Author: Staff Writer

In celebration of the new Polo with IQ.DRIVE, Volkswagen is taking things to the next level while embracing the future of mobility. The People’s Car brand has launched South Africa’s first NFT (Non-Fungible Token) brand campaign, with a future-focused commercial incorporating Volkswagen’s first collections of NFTs. “Our new Polo NFT campaign and Mzansiverse commercial is testament to Volkswagen’s eye on the future, not only in the innovation of our vehicles but in embracing the passions of our fans and driving evolution in how we engage with them,” said Bridget Harpur, Head of Marketing for the Volkswagen Passenger Car Brand. Inspired…

The over 10 million unemployed South Africans benefitting from the R350 COVID-19 relief grant will now have greater accessibility as the Shoprite Group has stepped in to make grant payments available at its 1 286 supermarkets across South Africa. Following the extension of the grant for another 12 months, customers can now access it at the till point in any Shoprite, Checkers, Usave and selected OK Foods supermarkets nationally. This enables customers to receive their grants, buy essential groceries and pay their bills in a single location. To collect the grant from any Shoprite, Checkers, Usave or selected OK Foods,…

MTN Group announced today that MTN SA has secured high-demand-spectrum to support its 4G and 5G expansion drive. During the main phase of the auction, which started on 10 March 2022 and finished after 58 rounds of bidding, MTN SA acquired a total of 100MHz across the 800MHz, 2 600MHz and 3 500MHz frequency bands. The company said it will pay a total of R5.2 billion for the spectrum. This compares favourably with global benchmark averages of approximately $0.083MHz-POP – according to Coleago Consulting – for spectrum in similar auctions, said MTN. MTN SA secured the following spectrum bands in…

MTN SA is investing to modernise existing and deploying new network infrastructure across the KwaZulu-Natal province. The R700 million investment, which is an addition to the R500 million invested in 2021, will go toward MTN’s “Modernisation of Network South Africa project” (MONZA) as well as expanded rural reach, 5G expansion and restoration of vandalised network infrastructure.  “The KZN investment forms part of plans to modernise the entire MTN network, 68% of which has already been completed nationally, with an additional 1350 sites to be finalised, and around 200 top areas covered across SA, by the end of 2022”, says Matthew…

Vodacom invested over R1 billion in the last financial year to enable more communities in both the Western Cape’s urban and rural areas to reap the benefits of connectivity. This forms part of the company’s commitment to building a digitally inclusive society, where increased access to online essential services and information, employment and education platforms, digital marketplaces and much more can help to promote socio-economic empowerment and close the digital divide. “Our purpose-led goal at Vodacom is to ensure digital inclusion for all. By expanding our network coverage and capacity and upgrading existing base station sites across the Western Cape,…

Technological innovation is changing retail value chains and channel experiences in exciting ways – we only need to consider the metaverse for a glimpse into the possibilities.  For tech-savvy consumers who are demanding a 360-degree offering from brands, the lines between digital and in-store retail experiences are becoming increasingly blurred. The COVID-19 pandemic influenced shopping habits and globally, people are now more at ease with going online. Insights from The Future Shopper 2021 Report support this fact, with 60% saying they are now more comfortable with technology, while 64% prefer to shop with brands offering both online and in-store services.…

BrandMed Group, a South African connected healthcare company, has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS), to provide affordable and accessible health and wellbeing solutions across the continent. BrandMed, founded in 2014, is already a leader in the development of a unique and fully integrated, digital, end-to-end solution to address outcomes and value-based care for patients with chronic lifestyle and non-communicable-diseases (NCDs). The company has been instrumental in enabling healthcare providers to participate in a digital future and will now be in the unique position to expand its services to individuals and communities. Value-based healthcare is a…

The Department of Employment and Labour and Huawei Technologies South Africa, have reached an out of court settlement, following the department’s application to the Labour Court on 11 February 2022. The Department has accepted Huawei South Africa’s employment equity plan which addresses equitable representation of South Africans to above 50% within 3 years, especially from designated groups as defined in the Employment Equity Act. In addition, in a joint attempt to address South Africa’s digital divide and ICT skills gap, Huawei and DoEL have agreed to collaborate on skilling the unemployed, which is an investment in youth upskilling and employment;…

Google today announced the participants in Google for Startups Accelerator Africa Class 7. The selected startups are developing solutions in areas such as healthcare, education, fleet management, logistics automation and recruiting. This seventh class includes 15 tech startups from seven African countries, with Cote D’Ivoire joining for the first time. The class was selected from thousands of applications, with final selection based on product stage, program alignment and market fit. Over the next three months, they will work with Google mentors and facilitators learning best practices on a range of topics including Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, organisational culture, growth strategies…

To simplify business for small, micro, and medium enterprises, Telkom Financial Services has launched the Telkom Pay Mobile Point-of-Sale (mPOS) app, a FinTech tool that allows business owners to make and receive payments through their mobile phones. The app serves as a speed point machine in your pocket that can be used anytime and anywhere. Telkom is committed to providing SMMEs with solutions that will enable them to fully participate in the digital economy. Through the app, business owners can register and receive payments in a matter of minutes.   Telkom Financial Services managing executive Sibusiso Ngwenya said “The COVID-19 pandemic has…