Southern Africa
Why 5G is a Must for Post-COVID South Africa
The widespread lack of internet access for most South African households, coupled with the expectation for remote working and learning to be the new norm in post-lockdown society, is placing greater importance on next-generation 5G technology, which will play a critical role in the country’s socio-economic growth and recovery following the impact of lockdown regulations. This was revealed by Willem Roos, the CEO of rain, during the most recent edition of the Business Lecture Series hosted by Stellenbosch Network in conjunction with Stellenbosch University’s LaunchLab. The Business Lecture Series is the latest in a line of events curated by Stellenbosch Network to help educate local leaders and entrepreneurs from across society so that they can better adapt their operations, seek out new op...
South Africa’s CO.ZA Reaches 1.25 Million Registered Domain Names
There are now over 1.25 million individual domain names registered within South Africa’s flagship CO.ZA Internet domain, according to the ZA Central Registry NPC (ZACR). “It speaks volumes that CO.ZA has powered over the 1.25 million mark during the current lockdown as anecdotal evidence suggests South Africans are increasingly snapping up domains to help them launch businesses, pursue creative and study endeavours, secure their digital identities and generally become much more active online,” says Lucky Masilela, ZACR CEO. New domain name registration by SMMEs (Small, Medium & Micro Enterprises), in particular, has picked up significantly since late March with many new CO.ZA registrations since lockdown by small business owners who find this domain delivers the perfect blend of afford...
South Africa’s rAge Expo 2020 Has Been Cancelled
Sourced from rAge. South Africa’s largest annual video gaming, tech and geek culture expo has been cancelled for 2020. The rAge Expo has been ongoing without fail for nearly two decades. For the first time in 18 years, the Johannesburg-based event won’t be going forward due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “The 2020 expo was shaping up to be yet another awesome event, and the team is deeply saddened that rAge won’t be coming to life in the real world this year. This isn’t a decision that was taken lightly. It was the product of lengthy internal discussions as well as valued input from other stakeholders, and the team all agreed that the expo would serve everyone better if it was cancelled for now,” reads a statement from the expo’s official website. “The coronavirus pandemic has touched e...
Frogfoot Extends Free Fibre Speed Upgrades Indefinitely
“With many employees still having to work from home or take turns going to the office so that social distancing guidelines are adhered to, high-speed, reliable, and affordable Internet access becomes just as critical as water or electricity. This Double Up promotion is vital to mitigate against some of the economic impact the lockdown will have on South Africans,” says Shane Chorley, Head of Sales and Marketing at Frogfoot Networks. Having the whole family at home places huge pressure on the available bandwidth, with parents having to carry on with work while children will want to learn, play and keep in touch with friends and classmates. With this in mind, fibre becomes the ideal method of connectivity for remote workers using cloud-based productivity tools and applications and uploading ...
MultiChoice Adds Netflix and Amazon Video Prime Streaming for Subscribers
Image sourced from The Vanguard Nigeria South African tv dish satellite operator MultiChoice will soon be adding both streaming services Netflix and Amazon Prime Video to its DStv platform. This comes as the pay-TV operator continues to show growth in the market, adding roughly another 900,000 DStv and GOtv subscribers over its last financial year. MultiChoice already offers its own subscription-based video-on-demand (SVOD) streaming service. Now, the company seems set to add another swathe of subscribers to its already robust base of 19.5 million users, according to its latest financial results. By adding these two international streaming services to its existing platform with DStv, MultiChoice seems set on continuing its mission as a “super aggregator” – a tactic used by other pay-tv pla...
Over 1 Million South Africans Use National Department’s COVID-19 HealthCheck Tool
South Africa’s National Department of Health (NDoH) has confirmed that over 1 million South Africans have already used their COVID-19 digital self-assessment tool called HealthCheck. The HealthCheck self-assessment tool allows for early detection, mapping and management of COVID-19 cases using USSD and the official COVID-19 WhatsApp Service (COVID-19 CONNECT). The tool comes at a crucial moment in the South African government’s COVID-19 response – when certain aspects of the country’s lockdown have been relaxed and more responsibility is being placed on individuals to ensure their own health when going back to work or school and engaging in outdoor activity and other areas of public life. Members of the public will be able to use HealthCheck to self-assess their COVID-19 risk by completing...
TikTok Set for Explosive Growth in South Africa, says Expert
Sourced from Cosmico South Africa’s largest annual study of social media trends has revealed that Facebook remains the social platform of choice for marketing – but TikTok is rising fast among both brands and consumers. According to the 2020 edition of the SA Social Media Landscape, released this week by World Wide Worx and Ornico, almost a third of major brands intend to become active on TikTok, which is also the fastest growing social media platform among consumers. Fewer than 20% of brands have used it in the past year, but none believe they are doing so very effectively. These numbers are likely to change significantly during 2020. It is estimated that around 6-million South Africans are already using the platform. Nine out of ten major brands – just more than 89% – indicated they were...
7 Must-Have South African Apps to Simplify Your Life
Sourced from The Verge and Shutterstock. Sometimes we’re told about a really great app, that, once downloaded, just takes up space on your phone. There are, however, some incredibly useful apps out there for South Africans, and usually by South Africans too. Below is a list of 7 really helpful apps that South Africans will miss if they ever see their phones without them. These apps are set to save you stress and save you time. 1. Lockdown Bozza Information about the lockdown and each of its phases tend to fly fast and loose on social media and on news outlets across the country, but this app is a one-stop for all of the lockdown’s rules. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_0dc.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_0dc.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } The app’s tagline is “I am the Lockdown Bo...
1Life, Samsung and LifeQ Launch “Life Insurance Ecosystem”
1Life, Samsung South Africa and LifeQ have partnered to launch life insurance ecosystem, 1Life Pulse. This initiative is backed by wearables and app technology and enables consumers to grow their life insurance cover by “making better choices”. 1Life Pulse acts as a lifestyle monitor and management system that tracks and guides heart, activity and sleep – monitoring overall wellbeing. Every time a consumer chooses to get a little extra sleep or go for a walk, for example, they’re likely to grow their life cover by up to R216 per day, or up to R6 560 per month, starting from day one. Over two years, policyholders are able to grow their additional life cover by up to R200 000, as they grow their wellbeing. All qualifying new 1Life policyholders that take out cover for R1 million or more...
72% of People Can’t Check if Their Passwords have been Leaked
Sourced from International IDEA Passwords are the most common method of authentication, but they only work if they are hard to crack and confidential. And with an increasing number of applications requiring them, it can be hard to come up with new ideas for complex passwords and keep them all in your mind – especially when users may be required to change their passwords regularly. 87% of South African users are thinking up their own passwords, while 72% say they are unaware about how to check if any of their credentials have already been leaked – according to the latest Kaspersky report, ‘Defending digital privacy: Taking personal protection to the next level’. This highlights the need to store passwords securely and look out for possible instances when these credentials could be leaked. A...
Uber Cash Digital Wallet Launched in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sourced from The Guardian. Uber is launching its Uber Cash digital wallet feature in Sub-Saharan Africa through a partnership with Nigerian founded fintech Flutterwave. The arrangement will allow riders to top up Uber wallets using the dozens of remittance partners active on Flutterwave’s Pan-African network. Flutterwave operates as a business-to-business payments gateway network that allows clients to tap its APIs and customize payments applications. According to TechCrunch, Uber Cash will go live in the next two weeks for Uber’s ride-hailing operations in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Tanzania according to Alon Lits, GM of Uber for Sub-Saharan Africa. “Depending on the country, you’ve got different top-up methods available. For example, in Nigeria, you can ...
Vodacom Releases Alcatel2019G Phone Designed for Elderly Citizens
South African network provider, Vodacom has launched the Alcatel 2019G phone series which comes standard with a large keypad and simple user interface with big icons, ideal for those with low vision as well as the elderly. The Alcatel 2019G is available from the Vodacom website as well as Vodacom stores nationwide and retails at R649. The device comes standard with a dedicated charging dock, SOS emergency function, torch, lock and unlock key, 16 hours talk time, 2MP rear camera as well as a wireless FM Radio that users can enjoy without a headphone. “Some of our senior citizens have been consistent in their feedback to us – they prefer a device with a large keypad. In line with our purpose pillar of creating an inclusive digital society, the introduction of the Alcatel 2019 series helps us...
