Company News
Nedbank Unveils ‘First in Africa’ Contactless Payments Solution
Nedbank is testing a new contactless payments solution that allows all merchants and business owners to convert their mobile phones into ‘payment acceptance devices’. In a first for Africa, Nedbank is currently the only bank to offer this capability. The ‘Tap-on-Phone’ solution is said to make it easier for SMEs to use their compatible smartphones to accept quick, easy, and secure, payments from their customers for goods or services. Nedbank says that this solution, which is inspired by the current COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting social distancing rules, enables contactless payment acceptance and there’s no health risk to the merchant or customer. “The challenges presented by COVID-19 demand that the world of payments evolves even quicker, and banks must respond by providing innovative...
Google Rolls Out Dark Mode on G Suite Apps
Image sourced from Google Google has announced that it will be rolling out dark mode across Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps on Android. According to the company, the new theme will “intelligently adjust the product interface and user-generated content in ways that can make it more usable in low-light environments and save battery life”. The new theme, which is expected to roll out to all users within the next two weeks, will come about automatically for users who’s Android system is already set to use dark mode. But Google says that users can also turn dark mode on or off for Docs, Sheets, or Slides independently – and if users do this, each app will always be in the selected theme regardless of the Android system settings. Here’s how to enable the theme: Open the Docs, Sheets, or Slides app...
Nedbank Takes Home 5 Accolades at the 2020 Global Banking and Finance Awards
Image sourced from Nedbank Nedbank had revealed that it walked home with five accolades at this year’s International Banker Awards for the Middle East and Africa. These awards included recognition for the Best Banking Technology Implementation, Most Innovative Digital Branch Design, and Most Innovative Retail Banking App in South Africa in 2020. Nedbank also took top honours as the Best Retail Bank in South Africa for the second consecutive year, and Nedbank CIO, Fred Swanepoel was announced CIO of the Year in South Africa in the Technology Leadership Awards category. According to Ciko Thomas, Group Managing Executive for Nedbank Retail & Business Banking, the numerous awards validate Nedbank’s commitment to constant innovation – particularly in the digital space. “Nedbank’s continuous...
Showmax Launches New Live-streaming Service in Kenya and Nigeria
Showmax is launching a new service – Showmax Pro – which will initially roll out in Nigeria and Kenya. The service will bundle the existing Showmax entertainment service with music channels, news and live sport streaming from SuperSport. Showmax Pro features all Premier League, Serie A, La Liga and PSL games, as well as a wide range of other live sport events. Here’s a closer look at Showmax Pro’s offerings: Showmax Showmax Pro Showmax Showmax Mobile Showmax Pro Showmax Pro Mobile Series, movies, kids’ shows, documentaries ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ IAAF Athletics, pro boxing, major international marathons, & more – – ✓ ✓ Music channels Trace Urban, Trace Gospel – – ✓ ✓ News channels Africa News, Euronews, Newzroom Afrika – – ✓ ✓ Football: all Premier League, Serie A, PSL and La Liga games – – ✓ ✓ Number...
INTERVIEW: Driving Digital Transformation for South African Businesses with Logicalis
International IT solutions and managed services provider, Logicalis has announced the availability of its globally renowned Cisco integration expertise in South Africa. This move speaks to how the group has added another string to its bow as the company evolves towards a new brand positioning, as Architects of Change. ITNA’s Jenna Delport chatted to Morne Laubscher, CTO of Logicalis, about how Logicalis and the tech industry as a whole is shifting to achieve digital transformation – here’s what transpired: Logicalis is said to be positioning the company as an architect of change – what exactly does becoming an architect of change mean, especially in such a fast-paced industry? With this fourth industrial revolution, we find ourselves in the exponential growth of innovation and digital serv...
UK to Phase Out 5G Technology from Huawei
Image sourced from Onties British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson is reportedly planning to phase out the use of 5G network technology supplied by Huawei in as little as six months – this comes after the UK’s national intelligence agency, GCHQ, flagged new security fears over the Chinese technology company. A report from the GCHQ is said to rule that new US sanctions on Huawei have had a ‘serve’ impact and will force the company to use untrusted technology that could make the risk impossible to control. According to Bloomberg, UK officials have already set about drafting proposals to stop installing new Huawei equipment in the 5G network and to speed up the removal of technology that is already in place. In response to the news, a spokesperson from the tech company says that “Huawei is the m...
Uplogix Supports Remote Network Management with Optimal Security
During this global pandemic, network security and reliability is more critical than ever – IT managers need to know that their network is locked down inside and out, and be able to prove it. With the average cost of a security breach increasing annually, all organisations need reliable network security. At the same time, there has been a global rise in cybersecurity incidents, including in South Africa, simply because more people than ever before have been working from home while practising social distancing. Risna Steenkamp, General Manager: ESM at value-added distributor Networks Unlimited Africa, explains, “Employees around the globe had to transition from an on-premises work environment to remote working, and organisations had to adapt their networks accordingly – many of them in a rel...
Vodacom Nigeria Appoints New MD
Vodacom Business Africa announced that it has appointed Valentine Chime as the new managing director for its Nigeria operations. Chime joins the Company from Aruwa Capital, a private equity company investing across West Africa. Prior to this, he was at Kaizen Venture Partners, a private equity company focused on distressed assets. He has held various C-suite positions in a number of portfolio companies in different sectors. As MD, Chime will drive the Company’s vision of becoming Africa’s leading cloud and digital service provider, bringing to market a very relevant suite of next-generation technology solutions in the fields of Edge AI, SD-WAN/NFV and Cloud. “Vodacom Business Africa is well-known and very respected in the industry, and I look forward to taking up this mission. COVID-19 has...
Facebook and Instagram Now Remind Users to Wear ‘Face Coverings’
Facebook and Instagram have taken it upon themselves to remind users to wear face masks, this comes after a surge in positive COVID-19 cases in the US – there’s no word yet on whether or not this alert will rollout worldwide. Essentially, the social platforms will plaster an alert at the top of the respective apps – Facebook users will then be able to navigate the reminder for more tips by opting to visit the COVID-19 Information Center while Instagram users will be directed to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more information. “With the rise in COVID-19 cases in the US, we’re putting an alert at the top of Facebook and Instagram to remind everyone to wear face coverings and find more prevention tips from the CDC in our COVID-19 Information Center,” reads a statement from...
M-PESA is Close to a 99% Market Share in Kenya
Sourced from Tech Weez. As of 31 March 2020, the number of registered mobile money subscriptions in Kenya was 29.1 million. This space is dominated by Safaricom with M-PESA having a 98.8% market share. The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) reports that Airtel Money comes in a far, far second at 1.1%, and third is T-Kash at a 0.05% share. Equitel, which is regarded more as a banking product than a mobile money service was not ranked by the CA. Launched in 2007, M-PESA has become a Kenyan stable, with Tech Weez writing that as of right now the service and its products are symbiotic with the country’s economy so far as to be impossible to run a business without it, or any other mobile money platform. M-PESA’s success has also firmly planted Kenya in the world map, the service is consider...
HPE South Africa Appoints Two New Roles
Sourced from Silicon Angle Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) South Africa has recently appointed Sandile Dube and Tumi Kgonare as its new Sales and Channel Manager and Distribution Team Lead respectively. These appointments are said to bolster HPE’s support in the local market whilst providing support to channel partners. Dube and Kgonare bring with them a wealth of industry knowledge, with more than 30 years’ combined experience in various ICT roles including sales, channel and distribution, product management and marketing. Before joining HPE South Africa, Dube was the sales head for Britehouse, a division of Dimension Data Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Kgonare the Partner Business Manager for HP Inc. Commenting on her new role, Kgonare says she is excited to be at the forefront of ent...
MTN Appoints New CEOs in Benin and Cameroon
Image sourced from Pinterest. MTN has appointed new CEOs for two of its West African operations, MTN Cameroon and MTN Benin. Stephen Blewett, the current CEO of MTN Benin, will take the helm at MTN Cameroon on 1 August 2020 when Uche Ofodile, the current CEO of MTN Liberia, will become the CEO of MTN Benin. “I would like to congratulate Stephen and Uche on their appointments,” says MTN Group president and CEO, Rob Shuter. “Both are renowned for harnessing the power of people to move businesses forward. This is evident in the significant improvements in employee engagement, as well as overall performance, at MTN’s operations in Benin and Liberia in the past few years.” Karl Toriola, VP for MTN’s West and Central Africa region, thanked Stephen and Uche for their commitment and contribution: ...
