Author: Chris Anu
The Koeberg nuclear power station. Image: 6000.co.za/BY-NC-ND 2.0 The National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) has approved a 20-year licence extension for unit 2 of Eskom’s Koeberg nuclear power station. The extension ensures that the unit will continue to operate until 9 November 2045. “The approval marks a significant step in strengthening South Africa’s long-term energy security,” Eskom said in a statement. According to state-owned utility, the unit contributes some 946MW to the grid and has been operating at an energy availability of 100% for 241 consecutive days this year. This consistent performance underscores the station’s critical role in supporting South Africa’s…
Global telecommunications company Nokia is intensifying its efforts to expand connectivity, drive local innovation and develop ICT skills in South Africa.As part of its broader strategy to power Africa’s digital transformation through next-generation networks, Nokia has been accelerating its focus on bridging the digital divide through infrastructure development and enhancing digital skills and education.It is also promoting social development and inclusion, through partnerships with local operators, governments and non-government organisations, such as UNICEF and UN Women.Operating in over 130 countries, Nokia builds connectivity infrastructure and is a key player in global 5G deployments.Speaking to ITWeb TV, Tony Pellegrino, MD of…
Cybersecurity was a focus for the CSIR in the past financial year, with one project seeing the development of a tool that is ready to go live for web-based reporting to the South African Police Service. In it its annual report for 2024/2025, published on Thursday, the CSIR said the tool allows for financial and electronic communications service providers to report cybercrimes directly to the police. It said a designated point of contact has been established. The Cybercrimes Act requires all financial and electronic communications service providers to report cybercrimes directly to this designated point of contact. Previously, there was…
Free WiFi in hostels will enable residents to easily access government services online. The Gauteng Department of e-Government plans to roll out free WiFi at hostels in the City of Johannesburg. This is part of the Gauteng Provincial Network (GPN), an initiative facilitated by the provincial e-government department.In a statement, the department says a consultative meeting was held with hostel leaders this week, to discuss the planned deployment of free WiFi as part of expanding the GPN programme. See also The engagement is also part of the department’s ongoing efforts to bring new developments and digitise townships, informal settlements and…
A South African court case made headlines for all the wrong reasons in January 2025. The legal team in Mavundla vs MEC: department of co-operative government and traditional affairs KwaZulu-Natal and others had relied on case law that simply didn’t exist. It had been generated by ChatGPT, a generative artificial intelligence chatbot developed by OpenAI. Only two of the nine case authorities the legal team submitted to the high court were genuine. The rest were AI-fabricated “hallucinations”. The court called this conduct “irresponsible and unprofessional” and referred the matter to the Legal Practice Council, the statutory body that regulates legal…
Jonathan Elcock, co-founder and CEO of rather.chat. Cars.co.za says its artificial intelligence (AI)-integrated WhatsApp chatbot has helped the online automotive marketplace increase dealership leads.The new ‘Virtual Car Showroom’ feature, which went live in July, was developed to boost dealership inquiries nationwide and simplify the customer process for financing, buying, or selling vehicles.Within weeks of introduction, WhatsApp purchase inquiries increased by 1 000%: a spike that confirms South African consumers want faster, smarter ways to shop for cars, says the company.The online marketplace facilitates dealer and private sales, while buyers can browse vehicle listings, contact sellers directly, and access tools to…
Project Kuiper terminal on a rooftop. Image: Amazon Amazon is moving closer to establishing a physical footprint for its Project Kuiper satellite internet network in Africa, advertising for a new technical business development manager focused on acquiring and developing ground infrastructure sites across the continent. And it’s specifically indicated it’s looking for South African talent. The job posting is another signal that Kuiper – Amazon’s answer to Elon Musk’s Starlink – is gearing up to bring its low-Earth orbit (LEO) broadband constellation to South Africa and the rest of Africa and the Middle East. Amazon said the role involves significant…
South Africa’s automotive industry is in a state of flux. In this episode of the TechCentral Show, BMW Group South Africa CEO Peter van Binsbergen unpacks the challenges – and opportunities – facing a sector under pressure. He tells TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod about the future of BMW’s Rosslyn manufacturing plant in Pretoria, which was established more than half a century ago, and the urgent need for new government policy to ensure the automotive industrial base in South Africa is future-fit and ready for the shift to electric mobility. Van Binsbergen also discusses the rise of imported vehicles in the…
Nvidia CEO Jensen Juang Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has warned that China will beat the US in the artificial intelligence race, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday. “China is going to win the AI race,” Huang told the newspaper (paywall) on the sidelines of the Financial Times’ Future of AI Summit. “As I have long said, China is nanoseconds behind America in AI,” Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said in a statement posted on X late on Wednesday. China is nanoseconds behind America in AI. It’s vital that America wins by racing ahead and winning developers worldwide “It’s vital that America…
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