Adrian Pillay, VP of Middle East & Africa at Provenir Fintech in Africa is coming into its own. According to KPMG data, there was a record $1.6 billion in fintech investment across the continent in 2021, across 153 deals, and at two times the value of 2020, which hit US$800M. From East to West and […]
by Marc Thiriet, Director, Africa, Wärtsilä Energy Africa’s ability to leapfrog traditional power systems and adopt renewables on a massive scale is not a fantasy. In-depth studies from Wärtsilä have demonstrated that with the adequate support of flexible power technologies, ambitious renewable energy objectives in Africa are not only achievable, they also represent the soundest and cheapest […]
While tech continues to revolutionise the property industry and change the way people find their homes – now via social media – the industry also needs to follow social media trends to capitalise on the global shot in the arm that proptech has given it. More and more property practitioners are turning to short-form video […]
Inaugural Global Money Transfer Index surveys 30,600 consumers in 20 countries across the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific; Index voices consumers’ international money transfer preferences for today and tomorrow as they navigate global headwinds. As global populations navigate macroeconomic headwinds, consumers expect remittances to play an even stronger role in their current and future […]
When it comes to hotel development across Africa, Egypt and Marriott are the two phenomena to watch. This insight comes from this year’s African Hotel Chain Development Pipeline report, widely acknowledged as the industry’s most authoritative source, documenting and analysing the number of hotels being planned and built across the continent. The survey, conducted by […]
Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud computing division for the world’s largest e-commerce retailer, Amazon, continues to strengthen its footprint in Africa with a call-for-applications from early-stage startups to join their inaugural edition of the AWS FinTech Africa Accelerator. This program is hosted by AWS’ globally-recognized Startup Loft Accelerator, but unlike other cohorts, this edition […]
Ashlin Perumall, Partner, Baker McKenzie Johannesburg In March 2023, the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) announced the launch of PayShap, a real-time rapid payment platform that is aimed at offering safer, faster and significantly more convenient payment options for South Africans. PayShap is the outcome of an industry-spanning collaboration, driven by BankservAfrica, the Payments Association […]
Radisson Hotel Group (https://www.RadissonHotels.com), one of the fastest-growing hotel companies in Africa, plans to strengthen its robust African presence in 2023 further with the opening of eight new hotel already confirmed to date. The Group aims to reach 150 hotels within the next five years across the continent, reinforcing Africa as a key growth market. With […]
Since its launch in November last year, the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT has had a massive impact in just a few short months. Already, some schools have banned it as students quickly employed the bot to take shortcuts in their schoolwork, while debates rage on whether the bot will or won’t replace copywriters. It can also write code – so well, […]
Main, South Africa News
United for Wildlife brings South African private sector leaders to the front line of the fight against wildlife crime
Frontline conservation organisations joined the private sector and law enforcement in South Africa this week in a conference to tackle illegal wildlife trade across the region. Attended by leaders from government, business, law enforcement and NGOs, the two-day event came hot on the heels of recent commitments from the US Treasury to form a United […]
Every business needs to grow. It does not, however, need to consistently achieve extreme profit margins and beat the previous quarter’s results repeatedly. So long as your business is profitable, then you’re doing wonderfully. However, this does not mean you can keep things the same for years to come. Markets change, new tools arise, and […]
Fintech
Omnisient Wins Most Innovative Financial Inclusion Technology Award for Enabling Credit Access to the Unbanked in Africa
Omnisient, the South African FinTech that uses advanced analytics to enable the rapid discovery and monetization of data for financial inclusion, has won the Most Innovative Financial Inclusion Technology of the Year at the Africa Bank 4.0 Awards 2023. The award ceremony, held in Nairobi, Kenya, recognizes companies and individuals that have made a significant […]
Hong Kong, Asia’s leading business destination and the gateway to Mainland China and Asia, is stepping up its efforts to attract African business, with the opening of an InvestHK representative office in Africa. InvestHK, the department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government responsible for Foreign Direct Investment, has a presence in 33 […]
The adage ‘jack of all trades, master of none’ is apt for enterprises considering expansion into new African markets. Anthony Karingi, Vice President of Business Development – East Africa at leading fintech enablement partner Ukheshe, says the company is taking a collaborative approach to its regional expansion strategy – and is already reaping the benefits. “As […]
by Barry Williams, Head of Sales & Retail Relations at Pay@ In the article Barry Williams, Head of Sales & Retail Relations at Pay@ sheds light on some of the predictions we can expect to see unfold in the retail payments landscape in 2023. Every successful retailer knows that to nurture customer loyalty and establish […]
While keeping an eye on developing risks, particularly with regards to the US economy, 2023 is nevertheless shaping up well. With market volatility low, investors should take the opportunity to buy protection on portfolios. It’s also a good time to take profits on equities and bonds while income yields are high, and wait for opportunities […]
Flat6Labs (www.Flat6Labs.com), MENA’s leading seed investor, has announced the launch of a new US$95 million Seed Fund to nurture the growth and development of early-stage tech startups on the African continent. Flat6Labs has a proven track record in carefully vetting out and investing in promising startups in North Africa since it was founded 12 years […]
South Africa News
Smart locker adoption soars amidst global increase in courier delivery and shipping demand
Article by Craig Pitchers, Chief Operating Officer, The Courier Guy Customer demand for an online delivery service that always works is driving growth in the smart parcel locker market and courier industries. The size of the global smart parcel locker market could reach USD 1782.73 million by 2029 growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) […]
South Africa News
The anatomy of a scam: Psychological tricks payment fraudsters use to get their way
The rise in finance and accounting cybercrime through phishing and Business Email Compromise (BEC) has made headlines with massive implications for South African companies with gaps in their payment systems. “However, robust financial controls together with strong server, IT, and email monitoring processes aren’t enough if staff aren’t savvy to the psychological tricks scammers use to manipulate […]
By: Jacques Du Bruyn, Managing Director, Flume While the creative industry loses its collective mind about how ChatGPT, Bard and the ‘smarter’ version of Bing are going to decimate job numbers in the industry and deliver massive volumes of poor-quality work at next to no cost – and there’s plenty to be said about why […]
Blockchain Africa is the continent’s biggest gathering of Web3 expertise and the crypto curious and it’s coming to Sandton on 16 and 17 March 2023 A Web3 wave comes to African shores next week and the continent is perfectly positioned to rise on this tide of innovation in ingenuity. The 9th annual Blockchain Africa Conference gathers together […]
As AI technology like ChatGPT evolves, so do the strategies and tactics used by cybercriminals. Steve Flynn, Sales and Marketing Director at ESET Southern Africa, says ongoing awareness is crucial in understanding how to manage potential cybersecurity challenges posed by these developing tools. As artificial intelligence (AI) technology becomes a new reality for individuals and businesses, its […]