Author: Chris Anu

OpenAI is working on its own X-like social media network, The Verge reported (paywall) on Tuesday, citing multiple sources familiar with the matter. There is an internal prototype focused on ChatGPT’s image generation that has a social feed, the report said. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has been privately asking outsiders for feedback about the project, which is still in early stages, according to The Verge. It is unclear whether the company plans to release the social network as a separate application or integrate it into ChatGPT, the report said. The potential move could escalate tensions between Sam Altman and billionaire…

Revolutionising the modern payment environment in retail. (Image: Supplied) Innovative payment solution TANGO is set to revolutionise the modern payment environment in the South African retail space, reports MoData. Darren Turnbull, CEO of MoData, says: “At major industry events we attend, such as the 2025 Absa Commercial Payments Summit and BankservAfrica Payments Conference 2025, we see a growing focus on financial inclusion and the need for cheaper transaction fees. Among local retailers, we also see organisations under pressure to adapt to ever-changing consumer expectations and emerging technologies. From digital wallets and crypto-currency integration to AI-driven personalisation and omnichannel experiences, retailers…

Opera Mini, a barebones mobile browser that has millions of users across Africa, now has an in-built artificial intelligence tool called Aria which users can access at no additional cost. In a statement on Wednesday, Opera Software said Aria’s capabilities include AI chat and search as well as AI image generation. “AI is rapidly becoming an integral part of the daily internet experience, and we’re seeing great interest in AI solutions among South Africans, so bringing Aria to Opera Mini is a natural addition to our most downloaded browser,” said Jørgen Arnesen, executive vice president for mobile at Opera, in…

There comes a time when even the most skeptical must see truth for what it is. The recent sentencing of respected Ambazonian activist Abdulkarim Ali to life imprisonment in absentia by a Cameroonian military tribunal is more than just a legal absurdity—it is a window into the soul of a regime determined to annihilate the spirit, the will, and the very existence of the people of the Southern cameroons/Ambazonia.How do you put a man on trial in absentia while he is already in your custody? How ridiculous does that sound? Yet, that is the legal clown show the Yaoundé regime…

South Africa’s mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) market is booming, with around 23 players serving an estimated 4.8 million active subscribers at the end of 2024. BMIT’s MVNO report says the market for these “mobile resellers” is predicted to more than double to around 12 million by 2029, at a compound annual growth rate of 18%. The selling point for these players is simplicity, flexibility and value for money, something they’re able to provide because they’re piggybacking on somebody else’s infrastructure. In the majority of cases, that somebody is Cell C, which has found success, despite being a smaller operator,…

In the latest move in the rapidly evolving relationship between banks and retailers, Standard Bank has partnered with Checkers to offer UCount Rewards members with up to 40% back on shopping on Checkers Sixty60. UCount Rewards can now be earned and redeemed across Shoprite and Checkers supermarkets, and on Sixty60, the Shoprite Holdings-owned on-demand e-commerce grocery delivery service. The 40% back in UCount Rewards points when shopping on Checkers Sixty60 is the “most generous giveback for on-demand shopping” in South Africa, the companies have claimed. “With no product exclusions, the partnership is designed to deliver meaningful savings on groceries and…

Peter Chan, cyber security operations manager, BlueVision ITM. Vulnerability assessments offer a great deal more than a checklist of potential cyber risks − they inform the organisation’s broader risk exposure, support continuous improvement, and simplify compliance and audit processes.In short − vulnerability assessments serve as the first line of defence for business in an ever-evolving threat environment.Ideally carried out every quarter, a thorough vulnerability assessment will assess internal and external vulnerabilities, common vulnerabilities and exposures, misconfigurations and potential human errors that could put the organisation, its systems and data at risk of attack.For in-house development teams that roll out new…

Wise Move CEO Chante Venter South Africans relocate in the pursuit of paid work (22.9%) and to be closer to family or their spouse (15.5%), according to new research. A new Migration Report by Wise Move, a technology platform that has been described as the “Uber of moving”, used data on about 15 000 “digitally facilitated” moves in 2024 to compile the report. Intriguingly, reasons like crime (0.6%), divorce (0.5%) and political instability (0.1%) were among the least cited reasons for relocating, “challenging common assumptions”. While many South Africans head to Johannesburg to launch their careers, most eventually move on Co-founded…

Alderman James Vos and TP Group CEO and founder Daniel Julien (centre), flanked by members of the Western Cape Government and several divisions of TP. The City of Cape Town this week welcomed international business process outsourcing (BPO) firm TP Group (formerly Teleperformance), as it opened its newest call centre in the Mother City. In a statement, the city says the new call centre will be able to host 3 500 staff, with the firm setting a target of employing 10 000 locally-based staff by the end of next year.TP, which is considered one of the biggest BPO companies globally,…

Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada South Africa’s MultiChoice Group is suffering from a steady decline in subscribers both at home and in many of the other African markets where its DStv, GOtv and Showmax offerings are available. Meanwhile, its French suitor, Groupe Canal+ – the largest pay-TV operator in French-speaking Africa – is showing modest but steady growth. The two companies are in the middle of a takeover bid which, if it passes regulatory muster, will see Canal+ acquiring MultiChoice for R125/share in cash. “[We are] the undisputed leader in French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa, where the group is present in almost half…