Author: Chris Anu

In the 2024/25 financial year, 2 374 data breaches were reported to the Information Regulator. Data breaches are on the rise in South Africa, with the Information Regulator reporting a sharp increase in incident notifications.This emerged yesterday at a media briefing by advocate Pansy Tlakula, chairperson of the Information Regulator. Tlakula presented the high-level cases centred on the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA), as well as other legislative developments.According to Tlakula, in the 2024/25 financial year, 2 374 security compromise incidents (data breaches) were reported, with an average of 198 notifications…

The most direct competitor to Starlink, Amazon.com’s Project Kuiper, has changed its name to Amazon Leo. According to a statement on Thursday, the “Leo” in the new name refers to low-Earth orbit, aligning the brand more closely with the type of service it provides to its customers. “Like most early Amazon projects, the programme needed a code name, and the team began operating as ‘Project Kuiper’ – inspired by the Kuiper Belt, a ring of asteroids in our outer solar system,” said Amazon Leo CEO Rajeev Badyal. “Amazon Leo is a simple nod to the low-Earth orbit satellite constellation that…

Cyber criminals are ramping up as Black Friday nears. (Picture: Gerd Altmann via Pixabay) The shopping frenzy that starts in November has become a ripe picking ground for hackers who target retailers and consumers caught up in sales and discounts, rather than being on the lookout for fraud.This threat is compounded by typical holiday staffing patterns. Although shop floors are fully-staffed, many admin roles run on skeleton crews. The strain on remaining staff increases the likelihood of human error – a critical vulnerability, as phishing attacks remain the most common technique used by threat actors.Lynette Drevin, professor at the School…

For the second time in four months, Spotify is hiking prices in South Africa – this time, though, there’s more value on offer, including lossless (non-compressed) music streaming for the first time. New Premium plans – Lite, Standard and Platinum – are being introduced in five markets around the world: South Africa, India, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. A Duo plan, offering a discount for two subscribers, has been discontinued in South Africa. The new plans are: Spotify Premium Lite, offering one account and audio quality up to 160kbit/s: R69.99/month Spotify Premium Standard, offering downloads and streaming…

Advocate Pansy Tlakula, chairperson of the Information Regulator. South Africa’s Information Regulator is in a legal “battle” with Google and Meta after the tech giants refused to hand over records, claiming South African law doesn’t apply to them despite doing business in the country.This is according to advocate Pansy Tlakula, chairman of the Information Regulator, who updated the media on various enforcement matters this morning. Tlakula says Meta and Google, two of the world’s most valuable companies, have refused to provide access to records they hold on the basis that the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) doesn’t apply…

Discovery Bank CEO Hylton Kallner Discovery Bank is adding the ability for its clients to trade in cryptocurrencies directly in its banking app. The launch on Thursday of the crypto facility follows the signing of a new agreement between Discovery Bank and crypto exchange operator Luno, which will serve as the bank’s partner for the initiative. Bank CEO Hylton Kallner said the move is a clear signal that crypto is moving from a niche assets and becoming a mainstream investment. Discovery Bank customers will be able to trade in more than 50 cryptocurrencies and check their crypto balances and transactions…

The Competition Commission found that Google and YouTube reproduce South African news content, but provide no remuneration to local publishers. Google and YouTube have agreed to establish a combined R688 million media support package to fund national, community and vernacular media in SA.This is one of the key recommended remedies in the Competition Commission’s Media and Digital Platforms Market Inquiry final report, which was released today.The report found Google and YouTube reproduce and summarise South African news content, but provide no remuneration to local publishers. See also The final report is the culmination of 24 months of extensive evidence-gathering, public…

Cell C is heading to the public market with a proposed JSE listing that pegs the offer price between R29.50 and R35.50/share – a range that implies a post-listing market capitalisation of between R9.5-billion to R12.1-billion, depending on the final share count and whether an over-allotment is exercised. The transaction is a secondary sale by The Prepaid Company (TPC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Blu Label Unlimited Group. Cell C itself won’t raise primary capital under the offer. By comparison, Telkom has a market value of R25.3-billion. Vodacom Group and MTN Group — South Africa’s two largest telecommunications operators, which…

ITWeb AI Summit 2026: Building South Africa’s AI ecosystem, together. Are you overwhelmed by the pace of AI-driven disruptions and worried about missing opportunities to transform your business? Or have you embraced AI but are unsure how to measure its impact and take it to the next level? Perhaps you are on top of your AI integration projects and you’re ready to ride the next wave of innovation?Wherever your business is on its AI journey, the ITWeb AI Summit 2026 will provide expert insights, real-world experience and practical guidelines on building a sustainable AI ecosystem, with South African business and…

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket lifts off carrying Amazon’s two prototype relay stations for Project Kuiper, from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida, in 2023. Joe Skipper/Reuters Amazon has partnered with Vanu, a US-based company, to deploy cellular towers in far-flung and rural parts of Southern Africa using Amazon’s Project Kuiper low-Earth orbit satellites. The agreement between the two companies is one of the first involving Kuiper, which is planning to build a constellation of satellites to rival Starlink, owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. The collaboration will focus initially on Southern Africa, including South…