Author: Chris Anu

The Invigilator, the developer of a South African application that helps educational institutions monitor web-based assessments to prevent cheating, recenty secured US$11-million (R195-million) in funding to help it expand internationally. In this episode of the TechCentral Show, Nicholas Riemer, co-founder and CEO of The Invigilator, joins TechCentral’s Nkosinathi Ndlovu to discuss how the start-up is going to use the cash injection to take on international markets. He also gives insight into the app’s software and the company behind it. Watch the interview In this episode, Riemer delves into: How The Invigilator app got started during the Covid-19 lockdown; The markets…

City Power’s Mondeor Switching Station in Johannesburg. Power utility City Power has engaged Chinese tech giant Huawei to curtail electricity losses amounting to over R3 billion every year.The City of Johannesburg entity is set to roll out Huawei’s Intelligent Distribution System (IDS), a solution designed to help curb network abnormalities, reduce rampant energy theft, and address technical losses.The announcement was made by City Power’s chief operations officer (COO), Charles Tlouane, on Friday at the Huawei Global Electricity Power Summit held at the Shanghai Expo Centre in China.Huawei says the IDS adopts the “cloud-pipe-edge-pipe-device” architecture and incorporates ICTs such as the…

Cell C is looking to cement its position as the leading network for mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) in South Africa — even as rival MTN launches a challenge to its dominance. In an investor presentation published by its main shareholder, Blu Label Unlimited Group, on Tuesday, Cell C outlined its strategy as it undertakes a restructuring exercise ahead of a planned listing on the JSE in 2026. The operator identified MVNOs as a strategic growth enabler for the business. “The projected 17% compound annual growth rate [in MVNO subscribers] from 2024 to 2029 is fuelled by rising interest from…

Boomi Appoints Keyur Ajmera as Chief Information Officer Boomi™, the leader in AI-driven automation, today announced the appointment of Keyur Ajmera as Chief Information Officer, responsible for driving Boomi’s global IT strategy, enterprise systems, cybersecurity, and digital operations. Ajmera will focus on scaling technology to support Boomi’s rapid growth, strengthening the company’s IT foundation for AI adoption, and ensuring operational excellence as Boomi accelerates its agentic transformation journey. He will report to President of Global Operations and Chief Financial Officer, Val Rainey. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250922974855/en/Ajmera, who most recently served as Senior Vice…

MultiChoice Group is entering uncharted territory. With Groupe Canal+’s takeover now final, the South African pay-TV giant has fallen under foreign control for the first time in its history. Calvo Mawela has been replaced as chief executive by Frenchman David Mignot, the Canal+ Africa boss, while Maxime Saada, Canal+’s CEO, now chairs the MultiChoice board. The new management team has promised a full strategic update in early 2026. But already the scale of the challenge is clear: the company is bleeding subscribers, Showmax is deep in the red, and the core DStv product strategy is outdated and in need of…

FNB CEO Harry Kellan. First National Bank’s (FNB’s) digitally-active customer base grew to 7.78 million, from 7.35 million in 2024.This is based on the bank’s financial results for the year ended 30 June, with its customers increasingly adopting digital payment methods over the years.FNB’s digital channels include mobile banking (USSD), online banking and the FNB app.Commenting on the growth, FNB CEO Harry Kellan said in relation to the overall customer base, the rate of digitally-active customers is “quite high”, pointing out that the bulk of them are in South Africa. “When you look at our South African retail customers, there…

Former MultiChoice Group CEO Calvo Mawela The French are moving quickly to stamp their authority on MultiChoice Group, announcing on Monday that CEO Calvo Mawela is longer CEO of the South African broadcaster. This follows news on Monday morning that Groupe Canal+’s acquisition of the South African pay-television giant has become unconditional. Mawela will be replaced in the role by Canal+ Africa CEO David Mignot. “The MultiChoice Group board has made certain changes to its composition and leadership team to allow for suitable Canal+ representation, while maintaining its independence,” MultiChoice said in a statement on Monday. The London-listed French media…

Higher education deputy minister Dr Mimmy Gondwe and Takealot Group CEO Frederik Zietsman at the MOU signing. (Photograph by DHET) Takealot Group this week signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), to spearhead youth skills development and workforce readiness in SA. According to a statement, the MOU forms part of the Takealot Township Economy Initiative.It will focus on adoption of TVET and community colleges for practical, work-integrated learning; expansion of the Takealot bursary programme, with matched funding from DHET; nationwide textbook distribution using Takealot’s logistics network; as well as collaboration with Sector…

US President Donald Trump. Brian Snyder/Reuters The Trump administration said on Friday it would ask companies to pay US$100 000 (R1.7-million) per year for H-1B worker visas, prompting some big tech companies to warn visa holders to stay in the US or quickly return. The change could deal a big blow to the technology sector that relies heavily on skilled workers from India and China. Since taking office in January, Trump has kicked off a wide-ranging immigration crackdown, including moves to limit some forms of legal immigration. The step to reshape the H-1B visa programme represents his administration’s most high-profile effort…

Automated reconciliation simplifies complexity. Transaction Junction, which positions itself as a leading fintech innovator in Southern Africa, has launched a game-changing automated reconciliation platform: TJ Recon PRO. As the next generation of the company’s established TJ Recon service, PRO is bank-agnostic and specifically engineered to simplify and streamline financial processes for businesses with the most complex transaction ecosystems. It is capable of reconciling all payment methods – delivering the clarity your finance team needs.The high cost of manual reconciliationMany retailers still rely on manual reconciliation – a process that is not only an immense drain on resources but also a…