Author: Chris Anu
The decline in the number of South African learners taking and passing pure mathematics – as opposed to the more rudimentary maths literacy – at high school level is going to have profound negative consequences for the economy, experts have warned. This is because digital skills and computational thinking are increasingly becoming crucial components of career success. “The universities are not getting enough throughput from high schools to train Stem (science, technology, engineering and maths) graduates, not in the quantities or quality required for a modern Stem economy, and the latest national senior certificate data makes this very clear,” said…
Dr Boloka, founder and CEO of OS Lab. (Photograph by Lesley Moyo) Former Film and Publication Board (FPB) CEO Dr Mashilo Boloka has ventured into fighting digital and online threats by establishing Online Safety Lab (OS Lab) – a trust safety start-up.The start-up, which started operating in 2025, seeks to help organisations across Africa navigate the growing risks associated with digital platforms, emerging technologies and online abuse. OS Lab operates within what has become known globally as the trust and safety industry – a relatively new sector that has evolved from online content moderation into a broader market encompassing regulatory…
Sola Group’s Springbok solar farm South Africa’s renewable energy sector is poised for a busy year, with multiple projects set to reach commercialisation or break ground as market confidence remains generally upbeat. According to industry body the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association, the country’s renewable energy sector is heading in the right direction. “The policy architecture is largely in place, private investment continues to flow, and the technical capacity to deploy solar, wind and storage at scale has been demonstrated,” Sapvia spokesman Mark Spencer told TechCentral. The technical capacity to deploy solar, wind and storage at scale has been demonstrated…
Meta will initiate staff cuts of more than 1 000 people within its Reality Labs division. Facebook-parent company Meta is reportedly in the process of laying off employees focused on virtual reality (VR) within its Reality Labs division.This comes on the back of last April’s report that Meta would lay off “an unspecified number of employees” from its Reality Labs division “amid ongoing restructuring efforts”.CNBC has reported that layoffs, amounting to more than 1 000 jobs, will impact about 10% of the hardware division, which makes Quest VR headsets, and the Horizon Worlds virtual social network. Reports further note that Meta plans…
OnePlus CEO Pete Lau. Carlo Allegri/Reuters Taiwanese prosecutors have issued an arrest warrant for the CEO of Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus, alleging he was involved in illegal business and recruitment activities in Taiwan. Taiwan’s Shilin District Prosecutors Office said on Tuesday it had indicted two Taiwanese citizens for helping OnePlus CEO Pete Lau illegally operate a business and recruit more than 70 employees in Taiwan. The allegations fall under Taiwanese law governing relations with China. Over 70 employees were hired in Taiwan to conduct smartphone software application research and development, verification and testing for the Chinese smartphone maker, prosecutors said. Taiwan’s…
The NSC report shows the mathematics pass rate dropped from 69% to 64% in 2025. South Africa’s Department of Basic Education (DBE) plans to work alongside provincial departments to boost mathematics uptake among learners.This was revealed by director-general at the Department of Basic Education (DBE) Hubert Mathanzima Mweli, presenting the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) exam results technical report yesterday. Maths participation, which is the number of candidates that wrote the subject in matric last year, sits at 34.1% overall, with the majority opting for mathematical literacy.The DBE classifies mathematics into three streams, namely pure mathematics, technical mathematics and mathematical…
Technology industry experts have warned that the global memory chip shortage, which is fuelling a sharp rise in the price of computers, is likely not a short-term spike. Mustek chief technology officer Dimitri Tserpes told TechCentral this week that the RAM shortage does not only affect computers, TVs and gaming consoles, but other electronic devices – washing machines, cars and fridges. “Anything that has an embedded computer in it must have DRAM (dynamic random-access memory) to go with it, and prices are skyrocketing,” said Tserpes. Anything with an embedded computer in it must have DRAM to go with it, and…
Film and Publication Board CEO advocate Norman Gidi. The Film and Publication Board’s (FPB’s) new CEO advocate Norman Gidi officially assumed office on 12 January.This, after his appointment was approved by communications minister Solly Malatsi in concurrence with Cabinet. According to the FPB, Gidi brings over 20 years of executive and senior leadership experience within the communications and regulatory sector. He holds an LLB, a Master of Laws degree with specialisation in communications law. He has completed various leadership programmes, including the Spider Capacity Building on ICT regulation, policy, and practice at Stockholm University, as well as the Leaders in…
Streaming service Viu has launched a new a vertical video section on its mobile app offering one to three minutes episodic micro-dramas. Named “Viu Shorts”, the content is presented in a similar format to the short-form content popularised by social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. “We are thrilled to add a new facet to our service with the launch of Viu Shorts. This new feature brings viewers fast-paced storytelling in a one- to three-minute episodic format, complementing Viu’s … long-form series and movies,” said Janice Lee, CEO of Viu, in a statement on Monday. “With these bite-sized dramas…
Gauteng education department encourages matriculants to access their 2025 National Senior Certificate results via the province’s online results system. Gauteng matriculants have been urged to make use of the province’s online results portal, to access their 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination results.The online system allows candidates to view their results digitally using smartphones, tablets or other devices. Matriculants can access their results by entering their examination number.In a statement, the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) says the system was designed to make accessing results easier for learners on results day, when demand for information is typically high.“Recognising that results day…