Author: Chris Anu

Copper is a foundational material used in the technology industry South Africa’s potential to compete more effectively as a producer of critical minerals used in the technology sector is hampered by structural inefficiencies and policy uncertainty, leading to investments flowing to other countries where investors perceive it is easier to do business. This is according to André Lourens, economist at the Minerals Council South Africa, who told TechCentral in an interview on Thursday that domestic output of these critical minerals, most needed in the tech sector, roughly amounts to only 5% of South Africa’s total production, even though more is…

South Africa’s switchover to digital TV project is over 10 years behind schedule. (Image source: 123RF, created via GenAI) While South Africa’s long-delayed digital migration project continues to linger, valuable spectrum remains locked up in outdated plansand there is no clear end in sight, say analysts. The International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU’s) deadline for migration, when it ceased to protect analogue broadcast, was mid-June 2015.However, the South African government missed the ITU’s deadline as well as several self-imposed deadlines, with the broadcast digital migration (BDM) project chugging along over the years. See also During this time, the project has faced several…

Astronomers using South Africa’s Southern African Large Telescope (Salt) near Sutherland in the Northern Cape have solved a cosmic mystery surrounding one of the most extreme stars ever observed. WOH G64, located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, is famous for being one of the most luminous, coolest and dustiest red supergiants known. Such stars represent a late evolutionary stage of massive stars before they explode as supernovae. In recent years, however, WOH G64 behaved in ways that puzzled astronomers. The star faded dramatically, its pulsations weakened and its spectrum changed, becoming dominated by…

Sisvel has launched a groundbreaking Wi-Fi Multimode patent pool offering access to standard essential patents owned by 10 Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 technology leaders. As the successor to Sisvel’s highly successful Wi-Fi 6 patent pool – which, over a three-year period, closed agreements with nearly 40 companies, including Acer, Netgear, Cisco and HP – the new programme offers an efficient way to access essential Wi-Fi rights for years to come. The 10 founding patent owners in the Wi-Fi Multimode programme are Huawei, KPN, Mitsubishi Electric, Orange, Panasonic, Philips, Aegis 11 SA (a Sisvel affiliate), SK Telecom, Wilus and ZTE.…

South Africa’s renewable energy sector is entering a new phase in 2026. According to industry players, one of the emerging trends is how wind and solar are combined and stored. Falling battery costs, escalating electricity tariffs and mounting grid constraints are reshaping both public procurement and private investment strategies, pushing energy storage from the margins to the centre of the country’s power transition. The South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (Sapvia) views the growth of hybrid projects as a sign of the sector maturing. These projects combine two or more green energy sources, such as solar, wind or hydro, with energy…

Shoprite Group’s rooftop solar systems are now enough to power nearly 12 300 households annually. Retail giant Shoprite Group has installed its 100th solar photovoltaic (PV) system, 10 years after launching its first solar project in 2015.The company says its rooftop solar systems generate enough clean electricity to power nearly 12 300 households annually.“The installation of our 100th solar PV system reflects the significant progress we’ve made in recent years,” says Sanjeev Raghubir, chief sustainability officer at Shoprite. See also “Our accelerated efforts to meet science-based targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and expanding renewable energy are crucial steps on…

DRM South Africa Group chairman Aldred Dreyer South Africa’s latest digital radio experiment is nearing lift-off, with DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale) trial broadcasts expected to go live within weeks, potentially timed to coincide with World Radio Day on 13 February. That’s according to Aldred Dreyer, chairman of the DRM South Africa Group, the organisation that’s spearheading the development, roll-out and promotion of DRM radio in the country. It follows the granting of a trial licence by communications regulator Icasa late last year. “We received approval at the end of November, and we’re now planning the trial itself and the demonstrations…

Board, one of the leading Enterprise Planning Platforms, today announced the launch of Board Agents built on Microsoft Foundry. Board Agents deliver an intelligent suite of domain-specific, enterprise-ready AI agents that support real-world planning decisions across finance, supply chain, and merchandising. This marks the first Board enterprise planning capability developed with Microsoft Foundry, using Microsoft Azure’s agentic AI tools and services to accelerate secure, cloud-native AI innovation. The initial release includes FP&A and Controller Agents for the Office of Finance, with Merchandiser and Supply Chain Agents to follow. Board Agents are built natively into the Board Enterprise Planning Platform, providing…

South Africa’s renewable energy policy landscape in 2026 will be shaped by market liberalisation and the roll-out of frameworks introduced last year to stimulate energy investment and economic growth. One of gamechangers is the South African Wholesale Electricity Market (Sawem), which will be launched on 1 April. It will replace the historic single-buyer model, dominated by Eskom. It represents a structural shift in how electricity is bought, sold and priced – with far-reaching implications for energy security, costs and investment. “The approval and implementation of the Sawem market code by [energy regulator] Nersa prior to the launch of Sawem is…

Rejoice Chitengu, a data science student at Wits University, won the Wired4Women Top Tech Student Award in 2025. Are you a female ICT student who excels academically, shows leadership and actively applies technology beyond the classroom? Or do you know someone who deserves recognition?Nominations are now open for the Top Female Tech Student Award at the Wired4Women Awards 2026.This award honours an exceptional female ICT student at tertiary level, and the winner will receive a R30 000 cash prize, courtesy of Openserve.About the Wired4women AwardsThe third annual Wired4Women Awards are hosted by ITWeb Brainstorm, in partnership with the Wired4Women Tech…