Author: Staff Writer

Mercedes-Benz South Africa is pleased to announce the appointment of Beate Mey as the PR and Internal Communication Specialist for Mercedes-Benz Vans. In her role, Beate will be responsible for media releases, internal communication, dealer communication as well as managing media engagement and friend of the brand interactions for Mercedes-Benz Vans. Beate is a content and communication enthusiast, who loves to take on challenges with an open mind. After graduating as the Dux Litterarum and Artium in her hometown of Mbombela, Beate went on to obtain her BCom in Business Management from the University of Pretoria. Currently, Beate is completing…

For Mercedes-Benz customers who opt for an all-electric or plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicle, the smartphone app Mercedes me Eco Coach offers the support of a personal trainer for environmentally conscious driving. So far, the app is providing more than 50,000 users with helpful and fun advice on the best way to make the most of an electric drive. Of those downloads, more than 24,000 are by users in Germany. The carmaker is celebrating this milestone by offering vouchers for its Mercedes me Charge service, which are available as prizes in the integrated bonus scheme with a 50 percent discount. Users can…

Vodacom is spending R300 million this financial year on the Limpopo network, which will go towards expanding broadband coverage in remote areas of the province that have not had access to internet services,  and help to drive inclusion for all. “We are very excited about our network investment for the Limpopo region this financial year, as we aim to ensure that all our customers will benefit from a quality network experience, particularly in rural areas. Expanding access to connectivity forms part of our commitment to building an inclusive digital future while assisting with stimulating socio-economic growth in the province,” says…

If you drive around Johannesburg, Durban or Cape Town, you may have been lucky enough to see Pineapple Tech’s new billboards in the wild. If not, we’ve got you. The first anti-advertising insurance campaign – the consequences are hilarious… One:  Pineapple Two:  Three:  Four:  Five:  Six: Seven: Eight: Nine: Ten: Eleven: Twelve: Thirteen:  Fourteen:  Fifteen: Sixteen:   Ok, one more: For their first ATL campaign since launching in 2017, Pineapple has created the campaign of “100% pure insurance, 0% other stuff”. No gimmicks, no trickery, no BS. And for this, their campaign reflects the no BS approach with an honest, dry…

As loadshedding escalates across the country, MTN South Africa is working around the clock to protect customer’s connectivity, with an aggressive rollout of batteries, generators and alternate power supplies. MTN’s priority is keeping its customers connected and to this end, the company is exploring practical and innovative solutions to the power crisis.  Michele Gamberini, the Chief Technology and Information Officer at MTN SA says increased loadshedding is a challenge for battery recharging. “Despite us having placed thousands of batteries at our sites across the country, the efficacy of those batteries greatly reduces once we pass stage 4 load shedding.” Gamberini…

President Cyril Ramaphosa says resolving the energy crisis is critical to ensure that the economic and investment potential of the country is realised. This as South Africa was plunged into Stage 6 load shedding for the second time this year, prompting the President’s urgent return to the country during an international trip. Households have had to deal with bouts of up to four hours of load shedding at least twice a day since Sunday morning, with load shedding slightly eased to Stage 5 by Tuesday morning. “Solving the electricity crisis is necessary if we are to realise the potential of…

Root,  a Cape Town-based startup that’s building infrastructure for the digital insurance economy, is partnering with Mr Price Money to offer a simplified life insurance product to the retailer’s existing credit customers. Mr Price Money is a division of the Mr Price Group Limited and an authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider. Within this division is Mr Price Insurance, offering relevant and affordable insurance products to customers through value, choice, and convenience. The Life Matters product, underwritten by Guardrisk, joins a range of insurance products that Root already hosts for the group. The product requires no medical examination and customers…

People of the troubled Ditsobotla Local Municipality in the North West province would be happy to know that they have an ally in the Southern African Institute of Government Auditors (SAIGA). The Institute, today, announced that it has taken on the challenge and responsibility of championing the custom of putting “Citizens First”. The culture needs cultivation among professionals, particularly in government institutions. Therefore, leading by example, SAIGA Steps up to the Mark to help improve governance issues in Ditsobotla. The North West municipality forms part of the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality. “We are engaging Ditsobotla, and plans are afoot…

Huawei South Africa is looking for tech-savvy women business owners to apply for the 2022 Women in Tech digital skills programme, which provides free online training in Cloud Computing, Digital Marketing and Leadership Development. The programme seeks to help women advance their skills and use new technologies to grow, improve, and digitise their businesses, giving them an edge in the digital economy. This year, there are also prizes for the top three entrepreneurs who will be chosen at the end of the 5-day online training. The training comprises three courses: cloud computing and how it benefits SMMEs, digital marketing for…

Today, as Avon celebrates 136 years in business as a brand that supports and uplifts women by giving them an opportunity to be active participants in the economy through its direct-selling model, the multinational beauty company has made an Impact Challenge that will continue to create better futures for women. Globally, women only make 77 cents for every dollar earned by men according to the United Nations (UN). As a result, there’s a lifetime of income in eulogy between men and women with more women retiring into poverty. In South Africa, the labour market is more favourable to men than…

Huawei South Africa won the prestigious Digital Innovator Award at The State IT Agency’s (SITA) Digital Public Service Awards ceremony which took place this week in Durban. The event was attended by Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni and Deputy Minister Philly Mapulane of South Africa’s Department of Communications and Digital Technologies, as well as industry CEOs, government ministers from four African countries, and officials from the International Telecommunications Union. The 14th Annual GovTech Conference, themed ‘Reshaping the citizen experience through enhanced service delivery’, is the leading South African ICT event focusing on public sector ICT service delivery. The Conference brings the Government…

South African youth have affirmed their affinity to the Avon brand by choosing Avon as the Coolest Make-up Brand for the 12th consecutive year. The beauty and skincare company was bestowed the honours at the 2022 edition of the Sunday Times GenNext Awards. The Sunday Times GenNext Awards, now in their 18th year running, is the leading annual youth brand preference and consumer behaviour event. The Sunday Times GenNext survey remains the leading barometer of what South Africa’s youth find on-trend and aspirational, and delivers insights that are valued by brand management, advertising, and marketing professionals. Young people are among…

inq., a Convergence Partner company, today announced its official launch in Cameroon. The global Edge solutions provider said the expansion is the next step in the company’s overarching strategy to provide cutting-edge technological solutions globally and connect African economies to the rest of the world. “As a leading global Edge solutions provider, this milestone allows us to deepen our footprint in West and Central Africa and drive edge services within one of the fastest-growing ICT markets on the continent,” says Dr. Andile Ngcaba, Executive Chairman of inq.. “It also allows us to connect the growing Cameroonian market with businesses all…

ISPA, in partnership with WAPA and WASPA, announces the launch of phase 1 of the ICT Skills Registry, a searchable database that contains the profiles and skill sets of candidates seeking a career path in the ICT industry. The Skills Registry is an ICT sector-based initiative aligned with the National Skills Development Programme, as it is primarily designed to provide an entry point for younger job seekers to obtain skills development through internship or learnership programmes. “It is a critical priority for South African ICT companies to nurture nascent talent in the sector now or risk a chronic lack of…

With a goal to curb carbon emissions, South African startup Curbon, will make carbon-neutral online shopping possible through the launch of the country’s very first plugin created to help fight climate change. Curbon’s unique offering gives shoppers the opportunity to take direct, meaningful climate action with every online purchase. Using data from the world’s leading climate science institutions, the startup’s flagship product estimates the emissions of customers’ carts at checkout and empowers shoppers to neutralise the carbon footprint of their purchases on e-commerce stores in real-time. Dedicated to minimising the environmental impact of the entire e-commerce value chain, Curbon’s API…

A recent study focused on executives and knowledge professionals commissioned by Cisco and conducted by Dimensional Research showed that more than half (56%) of employees spend most of their time in meetings when working remotely with 33% saying that it takes up half of their workday. This has resulted in 95% of employees experiencing video meeting fatigue. The overall fatigue is attributed mainly to technological issues, which comprise of background noise, poor sound, and video quality. These elements have actively contributed to physical ailments with 81% of employees reporting headaches, neck and shoulder strains and eye strains over time. In…

Google Cloud announced a collaboration with Pepkor Group, one of the largest retailers in Southern Africa. The new collaboration involves Pepkor IT, a division of the  Pepkor Group leveraging Google Cloud’s data analytics solutions to transform its in-house logistical processes, enabling the company to help more households across Africa access value-for-money products. With a consumer base of more than 28 million in-store customers and a footprint of 5,400 retail stores, Pepkor IT’s processes generate massive volumes of data every day. For a retailer that operates at such scale, a deep understanding of the data Pepkor IT generates is critical for…

The municipalities of Ekurhuleni and Emfuleni have entrusted Vodacom to help them streamline service delivery by keeping staff reliably connected. Vodacom has begun rolling out its world-class solutions for both municipalities as part of a three-year contract. “Vodacom is proud to be helping the Ekurhuleni metropolitan municipality and Emfuleni local municipality deliver on their purpose to grow and support their local economies,” says Poppy Tshabalala, Managing Executive of Public Enterprise for Vodacom Business. “To honour their purpose, it’s crucial for these municipalities to stay connected to the communities they serve, and to ensure that service delivery is not interrupted by…

When was the last time you didn’t have cash on hand to pay for the minibus taxi or were a few rands short on your taxi money? Never mind having to make sure you have enough cash on you. These days, cash isn’t always the best way to pay. Fortunately, Standard Bank is working on a way to help simplify minibus taxi payments for commuters and drivers. Carrying cash comes with risks. And it isn’t as convenient as we might think. From waiting in line at the ATM to having a wallet filled with coins, cash presents its fair share…

Ride-hailing platform Bolt has introduced driver scores and driver trip-sharing features in South Africa, which will improve the quality and safety of drivers on the platform. The launch features further enforce Bolt’s commitment to drivers’ well-being, giving them more control over their ride performance. The driver score feature is a transparent metric that allows drivers to understand their in-app performance better better, encourages improvements in driver habits and helps them offer the best possible rider experience. The feature is designed to increase the quality of service, thus being at the core of positive driver and rider experience. The driver trip-sharing…

Mercedes‑Benz Vans, full range provider of electric private and commercial vans, and electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian, have today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to initiate a strategic partnership. The partnership will enable the companies to cooperate on the production of electric vans. Subject to the parties entering into final binding agreements and to obtaining the relevant regulatory clearances, the companies intend to establish a new joint venture manufacturing company with the purpose of investing in, and operating, a factory in Europe to produce large electric vans for both Mercedes-Benz Vans and Rivian, starting in a few years.…

MTN SA today announced a review of its executive structure as the company gears up to deliver on its Ambition 2025 strategy to transform from a Telco to a TechCo. In line with this strategic shift, the company has appointed Ernst Fonternel into the role of Chief Consumer Officer and Divyesh Joshi into the role of Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer. Both appointments were recruited internally and are effective 1 October. The new executive structure also sees the introduction of two new roles including that of Chief Commercial Operations Officer and Chief Risk Officer. Active recruiting for these positions is…

Canada-based neobank Be Mobile has announced its official launch in South Africa to target the unbanked and underbanked in South Africa and offers ‘low to no-fee’ banking products through its app. According to Oxford Business School, an estimated 23.5% of the population is unbanked, and R12 billion or $1.04 billion, in cash is believed to be held outside of banks. The company aims to accelerate financial inclusion throughout Africa by delivering innovative digital banking solutions to serve these users. By opening a Be Mobile Africa account, customers can hold, send and receive funds in multiple currencies including USD and EUR,…

Binance, the world’s leading blockchain ecosystem and cryptocurrency infrastructure provider, has announced that it is eliminating fees on South African Rand (ZAR) deposits for a time period as it continues to establish itself as the global leader in pricing. Just recently, Binance launched its fiat gateway, enabling users to instantly deposit South African Rands (ZAR) into their Binance wallet and buy crypto. From September 7, users can enjoy zero fees when making those deposits. Binance continues to drive financial accessibility through safe, secure and affordable payments across the industry. “Binance is, at its core, an inclusive platform designed with accessibility…

In an increasingly online world, digital literacy is key to communicating, connecting, finding employment and accessing services. In South Africa, where the skills gap and the digital divide converge, developing basic literacy skills and digital literacy go hand in hand in ensuring that young people are able to access opportunities and grow their potential. This World Literacy Day, businesses delve into why digital literacy is key and how investment into tools and infrastructure can help tackle inequality. Digital literacy to tackle the skills gap:  If South Africa is to address high youth unemployment rates, it is imperative that the public…