Author: Staff Writer

Sojern, a provider of digital marketing solutions for the travel industry, today announced its expansion into South Africa to better serve partners and capitalise on the growing post-pandemic tourism boom. Stewart Smith, Sojern’s Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa, will oversee the launch having successfully rolled out Sojern’s solutions in other regions across the past eight years. “South Africa was hit harder than many countries by COVID-19, the travel industry in particular across the country was brought to its knees. In the aftermath of the Omicron variant in late 2021, the country is now in a fantastic position…

MTN Group’s Mobile Money Application Interface (API) is inviting developers across several markets to participate in an Open API Hackathon, with a challenge to create a mobile application that uses MoMo APIs for use in their markets. The hackathon will be the second conducted by MTN Group Fintech and will take place in the following countries: eSwatini, Zambia, Congo Brazzaville, Rwanda, Uganda, Cameroon, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana and Guinea Conakry. Developers will compete to create an innovative application for the markets in which they are registered, which can process financial transactions with added capabilities that go beyond processing payments and…

Dedicated Swiss blockchain investor Crypto Valley Venture Capital (CV VC) and its ecosystem company CV Labs have opened CV Labs Cape Town, the African region’s first in situ blockchain incubation and ecosystem hub. As an initiator of Crypto Valley, Switzerland – the world’s most mature blockchain hub, with an admirable regulatory landscape and 14 blockchain Unicorns, the opening of CV Labs Cape Town is a result of CV Labs actioning its renowned expertise to enable blockchain as a transformative tech in Africa. CV Labs already has blockchain hubs in Switzerland (Zug) and Liechtenstein (Vaduz). This new hub in Africa will…

Limited edition Sixty60 toy delivery motorbikes will soon be for sale on the app and in selected Checkers supermarkets across South Africa. The 1:12 scale-model motorbike features Sixty60’s well-known delivery box, which opens and closes, a kickstand and a miniature of the iconic grocery bag used in deliveries. Designed for children to play with, the toy motorbike will certainly also look the part alongside other collectables on customers’ bookshelves or in home offices. The initial idea for the model bike came during South Africa’s Covid-19 lockdowns when the arrival of a Sixty60 driver was a rare treat and glimpse into the outside world…

 inq., a Convergence Partner’s company, has received Competition Commission approval without conditions 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. This follows the announcement at the end of May this year that inq., an edge computing company, has reached an agreement to acquire Syrex for an undisclosed amount. Syrex is a hyperconverged solutions provider that delivers the full ICT services offering, from connectivity to security and tailored IT Managed Services. Furthermore, Syrex…

The launch of the BMW i4 brings electric mobility to the heart of the BMW brand. Locally emission-free driving pleasure will come to the traditional core of the midsize segment for the first time from early 2022 in South Africa. The BMW i4 is a four-door gran coupé that combines this vehicle concept’s hallmark spaciousness and practicality with the sporting ability for which BMW is renowned and a range that also convinces over long journeys. A premium character beyond that of market rivals is reflected in the high level of development of its drive system and chassis technology, its elegant…

Recently, Huawei’s Green Intelligent OptiX Network demonstrated its latest set of scenario-specific networking solutions at its Eco-Connect Johannesburg event. These solutions apply the concept “fibre to everywhere” to various industry scenarios and leverage innovative optical technologies to build secure, intelligent, ultra-broadband, efficient, reliable, and simple digital network infrastructure for various industries. The five solutions include: FTTO solution (Fibre To The Office) for campus scenarios: This solution harnesses the technical advantages of IP and optical products to build a green and simplified campus network. It simplifies the network architecture from three layers to two layers and eliminates the need for weak-current…

The massive surge in cybercrime, the ever-increasing number of threat vectors, and a critical skills shortage has left organisations feeling more vulnerable to cyberattacks than ever before. With exponentially more ransomware incidents being reported than there are skilled cybersecurity professionals available, progressive businesses are looking to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to close the gap. Every day more and more people and businesses are held to ransom as exposed vulnerabilities are exploited by criminals. Even those with robust cybersecurity strategies in place are concerned by the sheer number of business attacks, which increase in number every year. The…

Huawei has announced that its third data centre availability zone is set to go live three years ahead of schedule, as well as its R100 million Cloud Spark programme, which is set to provide support to more than 1000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) over the next three years. Both of these announcements were part of Huawei Cloud’s “Everything as a Service” approach, which is being adopted locally and globally. Speaking at the Huawei Eco-Connect event, held last week at the Sandton Convention Centre, Jay Zhou Managing Director, Huawei Cloud South Africa explained that the “Everything as a Service” approach…

Mineworkers Investment Company (MIC) today announced the launch of the second window of applications for investment through their R150 million Venture Capital initiative, MIC Khulisani Ventures. High growth potential, innovative, Black-owned businesses with ambitions of bringing innovative products or services to a bigger market are encouraged to apply. “Since inception, the initiative has allocated over R45 million in investment, to Black-owned businesses that are disrupting the Edu-tech and consumer tech industries. While the criteria for application does not significantly change this year, we are deliberate in targeting Black female-owned or led businesses” says Mary Bomela, CEO of Mineworkers Investment Company.…

FinTech-start-up MortgageMarket is the latest tech start-up to be involved in a major lifestyle residential development in South Africa; with its exclusive partnership with Orlando Towers Estates in Soweto, Johannesburg. JSE Listed construction company Raubex is the construction partner in the development with its 2800 apartments and set to break ground on 20 July 2022. MortgageMarket has utilised its state-of-the-art technology to pre-approve buyers, giving them access to their credit score and affordability in just 2-minutes. This technology enables customers to select the right apartment, based on their affordability, prior to signing a sale agreement. Over 30% of the phase…

AltX-listed 4Sight Holdings has launched an ambitious pilot programme to provide 50 young people with niche training in Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies, plus guaranteed employment on certification. The total cost for this pilot will be close to R10 million, estimates Tracy Short, COO of 4Sight. It will be based in KwaZulu Natal in order, she says, to tap into a new reservoir of talent outside of Gauteng. Sixty percent of the participants will potentially be female. She says that if the pilot project is successful, 4Sight would likely triple the intake in 2023. “To realise the potential of the…

The Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) has launched a new mobile app to allow travellers to find their favourite restaurants, also pre-book parking and save your vehicle location. The ACSA App is available for free download on Apple, Google and Huawei App stores. The App was launched on 01 July 2022. Registration is easy and simple and we have taken into consideration the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and data privacy, and passengers can also unlock their ultimate airport guide by using their email address, Google details, Facebook or Twitter accounts to sign up. Once registration is complete, users…

Philip Morris South Africa (PMSA) is accelerating its transformation to a smoke-free company with key leadership appointments. PMSA Managing Director Branislav Bibic says that “A smoke-free future is attainable, and the benefits it can bring to the adult smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke, and hence to global public health, are enormous.” “PMI’s vision is powered by the energy and passion from our people who work collaboratively to deliver positive change for adult-smokers who would otherwise continue smoking, and for the broader society. We are rapidly transforming our business and need a united team that drives purpose, creativity and…

Ring is a company on a mission to make families feel safe and allow them to watch over their most prized possessions. Cycling has become a hugely popular hobby in South Africa and more and more consumers are purchasing bikes for their weekend rides. Ring has sleek, smart cameras that allow car and bike enthusiasts to keep watch over their vehicles and garages even when they are not at home. A popular device used for this function is the Ring Spotlight Cam Battery. Positioned outside your garage, it provides you with a bright light for entering and leaving your garage.…

MyBroadband Insights has released the Q2 2022 Mobile Network Quality Report, which shows that MTN has the best mobile network in South Africa. The report is based on 325,863 speed tests which were performed by 9,386 MyBroadband Speed Test App users across South Africa between 1 April 2022 and 30 June 2022. The research shows that South Africa had an average mobile download speed of 49.92Mbps and an average upload speed of 14.84Mbps. MTN had the highest average download speed at 79.27Mbps, followed by Vodacom on 44.24Mbps, Telkom on 30.79Mbps, Cell C on 24.04Mbps and Rain on 14.55Mbps. MTN’s exceptional…

In partnership with chordCash, Digital Music and Commerce Exchange Limited (DMCE) announces the launch of a new product— Orin Fund. Orin Fund is an e-commerce marketplace holding various forms of financial products for artists across Africa. Its first product which has the name of the fund itself is in partnership with chordCash, an American company that provides a patented technology to help artists get advances on their streaming royalties. In three simple steps, any African artiste can acquire the funds they need for their project between 7-14 days. Within the next few months, Orin Fund is expanding its products to…

On 8 June 2022, the Minister of Home Affairs announced a complete overhaul of South Africa’s immigration system. The first area of change is long term visa applications by foreign nationals wishing to stay for over three months in South Africa. However, these changes have already caused a backlog in processing visa applications. Visa submissions by this group previously went through Visa and Permit Facilitation Centres (VFS Centres) or through South African Missions. Then, one of the two centres would process applications and send the outcomes directly to the foreign national. Going forward, these visa applications will be processed through…

A household food basket in South Africa currently costs South Africans R4 688.81. This is a year-on-year jump of R560.57 (a 13.6% increase from June 2022 vs June 2021) affirming how financially stretched many South Africans are feeling. Add that petrol and diesel have just recently shattered the R25 per litre ceiling for the first time, electricity woes and rising inflation across the board, pockets are being seriously pinched. In this climate, Capitec’s Live Better Programme is making a massive difference. As of July 2022, the bank has helped its clients save R639 million. By December 2022, it aims to help…

Standard Bank is launching a new virtual internship initiative to help students gain practical skills and experience that mirrors the work they will do in the world of banking. Through its investment in education and skills development, Standard Bank supports access to inclusive, quality education and lifelong learning opportunities, and helping Africa harness the opportunities of the fourth industrial revolution​. Standard Bank’s Virtual Experience Programmes provide access to critical components of workplace experience by way of content, case studies and assessments. There are no due dates to the programmes, registration is free for students, and they are open to all.…

South African businesses need to believe in broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) again if they’re going to make the most of their investments and the biggest impact on the country’s economy, says the founder of local venture builder and business incubator Aions Creative Technology, Mitchan Adams. For most businesses, B-BBEE has become about saving as much money as possible while getting the maximum points. That’s not surprising, as enterprise and supplier development (ESD) can comprise up to 40% of the B-BBEE scorecard. But in the rush to get their points and be compliant, they’re missing opportunities to be both cost-effective…

The Shoprite Group is offering all-inclusive bursaries for the 2023 academic year to high-performing students enrolled for degrees in Accounting, Information Technology, UI Design, Food Science and more. Every year the Group supports on average 300 students, at an investment of more than R17 million, with bursaries which cover tuition fees and on-campus accommodation. Bursary holders also have access to Shoprite’s employee wellness programme which includes access to medical advice, counselling services, financial coaching, legal advice and more. With a work-back agreement upon graduation, bursary holders are guaranteed employment and will benefit from invaluable practical experience and strong career growth…

The Spar Group has launched The Food Stall, which is rolling out across the deli service counters across many stores nationwide. The first Food Stall served customers in Ladysmith KwaZulu-Natal in April this year and since then, Greendale Superspar, Nqutu Superspar, Hillcrest KWIKSPAR and many more Spar stores have adopted this concept. According to Pianca Meintjies, Spar Group Home Meal Replacement Manager, The Food Stall will be a continuous focus for SPAR, with more being launched weekly. She adds that The Food Stall at Spar is community-focused and aims to provide customers with so many choices that they don’t have…

African insurtech aYo Holdings has launched a WhatsApp channel in its markets across Africa to make it easier for its customers to communicate with the company without the need for phone calls or in-person interactions. The new channel will allow aYo’s customers to submit documents as part of the claims process and access content like FAQs, videos, voice notes, and brochures using WhatsApp. Eventually, the company plans to build out the channel to the point where customers can sign up for cover and submit claims. The new WhatsApp channel is the result of a newly signed partnership with Clickatell, which…

How the customer is served has been one of the biggest evolutions in the retail industry’s digital transformation journey. Today’s customer wants omnichannel options, and each channel, whether in-store or online, must be a well-oiled machine delivering seamless, effective service. Today’s customer also prefers retailers to understand their needs and cater to them with greater personalisation than ever before. “Meeting these customer needs requires a connected, digitised supply chain,” says Lerato Motsoeneng, Managing Executive for Retail and Logistics at Vodacom Business. “Without the right digital infrastructure in place, retailers can’t evolve their user experience.” This infrastructure enables the creation of a…