Author: Staff Writer

Ukheshe’s SME in-a-box solution is making tangible changes to the lives of millions in Zambia through a partnership with Digital PayGo, improving financial inclusion and enhancing business dealings for entrepreneurs. Digital PayGo, a local Zambian fintech driving a mobile-first approach, enhancing the digital payment space for SMEs, is the first partner to utilise Ukheshe’s SME in-a-box solution to its fullest extent and provides a range of virtual financial services to its customers. “We’re so proud to be the technology partner enabling Digital PayGo in their partnership with Zambian bank Zanaco and Mastercard to implement this solution,” says Mark Dankworth, President…

Vodacom’s zero-rated ConnectU platform, designed to provide South Africans with free access to information and life-changing online resources, has grown exponentially, with over 34 million unique users accessing the platform over the past two years. This equates to an average of 3.5 million new unique users’ month-on-month. Boosting Education, Jobs, Social, Health, Safety & Security, Government, and Small, Medium, and Micro-sized Enterprises (SMME) pillars, ConnectU is helping millions of South Africans, with Jobs, Health and Education ranking as the top three visited pillars for users. The Education pillar provides zero-rated access to universities, TVET Colleges, Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres, Vodacom’s…

SweepSouth, an online home services platform with presence across Africa, today announced that it has completed an US$11m investment round led by Alitheia IDF (AIF), Africa’s first and largest gender-lens private equity fund. The size of the round, which is SweepSouth’s largest to date, is a result of strong growth in the company’s valuation and social impact since the previous funding round. Current investors Naspers Foundry, The Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, and Futuregrowth Asset Management all committed to participate in this new round, as did new investors Endeavor Catalyst, Endeavor’s Harvest Fund II, Caruso Ventures, and E4E Africa. Co-founded…

Forge Academy & Labs is looking to enrol 15 youths for their newly launched 5G Certification and Cloud Practitioner programme in partnership with MICT SETA. The programme will lay the foundations for critical 5G and CLOUD computing skills in high demand in the ICT sector. Forge Academy & Labs recently partnered with MICT SETA and signed a two-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will offer students the following: Accredited 5G and cloud computing skills training Ecosystem building Workforce development programmes Public policy The ‘short skills’ programme, designed by Forge in collaboration with Nokia Bell Labs and AWS, begins on 15 October…

The Shoprite Group now helps its suppliers with access to funding at the most affordable rates with the launch of a new supply chain finance product.   The CredX finance product, which is often cheaper than bank financing, is available to all of the Group’s suppliers and is expected to assist especially SMMEs, for whom cash flow constraints and access to affordable funding are significant business growth obstacles in South Africa. The benefits include:   An affordable financing product from a trusted business with an all-inclusive interest rate and no additional fees;  100% of invoice value available for financing;  No further on-boarding requirements as the…

Vodacom has launched the YouTube ‘Buy & Get’ promotion which gives customers free YouTube data for simply buying a qualifying 7-day or 30-day data bundle. For instance, a qualifying 7-day or 30-day 1GB data bundle, will give a customer 500MB YouTube bundle (valid for 7 days) tagged-on for free, whereas a 2GB data bundle at R149 will give a customer a free 1GB YouTube bundle valid for 30 days. In addition to this YouTube ‘Buy & Get’ promotion, customers are now also able to purchase ‘Double Your Data’ YouTube social bundles, which doubles the value of the social bundle. With…

MTN Group today announced the appointment of Fatima Laher as Group Executive: Group Legal, effective 1 October 2022. Laher re-joins MTN from Samsung Electronics, where she has held the role of Head of Africa Disputes, for the past six years. Lele Modise, Group Chief Legal and Regulatory officer said, “Fatima is adept at providing expert strategic and innovative advice to senior leadership in the prestigious institutions she has worked for locally and internationally.”  “As Executive: Group Legal, Fatima will provide support in overseeing all legal areas and managing legal risk, supporting strategic projects and initiatives across MTN Group, as well…

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…