Author: Chris Anu
Fintech firm Optasia has set sights on listing on the JSE. Financial technology (fintech) firm Optasia has set sights on listing on the JSE.In a statement today, the company announced it is proposing to undertake a primary issuance of approximately R1.3 billion ($75 million equivalent) to support growth, both organically and through future potential acquisitions and a secondary share sale from existing shareholders of at least R5 billion (approximately $300 million) by way of a private placement to qualified investors.In addition, the Dubai-based Optasia announced its intention, in conjunction with the offering, to list all of its issued ordinary share…
Optasia CEO Salvador Anglada. Image: Supplied Optasia, a fintech company partly owned by Ethos Capital, plans to list on the JSE and raise up to R6.3-billion by selling a combination of new and existing shares. The company, which operates AI-powered financial services in 38 countries, will raise about R1.3-billion in a lsiting and also hold a private placement of at least R5-billion for existing shareholders, it said in a statement. “An IPO will allow us to accelerate our growth, raise our visibility as a leading global fintech and continue innovating to expand financial opportunity where it is needed most,” CEO…
The ŌURA Ring 4 uses smart sensing technology to provide continuous health data, helping users monitor sleep. Insurer Discovery is tapping the power of technology to help South Africans improve their sleep habits.The company today announced an exclusive partnership with Finnish-based health technology company ŌURA to make the ŌURA Ring 4 available to its clients and announced plans to launch a proprietary Vitality Sleep Score along with world-first Vitality Sleep Rewards in 2026 – initiatives designed to guide and incentivise healthier sleep habits.According to the insurer, this is the first time ŌURA Ring 4 will be available in South Africa.The…
Discovery Health is tapping into sleep tracking and optimisation as the next frontier in its “shared value” business model, which integrates offerings across health, banking and insurance. Speaking at an event at Discovery’s Sandton headquarters on Tuesday, Discovery Bank CEO Hylton Kallner said the financial services giant tapped into its 1.4 petabyte dataset to find correlations between positive sleep behaviours and outcomes in heath, wealth and general decision-making. “When you bring it together, Discovery’s dataset is one of the largest of its kind across the globe. We have built up data in areas like physical activity to understand the correlations…
Cohort of WeThinkCode students. Software development academy WeThinkCode has welcomed non-profit organisation Collective X as a strategic partner, it announced on Tuesday.This, to build a more inclusive, outcomes-based tech talent pipeline for South African youth.Collective X co-invests with employers to support junior ICT talent in gaining relevant digital skills through work-integrated learning. See also In the statement, the tech academy says as a partner, Collective X’s financial support will enable it to expand access to work-integrated learning opportunities and long-term employment.“This partnership reflects our belief that systemic change requires systemic collaboration,” comments Ruvimbo Gwatirisa, director of partnerships at WeThinkCode. “Collective…
Starlink will comply with South African black economic empowerment legislation, is ready to launch services in the country and will spend R2.5-billion doing so, a company executive said on Tuesday. Ryan Goodnight, senior director in charge of market access at Starlink owner SpaceX, told the annual general meeting of South Africa’s Internet Service Providers’ Association that the company is not only willing to comply with BEE rules but that it also wants to partner with local telecommunications operators, ISPs and other companies as part of its go-to-market strategy. In the presentation, which was not attended by the media but which…
Anita Nel, chief director for innovation and commercialisation at Stellenbosch University. Africa stands at a crossroads, bursting with youthful energy yet burdened by unemployment and slow industrial growth. This is according to Anita Nel, chief director for innovation and commercialisation at Stellenbosch University, adding that the solution lies in how education and innovation are approached across the continent. See also Speaking at the Future of Work Dialogue, hosted by Tshwane University of Technology’s Institute for the Future of Work in Pretoria, Nel declared that the continent’s academic institutions must evolve beyond theory and research to become engines of entrepreneurship and innovation.“We…
WeBuyCars’ win at the YouTube Works Awards South Africa 2025 shows the power of consistency that South Africa’s premier vehicle trading platform has used to stand out in a competitive market for eyeballs and attention. The popular “Rev-Jou-Jeep” video, a satirical take on the Afrikaner refugees who recently started relocating to the US, has garnered over 333 000 views on YouTube alone and millions more across other social media platforms. The video saw WeBuyCars taking home top honours at the recent Google-hosted awards in the creative visionary category. This is the latest in a flurry of viral hits that WeBuyCars…
Rennie Naidoo, professor in Information Systems at the Wits School of Business Sciences. South Africa, like many of its peers in the Global South, is awash in digital optimism. Coding bootcamps for youth, broadband projects spanning provinces, and classrooms equipped with sleek tablets.These are the emblems of a country striving to plug into the future. From government blueprints to private sector pilots, “digital literacy” has become a near-sacred phrase: a shorthand for inclusion, a promise of transformation.Yet beneath this forward momentum lies a quieter crisis, one less visible, more stubborn, and ultimately more consequential, that threatens to trip us up.According…
DStv celebrated its 30th anniversary on Monday, marking a milestone in South African broadcasting history. From humble beginnings in a caravan in Randburg, DStv’s parent – MultiChoice Group – has grown into a pan-African pay-TV powerhouse, now reaching more than 14 million homes across the continent. When it launched on 6 October 1995, the service – backed by Naspers – offered just 16 channels. Today that number stands at 142 on its range-topping Premium bouquet. South Africans have more choice than ever, and many are questioning the value of traditional pay TV The platform’s history mirrors South Africa’s own media…