technology news
MTN, Cell C and rain Zero-rate Education Programmes for Youth
Major telecommunications companies MTN, Cell C and rain have zero-rated the OLICO Maths Education Programme which provides puzzles and problem-solving activities, competitions, games and weekly challenges to keep learners busy, connected and engaged. This decision followed the closure of schools in the COVID-19 pandemic’s local lockdown restrictions, which compounded learning challenges even further for the notoriously under-resourced youth in some of South Africa’s largest townships. Launched in 2008, the OLICO Maths Education Programme has provided effective and increasingly popular after-school tutoring and training in Alexandra, Diepsloot, Bosmont, Dunoon and Heideveld, and partners using OLICO maths content are working in Soweto, Ivory Park, Khayelitsha, Gugulethu and deep-rural Easte...
South Africa Looks to be Expanding its Nuclear Power Infrastructure
Sourced from the South African. South Africa’s Department of Mineral Resources and Energy has taken another step towards building a new nuclear-power program. On Sunday, the department had issued a request for information for 2500 megawatts of capacity, the ministry says in a statement. Submissions for the request will close on 15 September. Given the long lead-time of building additional new nuclear capacity, upfront planning is necessary for security of energy supply to society. @DMRE_ZA has published the RFI intended to commence preparatory work to develop plans for a future nuclear energy build programme. pic.twitter.com/bln7ZRdbh5 — Gwede Mantashe (@GwedeMantashe1) June 14, 2020 “This will enable the department to gain insight into the cost of the program, possible ownership structure...
Level 2 B-BBEE Rating Awarded to Networks Unlimited, Showing Continued Commitment to SA
Value-added distributor Networks Unlimited Africa has been certified as a Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) Level 2 contributor. This rating will assist both the company as well as its partners when it comes to competing in the marketplace. Networks Unlimited Africa distributes best-of-breed products and offers the latest solutions within the converged technology, data centre, networking, and security landscapes. CEO Anton Jacobsz comments, “This rating is a matter of great pride for us because it is not merely a certificate, but a recognition of the investment the company has made in its people – through both internal skills development, as well as the upliftment programmes and initiatives we have deployed and developed across all pillars of the B-BBEE codes.” “Networks Unli...
3 New Features Being Tested by WhatsApp that Could Come to Your Phone Soon
Image sourced from YoMZanzi WhatsApp is reportedly testing a series of new features with the latest batch of beta updates for both iOS and Android smartphones. One of the most interesting of these new features is multi-device login support. Multiple logins for various devices Possibly transforming the way we use WhatsApp, a multiple login feature is currently being tested within the beta version of the highly popular messaging app. No longer will users need to log out when switching devices, instead this feature it bent on streamlining the whole process. Gadgets Africa reports that at the moment, you can only have one mobile device signed-in to WhatsApp. The only other devices you can add are a further PC, Mac or use web browsers. You can swap between these but, only one can be logged-in a...
Is Company Culture Hindering Your Mobile Workforce?
Sourced from Tapscape While the mobile workforce has long been possible in theory, thanks to the ready availability of cloud technologies, many enterprises have continued to operate in a more traditional manner. The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns around the globe have forced businesses to completely rethink the way they operate. This unprecedented situation has dramatically accelerated the mobility drive, and subsequently the adoption of the cloud. Most organisations were faced with the choice of enabling staff to work from home or ceasing to operate, and the cloud offers the ideal way to access technologies to facilitate this. There is no going back “While we may have moved down a level in our lockdown status, President Ramaphosa has stressed that those who are able to work re...
Telecom Giant Orange May Launch in Nigeria and South Africa Very Soon
Sourced from MSNBC. France’s largest telecom group Orange is considering entering the South African and Nigerian markets, according to its CEO. “It could make sense to be in economies such as Nigeria and South Africa,” Orange’s CEO Stephane Richard, says, according to a report by Reuters. “If one considers there are things to do, the time frame I am considering is rather a few months than a few years,” he continues. Richard declined to comment when asked about a possible interest in taking a stake in MTN. Orange and MTN Group have worked together to launch an African mobile payment company, Mowali. Orange has 208 million subscribers, while MTN has 257 million subscribers. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_e4d.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_e4d.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } They ar...
4 Ways Digitisation Can Unlock Africa’s Recovery from COVID-19
Four steps to achieve a digital society for all Africans and avoid the stalling of African digitisation: 1. Bridging the digital divide Broad-based digitisation, especially for those people at the bottom of the pyramid, is an effective measure to ignite and sustain economic growth, and it starts with ensuring access to digital infrastructure for all. A study by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) found that expanding mobile broadband penetration by just 10% in Africa would equate to an increase of 2.5% in GDP per capita. Yet, traditional models for investing in digital infrastructure do not stack up in many rural or remote areas, due to a combination of high deployment costs, regulatory barriers and poor returns on capital. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_101.td-a-rec-img{ text-align:...
South African Government Working on Plans to Re-Open Cinemas Across the Country
A new set of regulations gazetted by the SA government on Thursday shows that movie theatres might be opening again across the country sometime soon. Cinemas are currently closed, not allowed to operate during Level 3 of the national lockdown. For it now it seems that the new government regulations have included theatres and cinemas in an arrangement that allows competitors to negotiate amongst each other, and with their landlords in order to lower rent and allow for rent holidays. In normal times, these negotiations are restricted by South Africa’s competition laws. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_eae.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_eae.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } “The Department (of trade and industry) has received representation from stakeholders in the cinema exhibition ind...
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...
Inadequate Investment in Cybersecurity is Behind Increase in Cyber Attacks
Following on this week’s Life Healthcare cyberattack, the issue of cybersecurity has once again been brought to the fore as businesses and individuals are forced to evaluate whether measures in place are strong enough to withstand major breaches in their security. Life Healthcare is the third major South African company that has been targeted by hackers this year. In February, Nedbank warned that the information of about 1.7 million clients was potentially affected by a data breach, and the following month chemicals and fertiliser maker Omnia Holdings said it’s IT infrastructure was subject to a cyberattack. Amongst the other big businesses that have been targeted in South Africa are Johannesburg City Council, Capitec Bank and Telkom. The trend is also true for the rest of the continent. I...
Keep IT Costs Down with Managed Data Services
Sourced from Shutterstock The arrival of COVID-19 and its impact on the economy threatens to undo the careful technology investments made by businesses. Over the past decade, digital-centric and data-driven business environments have been gaining momentum, taking advantage of new breakthroughs such as cloud, advanced process automation, data analytics, remote working, etc. But now there is a real chance that these investments could be undone or, more likely, fail to reach their intended potential. It’s ironic, considering that these same investments have been helping companies adapt to the changes created by the pandemic. For example, those organisations that could safely and confidently switch to employees working from home rely on their modern digital environments. Now all that is under ...
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...
