Author: Chris Anu
Eskom has once again implemented load shedding, this time at a less-severe level 2. It has again blamed the loss of generating units for the latest outages. “While we have made notable progress in our generation recovery efforts, Eskom faced the loss of five generation units before the peak period. Consequently, stage 2 load shedding was implemented at 6.25pm and will remain in effect until 5am tomorrow. “We continue to prioritise planned maintenance to strengthen system reliability ahead of the winter months, while ensuring adherence to environmental and licensing conditions,” it said. Read: Eskom added no new plant in 2024…
The global business services sector grew from 65 000 jobs in 2019, to an estimated 150 000 in 2024, in South Africa. The local industry body of the high-value global business services (GBS) sector is closely monitoring the rising geopolitical shockwaves between SA and the US.The sector has witnessed significant investment from global players in recent years, as well as brought offshore opportunities to SA, providing youth employment opportunities. During a media briefing on SA’s enhanced GBS advantage, hosted by Business Process Enabling South Africa (BPESA), CEO Reshni Singh detailed SA’s competitive-edge in global services, its GBS master plan and…
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang interacts with a small robot on stage during the keynote for the Nvidia GPU Technology Conference. Brittany Hosea-Small/Reuters Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang believes humanoid robots are less than five years away from seeing wide use in manufacturing facilities. Huang on Tuesday gave a keynote address in front of a packed hockey stadium during the nearly US$3-trillion company’s annual developer conference in San Jose, California. Huang unveiled software tools that he said would help humanoid robots navigate the world more easily. I think it ought to go to factories first. And the reason is the domain is…
HONOR Magic7 Pro. With smartphone usage scenarios continuing to diversify, from portrait photography to telephoto imagery and quick snapshots, consumers expect versatile photography capabilities from a single device. Understanding this evolving demand, global technology brand, HONOR, has dedicated efforts to fine-tune its smartphones’ hardware and software components to ensure unparalleled image quality.Recognising the pivotal role of AI in enhancing photography capabilities on the software front, HONOR has been evolving its AI-driven Image Engine to push smartphone photography boundaries. First introduced in 2021, the original HONOR Image Engine used AI to blend images from multiple lenses for sharper results. The second…
A small-format Pick n Pay store in Kenilworth, Cape Town. Image: Husskeyy/CC BY-SA 4.0 First National Bank and Pick n Pay will next month extend their eBucks rewards programme partnership to a broader segment of FNB’s customer portfolio. Having kicked off in a pilot phase last November with FNB’s private banking clients, the wider deployment will see the programme growing from the current 1.4 million customers to the full contingent over 6.4 million registered eBucks users. According to Lytania Johnson, CEO of FNB’s personal segment, who spoke at an event hosted by FNB and Pick n Pay on Monday, data…
Lunga Siyo, CEO of Telkom Consumer. Telkom has announced tariff adjustments across its consumer and small to medium business (SMB) fixed broadband and voice portfolios.In a statement, the company says the tariff adjustments are in response to increasing operational costs and external economic pressures.These adjustments, which come into effect on 1 April, are essential to maintaining Telkom’s commitment to delivering quality service, while remaining competitive in the market, it adds.It notes that South Africa continues to face economic challenges, including rising inflation, increasing energy costs and a weakened exchange rate, all of which put pressure on businesses across various sectors.According…
A Telkom communications tower in Pretoria In a blow to overstretched South African consumers, Telkom on Tuesday said it plans to adjust tariffs for its fixed broadband and voice services. The JSE-listed company, which is 40.5% owned by the state, said in a statement that the increases are the result of “increasing operational costs and external economic pressures”. The price increases will affect the consumer and small and medium business (SMB) fixed broadband and voice portfolios and will take effect on 1 April 2025, Telkom said. “These adjustments … are essential to maintaining Telkom’s commitment to delivering quality service while…
Novus has made a mandatory offer to acquire Mustek. The Competition Tribunal has conditionally approved the proposed merger in which Novus intends to acquire additional shares in ICT distributor Mustek.The tribunal has approved the proposed merger subject to employment-related public interest conditions.The latest development comes after the Competition Commission last month recommended that the Competition Tribunal approves, with conditions, In November, JSE-listed print, publishing and packaging manufacturing business Novus made an offer to buy JSE-listed ICT distributor Mustek.It told Mustek shareholders that it had acquired the beneficial ownership of ordinary issued shares in Mustek, which resulted in Novus beneficially holding…
Michael Jordaan Michael Jordaan, the former chief of First National Bank, is considering partnerships to grow Bank Zero as the app-driven firm seeks to challenge the country’s biggest finance institutions. Launched in 2021, the digital bank is set to break even within two years and has received interest in forming strategic linkups from a large insurer, a telecommunications company and a payments firm. “The next step is to scale up and it could just be that we do it in partnership,” Jordaan, Bank Zero’s co-founder and chairman, said in an interview in Stellenbosch, the location of his family’s wine estate,…
Smartz Solutions and Jasco Enterprise announce strategic partnership to drive contact centre innovation in Africa. Smartz Solutions, which positions itself as a leader in cloud-based contact centre technology, partners with Jasco Enterprise, a long-established technology and ICT solutions provider. This collaboration marks a significant step in transforming Africa’s contact centre landscape by delivering scalable, future-ready and cost-effective communication solutions.Partnership rooted in innovation and flexibilityJasco Enterprise, with its nearly 50-year heritage, has continuously evolved to meet the needs of businesses navigating digital transformation. Now, with a renewed focus on agility and customer-centric solutions, Jasco is expanding its contact centre offering beyond…