The SOS Coalition, which represents trade unions, community media and content producers hoping to support quality public broadcasting in South Africa, has slammed President Jacob Zuma’s decision to dump his communications minister, Yunus Carrim, instead creating two new departments headed by two new ministers. The Coalition has accused Zuma of

South Africa’s economy shrank by 0,6% in the first three months of the year, Statistics South Africa reported on Tuesday. “The seasonally adjusted real GDP at market prices for the first quarter of 2014 decreased by an annualised rate of 0,6% compared with an increase of 3,8% during the fourth quarter of 2013,” it said in a statement. “The main

Ttrumpet, a new mobile application that enjoys the backing of billionaire businessman Patrice Motsepe, will be launched in the next few weeks, offering consumers access to voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) services, along with instant messaging and a patented online vouchering system. Co-founder Grant Theis says Ttrumpet

News that Parkhurst residents have embarked on a project to deliver high-speed fibre access to homes and businesses in their neighbourhood represents a watershed moment that could lead to a broader roll-out of fibre to the home (FTTH) in South Africa. In areas like Parkhurst in Johannesburg, where housing is fairly dense by South

Brett Haggard and Arthur Goldstuck talk about their trip to China to visit Lenovo, what the future holds for the technology market, and what went on from a tech news perspective in South Africa (and the world) over the past week. The show goes something

President Jacob Zuma’s decision to split the department of communications into two separate entities — one focused on broadcasting and media and the other on posts and telecommunications — is a retrograde step that has set ICT policy making in South Africa back by 25 years. That’s the view of

Altech Autopage, the independent cellular service provider in the Altron stable, plans to acquire 65 000 Cell C subscribers from rival Nashua Mobile for R91,5m (plus VAT). The deal comes just weeks after Nashua Mobile’s parent, Reunert, announced it was selling the company’s Vodacom and MTN subscribers to the two mobile network operators

SABC acting chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng is waiting to hear from his employers regarding a damning report by public protector Thuli Madonsela, his lawyer said on Monday. “We are still waiting to hear from the SABC. I spoke to Hlaudi yesterday [Sunday]. He has not heard from the board either,” said Motsoeneng’s lawyer Zola Majavu. In a report

Seven-year-old Neotel, which is currently the subject of a takeover bid by Vodacom, is showing strong customer growth in the business, small enterprise and retail market segments. Its revenue for the financial year ended 31 March 2014 was R3,9bn, up by 23% from a year ago, with the business and the small enterprise and retail market

In its 2014 Global Security Report, information security specialist Trustwave estimates that investigations into security breaches increased by 53,6% last year compared to 2012. The data was gathered from 24 countries. Trustwave Africa director Andrew Kirkland says many organisations don’t have the skills to address information security adequately, and many businesses