Author: Chris Anu

The rand ended 2025 nearly 13% stronger against the US dollar, marking its biggest annual gain in 16 years as the greenback weakened broadly. The risk-sensitive currency posted its first yearly rise against the dollar since 2019 and its largest increase since 2009, supported by South Africa’s improved fiscal performance, success in containing inflation and a surge in precious metals prices. Gold and platinum, key South African exports, rallied strongly during the year. This was also the first full year under the coalition government and was marked by disputes over the national budget In contrast, the US dollar slid about…

Matric results will be released on 14 January 2026. (Photograph: Freepik.) Days ahead of the release of matric results on 14 January for the 2025 cohort, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) says it will defend a new court bid by the Information Regulator to stop it from publishing these in the media.The Information Regulator, having lost a bid earlier this month to stop the DBE from publishing matric results in the media, is now approaching the Supreme Court of Appeal with a request that it be allowed to appeal the North Gauteng High Court ruling that it says is…

OpenAI was founded in December 2015 as a non-profit AI research lab. Japanese multinational investment company SoftBank has completed an additional investment of $22.5 billion in OpenAI at the second closing of the company’s investment of up to $40 billion committed on 31 March, 2025.As a result, SoftBank says it has fully satisfied its commitment to invest in OpenAI under its March 2025 commitment, alongside the participation of third-party co-investors.The company’s aggregate ownership interest in ChatGPT developer OpenAI is now approximately 11%.The announcement comes as the generative artificial intelligence market is intensifying following the launch of the Chinese-based platform DeepSeek-R1…

Sustainability, once a side concern in the technology industry, has become a core business priority. It is being fuelled by soaring energy costs, environmental regulations and growing pressure from customers and stakeholders to operate in a more responsible way. To address these concerns, First Technology Western Cape is helping businesses turn their sustainability goals into practical outcomes by using energy-efficient Dell Technologies solutions as well as responsible IT asset lifecycle management. Through its partnership with Dell’s Client Group Systems (CGS) and Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG) offerings, and by working with trusted partners to manage e-waste responsibly, First Technology helps organisations…

The pace of business moves so quickly today that companies need more than just technology. They need solutions that work together seamlessly. They must manage the challenge of managing complex IT procurement while also identifying opportunities for automation and more intelligent workflows. By combining access to essential hardware with expertise in implementing automation, organisations can streamline operations, gain more control and work more efficiently. This holistic approach ensures teams are equipped not just with the right tools, but also the guidance and insight needed to use them effectively. To address these needs, First Technology Western Cape operates across two major…

Lou Gerstner speaking in 1998/Reuters Louis Gerstner, the former CEO and chairman of IBM, died on Saturday, aged 83. IBM chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna announced Gerstner’s death in an e-mail on Sunday to employees, but did not provide a cause of death. “Lou arrived at IBM at a moment when the company’s future was genuinely uncertain. His leadership during that period reshaped the company. Not by looking backward, but by focusing relentlessly on what our clients would need next”, Krishna said in his e-mail. Gerstner moved to IBM from being the CEO of RJR Nabisco in April 1993 after…

Former IBM chief executive officer and chairman Lou Gerstner. Former IBM chief executive officer and chairman Lou Gerstner has died at the age of 83.Current IBM chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna informed employees of Gerstner’s death in an e-mail circulated yesterday.“I am saddened to share that Lou Gerstner, IBM’s chairman and CEO from 1993 to 2002, passed away yesterday,” said Krishna in the e-mail.He noted that Gerstner arrived at IBM at a moment when the company’s future was uncertain.“The industry was changing rapidly, our business was under pressure, and there was serious debate about whether IBM should even remain whole.…

The banking, financial services and insurance sector is navigating an unprecedented convergence of economic and regulatory pressures. Rising cost-of-living pressures, household cash-flow stress, regulatory expansion and new risks linked to climate, fraud, conduct and geopolitical volatility all converge to create a perfect economic storm. Socio-political shifts mean that customers now expect greater transparency, demonstrable concern for their financial health and visibly impactful business conduct. It’s little wonder that most institutions find their ability to adapt legacy systems outpaced by the speed of change. SAS’s integrated approach to enterprise customer decisioning helps BFSI organisations futureproof their businesses Many financial institutions still…

Lukas Pelser, Sophos Antivirus software is the thing everybody loves to hate. For many, it’s bloatware. From the moment you turn on your computer, it nags you about updates, scans and pop-ups that feel more like interruptions than protection. For others, it’s forever tied to John McAfee, the software pioneer turned fugitive whose personal life became as notorious as the product that still bears his name. And then there are those who believe that safety comes down to common sense. If you stop, think and don’t click on suspicious links, you’ll be fine. This might work when it comes to…

Whitespace: One of the halls at Africa Data Centres’ JHB1 building in Midrand. Datacentres all over the world are searching for ways to become greener and more efficient. This is also true of Africa Data Centres (ADC), which has facilities in Johannesburg and Cape Town, as well as Nairobi and Lagos. There are plans to build another 10 datacentres on the continent, including in Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco and Egypt. In South Africa, it has around 25MW of live IT load, with another 20MW in production. Angus Hay, regional executive at ADC, says the big challenge for any datacentre is going…