Author: Chris Anu

SITA’s head office in Erasmuskloof, Pretoria. (Photograph by Lesley Moyo) The embattled State Information Technology Agency (SITA) is committed to working with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and other clients to iron out service delivery challenges, it says.This, as the agency continues to face delivery and capacity issues, which have led to the DHA reportedly seeking to cut ties with the state’s IT procurement arm. DHA branches – with the core function of managing identity, civil status and migration of citizens – frequently experience technology interruptions and network downtime issues, with the blame often placed on government IT agency…

Image: Alan Wilson South African Airways on Tuesday said its systems have recovered following a “significant cyber incident” that began on 3 May and disrupted access to the airline’s website, mobile app and “several internal systems”. “SAA immediately activated its robust disaster management and business continuity protocols upon detection of the incident,” the airline said in a statement. “These swift actions successfully contained the incident and minimised disruption to core flight operations. They also ensured the continued functionality of essential customer service channels, such as the airline’s contact centres and sales offices.” The security of our business systems and protection…

The breach prompted swift response measures, says South African Airways. South African Airways (SAA) has become the latest organisation to fall victim to a cyber attack.In a statement released today, the flagship carrier of South Africa says it has been impacted by a significant cyber incident that began on Saturday, 3 May.According to SAA, the breach temporarily disrupted access to the airline’s website, mobile application and several internal operational systems, prompting swift response measures to mitigate its effects.On Saturday, the airline took to social media to say: “SAA regrets to inform customers that we are experiencing an intermittent technical system…

Following an investigation by the Mpumalanga provincial government, the premier, Mandla Ndlovu, has promised that heads are going to roll in the scandal involving the irregular procurement by the provincial department of basic education of 22 Dell XPS laptops at the inflated cost of R91 482.50 per unit. The order cost the department more than R2-million. Speaking at a media briefing on Monday, Ndlovu said basic education department officials implicated in the scandal, whom he did not name, acted in a “grossly dishonest” manner by conducting an investigation into the very matter in which they are implicated. They misled the premier…

Ranjan Singh joins Mimecast as chief product and technology officer to drive transformation and strengthen market leadership, enhancing the company’s approach to protecting organisations from modern threats. Cyber security company Mimecast has appointed Ranjan Singh as chief product and technology officer.Singh joins the company’s executive leadership team, bringing more than two decades of experience leading product innovation and delivering customer-focused cyber security solutions, according to a statement issued by Mimecast. Singh’s appointment aims to drive transformation, strengthen market leadership and enhance the company’s approach to protecting companies from modern threats targeting the human layer.Prior to joining Mimecast, Singh spent more…

MTN South Africa CEO Charles Molapisi MTN South Africa plans to offer 4G smartphones that cost “from R99” to 1.2 million of its prepaid customers as part of work to shift the country from older 2G and 3G technologies. The initiative will be executed in three phases commencing in May 2025 until the end of 2026, MTN said in a statement on Monday. One of the conditions for receiving the device is that it can only be used with an MTN Sim card. “In phase 1, 5 000 carefully selected customers will be offered 4G smartphones. The selection will be…

Microsoft shuts down Skype after over two decades. Today marks the end of an era for Skype, the video calling app that helped businesses and individuals communicate for over two decades.Skype was founded in 2003 by Janus Friis and Niklas Zennström, with the software developed by Estonians Ahti Heinla, Priit Kasesalu and Jaan Tallinn. The platform quickly gained popularity, but faced challenges that included a ban in China. Skype changed hands twice, first being acquired by eBay in 2005 for $2.6 billion and later by Microsoft in 2011 for $8.5 billion.In February, Microsoft announced that Skype will be retired, impacting…

The South African hybrid vehicle market is experiencing robust growth, fuelled by a wider array of models and increasing consumer adoption. Initially, the rise in market share mirrored the arrival of new hybrid models. But as the variety of traditional hybrid models has expanded, consumers have increasingly turned to hybrid vehicle technology – and its promise to cut their fuel bills without the risks associated with going full electric. While the plug-in hybrid EV (PHEV) segment has also seen new models entering the South African market, market share likely remains smaller than that of traditional, or “mild” hybrids. Plug-in hybrids…

The new feature enables riders and drivers to record video during a trip for evidence collection. Bolt South Africa has introduced dashboard cameras (dash cams) for driver partners nationwide in SA, as part of ongoing efforts to increase safety on the e-hailing platform.According to a statement, the service, provided in partnership with dash cam and safety technology provider Driver Technologies, allows Bolt driver partners to turn their mobile phones into a forward-facing exterior and driver-facing interior dash camera, with videos backed up in the cloud. The feature enables riders and drivers to record video during a trip for evidence collection,…

We’ve all been there: a headline so outrageous, so unbelievable, it’s practically begging to be clicked. That is the telltale sign of clickbait. Clickbait is online content, often in the form of a headline or thumbnail, designed to lure you into clicking on a link, often to a webpage filled with ads or low-quality content. The primary goal is to generate ad revenue, not to deliver valuable or accurate information. So, how do you become a clickbait-spotting expert and avoid being duped? Look for these common characteristics: Sensational and exaggerated headlines: Think titles like “Warning for South Africans with solar…