like experiences for users on the go, or where fibre installations aren’t feasible.  Most notably, this is…

Google today announced its intent to establish a new Google Cloud region in South Africa – its  first on the continent. The news, which came at the second Google for Africa event, is the latest example of how Google is delivering on the $1 billion or R17 billion investment commitment made last year by the company’s CEO, Sundar Pichai. The new Cloud Region will help users, developers, businesses and educational institutions across Africa to move more information and tools online, improve access options for customers and in turn, create jobs. According to research by AlphaBeta Economics commissioned by Google Cloud,…

In today’s fast-paced, wealth-driven world where customer service often ends at the point of sale, true business success requires solid, customer-centric ethics. This is the belief of Lee Ziervogel, the newly appointed Chief Operating Officer at fintech enablement company Ukheshe. “This is especially important for a fintech company like Ukheshe. It’s essential to manage our clients’ journeys with our highly technical products, because if they’re successful, so are we. “I love being surrounded by an ethically sound team that operates from these solid business principles. One of Ukheshe’s core focus areas is enabling financial inclusion, and enriching lives.” Ziervogel’s people-centric…

Over the past 12 months, the Shoprite Group has increased its installed capacity of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems by 82% to 26,606 kWp. The 143,674m2 of solar panels at 62 sites, is equivalent to the size of 20 soccer fields.    This is enough to power the equivalent of 3,735 households for one full year, thus easing the pressure on the national electricity grid.   Despite the marked progress, the Group is still focused on growing its solar-powered and renewable electricity installations while improving energy efficiency to reduce its environmental footprint, further reducing added strain on the national electricity grid. Other initiatives include a drive to reduce electricity consumption by…

Cape Town-headquartered venture capital (VC) firm HAVAÍC has completed its third investment in Kenyan FinTech Tanda. The investment from the VC firm’s $20 million HAVAÍC Universum Core African Fund is part of an ongoing pre-series A round in partnership with three other investors, including DFS Lab. Since its launch in 2018, Tanda has built one of Africa’s largest open agent networks accessible to all financial service providers, simplified how people and businesses transact, and opened up the ecosystem so other developers can layer additional solutions. Over the past four years, the company has processed over 4 million transactions and served…

By working together, Pick n Pay and Mr D have just made online grocery shopping much better, easier, and more exciting for customers. Using the Mr D app, all your favourite Pick n Pay products can now be delivered right to your door. By bringing together the best of Pick n Pay and Mr D, customers can now order what they want, when they want it, quickly and easily, using the tried, trusted, and hugely popular Mr D app. “This new dedicated grocery shopping experience with Pick n Pay through the Mr D app allows customers to shop over 10,000…

Mercedes-Benz South Africa Limited (MBSA) announces a key executive appointments within its Sales & Marketing and Aftersales operations. Selvin Govender, currently responsible for Marketing and Sales for Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA), will take over the position of Vice President and Director for Marketing and Sales for Mercedes-Benz GDs Europe, Middle East & Africa (MBGD), effective 1 February 2023. Commenting on Govender’s departure, Mark Raine, Co-CEO of Mercedes-Benz Cars and Executive Director of MBSA said: “Govender has been synonymous with the Mercedes-Benz brand for over two decades and has been integral in leading the company’s enviable brand in the premium automotive…

Vodacom Business Africa is committed to supporting the internationalisation of multinational businesses into Africa. Testament to this is continuous development of innovative solutions to keep clients securely and reliably connected. Having successfully deployed its Software-Defined Wide Area Networking (SD-WAN) solution to several businesses in South Africa, Vodacom Business Africa is now making the offering accessible to clients in all 47 operating countries across its African footprint. “By launching this offering into Africa, we’re eliminating connectivity barriers that growing businesses are contending with. These include increasing cybersecurity threats, escalating data demands and costs, as well as slow or unresponsive digital applications…

New-age solutions and systems integrator, +OneX, has acquired South Africa’s leading Citrix on Azure solutions provider, EUCafrica, as part of its strategy to build a group that can deliver end-to-end digital transformation solutions to enterprise clients. The acquisition strengthens +OneX’s capabilities in end-user computing by adding one of South Africa’s leading specialists in the desktop-as-a-service and desktop virtualisation space to the fold. EUCafrica has unique credentials in South Africa’s end-user computing market, having attained both Citrix Platinum Solution Advisor Status as well as Microsoft Gold Cloud Competency certification. The company has helped leading retail, finance, public sector and technology clients…

Jumo, a technology company advancing next-generation financial inclusion in emerging markets, today released Vela, a pioneering asset management engine built to give investors access to real social impact investments at the highest standards of governance and control. Vela is a powerful asset management tool underpinned by Jumo’s proven AI and machine learning capabilities that seeks to democratise access to funding. Vela allocates multi-currency funds (US$ and crypto) to select portfolios, making it possible for qualifying investors to put money to work alongside pan-African banks and watch it perform in real time. Andrew Watkins-Ball, JUMO Founder and CEO, said: “This is…

Waterfall City today hosted an exclusive tour of the award‐winning 2 200-hectare Waterfall precinct to celebrate the launch of its official rebrand to ‘Waterfall City’. Guests were given a guided tour of Waterfall City, including stops at several of its iconic sites, each of which revealed an aspect of the city’s newly launched cornerstones: Connection, Commerce, Care and Community. Over the past decade, Waterfall City has emerged as a world‐class metropolitan city offering an attractive lifestyle in a smart, safe, secure and connected environment. It has become synonymous with residential excellence and has grown into the economic hub of Gauteng.…

International calling app Talk360, which enables people around the world to make reliable and affordable calls to any landline or mobile phone worldwide, has secured an additional $3 million in seed round funding, taking its total seed round to $7 million after its first closing in May. The funds will help the company grow its market share in South Africa, drive its growth on the rest of the continent and launch its market first pan-African payment platform in 2023. The latest round of funding includes new South African investors like Allan Gray E2 Ventures (AGEV), Kalon Venture Partners, E4E Africa,…

MTN may be Africa’s most famous yellow brand but MTN South Africa’s head office is quickly “going green” as plans to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040 gain further momentum. To secure and procure reliable energy, MTN South Africa this week launched a request for proposal (RFP) which will see the MTN Headquarters becoming a completely “green” office. Phase 1 involves the procurement of providers for alternative energy rooftops and solar carparks and this forms part of the company’s broader Project Zero initiative, which explores all forms of renewable energy on a large and smaller scale. MTN SA CEO…

Community Investment Ventures Holdings (CIVH) today unveiled the identity of the parent company to its two fibre network assets – both will now be known as companies of MAZIV. “This is revealed amidst impressive market performances by both operating companies within the CIVH group with a 4.1% growth of DFA revenue to R2.5 billion – a result of the brand’s annuity income increase to R198 million per month as of 31 March 2022, from R192 million per month in the previous year. Subscriber growth was the main driver behind Vumatel’s substantial 26.3% revenue increase, to R3 billion,” says CIVH Chairman,…