Author: Staff Writer

Standard Bank is launching a new virtual internship initiative to help students gain practical skills and experience that mirrors the work they will do in the world of banking. Through its investment in education and skills development, Standard Bank supports access to inclusive, quality education and lifelong learning opportunities, and helping Africa harness the opportunities of the fourth industrial revolution​. Standard Bank’s Virtual Experience Programmes provide access to critical components of workplace experience by way of content, case studies and assessments. There are no due dates to the programmes, registration is free for students, and they are open to all.…

South African businesses need to believe in broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) again if they’re going to make the most of their investments and the biggest impact on the country’s economy, says the founder of local venture builder and business incubator Aions Creative Technology, Mitchan Adams. For most businesses, B-BBEE has become about saving as much money as possible while getting the maximum points. That’s not surprising, as enterprise and supplier development (ESD) can comprise up to 40% of the B-BBEE scorecard. But in the rush to get their points and be compliant, they’re missing opportunities to be both cost-effective…

The Shoprite Group is offering all-inclusive bursaries for the 2023 academic year to high-performing students enrolled for degrees in Accounting, Information Technology, UI Design, Food Science and more. Every year the Group supports on average 300 students, at an investment of more than R17 million, with bursaries which cover tuition fees and on-campus accommodation. Bursary holders also have access to Shoprite’s employee wellness programme which includes access to medical advice, counselling services, financial coaching, legal advice and more. With a work-back agreement upon graduation, bursary holders are guaranteed employment and will benefit from invaluable practical experience and strong career growth…

The Spar Group has launched The Food Stall, which is rolling out across the deli service counters across many stores nationwide. The first Food Stall served customers in Ladysmith KwaZulu-Natal in April this year and since then, Greendale Superspar, Nqutu Superspar, Hillcrest KWIKSPAR and many more Spar stores have adopted this concept. According to Pianca Meintjies, Spar Group Home Meal Replacement Manager, The Food Stall will be a continuous focus for SPAR, with more being launched weekly. She adds that The Food Stall at Spar is community-focused and aims to provide customers with so many choices that they don’t have…

African insurtech aYo Holdings has launched a WhatsApp channel in its markets across Africa to make it easier for its customers to communicate with the company without the need for phone calls or in-person interactions. The new channel will allow aYo’s customers to submit documents as part of the claims process and access content like FAQs, videos, voice notes, and brochures using WhatsApp. Eventually, the company plans to build out the channel to the point where customers can sign up for cover and submit claims. The new WhatsApp channel is the result of a newly signed partnership with Clickatell, which…

How the customer is served has been one of the biggest evolutions in the retail industry’s digital transformation journey. Today’s customer wants omnichannel options, and each channel, whether in-store or online, must be a well-oiled machine delivering seamless, effective service. Today’s customer also prefers retailers to understand their needs and cater to them with greater personalisation than ever before. “Meeting these customer needs requires a connected, digitised supply chain,” says Lerato Motsoeneng, Managing Executive for Retail and Logistics at Vodacom Business. “Without the right digital infrastructure in place, retailers can’t evolve their user experience.” This infrastructure enables the creation of a…

The torrential floods that wreaked havoc in Kwa-Zulu Natal couldn’t have come at a worse time for the children of the Embo community in Hillcrest, whose nursery school was devastated by the rains that engulfed the province recently. Before the floods, the facility was already derelict and dilapidated due to shortage of funds to undertake regular maintenance. School Principal Ms Buyisiwe Ngongoma explains that the roof was caving in, the cupboards in the kitchen were mouldering, the only personal computer and printer were malfunctioning, the security doors were rickety, the playground was rundown, and the general appearance of the facility…

Companies looking for local software engineers might find they have lost them to Europe – without them leaving the country. This is because, while South African developers’ skills are increasingly in demand across Europe, they no longer need to emigrate to land these jobs. The past two years have been a massive learning experience for everyone, not least of all companies which have discovered that much of the work that they insisted could only be done from an office, could, in actual fact, be done remotely. Remote isn’t new, but it has changed things Europe has always been a popular…

Bang & Olufsen’s Beosound Level, a portable wireless home speaker that delivers impressive sound, unrivalled craftsmanship and a modular design that improves longevity. With its slim design and built-in recessed handle, portability is at the heart of Beosound Level. Whether standing upright in the kitchen, lying flat on a table or hanging gracefully on the wall, the speaker intelligently changes its tuning to deliver an exceptional music listening experience in any position, in any room. “Beosound Level is the ultimate speaker for people who want the flexibility and convenience of a portable speaker but don’t want to sacrifice on sound…

Audi South Africa has introduced the national availability of its new Audi connect plug and play device. This innovative technology solution is freely available to all customers whose vehicles have a model year introduction from 2008 onwards and that doesn’t currently offer Audi’s latest connected integrated technology. The Audi connect plug and play app (available on iOS/Android) lets your smartphone use Bluetooth and the Audi connect plug and play hardware to connect to your vehicle, turning it into a connected car in no time at all. “We understand that Audi customers are keeping their vehicles for a longer period of…