Saturday, November 23African Digital Business Magazine
Events, South Africa News, Tech

DID:UNCONF AFRICA: Reshaping Digital Identity in the SADC

Cape Town will host an important gathering on digital identity initiatives and innovation in the SADC region at the end of September. Local digital identity start-up, DIDx is proud to announce that they, together with the renowned Internet Identity Workshop (IIW), will host DID:UNCONF AFRICA, a groundbreaking event set to revolutionise the digital identity landscape in the SADC region. This two-day open space ‘unconference’ will take place on 25 to 26 September at the Hasso Plattner Design School at UCT, following in the footsteps of its inspiration, the Internet Identity Workshop (IIW), held twice a year in Silicon Valley since 2005. An unconference is a participant-driven meeting. The term “unconference” has been applied, or self-applied, to a wide range of gatherings that try to avoi...
Agriculture, Events, South Africa News

GCCA ISSUES CALL TO ACTION ON FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN RESILIENCE AND BOOSTING TRADE IN AFRICA

African policy leaders must support robust growth in the cold chain for the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and to boost prosperity, food supply chain resilience, and trade across the continent, says the Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) today as the GCCA Africa conference opens at the Westin Hotel in Cape Town. The GCCA is the international association for temperature-controlled logistics businesses. The GCCA Africa conference will see Africa’s cold chain professionals gather for two days of discussion on key challenges and opportunities related to the storage and distribution of perishable goods, including improving food security, reducing trade barriers, sustainability in a changing world and the impacts on food logistics of energy load shedding. The GCCA’s...
South Africa News, Tech

Metrofile Cloud launches EverFiles: Transforming cloud storage in South and East Africa

In a strategic move to cater to the burgeoning demand for secure and efficient cloud storage solutions, Metrofile Cloud today announced the official rollout of EverFiles, a cloud storage platform designed for businesses across South Africa and East Africa. EverFiles is predicted to make a significant impact as it launches amid a fast-growing enterprise file synchronization and sharing (EFSS) market, which is projected to reach USD 2,691.01 million by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 26.1%.  “EverFiles aims to be at the heart of digital workplace evolution, providing a seamless and secure platform for businesses to manage and share files,” stated Steve Porter, Managing Director at Metrofile Cloud. “In a region that is rapidly adopting digital and cloud-based solutions, EverFiles stands out by of...
South Africa News, Tech

Data breaches and their fallout for South African enterprises and consumers

Data breaches are a chronic and growing menace for South African enterprises and consumers. Interconnected systems mean data breaches have become widespread threats, affecting millions. As businesses transition to digital platforms to improve efficiency and customer experience, Carey van Vlaanderen, CEO of ESET Southern Africa, says they inadvertently create more entry points for cybercriminals. Information Regulator chairperson advocate Pansy Tlakula says the organisation receives more than 150 data breach notifications a month. That’s compared to 2023 when Tlakula revealed that the country suffered about 56 data breaches a month. This surge is partly blamed on the over-processing of personal information and a general complacency towards cybersecurity among South Africans. Notable brea...
Tech

Maximising financial efficiency: The benefits of Agile software development

By Jani Rademeyer, financial manager at new-age solutions and systems integrator, +OneX In the fast-paced world of software development, staying ahead of the curve means embracing methodologies that enhance productivity and optimise financial planning. One approach that has become popular is the Agile methodology. By prioritising flexibility, collaboration and iterative progress, Agile revolutionises the way software is built with significant advantages in project budgeting, resource planning and financial management. Enhancing project budgeting Traditional software development methodologies follow a linear approach, where project requirements are defined upfront and changes are costly and time-consuming. This rigidity can lead to budget overruns and missed deadlines, impacting the bott...
Africa Travel

Global tech company sets sights on Africa’s untapped potential in online booking

After establishing a strong presence in South Africa over the past two years, global booking platform Profitroom has announced it is accelerating its expansion across the continent with a hyper-localised strategy to empower hotels across Africa. Leading this charge is newly appointed Regional Director for Africa, Leigh Myles, a 25-year hospitality veteran with a deep understanding of the region’s nuances.  Under Myles' leadership, Profitroom aims to achieve a 40% market share in South Africa by 2026, while expanding into key Sub-Saharan markets like Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, Mauritius and Namibia. The company has set an ambitious goal of onboarding 500 new properties and driving a 65% growth in total ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue) by 2026.   "Africa represents a tremendous opportunity f...
Tech

Cultivating a Culture of Data Quality in the Data Management Lifecycle

By Upuli de Abrew, Co-Founder and Director at Insight Consulting As it is in the natural world, data also experiences a lifecycle, from gestation through birth, metamorphosis, maturity and eventual death. Just as a young bird needs to be taught to fly and a lion cub must be taught to hunt, data also needs care and direction from custodians. However, unlike nature, data will rarely be able to stand on its own and instead need constant tending from its custodians, known as data stewards, throughout the entire data management lifecycle (DML). The data management lifecycle comprises data collection, data ingestion, data storage, data usage, data maintenance, data archiving and data destruction. Effective data stewards spend a great deal of time ensuring that data quality is maintained throu...
Business, Interview, Kenya News, Main

Problems And Prospects Of Family Businesses: Trusts, ESG, NextGen, And What Is Needed For Success

Interview with Faizal Bhana - Director – Middle East, Africa and India Jersey Finance.  Interview with Faizal Bhana, Director, Middle East, Africa and India, Jersey Finance, delves into the evolving landscape of family businesses and how they navigate the diminishing trust advantage amid rising ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) demands and NextGen aspirations. How has the use of trusts evolved for family businesses over the past decade? Over the past decade, the use of trusts has evolved significantly for family businesses. Increased regulatory scrutiny and transparency demands have led to more structured governance frameworks and a more planned approach. Families are increasingly using trusts to manage succession, mitigate long-term risks and ensure long-term sustaina...
Energy, Madagascar News

Wärtsilä signs Decarbonisation Agreement for Madagascan power plant

Technology group Wärtsilä’s renewal of its existing Operations and Maintenance (O&M) agreement with QIT Madagascar Minerals S.A (QMM), part of the Rio Tinto group, has been expanded to include a Decarbonisation Agreement. The Agreement is a groundbreaking offering in the energy sector, and allows for optimising all of the assets in the microgrid, including renewable energy usage, thereby not only reducing emissions but also producing notable cost savings. The continued O&M agreement covers QMM’s 24 MW engine power plant located at the company’s ilmenite mineral sands mine at Fort Dauphin in south-eastern Madagascar. The order was booked by Wärtsilä in June 2024. The key elements of the agreement include optimised dispatch of the plant’s six Wärtsilä 32 engines and QMM’s battery ...
Art, Egypt News

Santiago Ribeiro exhibit at “Assembly of Arts in Egypt” (21-29 August 2024)

The artist Santiago Ribeiro will participate in the ART FESTIVAL in AFRICA from August 21 to 29 in Cairo.  It is the Portuguese artist's first time in Cairo and Africa. The present painting will be Industrial of Apples. Industrial of Apples, oil on canvas, 30x50 cm, 2012, Santiago Ribeiro    José Manuel Santiago Ribeiro was born in Coimbra. He shared his childhood and youth between the rural and religious environment of the village of Condeixa, where he lived, and the academic, secular, "avan-garde", revolutionary University City of Coimbra, where he was studying. He attended Avelar Brotero Comprehensive School in Coimbra, where he finished his Technical Course of Arts and Crafts. In 2006 he joined a Higher Education School, also in Coimbra. He organized and participated in n...