Company News
Mastercard and Zimswitch Partner to Transform Payments Sector in Zimbabwe
Mastercard and Zimswitch have partnered in an attempt to modernise Zimbabwe’s payment infrastructure – something that the companies believe will support the country’s Reserve Bank’s vision of an interoperable payment system that supports inclusive economic growth and boosts the digital economy. “We see this partnership as a positive development that will help us achieve our long-standing vision and our strategic plan to modernise payments systems and infrastructure, and build an inclusive financial sector that supports the socio-economic development of the country,” says John Mangudya, Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. Utilising Mastercard’s global network, Zimswitch will launch a co-branded contactless card programme that features EMV technology to enable safer, smarter and more s...
Spotify Lite Marks 1 Year Milestone
Sourced from Android Police It has been an entire year since Spotify introduced the world to its lite app – Spotify Lite. The app was built from the ground up based on user feedback and has allowed millions of listeners in areas with limited bandwidth and phone storage to enjoy audio wherever they are. In the 12 months since launch, listeners in 38 markets have enjoyed and discovered thousands of new artists and podcasts while easily controlling their data and storage. Even though some Lite users are, literally, on opposite sides of the world, they share some interesting listening patterns. For one, Mondays and Sundays are the top days for streaming, and lunch is the most common time to listen to music and podcasts. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_171.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_1...
Telkom Makes Changes to Board of Directors
Image sourced from Bandwidth Blog Telkom has made two changes to its board of directors – the appointment of Alphonzo Samuels as a non-executive director with effect from 1 January 2021, as well as Hemmanth (Herman) Singh as an independent non-executive director with effect from 25 September 2020. This comes after the telco revealed that Santie Botha and Khanyisile Kweyama, both independent non-executive directors, have made the decision to retire, with effect from 25 September 2020 and 31 December 2020 respectively. Samuels holds a Bachelor of Technology degree from UNISA and is said to be a seasoned executive with more than 35 years’ experience in the telecommunications industry. He also completed an Executive Development Program and a Program for Enterprise Leadership. He is well-positi...
UnionPay and Interswitch Partner to Digitise Payments across Africa
UnionPay International and Interswitch East Africa have partnered to support digitalization across the continent, allowing cardholders and merchants within the region to transact seamlessly and conveniently across various platforms on the global UPI network. The agreement with Interswitch will facilitate UnionPay card acceptance across ATMs, Points-of-Sale, QR Payments and online payments, thereby consolidating the existing partnership with Interswitch in West Africa, helping to drive wider acceptance on the continent. These initiatives are expected to ultimately enhance the current payment landscape and in turn, improve the lives of the mass markets in Africa. “UPI and Interswitch East Africa share a mission to provide convenient and secure payment solutions across Africa, and this p...
Luno is Acquired by Global Blockchain Investor
South African-founded Luno has been acquired by Digital Currency Group (DCG) – a global enterprise that builds, buys and invests in blockchain companies. Luno began in South Africa in 2013. It now has five million customers spanning over 40 countries as well as almost 400 employees based in London, Singapore and South Africa. Led by co-founder and CEO Marcus Swanepoel, Luno has become a digital asset powerhouse in many emerging and frontier markets, providing digital asset education, knowledge, and investment tools for individuals in Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe. The company is a leading exchange in several countries that have the highest percentage of cryptocurrency ownership, including South Africa (third-highest of its citizens owning digital currencies), Nigeria (fifth-highe...
Rubrik moves to Leaders in Gartner Magic Quadrant
Risna Steenkamp, General Manager: ESM Division at Networks Unlimited Africa Rubrik, which simplifies backup and recovery for hybrid cloud environments, has joined the Leaders section in the Gartner Backup and Recovery Magic Quadrant. According to the global research and advisory firm’s criteria, this implies that Rubrik is a company that executes well today, and is additionally well-positioned for tomorrow, when measured against its completeness of vision and ability to execute. Rubrik is distributed throughout Africa by value-added distributor, Networks Unlimited Africa. Risna Steenkamp, General Manager: ESM Division at Networks Unlimited Africa, clarifies, “Previously, Rubrik was placed in the Visionary section of the Backup and Recovery Magic Quadrant. According to Gartner’s evalu...
Vodafone Foundation to Expand ‘Ambulance taxi’ Programme in Africa
The Vodafone Foundation has announced that it will commit $28 million to expand its ‘ambulance taxi’ programme beyond Tanzania for the first time to sub-Saharan African countries. The programme is expected to initially expand to Lesotho, with a co-investment of $4.5 million by the Foundation and the Government of Lesotho. Lesotho has one of the highest rates of maternal mortality in the world, and the programme could potentially save 200 lives over the next four years alone. “Vodafone Foundation shares the commitment of the Government of Lesotho to reduce maternal mortality and contribute to the UN’s health goal. Our long-term investment of US$28 million to expand m-mama within sub-Saharan Africa will save the lives of thousands of women through an emergency service that governments can af...
Google Launches Android 11
Image sourced from The Verge Google has launched the highly-anticipated Android 11 – the latest version of its mobile operating system – to a number of users who own select Pixel, OnePlus, Xiaomi, OPPO or realme devices. The tech company says that this update has been optimised for how people use their phones – “giving you powerful device controls. And easier ways to manage conversations, privacy settings and so much more”. Here are some of Android 11’s key features: Accessibility /* custom css */ .tdi_3_433.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_433.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } Voice Access – Intuitive labels on apps help you control and navigate your phone, all by speaking out loud. Even use Voice Access offline, for more support whenever you need it. Talkback braille ke...
MultiChoice South Africa CEO Resigns
Image sourced from The Vanguard Nigeria MultiChoice South Africa has revealed that CEO Mark Rayner has resigned – “it is with great regret that today we announced the departure of Mark Rayner from MultiChoice, effect 30 November 2020.” “Having been part of the MultiChoice family for the past 14 years leading in various parts of the group, Mark Rayner has now decided to further his journey outside the group.” MyBroadband reports that Rayner began working at the company in 2007 where “he served as the CFO of DStv Mobile until September 2008, after which he took the helm at the company”. The African entertainment company ads that an announcement on Rayner’s successor will be made in the near future. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_f46.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_f46.td-a-rec-img img{ marg...
Microsoft Unveils the Xbox Series S
Microsoft has officially revealed the Xbox Series S – shortly after visuals of the gaming console were leaked online. In a tweet, the tech company says “Let’s make it official! Xbox Series S”. This marks the first official look at the new console as well as its price tag ($299), additionally, Microsoft revealed that this is their “smallest” Xbox ever. 👀 Let’s make it official! Xbox Series S | Next-gen performance in the ˢᵐᵃˡˡᵉˢᵗ Xbox ever. $299 (ERP). Looking forward to sharing more! Soon. Promise. pic.twitter.com/8wIEpLPVEq — Xbox (@Xbox) September 8, 2020 The Series X and Series S are expected to launch on 10 November, with the previously announced Series X selling for an ERP of $499. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_5f8.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_5f8.td-a-rec-img img{ margin...
Cash Crusaders Launches eCommerce Service in South Africa
Second-hand goods chain, Cash Crusaders has built and launched ‘Click & Collect’, the first instalment in taking their retail business online. “Although we’ve been planning the launch of eCommerce for our business for a while, COVID-19 rapidly increased the rate in which we rolled the service out,” says Sean Stegmann, CEO of Cash Crusaders Franchising. “As discussed in our recent 702’s Franchising for Future Success webinar, with shopper behaviours changing somewhat, the timing was perfect for us to aggressively embrace our digitisation strategy. We started with our WhatsApp Video service back in June and have gone live with our Click & Collect service.” The company says that this service will cater for both private label new goods as well as second-hand goods and works off a live ...
Eutelsat and Paratus Partner to Increase Connectivity in South Africa
Eutelsat and Paratus have partnered to bring high-quality network connectivity to South Africa. Thanks to a new multi-year distribution agreement, Paratus will leverage Eutelsat Konnect in an attempt to connect remote and rural locations, businesses operating in farming, game farms and the SME segment and consumers, for home working, homeschooling and general Internet use across the country. Through this collaboration, Paratus will offer a number of 10, 20 and 30 Mbps packages to consumers – all will 24/7 technical support and using small, cost-efficient dishes. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_e5f.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_e5f.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } “Getting connectivity in remote locations is not easy; while the price is key to attracting customers, the quality of n...
