In a move that will be regarded as a direct challenge to South Africa’s big banks, retailer Pick n Pay and mobile operator MTN have taken the wraps off a new, low-cost banking solution and free money transfer service that will be offered to consumers who sign up for a
South African social network Mxit has revealed its latest user numbers and the ways people engage with its services. The latest numbers show a decline over last year in active users, from 6,5m to 4,9m. Despite the decline, it appears those still using it are finding it increasingly sticky. Average daily time per user
The developers of a new, small-form-factor computer aimed at South African schools hope their invention will have an impact on the quality of the country’s education. The EduCube, developed in South Africa, is aimed at pupils all the way from grade one to matric and offers a range of educational
Comedy Central has canned former radio host Gareth Cliff’s television show, the “Gareth Cliff Show”, a month and a half after it was launched on the channel, according to the Channel24 website on Wednesday. The show, an Internet radio programme shown on TV, reportedly failed to attract enough
On Friday, Nest Labs – which was acquired by Google in January for US$3,2bn – said it was buying Dropcam, a San Francisco-based company specialising in home-monitoring cameras for US$555m. Things are hotting up in the smart home market and consumers may soon be exposed to hundreds of new hardware devices and
The Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa (Usaasa), the body charged with developing communications technology infrastructure in underserviced parts of the country, has slammed the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) over its probe of the appointment of the agency’s CEO, Zami Nkosi. In a statement, Usaasa
MTN has named its former South African chief marketing officer, Brian Gouldie, as the new CEO of its operation in Uganda. Ugandan CEO Mazen Mroue has been named as the new chief operating officer of MTN Irancell, MTN’s affiliate in Iran. Ferdi Moolman, meanwhile, has named the current chief operations
Girls account for fewer than 10% of the participants in the International Mathematics Olympiad taking place in Cape Town next month, the organisers said on Tuesday. All six South African contestants in the event are boys, with five from affluent schools in the Western Cape and one from Durban’s Star College. Basic education minister
The SABC has been instructed to appoint a new CEO within the next three months, communications minister Faith Muthambi said on Tuesday. “The entities reporting to the ministry have a clear directive from me to stabilise their leadership,” Muthambi told a media briefing at parliament. “To this end I have recently
First National Bank has overhauled its smartphone banking app, introducing a new look and feel to the software and adding several new features. The new-look FNB Banking App is already available for download on all major platforms, including Apple, Android and Windows Mobile. An updated
