Author: Chris Anu

Vodacom’s acquisition of a co-controlling stake of up to 40% in Vumatel parent Maziv is suddenly back on the table following a dramatic development in the case. The Competition Commission said on Tuesday that it has reached an agreement with both Vodacom and Maziv, which also owns Dark Fibre Africa, that could see the deal proceed, despite both the commission and the Competition Tribunal’s earlier findings that it should not be allowed to happen on competition grounds. The new “revised conditions … substantially remedy the competition concerns raised by the commission in its recommendation to the tribunal that the merger…

Under the deal, Vodacom is looking to acquire a 30% stake in the newly-created Maziv. Vodacom has been given a boost by local competition authorities in its bid to band together with fibre network operator Maziv.This, after the Competition Commission (CompCom) today revealed it reached an agreement with the companies on revised conditions that substantially remedy the competition concerns raised by the commission in its recommendation to the Competition Tribunal that the merger between the two firms be prohibited.The announcement comes ahead of the Competition Appeal Court hearing this month, where the firms are looking to challenge the blocking of…

Vodacom’s acquisition of a co-controlling stake of up to 40% in Vumatel parent Maziv is suddenly back on the table following a dramatic development in the case. The Competition Commission said on Tuesday that it has reached an agreement with both Vodacom and Maziv, which also owns Dark Fibre Africa, that could see the deal proceed, despite both the commission and the Competition Tribunal’s earlier findings that it should not be allowed to happen on competition grounds. The new “revised conditions … substantially remedy the competition concerns raised by the commission in its recommendation to the tribunal that the merger…

Joburg has promised a renewed strategic focus on digital transformation and infrastructure. The City of Johannesburg (COJ) has admitted to multiple setbacks in rolling out its smart city ambitions – citing issues such as “fragmented initiatives and insufficient governance structures”.Now, with its 2025/26 draft Integrated Development Plan (IDP), the municipality says it will renew its strategic focus on digitaltransformation and infrastructure.In the draft IDP, which was made available for public comment on Monday, the city lists a range of challenges that have hindered progress. These include ineffective governance structures, poor planning, an outdated ICT environment, and no mayoral agreement for…

Apple’s top executive in charge of artificial intelligence models is leaving for Meta Platforms, another setback in the iPhone maker’s struggling AI efforts. Ruoming Pang, a distinguished engineer and manager in charge of the company’s Apple foundation models team, is departing, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Pang, who joined Apple from Google in 2021, is the latest big hire for Meta’s new superintelligence team, said the people, who declined to be named discussing unannounced personnel moves. To secure Pang, Meta offered a package worth tens of millions of dollars per year, the people said. Meta CEO Mark…

Television advertising revenue is dwindling and the competition for advertising has heightened. Volumes on National Treasury’s eTenders Portal are lower this week, but the ICT industry benefits from a range of interesting requests, with particular focus on software requirements. The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies grabs the headline this week with its announcement that it wishes to appoint a service provider to develop a funding model for the beleaguered South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).The department notes the funding of public media services has become a prominent discussion in various jurisdictions, especially with the increasing challenges of creating sustainable, viable…

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) is taking its fight against the City of Johannesburg’s controversial new by-law regarding CCTV cameras to court. The by-law, which was introduced in February, demands that city residents must register any of their CCTV cameras that have a view of public spaces with the metro. According to Outa, the case was brought against the city at the high court in Johannesburg on 18 June. This is the first time Outa has disclosed the lawsuit. The notice of motion calls for the court to declare the city’s CCTV by-law invalid and unconstitutional “The notice of…

The by-law applies to private and external CCTV cameras installed on the city’s land and infrastructure. The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) is going to court to challenge the legality of the City of Johannesburg (COJ) new by-law on privately-owned closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV), which sets up convoluted rules requiring registration and City access to private data.This, after COJ, in February, approved the by-law to regulate CCTV cameras deployed in the city.According to the COJ, the aim of the by-law is to provide for regulation and registration of CCTV cameras in public spaces and private property with a view to public…

The Lekker Network is a recently launched global business platform designed to help South African expatriates find business and investment opportunities around the world, including at home. Founded by a group of well-known businesspeople, The Lekker Network was launched in March this year and offers members access to a business directory, a jobs portal (for employers and job seekers), a social platform with “likeminded individuals” and events around the world for people, including non-South Africans, to meet up. Renier Lombard, a co-founder of The Lekker Network, is our guest on this episode of the TechCentral Show. He told TechCentral editor…

Jonas Bogoshi, CEO of BCX. Africa could unlock trillions in economic value by investing in AI and digital infrastructure, according to Jonas Bogoshi, CEO of BCX.Speaking at Huawei’s South Africa Connect 2025 event in Johannesburg, Bogoshi said the AI economy has a powerful multiplier effect and called for urgent investment in design infrastructure.“Every $1 invested in design infrastructure can generate $3 to $5 in GDP,” said Bogoshi, citing McKinsey research that forecasts AI will contribute $13 trillion to global GDP by 2030. “South Africa could capture up to $1.5 trillion of that – if we act.”He warned that Africa must…