South Africa News Archives - Page 46 of 72

22Jun

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Fintech, South Africa News

Fintech, Ofin, tackles behavioural changes needed to address financial inclusion

It is a common belief that financial access should lead to financial prosperity. According to the World Bank, financial inclusion is defined as all people and businesses having access to useful and affordable financial products and services that meet their needs. Sakhile Mabena, CEO, Ofin, a venture-backed fintech startup specialising in Behavioural Data Analytics, Financial Process Automation, Behaviour-based Financing and SME Behaviour Nudges, says that to successfully address financial inclusion in Africa it is important to address the financial behaviours and leverage technology to better enable users to become more bankable. Mabena, previously a World Economic Forum Global Shaper, has together with his team, developed an app that focuses on changing financial behaviour, which will ...

22Jun

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

South Africa News, Tech

Digital Lab Africa calls on Video Game creators

Video Game category is now open to all prototypes/concepts of video games for any type of device The second phase of the Digital Lab Africa (DLA) call for applications is now open after a successful first phase for animation and immersive experience categories. The focus of this phase is on Video Games. The destabilising impact of the pandemic on the music and digital art sectors has been such that the inclusion of these two categories has been set to resume in 2022. Applications for the Video Game category opened on 11 June and will close on 11 July 2021. In 2020, DLA received more than 500 applications from over 32 countries. For its fifth edition, Digital Lab Africa has switched to a fully online format. The online incubation which will take place between September 2021 and March 2022 ...

18Jun

By Baker McKenzieNo Comments

Main, South Africa News

No IPOs in Africa in the first half of 2021, but global IPO Activity on Pace to Hit Historic Highs in 2021

There were no cross-border Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) on African exchanges in the first half of 2021 (H1 2021) according to new Baker McKenzie analysis, H1 IPO Snapshot: Unfolding Trends for 2021. However, the continued global demand for special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) IPOs reached African shores in the first half of 2021 - with a cross-border listing from a South African SPAC issuer - African Gold Acquisition Corporation - into the New York Stock Exchange. Globally, however, Baker McKenzie’s analysis shows that the continued global demand for SPAC deals, as well as current high liquidity and investor enthusiasm, caused capital raising to surge to new highs in the first half of 2021, with the bulk of companies preferring to list their IPOs locally. Globally, a total of 1,26...

17Jun

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Energy, Green Energy, South Africa News

Africa Energy Week 2021, Taking Place in Cape Town; Will Focus on Investment, Oil and Gas, Renewables and Energy Transition

The African Energy Chamber is set to host the first-ever African Energy Week (AEW) in Cape Town on 9th – 12th November 2021. Replacing Africa Oil Week, the four-day interactive conference seeks to unite industry stakeholders, international speakers and movers and shakers from the African oil and gas sector. The conference comprises high-class networking events, innovative exhibitions, and one-on-one private meetings, with a golf tournament on the final day, providing a one-of-a-kind experience for stakeholders interested in the growth and success of the African energy sector. The African Energy Chamber (AEC) is excited to announce the official launch of African Energy Week (AEW) 2021, taking place in Cape Town on 9th – 12th November 2021. AEW 2021 will showcase the first-ever Afric...

17Jun

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, South Africa News

Building resilience into the Supply Chain

The supply chain sector, and the adjacent global freight and transport spaces, are complex as well as crucial. A reliable supply chain prefigures a nation’s overall economic competitiveness and is a key enabler at the macro-economic level, as most other industries rely on the inflow of various goods. Since last year, the Covid-19 pandemic has caused major hurdles and disruptions for the supply chains around the world. Restrictions on non-essential commodities, additional health, and safety checks, and reduced staff levels led to bottlenecks and shortages of certain goods. In their attempts to adapt to these challenges, businesses are responding with ingenuity and innovation, often facilitated by rapid digitization. Given the looming threat of the pandemic’s 3rd wave, companies continue to ...

14Jun

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

South Africa News, Tech

Cybersecurity is more than a tech issue – it’s a business problem too

A concerning number of South African companies are not prepared for the inevitability of a cyberattack despite the significant financial and reputational risks, according to Ryan Mer, Managing Director, eftsure Africa, a Know Your Payee™ (KYP) platform provider. “Too few senior managers view cybersecurity as a business problem and not just a technology problem. The reality is cybersecurity is very much a business consideration. CEOs and CFOs will eventually face critical questions such as: How much money do we spend on cybersecurity? Do we change key processes? How do we create awareness and change company culture? Do we put security ahead of operational functionality? What is the role of internal processes and staff on data security and integrity?”, he says. Mer adds that because cyber...

10Jun

By Joseph MainaNo Comments

Agriculture, South Africa News

South Africa has reaped significant gains through genetically modified white maize

By Joseph Maina South Africa has reaped significant gains through genetically modified (GM) white maize in the past two decades, with significant gains recorded in the welfare of smallholder farmers who depend on the crop. The successful cultivation of the crop has led to improved food security and pits South Africa as a continental success story in plant biotechnology, given that it was the first GM subsistence crop producer in the world following its adoption of the cultivar in 2001-2002. South Africa’s total welfare benefits attributable to GM white maize between 2001–2018 amount to $694.7 million, notes a study conducted by a combined team from University of Arkansas and Kansas State University in USA, Agricultural Research Council, South Africa, and Ghent University, Belgium. White m...

10Jun

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Medicine, South Africa News

$3 Million Pre-Series A Round Leads to New Digital Primary Care Platform for Africa

Following a pre-Series A round of USD 3 million, Webrock, the investment company that brought the number one digital health app in Brazil to South America, and Healthforce, a digital health company majority-owned by South Africa’s leading retail pharmacy chain Dis-Chem, will be taking the cutting-edge technology behind the second most downloaded doctor app in Europe, Doktor.se, to Africa. Doing so will provide the continent with a complete digital primary care platform. It will first be launching in South Africa, with a further continent-wide roll-out planned. The platform, which makes use of a freemium model and innovative approaches to reduce data costs, offers on-demand and scheduled consultations with nurses, general practitioners, and mental health professionals, while also providing ...

10Jun

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, Science, South Africa News

5 Principles of Collaboration- Leadership: The Exponential Effect

Dr Andy Brough presents a Masterclass on "5 Principles of Collaboration" as part of the launch of his book, "Leadership: The Exponential Effect." #equipping4excellence #leadershipinsights #theexponentialeffect Key take-aways from the masterclass include: Collaboration Self-development Leadership elements What does effective leadership look like? What is the relationship between self-leadership, leading others, leading teams and leading for results? Dr Andrew J. Brough (Andy) is a global leadership and organisational development and e-learning specialist, professional speaker, lecturer, facilitator, and conference moderator. He is the founder of the Brough Leadership Institute and has worked with thousands of leaders in many Fortune 500 companies and businesses, governments, a...

8Jun

By Baker McKenzieNo Comments

Ghana News, South Africa News, Tech

Implementation of cybersecurity and data protection law urgent across Africa

South Africa recently enacted cybersecurity law Darryl Bernstein, Partner and Head of Dispute Resolution, and Janet MacKenzie, Partner and Head of Technology, Media and Telecommunications, Baker McKenzie Johannesburg The pandemic has driven home the high value of personal data to the global economy, while also highlighting its vulnerability to abuse and attack. In response, governments around the world have been reviewing their data privacy and protection laws and regulations, including in South Africa. Global cybersecurity firm Kaspersky recently noted that cyberattacks are set to rise in African countries, especially in the key financial centres of South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria. The cybersecurity firm noted that rapidly evolving digital techniques had led to an increased risk of Advan...