Author: Chris Anu

Eskom suspended load shedding at 10am on Sunday after recovering more than 3GW of generating capacity and restoring its emergency reserves. Eskom implemented the rolling blackouts at 2pm on Friday – the third time it has imposed load shedding this year – following the loss of 2.7GW of generating capacity. Several generation units went offline, including Kusile unit 2, two days after it was reintroduced to the grid. Two other coal-fired units were taken offline due to coal operations becoming “suboptimal” following “adverse weather” conditions. Coal operations at Kusile are at optimal levels. All units that were offline as of…

Vivo’s most advanced portrait smartphone to date, the vivo V50 5G, is now available for purchase at a recommended selling price of R20 999 or on contract through major networks.(1) Featuring state-of-the-art ZEISS Professional Portrait technology, co-engineered with ZEISS, the V50 enhances visual quality, allowing users to capture and share memories with exceptional clarity and style. Beyond its imaging prowess, the vivo V50 features a sleek, aesthetic design powered by a long-lasting 6 000mAh (TYP)(2) BlueVolt battery and ultra-fast 90W FlashCharge. Built for durability, it also boasts the highest IP ratings available in a South African smartphone, with IP68 and…

South Africa’s cabinet will back a VAT increase in exchange for a commitment from national treasury to review spending and fast-track economic growth, according to people familiar with the discussions. Treasury is likely to opt for a smaller, 0.5 percentage point hike in a rescheduled budget to be presented on Wednesday, compared with its initially proposed two percentage point increase, according to two of the people, who asked not to be identified as the information isn’t public. That option would resolve an impasse within the coalition government over the planned VAT hike that caused an unprecedented postponement of the budget…

Conflicts have also brought about an increase in hacktivism. Can you provide an overview of the current cyber security landscape for critical infrastructure in the MEA region?The MEA region is largely focused on energy. It has invested significantly in oil and gas across upstream, midstream and downstream functions and the utilities to support these environments and communities. This region has also seen one of the most threatening cyber attacks on equipment and human life, with the Trisis attack in 2017, which targeted a Triconix Controller at a refinery in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, there has been a significant focus on cyber…

The Nasdaq 100 Index sank into a correction on Friday, as investors continue to sour on the megacap technology stocks that led the stock market rally over the past two years. The index is now 10.2% below a peak hit just last month, putting it past the 10% threshold that represents a market correction. Among notable decliners, Nvidia slid 0.7%, Amazon.com fell 1.5% and Microsoft 1.9%. The Bloomberg Magnificent 7 Total Return Index, which entered a correction of its own in late February, 1.1% on Friday. Much of the slump reflects Wall Street’s rapid rotation out of companies tied to…

South African banks have largely slashed their instant payment charges following the introduction of PayShap. South African banks have largely slashed their instant payment charges following the introduction of PayShap to the local market.This is according to the Solidarity Research Institute (SRI) Bank Cost Report for 2025, which has just been released.Solidarity’s annual bank cost report analyses only ordinary transaction profiles – accounts that are available to any member of the public.It says at the start of 2025, competitiveness improved in all four transaction profiles, with charges not only decreasing among the banks, but also moving closer to each other.The…

Apple has confirmed that it’s delaying the release of a new AI-infused Siri digital assistant, saying the company now expects to roll out the software sometime “in the coming year”. The effort will give Siri “more awareness of your personal context, as well as the ability to take action for you within and across your apps”, the iPhone maker said in a statement. “It’s going to take us longer than we thought to deliver on these features.” The new capabilities were first touted last June at the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference. At the time, the company was aiming for a…

The rapid evolution of the tech industry has yet to eradicate the significant hurdles women face. Despite the tech industry’s rapid growth and innovation, women continue to face significant barriers to success in the tech space.So said women in tech that ITWeb spoke to ahead of International Women’s Day on Saturday, 8 March. International Women’s Day celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. It also marks a call to action to accelerate female equality.“Looking back, I can genuinely say that my tech journey through university came with a noticeable lack of support and representation,” says Shana-Michelle Rabonda,…

Eskom will implement stage-3 load shedding from 2pm on Friday following the loss of 2.7GW of generation capacity.  Several generation units went offline, including Kusile unit 2, two days after it was reintroduced to the grid on Wednesday.  Two other coal-fired units were taken offline due to coal operations becoming “suboptimal” following “adverse weather” in the area, said Eskom.   The constrained capacity resulted in the increased reliance on emergency reserves during this week The power cuts are expected to persist throughout the weekend and end on Monday at 5am.  “The constrained capacity resulted in the increased reliance on emergency reserves…

Filmed at Microsoft’s head office in Bryanston, South African president Cyril Ramaphosa and Microsoft’s global vice chair and president Brad Smith outline the company’s latest round of investment into the country, the importance of AI and the development of the National AI Policy, hoped to be a catalyst in supporting economic growth and job creation.The National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy seeks to position South Africa as a leader in AI innovation and will be a catalyst in supporting economic growth.This was the word from president Cyril Ramaphosa, delivering the keynote address last night at Microsoft South Africa’s head office in…