Author: Chris Anu

Trade minister Parks Tau South Africa faces a 30% tariff on its exports to the US starting next week, a move expected to cost tens of thousands of jobs after the country failed to secure a trade deal before a deadline set by US President Donald Trump. In an executive order on Thursday, Trump slapped new tariff rates ranging from 10% to 41% on dozens of countries as he seeks to reshape global trade on more favourable terms for the US. The order said the higher import duty rates would take effect in seven days. South Africa has tried for…

In this episode of ITWeb TV, Jurie Schoeman, managing partner at BSG, talks about the biggest tech trends the consultancy firm is witnessing in the South African market and how generative artificial intelligence has been received by local firms. He also touches on the company’s graduate programme among other issues. #DigitalTransformation #AI #GenAI #GraduateProgrammeDigital transformation is evolving rapidly, driven in part by the rise of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI).This is according to Jurie Schoeman, managing partner at South African consultancy BSG, in an interview with ITWeb TV.He noted that GenAI is playing a significant role in reshaping digital transformation initiatives…

BYD’s Atto 1 BYD – the Shenzhen-headquartered vehicle manufacturer sometimes referred to as “China’s Tesla” – will launch its lowest-model to date, the Atto 1, in South Africa next month, at an expected price point of below R400 000. That’s according to a report by CarMag, which recently travelled to China with BYD. Though it said the firm is “tight-lipped” about the likely price of the Atto 1 – known as the Dolphin Mini or Dolphin Surf in other markets – CarMag cited Chinese reports suggesting that BYD hopes to launch the model in South Africa for less than R400 000. That…

IBM found that the average data breach cost has declined in SA, reaching R44.1 million in 2025. A data breach incident now costs South African organisations a little less compared to the same period a year ago, averaging R44.1 million.Last year, the average data breach cost per incident for local organisations stood at R53.1 million. The decline to R44.1 million in 2025 represents a nearly 17% year-on-year decrease.The drop witnessed this year has been mainly driven by the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning insights, according to the 20th edition of the IBM 2025 Cost of a Data Breach Report.…

Mustek’s head office in Midrand, Johannesburg Printing and packaging firm Novus Holdings’ offer to buy out other shareholders in technology group Mustek has hit another hurdle. The two companies said in a joint announcement issued via the JSE on Friday that the Takeover Regulation Panel (TRP) is holding off from issuing a certificate of compliance, which is required before the transaction can be consummated. Novus had told Mustek shareholders in a circular that it had expected to receive the certificate from the TRP by no later than 1 August 2025. This will no longer happen. The TRP has received certain…

Google and Raspberry Pi Foundation’s programme will provide learners with early exposure to the tools and knowledge they will need to thrive in the digital economy. Google has announced its partnership with UK-based Raspberry Pi Foundation, aimed at equipping 210 000 learners and 4 200 school teachers in SA with essential digital skills. The programme will provide learners with early exposure to the tools and knowledge they will need to thrive in the digital economy. Raspberry Pi Foundation has selected local NPC, Edunova, as the implementation agent across five provinces in SA.The partnership was unveiled at Google’s AI in Action…

A TSCM fabrication plant in Taiwan The apparent threat by Taiwanese officials to impose microchip export restrictions on South Africa is likely unenforceable. Most of the electronic equipment sold in South Africa featuring Taiwanese-made chips is imported from other jurisdictions, and not directly from Taiwan. According to Axiz CEO Craig Brunsden, there are regional supply chain consequences to consider, too. “I seriously doubt Taiwan would impose an export ban on South Africa,” Brunsden said in response to a query by TechCentral. “South Africa would have to be internationally embargoed or there would have to a strong bilateral reason why to…

ANTS is urging passengers to plan ahead and arrive two hours before domestic departures and three hours before international departures Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) has reported a critical Air Traffic Control systems failure which is impacting flight management operations at OR Tambo International Airport, the busiest airport on the continent of Africa.In a statement, ATNS says while this is not an Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) systems issue, “we are alerting passengers as delays and changes to flight schedules are expected”.It notes that passengers are advised to contact their airlines directly for the latest updates on flight status…

Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS), a state-owned company, said on Friday that there had been a “systems failure” at OR Tambo International Airport that disrupting flights. OR Tambo is South Africa’s busiest airport, and a hub for the Southern African region. ATNS said the system failure on Friday — a busy day for the airport — was affecting air traffic control operations, specifically the flight plan management system. Update: The problem was resolved at 5pm. ATNS is working closely with all relevant stakeholders to manage the situation and minimise the impact It didn’t immediately specify what caused the failure.…

Rachel Cowan, interim CEO at Ozow. South African fintech firm Ozow says it has achieved a first in the country’s digital payments space by implementing the real-time payment feature, PayShap Request, in a live environment.The company claims the functionality represents the country’s first South African Reserve Bank (SARB)-endorsed interoperable account-to-account payment rail (the infrastructure enabling direct fund transfers between bank accounts).Developed by BankservAfrica and backed by South African banks under SARB’s Rapid Payments Programme, PayShap aims to accelerate digital payments and improve financial inclusion nationwide.The system allows users to make and receive payments in real-time using a mobile number or…