All the latest technology news from South Africa and around the world.
Musa Phungula, the entrepreneur behind the proposed US$130m TTD cable to connect Mtunzini in KwaZulu-Natal to East London, Port Elizabeth and Yzerfontein near Cape Town, says collaboration between other projects to build submarine fibre along the same route is needed. Phungula’s
Cell C has launched an unlimited calling plan, Straight Up Infinity, for R999/month on a 24-month contract. But there’s a big catch: the rate applies only to on-network calls and, with Cell C being relatively small next to Vodacom and MTN, it’s unclear how many people will benefit from the plan – except least-cost
Altron IT subsidiary Bytes Technology Group has acquired identity management company Brand New Technologies (BNTech). The purchase consideration, which has not been disclosed, is dependent on the attainment of certain profit targets over a period of three years. BNTech specialises in securing
Digital agency Native has launched an application for Mxit called Bookly. It turns the mobile social network and instant messaging platform into a pocket-sized e-reader. Though limited to mainstream publishers for now, Native hopes the app will eventually prove useful to the education sector
The value of stolen copper decreased to R9,9m in April from March’s R10m, the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) said on Thursday. The value was R11,2m in February. However, the estimated volume of copper stolen went up, because the price dropped. Sacci’s copper theft volume indicator
MTN South Africa has a new CEO. Chief financial officer Zunaid Bulbulia will take the reins at the telecommunications operator from Karel Pienaar, who has been named as chief strategy officer at the MTN group. Pienaar’s appointment will see MTN’s mergers and acquisitions and strategy functions being separated, with Khumo Shuenyane
Neotel will launch a fourth-generation (4G) telecommunications network using long-term evolution (LTE) technology in Gauteng in the third quarter of the year, the company said at a press conference on Wednesday. However, the network will be limited in scope, with only 50 base stations at launch, CEO Sunil Joshi
Worldwide PC shipments will fall by 7,8% in 2013, according to revised research by International Data Corp (IDC). The company had previously forecast a “limited decline” of 1,3% this year, followed by a gradual increase in volume. The new forecast reflects a shift in PC buying
Nissan has entered into a three-year research project with Eskom that will involve testing the Nissan Leaf, the Japanese vehicle manufacturer’s electric car, in South Africa. The project comes as Nissan South Africa prepared to launch the Leaf in South Africa, becoming the first commercially available fully electric
Mobile operator MTN said on Wednesday afternoon it has worked closely with the South African Police Service to arrest an individual suspected of stealing airtime vouchers worth about R5m. Reports elsewhere said incorrectly that the thief, who was apprehended on the West Rand in Gauteng, had stolen
