South Africa News Archives - Page 9 of 72

5Feb

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

INNOVATIONS IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

How technology is empowering smart citizens. By Mpho Matsitse, Executive: Business & Digital Advisory at BCX There’s no question that a smart city extends beyond infrastructure and urban planning. For a smart city to work, it requires smart citizens and technology plays a pivotal role in enabling civic engagement. If a city wants to empower those who live in it, it requires initiatives that improve service delivery and technology is the solution to making e-government platforms a reality. While there are many African cities leveraging technology in different ways to benefit their citizens, Rwanda’s booming IremboGov platform is a phenomenal example of GovTech digitalisation. Since its 2015 launch, IremboGov has digitised over 100 public services from motor vehicle inspections to mar...

The year of possibility: trends that will shift the accountancy landscape in 2024

1Feb

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, South Africa News

The year of possibility: trends that will shift the accountancy landscape in 2024

By Leana Van Der Merwe, Technical and Standards Executive at the South African Institute of Professional Accountants (SAIPA) The accountancy profession has undergone a dramatic shift in recent years, with the emergence of new technologies, as well as various changes in regulatory and business environments. While the profession has weathered many storms, there is much to be optimistic about as we look towards the year ahead. From digitalisation and consultancy to Bitcoin and cryptocurrency, 2024 is set to be a year of growth and possibility for the accountancy professional ready to tackle the opportunities it presents. Continued emphasis on digitalisation Digitalisation remains vital going forward as businesses continue to recognise the benefits that embracing technology presents in the ...

25Jan

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

South Africa News, Tech

Armata unpacks details in latest webinar on the benefits of outsourcing security operations

To the backdrop of cyber threats increasing every year, accompanied by a severe skills shortage in the tech industry broadly and cybersecurity more specifically, many businesses are looking for the best ways to manage their security operations. Cybersecurity specialist business Armata, led by industry heavyweight Caesar Tonkin, recently hosted a webinar to help businesses understand the benefits of organisations outsourcing their security operations. Tonkin has led a series of industry webinars, seeking to elevate the knowledge-sharing that’s essential for the industry to keep up with nefarious threat actors who are using ever-more elaborate technology and techniques to attack business systems. The most recent webinar was designed to give businesses deeper insight into the process of outs...

25Jan

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, South Africa News

Digital innovation will be key for SA businesses seeking to compete in post-Amazon online retail space

BY SPECNO JACQUES JORDAAN, CO-FOUNDER & CEO With a USD 1.60 trillion market cap, the imminent intensification of Amazon’s operations in South Africa will come to shape the practices and standards that characterise and grow the domestic e-commerce landscape. For consumers and smaller sellers alike, Bezos’ venture into South Africa’s online retail space is a boon, capable of promising lower prices, ease of use, and wider integration with its other services and existing digital infrastructure. The entity’s decision to join the South African market should not, however, be regarded as an inevitable death knell for its many competitors. Instead, it should be used as an effective pace car by local players in the e-commerce space. Underdeveloped physical and logistical infrastructure, ...

What KLM Does to Make Air Travel More Sustainable

25Jan

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, South Africa News

What KLM Does to Make Air Travel More Sustainable

In an era marked by an urgent need for sustainability, the aviation industry stands at the forefront of change. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines understands the gravity of this responsibility and is actively working towards making air travel more eco-friendly. Recognising the significance of both monumental shifts and incremental changes, KLM is committed to transforming the onboard experience as one small but crucial step toward a sustainable future. In celebration of International Day Of Clean Energy on 26 January, KLM shares a few ways they’re reducing their carbon footprint and making a positive environmental impact. Sustainable Aviation Fuel KLM is at the forefront of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) initiatives, taking strategic steps to ensure that the SAF used aligns with ethical and e...

25Jan

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Real Estate, South Africa News

Proptech trends on the horizon

Proptech is reshaping the real estate industry, with technological innovation continuously improving value creation for all stakeholders, generating efficiencies, improving transparency, and further refining the user experience. As in any industry, it’s essential for businesses and consumers to understand and utilise these shifts to guide their decisions and movements going forward. Andrea Carr, Head (R&D) at leading proptech company e4, says these are the trends that will influence the industry in 2024 and beyond: Smart contracts: The real estate industry has long been plagued by inefficiencies, lack of transparency, and high transaction costs, says Carr, but blockchain technology is changing this. “Blockchain technology and smart contract development is revolutionising the way th...

23Jan

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Fintech, South Africa News

Top Payment Trends for 2024

Consumers will increasingly be demanding choices when it comes to payment options into 2024, with security being high on the agenda and offerings that will be keenly watched as potential growth engines. Rory Bosman, Executive for Sales & Marketing at Ecentric Payment Systems adds that shoppers also want value from retailers, physical or online, when it comes to deciding where to spend their hard-earned money, especially in this difficult socio-economic environment. As payment systems continue to develop, often building on offerings already in the market, Bosman details nine key trends he sees as dominating 2024. Buy now, pay later There will be a continued growth in offerings that allow consumers to purchase goods on interest free credit, paying the item off in tranches of, for e...

22Jan

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Business, South Africa News

2024: The year of demand-led training

2024 needs to be the year that we move the needle as business leaders toward demand-led training that will assist in reducing the software development skills shortage that South African companies are facing. This gap is because there isn't a real push towards aligning training programmes with the skills that companies require for specific roles. Training candidates - or Sprinters as we call them - through a demand-led approach makes a valuable impact to both their lives as well as to the organisation, as immersive training means that they are familiar with a company's technology stack and their office culture, making them immediately employable. South Africa needs an agile, skilled, and adaptable workforce, as this is a critical objective for the private sector. This is especially true i...

12Jan

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

South Africa News

What to expect from South Africa’s cybersecurity landscape in 2024

As widely reported last year, South Africa received the most cybersecurity threats on the continent by far – 230 million compared to second-placed Morocco’s 71 million in 2022. Virodh Sunderlall, Product Manager at Services and Solutions Aggregator Tarsus On Demand, says South Africa is particularly vulnerable because of affordability challenges. “More developed countries have more funds available to buy multiple security systems. Our economy has not been at its strongest, so people try to lower expenditure by cutting expenses that don’t generate money, such as security and insurance. This leaves enterprises open to attack.” South Africans are, however, learning that cybersecurity is not a luxury, as with protection of physical property, he says. As the country ramps up its safeguards,...

8Jan

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Ghana News, Kenya News, Main, Nigeria News, South Africa News

Global Cities Report: A mixed bag of results for Africa

Social, geopolitical, and technological transformations are actively disrupting the traditional hierarchy of global cities, creating a more widely distributed geography of opportunity. This is according to Kearney’s 2023 Global Cities Report, which highlights that established global city leaders face ever-greater competition from emerging hubs, with those taking a regenerative approach poised to lead in the attraction of talent, innovation, and investment. Global Cities Index The Global Cities Index (GCI) seeks to quantify the extent to which a city can attract, retain, and generate global flows of capital, people, and ideas. Cities are measured against five key dimensions: Human Capital, Information Exchange, Cultural Experience, Political Engagement, and Business Activity. Average GC...