Author: Staff Writer

South African tech start-up Enlabeler has closed its funding round with venture capital firms Kingson Capital and E4E Africa, as well as the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. Started in 2019, Enlabeler is a data labeling provider that offers high-quality data services, including data classification, annotation and data labeling for businesses globally. Enlabeler is taking aim at the local youth unemployment crisis by providing contract-based employment and growth opportunities for young unemployed people in South Africa and Kenya. The spark of inspiration behind Enlabeler was ignited when Founder and CEO (Chief Executive Officer) Esther Hoogstad wrote a research paper on…

MTN has announced price reductions and more value to customers on its MyMTN Home Fixed LTE and 5G home portfolios. The MyMTN Home Fixed LTE and 5G offers are available until 31 July 2022. “At MTN we are committed to providing connectivity at affordable rates for all South Africans to enable more people to enjoy the benefits of a modern connected world with as little impact on their pockets as possible”, says Mapula Bodibe, Chief Consumer Officer at MTN South Africa. The MyMTN Home Uncapped Fixed LTE and 5G internet promotional deals are shown below: In order to offer even…

Nedbank has made an equity investment into industry-leading technology led emergency response platform, RapidDeploy. The bank is the first South African firm to invest in RapidDeploy, which was established in South Africa after its founders Steven Raucher and Brett Meyerowitz experienced the antiquated, legacy technology that was available within the country’s public safety sector. Raucher experienced a personal tragedy when his brother drowned at sea and, to honour him, he volunteered for the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) of South Africa. This is where he came to realise that the emergency tools available could not achieve what was needed to…

Naspers, through its early-stage tech investment vehicle Naspers Foundry, announced a R40 million ($2.5 million) investment in Nile, an AgriTech company that connects farmers to buyers of fresh produce. The investment is part of a R83 million equity round led by Naspers Foundry, alongside new investors, Platform Investment Partners, Raba Capital and Base Capital. The transaction marks Naspers Foundry’s tenth investment since its launch in 2019 and forms part of Naspers’s R1.4 billion commitment to grow South Africa’s tech ecosystem. Nile was founded in 2020 to provide farmers with digital solutions that can address various pain points inherent to food…

Global Startup Awards Africa regional winners from across the continent with world changing UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)- aligned solutions will come together for the first ever Global Startup Awards Africa Summit in Cape Town on the 14th and 15th June. Hosted by the Global Innovation Initiative Group (GIIG), the event is a culmination of a 6-month long process of extensive and rigorous research, networking, and collaborations across the globe, with the aim of finding Africa’s most promising innovators. With the help of 30 Country Partners, 50 Ambassadors and 250 innovation hubs, the Global Startup Awards Africa found close to…

The new Volkswagen Taigo (pronounced ‘tie-go’) will join the Volkswagen T SUV model range in South Africa from June 2022. The Volkswagen Taigo, which is manufactured in Pamplona, Spain, is positioned between the T-Cross and the T-Roc in the Volkswagen T SUV model range. The retail pricing of the Volkswagen Taigo will be announced closer to the launch date. Customers who want to Pre-Order the Taigo before it officially goes on sale in June 2022 may do so on the Volkswagen website: https://forms.vw.co.za/app/pre-order/taigo With the new Taigo, Volkswagen has produced its first SUV coupé in this segment. Digitalised interior.  The entire…

Vodacom Financial Services has launched VodaLend Compare, a financial services marketplace aimed at offering unsecured personal loans for customers. Available exclusively through the VodaPay super app for now, with the web version launching soon, the proposition allows customers to compare personal loan quotes in three simple steps, enabling them to apply for the best option that suits their lifestyle needs and budget. “VodaLend Compare is designed to respond to consumers who may need a financial boost quickly for personal use, such as emergency medical expenses, unplanned relocation costs or home renovations, without a tedious application process. Through one journey and…

Community Investment Ventures Holdings (CIVH), the Remgro and New GX-controlled parent company of fibre infrastructure operators Dark Fibre Africa (DFA) and Vumatel, announced that effective 1 May 2022, its two fibre network assets would be managed under a new infrastructure company. The infrastructure entity’s name has not yet been announced. CIVH says this decision is a strategic step to meet ongoing customer and business requirements and increase open-access offerings across the networks. Although its two most significant operating subsidiaries (DFA and Vumatel) will be incorporated into this new infrastructure company, CIVH says each business will initially continue to operate separately.…

With demand for data rising as much as 45% in Gauteng, MTN South Africa is ramping up investment to meet demand, maintain network excellence and extend reach into township areas. The fight against battery theft and vandalism remains a key priority in 2022. The investment budget for Gauteng in 2022 amounts to R2.2 billion, as MTN continues to ensure more people are connected to and benefit from the digital world. “Gauteng remains SA’s economic hub, with half of all national 5G traffic generated from the province. MTN also saw a 45% increase year-on-year in data volume growth in February,” says…

MTN Group has linked the remuneration of senior executives with the Group’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) targets. This supports the delivery of our Ambition 2025 strategy, and in particular the strategic priority to ‘create shared value’, with ‘ESG at the core’. The variable elements of executive compensation – both short-term incentives (STIs) and long-term incentives (LTIs) – now depend on progress on three ESG goals: reaching Net Zero; enhancing diversity and inclusion; and extending rural broadband. “Effectively managing our environmental, social and governance impacts is critical to reaching Ambition 2025,” said MTN Group President and Chief Executive Officer Ralph…

South Africans just can’t seem to catch a break. As we grapple with rising crime, the post-pandemic economic slump, increases in the fuel price and destructive weather, the last thing the country needs is more bad news. However, recent crime statistics released by the police ministry paint a bleak picture, particularly when it comes to kidnappings, which are on the rise. Between October and December last year, 2 605 kidnapping cases were reported, which is 686 more cases compared to the previous reporting period. The last four months of 2021 showed the highest number of reported kidnappings in five years.…

The Automobile Association of South Africa (AA) has announced that it has acquired a 30% equity stake in the mobile security service CASi as part of its 2030 strategy to diversify and enhance its offering. The Vision 2030 strategy of the AA is supported by five pillars: Providing conventional roadside assistance, AA armed response services, and emergency medical response services, Providing financial services through short-term insurance and the provision of warranties and life assurance products, The expansion of the AA Auto Centre network and the promotion of the AA Technical College as a vehicle for job creation and providing opportunities…

Sitho Mdlalose has been appointed as the Managing Director (MD) of Vodacom South Africa, effective 01 July 2022. Mdlalose is currently the Managing Director of Vodacom Tanzania, a position he has held since August 2021. Vodacom Group said he returns to Vodacom South Africa to assume the role held by Balesh Sharma, who leaves the company at the end of June to pursue an external career opportunity. Mdlalose will report directly to Vodacom Group CEO Shameel Joosub and will join the Vodacom Group executive committee. Mdlalose’s successor in Tanzania will be announced in due course. Mdlalose is a qualified Chartered…

South Africa’s Tafari Capital recently launched a COVID-19 management app in collaboration with the Lesotho government. The app is designed to empower and strengthen the Government’s efforts to end COVID-19 transmissions. In less than 3 weeks since launch, the app has registered over 50 000 users and is growing. “The Citizen App is a tool that government and businesses can use to open up economic activity in the country including movement across the borders safely by identifying people who have vaccinated fully and those who are unvaccinated but have negative COVID-19 tests to openly engage in economic activity,” says Dr…

Helm (previously Praekelt Consulting), Africa’s customer experience innovation experts, will be going global again with its client Dr. Oetker, purveyors of the perfect pizza. Dawood Patel, CEO of Helm, confirmed that the AI work being done locally will be rolled out in Poland next. “This is an exciting time for us. We’ve been working with the team at Dr. Oetker in South Africa for almost three years now. Our relationship with them started when they approached us in Johannesburg to find out if technology and machine learning could help them make an even better pizza.” “The announcement of our…

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) has proposed linking biometric data to SIM cards. If successful, new regulations would require all South Africans to provide their biometric data to mobile service providers to obtain a new cellphone number or action a SIM swap. The proposals are included alongside other draft regulations published by the regulator which close for public comment on Wednesday, 11 May 2022. ICASA’s proposal calls for biometric data such as fingerprint mapping, facial recognition, and retina scans to be bound to a consumer’s SIM card. Amid privacy concerns around protecting biometric data, Gur Geva, Co-Founder…

Eskom announced today the resignation of Phillip Dukashe, Group Executive for Generation. Dukashe’s last day will be on 31 May 2022. In his resignation letter and discussions with Eskom executives, Dukashe cited the critical need to achieve balance for the benefit of his health, family and work responsibilities. Eskom said in a statement Dukashe leaves behind a competent team to ensure sustainability of the Generation Division. Rhulani Mathebula will act in the interim as the Group Executive for Generation while the recruitment process is initiated. Rhulani is a seasoned Power Station General Manager and had acted as Group Executive Generation…

The SA Reserve Bank (SARB) is likely to again increase its interest rates next week, say economists at the Bureau for Economic Research (BER). “Against the global backdrop of more rapid policy normalisation and, importantly, the associated recent sharp weakening of the rand exchange rate, and the sustained upside risks to domestic inflation, we now expect the SA Reserve Bank (SARB) to hike the repo rate by 50bps next week,” says BER. “This is a change from the previous view for a 25bps hike at the May policy meeting. The SARB’s decision is unlikely to be unanimous.” The key question…

Gold bullion, in the form of standardised gold bars and coins, has proven its value as an investment over thousands of years appreciating on average 13.5% year on year. Traditional gold jewellery set with precious stones, on the other hand, is usually crafted from 9 or 18-karat gold and loses 80 – 90% of its value on resale and which tarnishes over time due to worthless diluting metals. Gold startup, Nebü Gold is the first African jeweller to give bullion investors the option of wearing elegant 24-karat investment-grade jewellery instead. It’s a winning idea because Nebü Gold which started just…

inq., a Convergence Partner’s company, is set to acquire Syrex, a provider of hyperconverged cloud technology solutions in South Africa. The strategic acquisition bolsters an already robust business offering from Syrex to provide innovative, reliable, and industry-leading solutions to the South African market. inq. a leading Edge computing company has today announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire Syrex for an undisclosed amount. The agreement is subject to customary conditions including approvals by the Competition Authority of South Africa and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA). Syrex is a hyperconverged solutions provider that delivers the full…

SA’s Voucher System, mybux, has seen its growth reaching new heights while adding more countries to its system. Founded in Cape Town,  mybux is currently operating in over 14 African countries including Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda, South Africa, and more, the company has been experiencing a steady monthly growth of 25% and processing over 20 million vouchers a month. As it continues to grow, by the end of 2022, mybux is anticipated to process double the amount. Today, it processes on average between six to ten transactions a second, 24 hours a day, and services the biggest sports betting platforms…

In a little over a year since its launch, Africa’s fastest-growing video-on-demand streaming platform Wi-flix has passed the 1 million-plus paid subscriptions and 300 000 plus customer milestone. The online streaming platform has grown quickly in recent months with more content and distribution partnerships and more titles being added to its library resulting in major customer attraction. To celebrate this milestone, Wi-flix is offering the first 1000 customers to use the code WIFLIX1MILLION, a FREE access for 48 hours to binge all their favourite movies, series, kids content and live tv shows. Co-Founder and Chief Commercial and Technology Officer at…

Rand Merchant Bank (RMB), the corporate and investment banking business of FirstRand Limited, today announced that Emrie Brown has been appointed chief executive effective 1 October 2022. Brown will take over from current chief executive, James Formby, who will hand over the role after seven years as RMB CEO. Said current RMB CEO, James Formby: “I am delighted to be able to pass the baton to someone of Emrie’s talent and experience. The time is right to hand over and I have the right person to hand over to.” Brown began her career with RMB in 2001 as a transactor and…

Vodacom’s pledge to halve its environmental impact by 2025 is well underway with a target set to accelerate the reduction of greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions. Within the next three years, Vodacom aims to diversify its energy mix which includes buying electricity needed for its operations from 100% renewable-energy sources. This target will have a huge impact on Vodacom’s pledge, as electricity consumption is the primary source of the TechCo’s GHG emissions. Furthermore, by actioning this target, Vodacom will contribute nationally to a transition to a low carbon economy thereby helping government achieve its Paris Agreement goal, which requires countries to cut…

The Shoprite Group is fighting food waste by adopting various technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). South Africa wastes up to 10.3 million tons of food each year – and this is a problem the Shoprite Group is tackling from multiple angles. Food waste is not just a front to the hungry in a country where 2.5 million people experience hunger weekly. It also has significant environmental and economic implications. Food is wasted across the supply chain, from farm to fork. It is a complex issue, which is why Africa’s largest food retailer has adopted systematic and comprehensive…