South Africa News Archives - Page 23 of 72

Stellenbosch Network in search of smart township solutions for Kayamandi

31Oct

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

South Africa News

Stellenbosch Network in search of smart township solutions for Kayamandi

Recent years have seen Stellenbosch emerge as one of the fastest-growing regions in South Africa. Spurred on by a thriving innovation ecosystem and growth in value-adding sectors, the town has witnessed sustained economic growth, declines in unemployment, and a rise in human development and service delivery. By 2020, the town’s reputation was cemented when it (together with Franschhoek and Paarl) was recognized as the third most valuable district in the country[i]. But while Stellenbosch has emerged as the prosperous jewel of the Cape Winelands, the nearby township of Kayamandi is all too often left out of the picture. As such, while residents may find themselves near the heart of one of South Africa’s top technology and scientific communities – unequal access to public services and oppor...

30Oct

By Baker McKenzieNo Comments

Egypt News, Energy, Ghana News, Kenya News, Morocco News, Namibia News, Nigeria News, South Africa News, Tanzania News, Uganda News

Africa: Energy transition policies and regulatory developments light up across the continent

Across the continent, countries in Africa are gearing up for the energy transition by implementing policy and legislative frameworks that take into account the energy crisis and the need for a renewable, decarbonized, decentralized energy supply that addresses climate change and the commitments made under the Paris Agreement. Ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP 27, in Egypt in November this year, lawyers in Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda have outlined the efforts taken by the governments in their countries to address this urgent need to harness renewable power. Such efforts are expected to provide exciting opportunities for investors in the African energy sector. Egypt Lamyaa Gadelhak, Baker McKenzie Cairo Partner ...

COP27: A unique opportunity to set the stage for Africa’s future in clean energy, according to Wärtsilä report

30Oct

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Energy, Mozambique News, Nigeria News, South Africa News

COP27: A unique opportunity to set the stage for Africa’s future in clean energy, according to Wärtsilä report

The climate change conference COP27 offers a unique opportunity to increase energy access and lay the foundations for decarbonisation across Africa, but wealthy nations must deliver on their climate finance pledges to unlock the continent’s potential, according to a new report. ‘Pathways for Africa’s Energy Future,’ a report from the technology group Wärtsilä, provides power system modelling of three African countries, Nigeria, South Africa and Mozambique. It finds that they can leapfrog some developed nations by not embedding inflexible fossil fuel-based systems. To enable such a massive transformation a combination of climate finance, effective planning and system reforms will be essential. The report demonstrates that replacing coal with renewable energy combined with flexibility from...

27Oct

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

South Africa News, Startups

CURBON, a SA startup, is taking a bold offset and uplift approach to solving climate change

Curbon makes it easy to make a difference, both from a climate action and community empowerment perspective, says Steffen Burrows, CURBON co-founder and director. According to billionaire co-founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates, it is unrealistic to expect to solve climate change by asking people to live greener lifestyles. Telling people to stop eating meat, drive less, and buy smaller houses is unlikely to be effective, at least not yet. Changing human desires is simply too difficult, and we should look instead to other viable solutions that seek to reduce emissions without demanding people rethink their consumption habits entirely. Offsetting change Gates, who has invested hundreds of millions in climate initiatives through his foundations, noted last year that so-called Green Premiums c...

Local delivery service experiences 100% growth in demand and adoption

27Oct

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

South Africa News

Local delivery service experiences 100% growth in demand and adoption

According to Deloitte’s most recent Digital Commerce Acceleration report, the growth of online shopping in South Africa is on the rise. Accompanying it, is an increasingly discerning online shopper, who chooses their online stores based on a few key features, such as low delivery costs and clear and simple return or refund policies. In fact, companies with high delivery fees and difficult to return products are more likely to have consumers heading for the hills. According to Simon Hill, Head of Marketing at leading national courier service The Courier Guy, this presents a timely opportunity for retailers to address the current shortcomings within their current logistics supply chain, and at the same time enhance their processes and reduce the barriers to online shopping, by providing a...

27Oct

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Fintech, South Africa News

Capital Appreciation Group and LayUp partnership Triumphs at the 11th Annual MTN Business App of the Year Awards

The mobile application for Africa’s first digital lay-by and recurring payments provider, LayUp, has won ‘Best Incubated Solution’ at the 11th annual MTN Business App of the Year Awards, which honours the work of the best of the best coders, tech enthusiasts, students, start-ups and lesser-known app developers in South Africa. The application was developed by the Capital Appreciation Group’s development team, for LayUp. LayUp is Africa's first fully digital lay-by and recurring payments business, certified through the Payments Association South Africa (PASA). LayUp’s omnichannel digitised payment plan solution enables retailers with smart technology that increases sales and grows their market whilst simultaneously providing improved access for consumers. “We’re delighted to see our deve...

Investing in software development skills is a strategic imperative for all sectors

24Oct

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, Science, South Africa News, Tech

Investing in software development skills is a strategic imperative for all sectors

Rather than being concentrated in certain industries, coding is crucial across the economy By Jessica Hawkey, Managing Director of redAcademy The highest unemployment rate in the world, where almost three in five youth are unemployed, and a crippling skills shortage - especially in the technology industry - exist side by side in South Africa creating a unique vacuum that needs to be filled. Businesses are often hamstrung by an inability to innovate because they don’t have the skills, while young people are not finding their way into the technology industry in large enough numbers to close the skills gap and make an impact on unemployment levels. Software development, which is key to driving innovation, is not the preserve of the IT industry. Software development is crucial in all indust...

21Oct

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Events, South Africa News

The Annual Top Women Conference is Accelerating Africa’s Growth by Empowering Female Decision-Makers

(Left to right: Leanne Manas, South African Award winning Journalist and TV Presenter; Devi Sankaree Govender, Award-Winning Investigative Journalist and Ille Potgieter, Managing Director, M&C SAATCHI ABEL) Making a comeback for the seventh year, the biggest annual Standard Bank Top Women Conference gathered over 14 000 delegates to celebrate and empower African women in business. Under the theme ‘Rise Above the Noise’, the biggest virtual conference, hosted by Topco Media in partnership with Standard Bank, took place from 12 - 13 of October, topping social media charts for three days in a row. Filled with progressive panel discussions, fireside chats and keynote addresses, the conference delved into topics affecting women such as Women and Finance: Enabling Women’s Economic Empowe...

How AI is Transforming Paediatric Radiology in Africa

21Oct

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Main, Medicine, South Africa News

How AI is Transforming Paediatric Radiology in Africa

The 10th annual AFRICA HEALTH CONGRESS will be held at Gallagher Estate from 26-28 October. This year's Congress is expected to include representatives from 56 countries and offer free CPD conferences. A possible topic of interest at this year's event is discussed in the content below. This article looks at the reasons why African radiology professionals may be reluctant to make use of artificial intelligence in their field, including a lack of funding for AI-powered equipment and lack of training and education in the era of transformation. Concepts like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning algorithms, deep learning, and convolutional neural networks, previously the forte of the IT world, are now being applied across many sectors of the medical world as well[i]. Radiology has ...

20Oct

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

South Africa News, Tech

Businesses must prioritize cybersecurity just as they do physical security in order to protect their most valuable assets

Cybersecurity is possibly even more important than locks, vaults and walls in protecting the modern business. This is according to members of the Institute of Information Technology Practitioners South Africa (IITPSA) Cybersecurity Special Interest Group (SIGCyber). In a statement marking international Cybersecurity Awareness Month, which is held every October, the IITPSA SIGCyber members noted that business intellectual property, data and systems have significant value. This makes them a target for cyber criminals. To combat the cybercrime risk, cybercrime should be a top priority, and more skills development and awareness campaigns are necessary, they say. The business case for protecting the ‘crown jewels’ Bryan Baxter, CRO at Wolfpack Information Risk, says: “Business mission criti...