Browse every article
10,682 articles
28-year old SMME owner boosts economic growth
A 28-year old PhD student and SMME owner has opened a new chemical manufacturing plant in Pietermaritzburg after struggling to get her small business off the ground over the past few years. Nomandla Ngcoya opened her plant, which will employ at least ten people to manufacture detergents and cosmetics, at the weekend. Ngcoya opened her
Parler will relaunch on Apple’s App Store next week
The embattled social network Parler is slated to reappear on iOS on the week of April 26th, following its re-acceptance into Apple’s App Store earlier today. However, the iOS app will block some content that’s available on the Android and web versions of Parler — a compromise that apparently satisfies Apple’s developer guidelines. Parler announced
Zimbabwe boasts a 7.4% growth forecast on improved farm output
Zimbabwe’s Treasury is sticking to its economic growth estimate of 7.4%, even after the nation’s president said the projection would have to be lowered. The forecast is achievable after the country had good rains that will boost farm output to the highest in four years, Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said in an interview Tuesday with
Sony launches ‘Silent White’ WH-1000XM4 headphones
Sony is releasing a limited edition of the WH-1000XM4 headphones in all white. Better still, it’s real white, not that orthopedic brown Sony’s being trying to pass off as “silver” all these years. Sony promises these “Silent White” headphones will be “even more stain-resistant,” which will hopefully help keep them looking pristine for at least
MTN chops down prepaid data prices
MTN South Africa has decided chop down on prepaid data prices, reducing the cost of 10GB of data (including another 10GB for use at certain times of the night) to R149. The new MTN BozzaGigs LTE tariff plan also offers 10GB (5GB plus 5GB night-time data) for R99 and comes a week after Vodacom cut
Absa CEO Daniel Mminele steps down after dispute over strategy
Absa Group CEO Daniel Mminele has stepped down, the bank said on Tuesday, a shock departure just 15 months into his post that sent shares in one of Africa’s biggest lenders down as much as 5%. Mminele, a former deputy central bank governor, took the reins at Absa from long-time boss Maria Ramos in January
MetroFibre buys Link Africa’s fibre assets in Gauteng, KZN
MetroFibre, the fibre telecommunications company that recently concluded a R2.5-billion debt funding round, said on Monday that it is buying Link Africa’s fibre-to-the-home network in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. The deal, the value of which has not been disclosed, is effective from 1 April, with a “transition period” that is expected to be completed by the end of June,
Google introducing a feature in Chrome 90 to create links to highlighted text on a webpage
An upcoming feature in Chrome 90 will allow users to create a link to a section of a website that they’ve highlighted. First launched as a browser extension called Link to Text Fragment last year, Google has now added the feature within Chrome itself. The new feature is still rolling out to users; I wasn’t
Co-founder of Adobe and co-inventor of the PDF, has died at 81
Charles “Chuck” Geschke, a co-founder of Adobe who helped develop the PDF, has died at age 81, the company said in a statement. “This is a huge loss for the entire Adobe community and the technology industry, for whom he has been a guide and hero for decades,” Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen said in an
Showmax reduces mobile streaming plan to R39/month
Showmax, the video streaming platform launched by DStv parent MultiChoice Group, has cut the price of its mobile-only plan to R39/month, from R49 previously. The video streamer said on Monday that Showmax mobile subscribers across Africa will pay, on average, 20% less (20.4% less in South Africa), giving them the full Showmax catalogue, though only viewable
FNB launches MoneyGram on App for customers
19 April 2021: FNB and MoneyGram’s longstanding partnership has now made the world of remittances easier for customers to send and receive money across borders. Clients can now complete their MoneyGram transactions on the FNB App, from anywhere. Previously, MoneyGram services could only be accessed via Cellphone Banking, ATM or in branch. To perform a
Amazon tries to bully Ecobee into collecting private user data
Amazon tried to use its power to coerce Ecobee into using its smart home products to collect user data by threatening Ecobee’s ability to sell its products on Amazon, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. As of now, Ecobee’s products can still be purchased on Amazon, but the WSJ claims that negotiations
Free Market Foundation calls for the legalization of spectrum trading in SA
The prohibition on the private ownership and free trading of radio frequency spectrum is an “artefact” that has “neither a technological basis nor is supported by economic theory”. This is the view of the Free Market Foundation (FMF), which this week published a socioeconomic impact assessment on spectrum. It found in its report that spectrum trading
Nigeria cleans up its energy act
Nigeria is one of the most underpowered countries in the world. Despite being Africa’s largest economy, its per capita consumption of electricity is just 150 kilowatts per hour (kWh), compared with 3,500 kWh in the continent’s second largest economy, South Africa. According to PwC, only one in five people has access to power from the
Capitec is pulling the plug on its old banking app
Capitec has announced that it will ‘switch off’ its old app at the end of the month – 30 April 2021. “We’re switching off our old app on 30 April,” the lender said. “Don’t worry, our new Capitec Bank app has everything you love and more. You don’t have to visit a branch to get
African agriculture sector continues to draw high interest from investors
The trade and investment landscape in Africa has continued to draw interest from lenders, particularly in West Africa, with notable changes in origination strategies. In Q1 2021, Orbitt reported a 26% increase in the number of unique enquiries from lenders originating funding opportunities when compared with the same period in 2020. Some lenders have seemingly
FNB terminates Ayo Technology's banking facilities
First National Bank has terminated the banking facilities it provides to Iqbal Survé’s Ayo Technology Solutions, Ayo said in a statement to shareholders after markets closed in Johannesburg on Thursday. “Shareholders are advised that the company’s current bankers, First National Bank, have given the company notice to close its transactional banking facility with effect from 3
From small-time farming to supplying Shoprite and Checkers with about three tons of spinach
Though Kepas Melodi’s farming enterprise started off small, it has since grown into a sizeable operation that has seen him operate from communal land, based in Hazyview and employ nine people full-time. He’s also managed a partnership with a major retailer and learnt valuable lessons. His is a story that may motivate other would-be farmers
Facebook signs renewable energy deal with India
Facebook has signed a deal to buy renewable energy in India from a local firm’s wind power project, the social media giant’s first such deal in the South Asian nation, the companies said on Thursday. The 32 megawatt wind power project, located in southern Karnataka state, is part of a larger portfolio of wind and
Kennedy Bungane appointed as African Bank CEO
African Bank has appointed Kennedy Bungane – a former Standard Bank, Absa Group and Barclays Africa executive – as its new CEO effective from April 14. Announcing the move on Thursday morning, African Bank noted Bungane “brings over 20 years of banking experience” to the position. Bungane, who was most recently CEO of Phembani Group,