Author: Staff Writer

NEDBANK’Ssuper app Avo, launched during the national lockdown height, is now reaching more than 250 000 South African users and thousands of businesses. Nedbank first launched the Avo ‘super app’ in June 2020, offering customers and broader South African consumers access to online shopping, essential services, and financial products. The Avo Super App is a combined marketplace app that integrates a bunch of shopping options into one app. This includes the ability to order essential goods and food with OneCart, home entertainment shopping, and access to home service providers. However, as the nation was already in hard lockdown, the platform had to…

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Mastercard has launched a Priceless Cause that enables consumers to be a force for good, make a difference, and give back to those who need it most amidst the pandemic. Each time a Mastercard cardholder “Taps to Pay” with their Mastercard contactless card or “Scans to Pay” with their Masterpass app or any other Masterpass-enabled Scan to Pay banking app when they pay at the till point at any Shoprite, USave or Checkers stores, Mastercard will donate to Gift of the Givers Foundation. The initiative, which runs until 15 August 2021, gives South Africans the opportunity to support humanitarian relief efforts…

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Bentley is expanding its offering of electrified cars by introducing the Flying Spur Hybrid, a plug-in hybrid version of its luxury saloon.  The introduction of the Flying Spur Hybrid establishes a family of Bentley hybrids for the first time, emphasising Bentley’s commitment to its Beyond100 strategy to become an end-to-end carbon neutral organisation and the world’s leading sustainable luxury mobility company. The new Flying Spur becomes the most efficient Bentley ever having the capability to cover over 700 km when fully fuelled. With high power reserves, superior torque and quick throttle response the latest hybrid model gives little away to…

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The Gauteng Department of Treasury negligently paid Microsoft $20 million or R287 million instead of R20 million, the Democratic Alliance said on Tuesday. In a statement on Tuesday, the DA’s Gauteng shadow MEC for finance and e-government, Adriana Randall, said the Gauteng Department of Treasury has lost R6.8 million of taxpayers’ money, which could have bought the country 48 000 Johnson and Johnson vaccines and protected many innocent lives from COVID-19. “Provincial Treasury erroneously processed an amount of $20 913 793.81 instead of the rand value of R20 913 793.81 as per e-Government payment advice, for the cost of Microsoft…

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Roblox announced today a partnership with Sony Music Entertainment to work together to develop innovative music experiences for the community of the video game platform. The partnership will also offer a range of new commercial opportunities for Sony Music artists to reach new audiences and generate new revenue streams around virtual entertainment. The agreement builds on an existing relationship between the two companies that includes previous collaborations such as Lil Nas X’s hit virtual performance on Roblox in November 2020 and more recently the Zara Larsson Launch Party on Roblox in May 2021. Over 36 million people watched Lil Nas X…

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EOH Holdings is on the verge of being blacklisted from doing business with the government as punishment for a tender fraud scandal that surfaced three years ago and ensnared the IT company in the state capture project, Business Day has learnt. Business Day newspaper reported this on Tuesday, saying EOH has approached the State IT Agency (SITA) “in mitigation of sentence for its past misconduct”. Herewith a full response from EOH: Overview When the corruption scandal broke early in February 2019, the new leadership of EOH approached its customers, partners, Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA), Department of National Treasury (DNT)…

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FinTech player Zeepay has secured R112 million or $7.9 million in funding from Verdant Capital, a specialist investment bank and investment manager operating on a pan-African basis. Zeepay is a pioneer of digital remittances from the diaspora to mobile wallets, bank accounts and visa cards across 20 markets in Africa, where it either operates a mobile money business or has approved partnerships. The business is successfully transitioning into integrated omnichannel digital payments and value-added financial services provider operating across the continent. Verdant Capital positioned Zeepay’s $7.9 million equity and debt raise as Series A.0. Zeepay, prior to the fundraise, had…

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Liquid Technologies and Facebook announced a partnership to build an extensive long haul and metro fibre network in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The metro fibre network is expected to improve internet access for more than 30 million people and help meet the growing demand for regional connectivity across Central Africa. Facebook will invest in fibre build and support network planning. Liquid Technologies will own, build and operate the fibre network, and provide wholesale services to mobile network operators and internet service providers. The network will help create a digital corridor from the Atlantic Ocean through the Congo Rainforest,…

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The Global Partnership for Ethiopia (GPE) has today appointed Anwar Soussa as the Managing Director (MD) of its Operating Company in Ethiopia, effective 1st July 2021. He will report to the board of the Ethiopia entity and the Safaricom PLC CEO. Anwar is currently the Managing Director of Vodacom DRC and the Chairperson of Vodacash (M-PESA), a position he has held since 2017. He has cemented Vodacom DRC as the largest Vodacom operation outside of South Africa by driving operational performance, crossing the $500 million in service revenue mark for the first time in 2020. Anwar will lead the Ethiopian…

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The Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Pretoria (UP) and Steve Biko Academic Hospital have welcomed a mobile robot called Stevie to help improve the treatment of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Named after Steve Biko – one of the most prominent leaders during South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle – Stevie works at the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and will be vital in allowing for a bedside ward round attended by ICU teams across the globe. This will be done through instant live discussion and communication daily between German and South African intensive-care unit teams. Academic and Clinical…

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