Thursday, November 28African Digital Business Magazine

Author: Africa Business

Tech

New KnowBe4 Report Shows Major Spike in Public Sector Attacks in 2023

Report reveals the need for strengthening security culture in the public sector KnowBe4, the provider of the world’s largest security awareness training and simulated phishing platform, released its report on the most popular and prolific cybercrimes of 2023 with a focus on the public sector. The report examines cybercrime trends, statistics and real life examples on a global scale as well as breaking it down by specific countries and regions, while providing possible defenses to safeguard against it. The public sector is becoming an increasingly attractive target for cybercriminals everywhere. This comes at no surprise as government agencies and public sector services retain personal data on the vast majority of people, information that is invaluable to cybercriminals. The report is pa...
Energy, South Africa News

Daily power cuts tripled in 2023: SA government must deploy subsidised smart tech solutions in evolutionary next step to maximise energy efficiency in 2024

According to the latest data sets from the Outlier, South Africans were forced to endure the highest degree of loadshedding on record last year. In 2022, citizens experienced 205/365 days of loadshedding - mostly between stages 1 and 4. While glaring, this pales in comparison to 2023, with daily blackouts across 335 days, comprising mostly stage 3 to 6 levels of loadshedding. Not only does this indicate a shocking 73% increase in power cuts year on year, but the number of times the power has gone off each day has almost tripled. While our national government has developed the appropriate legislation to promote the uptake of solar power with tax rebates on solar panels (offering buyers a potential 25% rebate on the cost of new and used solar panels), little has been done to promote the ro...
All Rixos Egypt Properties Received Booking.com Traveller Review Awards 2024
Africa Travel, Egypt News

All Rixos Egypt Properties Received Booking.com Traveller Review Awards 2024

Rixos Hotels Egypt is delighted to receive the esteemed Traveller Review Awards 2024 by Booking.com for its multiple properties such as Rixos Premium Seagate, Rixos Sharm El Sheikh, Rixos Golf Villas & Suites Sharm El Sheikh, Rixos Alamein, and Rixos Premium Magawish Suites & Villas. This recognition celebrates Rixos Hotels Egypt's unwavering commitment to delivering unparalleled service and exceptional guest experiences. Mr. Erkan Yildirim, the Managing Director of Rixos Hotels Egypt, expressed his gratitude and delight, stating, "We're thrilled to receive Booking.com Traveller Review Awards for our multiple properties in Egypt. My sincerest thanks to the dedicated Rixos Hotels Egypt team for their relentless commitment to exceptional service, and we also extend our gratitude t...
African News

Second edition of Hospitality Confidence Index highlights a thriving tourism sector in Africa

In the run-up to the seventh edition of the Hotel & Hospitality Expo Africa in June, the African Hospitality Confidence Index 2024 shares top insights into the trends shaping the continent’s hospitality sector. “The latest Confidence Index paints a vivid picture of a vibrant, positive industry in which the majority, at 80%, of hotel, bar and restaurant operators, along with industry suppliers are looking to the future with growing confidence and optimism,” says Margaret Peters, Event Manager for Hotel & Hospitality Expo Africa at dmg events South Africa. “Many businesses have recovered from the pandemic and are entering a new growth phase encompassing greater technological development, increased access to financing and a focus on nurturing industry talent, whereby 55% of responde...
Africa Travel, Business

Traversing International Relocations: The Role of Cultural Intelligence

As the Managing Director of Crown Relocations South Africa, a leading force in international relocation, Ian Pettey has witnessed firsthand the challenges and triumphs that come with moving families across borders. International relocations represent not just a change in geography but a profound shift in culture, lifestyle, and identity. In this era of globalisation, where mobility is increasingly common, the ability to navigate cultural differences with sensitivity and understanding has become more crucial than ever. At the heart of successful international relocations lies a concept known as cultural intelligence (CQ). Cultural intelligence goes beyond mere awareness of cultural differences; it encompasses the ability to adapt and thrive in diverse cultural settings. In the context of i...
Triple win: How Africa’s industrials can decarbonise, lower energy costs and increase reliability all at the same time
Energy

Triple win: How Africa’s industrials can decarbonise, lower energy costs and increase reliability all at the same time

By Ella Teperi, General Manager, Market & Financial Analysis, Decarbonisation Services at Wärtsilä Energy In African countries, particularly those with a well-developed industrial sector, a significant portion of energy production may come from the industry’s own power plants. This is especially true in countries where the reliability of the grid is low, and industries rely on self-generated power to ensure a stable energy supply. In this article, we are offering insights into our approach in supporting energy-intensive industries to optimise the use of renewable energy and reach their decarbonisation objectives. In Africa, just like anywhere else, energy-intensive businesses are under great pressure to decrease CO2 emissions as they continue to compete in the global marketplace. Wär...
South Africa News

Babalwa Ngonyama’s Legal Battle with UCT: A Test of Institutional Ethics

By James Bains  In the realm of South African higher education and corporate governance, few situations have garnered as much attention as the legal standoff between Babalwa Ngonyama, the former Chair of the University of Cape Town (UCT) Council, and UCT. Central to this unfolding drama is a contentious letter from UCT's Joint Investment Committee to Camissa Asset Management, hinting at a possible withdrawal of funds. These funds are intricately linked to Ngonyama's business interests, and their potential withdrawal has sparked a heated debate over the principles of fairness and autonomy in institutional governance. Ngonyama's response, condemning UCT's alleged tactics, has thrown a spotlight on the university's adherence to its foundational values of impartiality and academic freedom. ...
Business

African Investment Landscape in 2024: Prime Opportunity for Global Investors

Chris Taylor, the Head of the African Business Group at Addleshaw Goddard the international law firm, has provided insights into the investment outlook for Africa in 2024. He has emphasised the current market conditions as presenting a "unique opportunity for international investors" to expand their presence and capitalize on the continent's growth potential. Chris Taylor remarked, "We're witnessing a significant uptick in transactional activity, offering financial and strategic investors a plethora of opportunities across Africa's burgeoning tech sector, thriving consumer markets, and its transition towards sustainable energy. With much of Africa maintaining political stability and experiencing lesser inflationary pressures compared to global counterparts, businesses are rightly explorin...
Tech

7 scams to watch out for in 2024

As technology gets more advanced, fraudsters are also getting better at deceiving and stealing from us. Watch out! In 2024, scammers have some new tricks up their sleeve, such as deepfake impersonation. That is why fostering a zero-trust mindset can help to keep yourself safe from these scams. Deepfake impersonation scams Imagine receiving a voice note from your CEO instructing you to transfer money to a bank account. You follow the instructions without realising that the voice note is a deepfake. And just like that, you have fallen for a scam. Deepfakes make use of AI technologies to create new – but fake – images, videos, and/or audio material from existing material, “Artificial intelligence (AI) technology makes it easier for fraudsters to create these convincing fake messages from p...
Unlocking Africa’s travel tech potential within the $13tn global travel industry
Africa Travel

Unlocking Africa’s travel tech potential within the $13tn global travel industry

Written by Adam Aziz, Analyst at DAI Magister In 2019, tourism was a global powerhouse, accounting for 10% of GDP, or roughly $9 trillion. After weathering the pandemic storm, we expect 2023 figures to show a full recovery to pre-COVID levels, in line with data from leading travel platforms and the World Bank. But the story doesn’t end there. A transformative shift is underway, fuelled by evolving consumer preferences and habits, which could push tourism spending even higher to $13 trillion by 2030. Amidst this dynamic landscape, the travel tech sector is witnessing noteworthy developments. Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) are still capitalising on the shift from traditional to digital platforms, gaining a greater share of the travel and tourism market. In more developed markets, OTAs are in...