Author: Chris Anu

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…

Folding phones are advancing at light speed. For consumers, the appeal is self-evident: on one hand, folding phones give them the option to have a larger, tablet-like interface that offers enhanced productivity and a better user experience. On the other hand, the fit-in-your-pocket design when folded maintains easy portability. Samsung pioneered the folding phone category in South Africa with the first-generation Galaxy Fold in 2019. The Z Fold series is now in its seventh generation, with the Galaxy Z Fold7 and Galaxy Z Flip7 launched earlier this month. In this episode of TechCentral’s TCS+, Zahir Cajee, mobile experience lead for…

GreenPitch Challenge top 10. The top 10 finalists for the 2025 Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) GreenPitch Challenge have been selected from over 200 entries. These early stage start-up and pre-growth phase green businesses will pitch to a panel of judges at a “shark tank-style” hybrid networking event, hosted on 4 September in Cape Town. The in-person event is by invite only, but those interested in green economy innovation can register to attend the event virtually.The 2025 GreenPitch Challenge top 10 are:AgriTex SoilShield (sustainable agriculture, circular economy)Arable Grow (sustainable agriculture, water)Agrikey Hydroponics (circular economy, sustainable agriculture)DC Solar Reclaim solar module…

A Karpowership vessel is seen in this file photo. Image: Supplied A plan to station floating power-generation ships in three South African ports, a project championed by former energy minister Gwede Mantashe, is dead in the water. This is after the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse, better known as Outa, won a case in the high court in Pretoria on Thursday in which the licences for Turkey’s Karpowership to operate the ships were declared invalid and overturned. In a statement, Outa declared: “This is the end of government attempts to contract the Karpowerships. The court case took three years but Outa…

Investment in digital and telecoms infrastructure could help improve service delivery, according to the IRMSA Risk Report. Out of South Africa’s key network industries, the telecommunications industry remains as the one that is “still functional”.As a result, improving the energy, transport/logistics and water industries is paramount, as there is a risk of them becoming dysfunctional, according to the latest risk assessment report produced by the Institute of Risk Management South Africa (IRMSA).The annual IRMSA Risk Report delves into the country’s risk profile, looking at issues such as infrastructure, divisive politics, political instability, skills and food security.According to the report, historically,…