Author: Staff Writer
MTN SA is investing to modernise existing and deploying new network infrastructure across the KwaZulu-Natal province. The R700 million investment, which is an addition to the R500 million invested in 2021, will go toward MTN’s “Modernisation of Network South Africa project” (MONZA) as well as expanded rural reach, 5G expansion and restoration of vandalised network infrastructure. “The KZN investment forms part of plans to modernise the entire MTN network, 68% of which has already been completed nationally, with an additional 1350 sites to be finalised, and around 200 top areas covered across SA, by the end of 2022”, says Matthew…
Vodacom invested over R1 billion in the last financial year to enable more communities in both the Western Cape’s urban and rural areas to reap the benefits of connectivity. This forms part of the company’s commitment to building a digitally inclusive society, where increased access to online essential services and information, employment and education platforms, digital marketplaces and much more can help to promote socio-economic empowerment and close the digital divide. “Our purpose-led goal at Vodacom is to ensure digital inclusion for all. By expanding our network coverage and capacity and upgrading existing base station sites across the Western Cape,…
Technological innovation is changing retail value chains and channel experiences in exciting ways – we only need to consider the metaverse for a glimpse into the possibilities. For tech-savvy consumers who are demanding a 360-degree offering from brands, the lines between digital and in-store retail experiences are becoming increasingly blurred. The COVID-19 pandemic influenced shopping habits and globally, people are now more at ease with going online. Insights from The Future Shopper 2021 Report support this fact, with 60% saying they are now more comfortable with technology, while 64% prefer to shop with brands offering both online and in-store services.…
BrandMed Group, a South African connected healthcare company, has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS), to provide affordable and accessible health and wellbeing solutions across the continent. BrandMed, founded in 2014, is already a leader in the development of a unique and fully integrated, digital, end-to-end solution to address outcomes and value-based care for patients with chronic lifestyle and non-communicable-diseases (NCDs). The company has been instrumental in enabling healthcare providers to participate in a digital future and will now be in the unique position to expand its services to individuals and communities. Value-based healthcare is a…
The Department of Employment and Labour and Huawei Technologies South Africa, have reached an out of court settlement, following the department’s application to the Labour Court on 11 February 2022. The Department has accepted Huawei South Africa’s employment equity plan which addresses equitable representation of South Africans to above 50% within 3 years, especially from designated groups as defined in the Employment Equity Act. In addition, in a joint attempt to address South Africa’s digital divide and ICT skills gap, Huawei and DoEL have agreed to collaborate on skilling the unemployed, which is an investment in youth upskilling and employment;…
Google today announced the participants in Google for Startups Accelerator Africa Class 7. The selected startups are developing solutions in areas such as healthcare, education, fleet management, logistics automation and recruiting. This seventh class includes 15 tech startups from seven African countries, with Cote D’Ivoire joining for the first time. The class was selected from thousands of applications, with final selection based on product stage, program alignment and market fit. Over the next three months, they will work with Google mentors and facilitators learning best practices on a range of topics including Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, organisational culture, growth strategies…
To simplify business for small, micro, and medium enterprises, Telkom Financial Services has launched the Telkom Pay Mobile Point-of-Sale (mPOS) app, a FinTech tool that allows business owners to make and receive payments through their mobile phones. The app serves as a speed point machine in your pocket that can be used anytime and anywhere. Telkom is committed to providing SMMEs with solutions that will enable them to fully participate in the digital economy. Through the app, business owners can register and receive payments in a matter of minutes. Telkom Financial Services managing executive Sibusiso Ngwenya said “The COVID-19 pandemic has…
Huawei, one of the world’s largest technology providers, is optimising its travel and navigation experience with enhanced features on Petal Maps. Following its rollout across Africa during the second quarter of 2021, the app is now available for users with a limited, weak, or non-existent internet signal, as they can download the maps of cities they wish to discover in advance and enjoy access regardless of their connectivity. Fast and accurate updates in real-time and in multiple languages guarantee smooth sailing with no interruption from distracting ads as users explore surroundings on foot, on bike or by car with seamless…
MediaTek, a global fabless semiconductor company powering nearly two billion connected devices every year, today launched the Dimensity 700 and Dimensity 1200 chips across the African market with unrivaled AI, camera and multimedia features for powerful 5G experiences. This launch of chipsets will give device makers a full suite of options for 5G smartphone models – from premium to mainstream market devices – making 5G more accessible for consumers everywhere. “MediaTek continues to expand its 5G portfolio with highly integrated solutions for a range of devices from the high-end to the mid-tier,” said Rami Osman, Director for Corporate Sales and…
At MWC 2022 held in Barcelona earlier this month, Safaricom, Close the Gap and Huawei received the Global Mobile GLOMO Award in recognition of the TECH4ALL DigiTruck project’s outstanding contribution to the UN’s sustainable development goals. The DigiTruck project was launched in Kenya for the first time in 2019. It was launched by Huawei in collaboration with international NGO Close the Gap, Kenya’s Ministry for ICT, Computer for Schools Kenya, GSMA and operator Safaricom. The project aims to bring digital technology to resource-poor regions and enable people to receive quality education and improve their lives. By the end of 2020,…
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) South Africa has announced two new appointments to the country’s leadership team. Michael Langeveld has been appointed as Chief Technology Officer and Celeste Le Grange assumes the position of Head of Channel, Commercial, Mid-Market and SMB. These appointments will help accelerate HPE’s strategy of becoming the edge-to-cloud company by giving our customers the cloud experience everywhere with HPE GreenLake. “I am delighted to welcome Michael Langeveld and Celeste Le Grange to my leadership team to help us to continue our momentum in South Africa,” said Sandile Dube, Acting Managing Director for South Africa, HPE. “Both Michael…
The latest South African Customer Satisfaction Index (SA-csi) for Life Insurance (2021) conducted by Consulta reveals how satisfied customers are with their life insurers over the last year. The benchmark measurement for Life Insurance (2021) provides important insights into the levels of customer satisfaction of South Africa’s major life insurers – 1Life Insurance, Absa Life, Discovery Life, FNB Life, Metropolitan, Old Mutual, Sanlam and Standard Bank Life Insurance. The index surveyed over 2100 customers of SA’s largest life insurers by market share during the last quarter of 2021. “Two years into the pandemic and it is clear that any excuses…
Financial technology insurance consultancy Askari has concluded an agreement with Hollard Mozambique Insurance to launch its digital strategy targeting cross-border trucking fleets. Vehicles travelling across South Africa and the Mozambique border must have third-party motor insurance and the insurance digitisation process completed in January this year will help to further eliminate potential fraudulent practices while also improving the user experience for customers. Gary Wild, CEO of Askari says, “before embarking of this digitisation process, the insurance processes at the border were paper-based and riddled with inefficiencies, and for many others they still are. Now, the wait for cash to exchange…
TymeBank, one of the world’s fastest growing digital banks, has partnered with National HealthCare Group to bring quality, affordable medical insurance to consumers, through the launch of TymeHealth, an app-based offering that provides medical insurance for as little as R139 a month. Statistics show that just 8,9 million South Africans are covered by a medical scheme, with the high costs of contributions making membership of a medical aid unaffordable for most of the population. Tauriq Keraan, TymeBank CEO says: “Our country has a population of just over 60-million people, and the dire reality is only one in seven South Africans…
After remaining unchanged at 43 points in the fourth quarter of 2021, the RMB/BER Business Confidence Index (BCI) increased to 46 in the first quarter of 2022. Although this is just below the neutral-50 mark reached in the second half of last year, the latest reading is nonetheless encouraging in that it equals the BCI’s long-term average which, at 46, is a far cry from the five-index-point low recorded at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Figure 1: RMB/BER Business Confidence Index Source: BER, SARB (Shaded areas represent economic downswings) The fieldwork for the first quarter survey was…
Jaguar has unveiled its third all-electric virtual gaming sports car – the Jaguar Vision Gran Turismo Roadster. Jaguar’s latest all-electric virtual race car joins the grid for the launch of Gran Turismo 7 – the latest and most immersive iteration yet of the world-renowned racing game. The Jaguar Vision Gran Turismo Roadster is an all-electric single-seater that combines the race-proven powertrain from the Coupé with a taut, sculpted form inspired by the iconic, timeless Jaguar D-type. “As a car designer, being part of the team that has delivered three virtual cars for the Gran Turismo series has been a dream…
A private sector-driven task force will provide small businesses with instant financial assistance to survive the latest round of load shedding. It was re-initiated in Cape Town at the end of 2021. The “SME Load shedding Task Force” was launched by Lulalend, a fin-tech business that offers real time business funding to South African small businesses and which counts the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) amongst its investors. Lulalend CEO Trevor Gosling says the task force has been reinstated to prioritise applications and provide an almost instant response to businesses in crisis due to load shedding. Many small…
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) announced it had commenced with the Opt-In Phase of the spectrum auction process in line with its commitment for the licensing of high demand spectrum today. ICASA said in a statement that bidders submitted their bids in person between 10h00 and 12h00 this morning, and the bids’ evaluation was carried out in front of all authorised representatives following the close of the bids’ submission window. Even though there were four bidders who were eligible to bid, only three bidders submitted valid bids, namely Cell C, Rain Networks and Telkom, said ICASA. The…
Nearly a third of South Africa’s small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) see digitisation as a challenge. Many are unsure about what to prioritise or feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of technology decisions to make, often without the support of IT departments or chief information officers (CIOs) that guide larger businesses. This is why V-Hub was created. Launched by Vodacom Business, V-Hub is an online resource portal, specifically designed to help SMEs unlock their full potential as they embark on a digital transformation journey. “Adopting the right digital solutions will help SMEs become more agile and resilient, enabling them to…
Avo super app by Nedbank has grown beyond the bank’s expectations, further solidifying its place in the e-commerce space as it reaches the milestone of 1 million customers. The banking group said it had seen exponential growth and have doubled customer base in the last 4 months, with a staggering 50% of that being achieved in the last 4 weeks. Avo is becoming one of South Africa’s preferred destinations for online consumers, as it continues to lead the way in offering inflation-busting deals and promotions. Consumers are spoilt for choice with an ever-expanding selection of restaurants and liquor outlets with…
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) has published a brief on the process for the imminent auction of high-demand radio frequency spectrum. ICASA said it stands ready for the much-anticipated and long-awaited auctioning of the International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) – also referred to as high demand – spectrum, starting on 8 March 2022. This auction process follows the recent announcement of six (6) qualified bidders for the auction. The radio frequency spectrum in the 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 2600 MHz, and 3500 MHz bands is made available through this licensing process for the purposes of providing national broadband wireless…
Airtel – India’s largest telecom service provider for customers & business – has teamed up with Axis Bank, the nation’s third-largest private sector bank, to launch what they term the “first-of-its-kind” Credit Card with exclusive benefits. The Airtel Axis Bank Credit Card benefits include pre-approved instant loans, Buy Now Pay Later offerings and many more. The alliance, with its significant reach across the country will help penetrate tier 2 and tier 3 markets by enabling higher adoption of digitized payments. Airtel Axis Bank Credit Card users will enjoy exciting rewards* on their card spends – 25% cashback on Airtel Mobile/DTH recharges, Airtel Black and…
JSE-listed Metrofile, a leading document and electronic information management specialist in Africa and the Middle East, posted a 1% rise in headline earnings per share (HEPS) for the six months to end-December 2021. HEPS is South Africa’s main profit gauge. Metrofile said revenue increased by 4% to R474 million. The company said MRM Middle East has demonstrated significant growth over the past 18 months and is now its largest region outside of South Africa for both revenue and operating profit contribution. Secure storage contributed 58% to group revenue and was down 5% year-on-year due to a 5% reduction in paper…
Sony Group Corporation (Sony) and Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda) today announced they are planning to form a strategic alliance that aims to create a new era of mobility and mobility services. The New Company plan to engage in the joint development and sales of high value-added battery electric vehicles (EVs) and commercialise them in conjunction with providing mobility services. “Sony’s Purpose is to ‘fill the world with emotion through the power of creativity and technology’, said Kenichiro Yoshida, Representative Corporate Executive Officer, Chairman, President and CEO, Sony Group Corporation. “Through this alliance with Honda, which has accumulated extensive global…
As the world looks to avert the worst of the climate crisis, it will be crucial for companies in all industries to make use of the latest innovations to ensure that they operate as sustainably as possible. For those in the ICT and digital spaces, making use of green optical networks will be crucial to their ability to do so. That was among the key messages at the Green All-Optical Network Forum 2022 hosted by IDATE, a well-known French research and analysis organisation. At the summit, all parties called for accelerating the construction of green optical networks. Huawei’s Richard Jin,…