Author: Chris Anu
Esa Alexander/Reuters The department of communications & digital technologies is in talks with South Africa’s largest online retailer, Takealot Group, which is mulling the option of hiring thousands of retrenched Post Office employees as it widens its e-commerce ambitions. The announcement was made by Nonkqubela Jordan-Dyani, director-general in the department of communications & digital technologies, in a presentation to parliament on Wednesday. She said that Takealot is looking to make around 18 000 new hires. “We have an agreement with Takealot in place,” Jordan-Dyani told MPs. “The agreement says Takealot will onboard the previously retrenched Sapo (Post Office) members; on top…
Modernisation is a risk management strategy. From rising maintenance overhead to lost innovation potential, legacy technology is more than just old – it’s risky.Many large enterprises still run critical operations on legacy systems. These platforms have proven their resilience, but they come with hidden costs and risks that are increasingly difficult to ignore:Legacy skills are becoming rare and costlyCompliance risks and unpredictable failuresMissed opportunities and innovation bottlenecksOperational inefficiencies multiply over timeWhy do these risks deserve attention, and what can you do about them? Let’s look at each in more detail.Modernisation is a risk management strategy. 1. Legacy skills are becoming…
SuperSport CEO Rendani Ramovha SuperSport United, the Premier Soccer League (PSL) team owned by MultiChoice Group subsidiary SuperSport, is being sold to an entity linked to the former Bloemfontein Celtic football club. According to a SuperSport statement on Thursday, the sale to Siwelele Football Club was agreed following a closed bidding process. It remains subject to approval by the management of the PSL. “The sale of the club comes as SuperSport makes strategic shifts to allow us to remain the biggest broadcaster in Africa and a leading global competitor,” said SuperSport CEO Rendani Ramovha in the statement. The sale of…
There are alternatives to government’s biometric checks. Sectors that depend on biometric identity verification – including financial services, mobile network operators and credit providers – are under pressure after the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) implemented a steep fee increase for access to its database.Identity verification company Ideco says these industries are well-positioned to circumvent the department entirely by using alternative digital solutions that do not rely on home affairs’ systems.Marius Coetzee, Ideco MD, tells ITWeb that industry players are exploring other ways to meet identity verification requirements. “What home affairs is currently doing is they’re just opening opportunities for…
Communications minister Solly Malatsi The Internet Service Providers’ Association (Ispa) has voiced its support for communications minister Solly Malatsi’s plan to reform empowerment rules in ICT sector licensing. A draft policy direction by Malatsi calls for the introduction of equity equivalents in licensing so companies don’t have to sell equity to black investors and can instead direct spending into efforts such as skills development and education. “As others, including the president have noted, the proposed EEIP (Equity Equivalence Investment Programme) is not only consistent with current laws, it is an innovative way to take empowerment to another level while enabling…
Businesses need to focus on growth strategies that include AI and the role of people in the organisation. As businesses continue to navigate a rapidly evolving digital landscape shaped by technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing and edge computing, the importance of balancing technological innovation with human-centric strategies is coming into sharper focus.To address these challenges and opportunities, ITWeb will host the CX Summit 2025 on 24 July at the Focus Rooms in Modderfontein, Sandton.Themed: “The power of the personal: Customer journeys in the digital age,” the summit will explore how organisations can integrate digital tools with authentic,…
Johannesburg’s crisis-plagued electricity supply utility, City Power, has announced plans to replace some its vehicles in its fleet with EVs as it eyes the roll-out of charging infrastructure across the city. In a statement on Tuesday, City Power said it has acquired electric vehicle charging stations as part of a plan to position Joburg as a “leader in the green economy”. It didn’t provide further details about the charging stations, promising an “official launch” in the coming weeks. The move comes as the utility struggles with ageing infrastructure, vandalism and theft across Joburg, which has led to recurring power outages…
South Africa is the most targeted country in Africa when it comes to cyber breaches. The cyber security breach that rendered the ICT systems of the South African Weather Service (SAWS) unusable led to “uncharacteristically poor” performance in the fourth quarter of the 2024/25 financial year. The Parliamentary portfolio committee on environment, forestry and fisheries was yesterday briefed on the situation when the meteorological service provided an update on its third and fourth quarter reports for the financial year under review.In January, SAWS confirmed its ICT systems went down due to a criminal security breach. It revealed its aviation and…
None of the 11 state-owned enterprises in the ICT sector was profitable in the 2024 financial year, with most making losses for at least five years. This is according to a document tabled in parliament by communications minister Solly Malatsi in response to a question from fellow Democratic Alliance MP Patrick Atkinson, who asked him about the amount of financial assistance that has been given to sector SOEs in the past five years. Atkinson also wanted to know how many of the entities were profitable and whether any of the CEOs of loss-making entities were paid performance bonuses. The Post…
Linda Saunders, country manager and senior director of solution engineering for Africa at Salesforce. AI adoption among desk workers has skyrocketed, with daily usage increasing by 233% in just six months, according to the latest Slack Workforce Index released by US tech firm Salesforce.The global study by Salesforce and its company Slack surveyed 5 156 desk workers across Australia, France, Germany, Japan, the UK and the US between 9 April and 1 May. It was conducted by research firm Qualtrics and did not target employees or customers of Slack or Salesforce.The research reveals that workers are now 154% more likely…