Author: Chris Anu

The “big lift” of the main reflector onto the pedestal for the first SKA-Mid production dish on site in South Africa. The lift took place on 4 July 2024. Photo credit: SKAO/Max Alexander, CC BY 3.0 South Africa’s role at the heart of one of the world’s most ambitious scientific instruments moved a step closer to reality this week, as the Square Kilometre Array Observatory announced that its SKA-Mid telescope has achieved a crucial early milestone known as “first fringes”. The achievement means that two of SKA-Mid’s giant radio dishes have successfully worked together as an interferometer for the first…

NCC has issued a recall for 372 Volvo EX30 vehicles sold in Gauteng. Following a notification from Volvo Car South Africa, the National Consumer Commission (NCC) has issued a recall notice for 372 Volvo EX30 vehicles locally.The recall affects certain Volvo EX30 single motor extended range and twin motor performance models from the 2024 to 2026 model years. The vehicles were sold from 29 December 2025 in Gauteng.According to Volvo Car South Africa, the recall is linked to a potential defect in the high-voltage battery. In rare instances, the battery may overheat when charged to a high level, which could…

Samsung Mobile’s TM Roh Samsung Electronics on Thursday projected a three-fold jump in fourth-quarter operating profit from a year earlier to a record high as tight supply and a surge in artificial intelligence-driven demand stoked prices for conventional memory chips. The results highlight how chip prices have rocketed as chipmakers scramble to keep up with demand for memory chips used in servers, personal computers and mobile devices to meet AI needs. The world’s largest memory chipmaker estimated an operating profit of ₩20-trillion won (around R226.9-billion) for the October-December period, beating an LSEG SmartEstimate of ₩18-trillion and up from ₩6.49-trillion a…

Simeon Tassev, Managing Director and QSA at Galix. (Image: Galix) Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliance has often been viewed as something to focus on only when required, such as when a breach makes headlines or a bank requests proof of compliance. This reactive approach exposes organisations to avoidable risk. PCI DSS sets the minimum baseline for protecting payment data and supports the ability to operate in the payments ecosystem. Non-compliance can lead to fines routed through acquiring banks on behalf of payment brands, and in certain industries it can prevent organisations from securing the licences they…

Google, Meta Platforms, Netflix, Microsoft and Amazon will not face heavy-handed regulations in Europe’s digital rule overhaul despite calls from telecommunications companies, people with direct knowledge of the matter said on Thursday. A slew of new tech rules adopted in recent years by the European Commission sparked criticism from the US, which says it targets US tech giants. The EU has categorically rejected such claims. EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen will present the rule revamp known as the Digital Networks Act, which aims to boost Europe’s competitiveness and investments in telecoms infrastructure, on 20 January. The commission declined to comment.…

Muzi Langa, MD of ManTK IT Solutions. (Image: Supplied) Approaching data protection as a universal, one-size-fits-all exercise can prove overly costly, or worse, fail to adequately protect the organisation’s most critical data.The key to properly securing sensitive and critical data is proper data classification, says Muzi Langa, MD of ManTK IT Solutions, a specialist IT security and services provider.Langa says: “In our experience, many organisations have not properly classified their data before considering the appropriate measures to secure it. In many cases, data is not even considered as an asset or listed in the asset register. These oversights can impact…

Think about the last time you got hooked on a Netflix series. That instant connection wasn’t random; it was the result of years of data analysis. Netflix understands what you watch, why you watch, how long you stay engaged and when you stop. It then uses those insights to create content that feels tailor-made. In the artificial intelligence space, the companies with the best, most relevant data win for the exact same reason: algorithms can be bought, but the right data is irreplaceable. For voice and chat AI agents, conversation intelligence is the game changer. It goes beyond transcribing calls.…

Building in-house software comes with costs and risks. Is it better to build or buy software? The prevailing wisdom is that building software has more advantages. If the project can justify development resources, such as for infrastructure and expert skills, the value far outweighs the risks.But this belief doesn’t translate into reality. A new report: Build vs. buy: The true cost of DIY IT solutions, from e-mail signature management solution provider Exclaimer, reveals that building in-house software comes with far more costs and risks, with 71% of such projects being abandoned. “IT and business teams often consider in-house software and…

An LG Cloid robot stands on stage during an LG Electronics news conference at CES 2026. Steve Marcus/Reuters Just four years after the launch of ChatGPT, the chatbot that brought artificial intelligence into the mainstream, and it seemed like almost every exhibitor at the CES show in Las Vegas this week was touting an AI-powered gadget. The annual event draws the biggest companies from the global tech and auto industries, who this year underscored the shift from AI software to “physical AI” with robotics, humanoids and autonomous driving technology. Interest in humanoid robots has boomed as companies see human-form machines…

Lloyd Matthew, Founder and CEO. Untapped.AI, a South African AI consultancy, is rapidly gaining national attention after becoming the first local provider to deploy an AI voice agent that routes calls entirely through a South African call exchange. This breakthrough enables businesses to reduce call costs by up to 50% compared to AI voice solutions that rely on international calling infrastructure. The company recently went viral on social media for its AI voice technology, which includes cloning the founders’ own voice; creating AI agents that sound natural, familiar and distinctly local. However, it is the localisation of the underlying call technology…