tagresults
[South Africa] Teraco secures R11.8 billion syndicated loan to finance growth
The growth funding is for the expansion of Teraco’s key interconnection hubs located within the Isando, Bredell, and Cape Town campuses, and a significant renewable energy generation programme.
South Africa supports calls for global co-operation to boost trade and address economic challenges
World leaders and corporate executives expressed hope that the looming recession facing the global economy could be avoided if countries collaborated to boost global trade and investment.
Sasol reveals the new partnership for its convenience centres
Energy giant Sasol is revealing its new strategic partners for its convenience centres at the Sasol Circle Centre in Centurion.
Sasol and Sonatrach present the Hybla Project for the production of hydrogen and low carbon syngas
Sasol the South African Company partnered with Algerian, Sonatrach for the production of hydrogen and low carbon syngas in Italy.
[South Africa] Fintech firm Jumo appoints Kenya's former ICT CS Joe Mucheru as president
In his new role, Mucheru will support the company to deliver its growth goals, navigate the regulatory landscape, and build the firm’s presence across the African continent.
[South Africa] Advertising Regulatory Board introduces new standards for crypto ads
South Africa’s Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) has introduced a new clause to the country’s Code of Advertising Practice detailing how crypto products should be dealt with.
EU greenlight to a €50m guarantee to support GreenCo’s expansion within SADC
European Fund for Sustainable Development plus (EFSD+) has given the green light to a €50m guarantee to support GreenCo’s expansion within the Southern African Development Community, including Zambia, Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Lesaka enters new employment arrangement with Steven Heilbron to June 2025
Lesaka Technologies, Inc. announced that it has entered a new employment arrangement with Mr. Steven Heilbron, for the period from January 1, 2023 to June 30, 2025.
[South Africa] Vodacom lands 2Africa subsea cable in the Eastern Cape
This is the first submarine cable landing in the Eastern Cape region, promising greater internet capacity and acceleration of connectivity across the province and supporting South Africa's growing digital economy.
Mama Money partners with AFC Commercial Bank for money transfers to Zimbabwe
Mama Money, a South African fintech that offers cross-border money transfer and banking services, has partnered with AFC Commercial Bank, to allow Mama Money customers to easily send money to any AFC Commercial Bank branch.
Sanlam Private Equity to acquire SkipWaste
Sanlam Private Equity has announced the acquisition of controlling interest in integrated waste management company, SkipWaste.
[South Africa] BCX fully acquires software firm DotCom Software Projects to push cloud adoption
BCX, one of Africa’s largest systems integrators and digital transformation partners, has acquired 100% of the shares in DotCom Software Projects (“DotCom”).
Online education network Noodle acquires South African learning design firm Hubble Studios
This marks Noodle's entry into the international market, scaling to seven countries, including the US, South Africa, Australia, England, Germany, Switzerland and Singapore.
Anchorage Capital to acquire David Jones from Woolworths
Anchorage Capital Partners, a private equity firm based in Australia, has entered into a binding agreement to acquire the operating business of David Jones, an Australian omnichannel department store owner, from South African retailer Woolworths Holdings Limited.
Samata Capital, Future Africa et al. to invest in Uncover Skin Care
Advancing Women in Investing (AWI) is excited to be part of the $1 million seed round for Uncover alongside FirstCheck Africa, Future Africa, and IgniteXL as well as angel investors ex-SokoWatch COO Kwenhui Tawah and WPP Scangroup CEO Patricia Ithau.
Carry1st raises $27M to develop and publish games in Africa
African mobile game publisher Carry1st raises $27M in funding round led by Bitkraft Ventures.
[South Africa] Pick n Pay selects Blue Yonder to deliver localized planning
Pick n Pay will implement Blue Yonder’s SaaS-based category management solution for grocery business, and allocation and assortment management solutions for its clothing business.
Proparco partners with Investec Bank to scale-up climate investments in South Africa
Proparco and Investec Bank (Investec) are collaborating to implement the Transforming Financial Systems for Climate (TFSC) programme in South Africa. The package comprises a senior credit facility of $80 million and a technical assistance programme.
[South Africa] Trelix appoints Harold Rivas as its new CISO
Cybersecurity firm Trellix has announced the appointment of Harold Rivas as its new Chief Information Security Officer (CISO).
[South Africa] Online retail passes R50-billion in 2022, research
Online sales were boosted by Black Friday, with all banks reporting massive increases in card and online spending on what has become one of the biggest shopping days of the year.
Clickatell launched chat commerce solutions for travel industry
Clickatell, the Chat Commerce and business messaging leader announced new updates to its Chat Commerce Platform for travel brands to provide exceptional customer service in messaging channels during travelers’ entire journeys.
[Column] Carlo Bolzonello: Cyber defence must be a top priority for South African Business
Carlo Bolzonello, country lead for Trellix South Africa, discusses the new era of cyber threats and the evolving response needed to keep abreast of it.
Nedbank CIB lead arranges R3,1bn sustainability-linked debt facility for Old Mutual
Old Mutual formally mandated Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB) to take a leading role in structuring, coordinating and refinancing its maturing revolving credit facility.
[South Africa] Burning Heroes opens applications for its African Edition of Startup Awards
Burning Heroes African Startup Awards is open to Pre-Seed Startups with market validation and product prototype. Campus-based and Seed Startups can also apply.
Centbee raised $1 Million pre-series a funding from Ayre Ventures
Blockchain payments company, Centbee, announced that it has closed its pre-Series A round with entrepreneur Calvin Ayre, founder of Ayre Ventures.
Direct Carrier Billing industry consolidates in Africa and the Middle East
This initiative is part of the strategic alliance between the two companies to place direct carrier billing at the forefront of the payments industry and reinforce their commitment to developing a transparent, secure, and stable mobile economy.
[South Africa] SMEs in JSE’s inaugural development programme raise nearly R1 billion
The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) has announced that 16 medium-sized companies that participated in the JSE Enterprise Acceleration Programme performed exceptionally, growing their average annual turnover by 56% and employment by 32%.
Fintech enabler Ukheshe International secured Series A funding from DPI and Fireball Capital
FinTech enabler Ukheshe International attracts investment from DPI and Fireball Capital to fuel international expansion.
[South Africa] Zeda lists on the JSE post Barloworld unbundling
Integrated mobility solutions provider Zeda, listed its shares on the main board of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), giving investors an opportunity to add to their portfolios a company at the forefront of mobility in Southern Africa.
Eco Atlantic closes acquisition of additional interest in Block 3B/4B, South Africa
Eco Atlantic confirms it has now received the requisite regulatory approvals from the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy of South Africa and the Petroleum Agency of South Africa, in respect of acquisition by its wholly owned subsidiary Azinam.
[South Africa] Data trends to watch in 2023, PBT Group
The total amount of data created and consumed globally is projected to grow to more than 180 zettabytes by 2025, almost three times the 64 zettabytes of 2020.
[South Africa] Hello Pay offers armed response option in powerhouse of solutions for SMEs and informal entrepreneurs
Local fintech Hello Pay has included armed response option in its turn-key suite of business solutions, providing peace of mind to spaza shops, kasi traders, informal entrepreneurs, and SMEs across South Africa.
Demand for digital identity verification surges across Africa, iiDENTIFii
The opportunities for banking in Africa are immense. The region is a ‘sleeping giant’ when it comes to accessing traditional bank accounts, digital banking, and affordable financial services.
[South Africa] Mobility solutions provider Zeda limited lists on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange
Zeda, which has long-term license agreements to operate the leading car rental brands Avis and Budget, listed on the JSE as the only company providing tailored short-, medium- and long-term car rental and vehicle fleet leasing services from within one service provider.
[South Africa] BCX collaborates on 5G-enabled innovation set to transform mining
BCX, one of the largest systems integrators in Africa and a division of Telkom, ushered in a new 5G-enabled era for the Nungu Mine, in collaboration with its industry-leading partners.
[South Africa] eZaga and Digital Financial Exchange Launches Multi-Asset Investment Platform
Known as DoshFX, the new trading platform will serve the African region with over 700 investable assets, including select cryptocurrencies in a simpler, safer, transparent manner.
[South Africa] Subscription beats credit in a costly festive season
Across the world, subscription models are on the rise, helping consumers manage their need for must-have appliances, electronics, and even cars.
IFC, Nimble Group, and South African Lenders launch facility to help resolve distressed assets
To support businesses in debt and lenders that are managing non-performing loan (NPL) portfolios, IFC, asset manager Nimble Group, and South African financial partners launched a facility that will invest in distressed assets in six countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including South Africa.
IFC invests in Growthpoint Properties’ green bond
IFC Partners with Growthpoint Properties Ltd. to support green buildings in South Africa.
Equinix to enter South Africa with $160m data center investment in Johannesburg
Digital infrastructure company Equinix, announced plans to enter the South African market with a $160 million data center investment in Johannesburg, that augments its current footprint on the African continent in Nigeria, Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire.
[South Africa] Vantage Data Centers announces second campus in Johannesburg
Vantage Data Centers, a global provider of hyperscale data center campuses, has announced the construction of a second campus (JNB2) in Johannesburg, South Africa.
MTN GlobalConnect, MTN South Africa land 2Africa subsea cable in Western Cape to strengthen internet connectivity
The subsea cable will lay the foundation for improved global internet access, connecting people and continents.
[Column] Moagi Bodibe: How to build brand relevance in the metaverse
The conventional playbook businesses refer to for customer acquisition and engagement is now obsolete. In the metaverse, where the rules of engagement are still largely undefined, this gap presents itself as a double-edged sword.
Growing Crypto Market in South Africa - What Cryptocurrency is best to invest in?
Undoubtedly, trading crypto has become one of the primary sources of income for many people. In South Africa, a few people trade crypto full-time, while most treat it as a side hustle.
[Column] Innocent Dutiro: The delicate balancing act of South Africa interest rate increases
Banks are responding by including new customer experiences, upgrading their core banking systems, introducing cloud solutions, and implementing other new technology platform solutions while managing employee change fatigue.
[Column] Thabiso Foto: Can Africa's startup sector keep up its record funding run amidst global turmoil?
In recent years, amid global economic volatility and uncertainty, Africa's startup ecosystem has shown continued growth, attracting record amounts of funding.
[South Africa] Equity crowdfunding platform raises over R6m for two businesses in 6 weeks
The fundraise was facilitated by GoGetta, a newly launched equity-based crowdfunding platform focused exclusively on African businesses.
[South Africa] VC firm 4Di Capital announces the second close of a new $25 million seed fund
South African- based early-stage technology venture capital fund manager 4Di Capital has announced a close of a new US$25 million seed fund.
[South Africa] Deimos achieves one of the earliest Google Cloud Security Specialisations in Africa
Cloud technology and professional services company Deimos today announced that it has achieved one of the earliest Google Cloud Security specialisations in Africa.
Absa and Sanlam combine investment management businesses in South Africa
Financial services providers Sanlam and Absa, announced that all suspensive conditions have been successfully met, allowing implementation of a transaction that combines their investment management businesses in South Africa.
[South Africa] Mastercard and payment gateway PayFast extend support to SMEs
With hundreds of SMEs impacted during Covid, Mastercard and PayFast are lending their continued support to these operations, with this campaign being one of many initiatives.
Isuzu Motors South Africa announces expanded board of directors
This happens at the back of just 4 years of a journey of end-to-end business transformation to drive growth and expansion for the local OEM.
[Column] Gur Geva: Identity theft puts South Africans at risk
Identity theft in South Africa continues to rise, despite numerous warnings and efforts to protect consumers. Reports suggest that someone's identity is stolen somewhere in the world every two seconds.
[South Africa] Online threats spike during September 2022, report
Cybersecurity company Trellix has released its South African market Trellix Cyber Threat Intelligence Briefing, November Edition, for the period between August and October 2022.
VMware Cloud on AWS Expands to Africa
With VMware Cloud on AWS, customers across Africa can run workloads across VMware vSphere-based hybrid cloud environments with optimised access to Amazon Web Services.
IHS Holding Limited completed $600 million three-year bullet-term loan
RMB acted as Mandated Lead Arranger & Bookrunner for IHS Holding Limited’s $600 million syndicated term loan facility.
[South Africa] Vodacom launches public healthcare services solution in Northern Cape province
Vodacom has launched a cutting-edge patient engagement solution which includes a computer-aided emergency services dispatch system, a first for South Africa’s public healthcare sector.
[South Africa] Value-added services will define the future of e-commerce, says PAYM8
Online shopping in South Africa has become the new normal bringing with it new payment opportunities and some key challenges yet to be overcome.
Africa is one of the world's fastest growing crypto markets
Analysis by blockchain data platform Chainalysis has revealed that Africa’s crypto market is growing faster than anywhere else in the world.
Hisense opens first B2B showroom in South Africa
Hisense, the global home appliance and consumer electronics brand, has announced the opening of its first B2B showroom in South Africa.
Les 8 nouveaux pays africains rejoignent le programme MultiChoice Africa Accelerator
Un coup de pouce de plusieurs millions de dollars pour les petites entreprises alors que de nouveaux pays africains rejoignent le programme MultiChoice Africa Accelerator.
[South Africa] Ukheshe and Coinvest join forces to facilitate payments to students in need
The payment solution leverages Ukheshe’s powerful Eclipse API to provide a ready-to-use payment technology services framework.
[South Africa] Joe Public launches Cell C’s summer campaign, Spin Your World
Brand and Communications Group, Joe Public, recently launched Cell C’s latest summer campaign, “Spin Your World”, just in time for the summer holiday excitement.
[Column] Alison Palmer: Fighting South Africa's tech skills gap with solutions that deliver value
The global IT skills shortage is real and not going away. According to a May 2022 McKinsey report, an overwhelming majority of companies worldwide (87%) are aware that they either already have a skills gap or will have one within a few years.
Le Groupe AFD a fourni une facilité de crédit de 100 millions de dollars à FirstRand Bank Limited
Proparco, au nom du Groupe AFD, a fourni une facilité de crédit de 100 millions de dollars dédiée à la finance climat, à FirstRand Bank Limited (FRB).
Ethos Private Equity asset management firm in Africa to be acquired by The Rohatyn Group
Ethos Private Equity a leading alternative asset management firm in Africa announces that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by The Rohatyn Group.
Two Africans startups BleagLee and LiquidGold have been announced as winners of the ClimaTech Run 2022
Two African startups, BleagLee and LiquidGold in addition to Ryp Labs, Earthly, Koltiva have been announced as winners of the ClimaTech Run 2022 during the COP27 Conference in Sharm, El Sheikh, Egypt.
Cloud in South Africa to increase by up to 50% in 2023.
As most of the working world vacated their premises early in 2020, the cloud market boomed. And it continues to do so today, expanding at around 30% per quarter.
Vodacom launches National Relay Service to drive digital inclusion for persons with disabilities in South Africa
Vodacom announced another first in South Africa, with the launch of a real-time Specific Needs and National Relay Service (NRS), which expands its offerings for Deaf, hearing- and speech-impaired customers.
African Energy Chamber announces the 2023 African Energy Week
The African Energy Chamber (AEC) has announced that African Energy Week (AEW), Africa’s premier event for oil and gas sector, will return in 2023 from October 16 – 20 to drive Africa’s energy sector growth and make energy poverty history across the continent by 2030.
This MTN Group training programme aims to bridge the data analytics skills gap in Africa
To address Africa’s digital skills gap, MTN Group, through some of its operating companies, is partnering with SAS Training, Courses & Classes to train up to 100 young people in data analytics.
Transnet digitizes freight services in South Africa with Huawei's all-optical backbone network for railways
Transnet has been working with Huawei to build an upgradable and easy-to-maintain transmission backbone network featuring high bandwidth and reliability.
Vodacom launches international roaming bundles to keep customers connected globally
Vodacom customers travelling overseas this festive season can now save on international roaming costs by taking advantage of the best international roaming bundles on South Africa’s leading network.
Africa Business Communities Forum: Quels seront les pays Africains plus performants sur le plan économique en 2022?
Africa Business Communities s'est entretenu avec plusieurs entrepreneurs et fondateurs au cours des premiers mois de l'année, et ils ont voté pour déterminer quels pays africains seront les plus prospères en 2022.
[Column] Luigi Marinus: Positioning portfolios during market volatility
Thus far, 2022 has been a challenging time for investors. Geopolitical tension, central banks globally aggressively hiking rates to curb multi-decade high inflation, and a lacklustre global growth outlook.
Africa Business Communities Forum: Which African countries will perform best economically in 2022?
Africa Business Communities talked to several entrepreneurs and founders in the early months of the year, and they cast their votes on which African countries will thrive best in 2022.
University of South Africa appoints Vodacom Business to keep students and staff digitally connected
These solutions will give UNISA students and staff free and reliable access to essential online resources and tools to ensure that quality distance learning is a reality.
Nokia, Liquid Technologies and PayGoZo to provide affordable internet for South Africa’s Kayamandi Fiber Project
The initial proof of concept phase, which was launched in September 2022, will see more than 15,000 people connected in the Kayamandi township in Stellenbosch in the Western Cape province in South Africa.
VANU announced anywave™ 4.0 dual mode GSM/LTE base station
Vanu Multi-band, multi-standard radio access node addresses power, cost and maintenance challenges that have made it difficult for network operators to serve rural markets.
Accelerit’s Uncapped Fast Fibre Reaches All South Africans
Accelerit’s market-leading fibre to the curb solution, on Vuma’s fibre network, is transforming the way that South Africans are empowered through connectivity that is more accessible.
[South Africa] :Talk360 raised additional $3 million to close out seed funding round
International calling app Talk360, which enables people around the world to make reliable and affordable calls to any landline or mobile phone worldwide, has secured an additional $3 million in seed round funding, taking its total seed round to $7 million after its first closing in May.
[South Africa] BCX Digital Innovation Awards 2022 announces the Top 6 finalists
The BCX Digital Innovation Award (DIA) was first introduced in 2019 to celebrate Small and Medium Enterprise’s (SME’s), and large enterprises.
[South Africa] Liquid Networks to join Nokia Global Partner Programme
Liquid Networks has announced it is entering into a channel partner agreement with Nokia. As a result of this relationship, Liquid Networks will partner with Nokia on private wireless 4G and 5G opportunities for industry verticals.
[South Africa] Africa’s largest retailer among investors in data collaboration startup
Omnisient, a provider of the leading consumer privacy-protecting data collaboration platform in emerging markets, has closed an over-subscribed expansion round led by Buffet investments, KLT and Africa’s largest retailer, the Shoprite Group
Radisson Hotel Group continues to strengthen its presence in Africa
Radisson Hotel Group plans to strengthen its already impressive presence in Africa. The Group has ambitious plans to reach 150 hotels and 25,000 rooms within the next five years across the continent, making Africa a key region for growth.
[South Africa] Teraco breaks ground on JB5 – A 30MW data centre expansion to the Isando Campus
Teraco has commenced construction on a new hyperscale data centre facility with 30 megawatts (MW) of critical power load at its Isando Campus in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, South Africa.
Verdant Capital wins Private Equity Africa (PEA) local financial advisor of the decade
Private Equity Africa (PEA) has announced that the Local Financial Advisor of the Decade award has been won by Verdant Capital and also won the Local Financial Advisor Award of 2022 for the second year running.
Microsoft expands cloud services in South African data centres to drive growth and competitiveness
Microsoft has now made Dynamics 365 and Power Platform generally available in its enterprise-grade data centres in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
Sanlam to acquire controlling shareholding in AfroCentric Group
Sanlam has announced today that it has submitted an offer letter to the board of AfroCentric Investment Corporation Limited (AfroCentric), expressing Sanlam’s firm intention to acquire AfroCentric shares that would result in Sanlam acquiring a controlling shareholding in
AfroCentric.
Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa lead fintech growth in Africa, Mastercard report reveals
A report by payment services company Mastercard has revealed that South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya are among the most vibrant fintech markets in the continent.
[Column] Benjamin Coetzer: The cloud conversation has changed, it’s faster, smarter and better for business
During the pandemic, many companies started doing more research on cloud migration and deepened their understanding of the cloud environment.
[South Africa] Teraco completes JB4, the latest hyperscale data centre expansion to the Bredell Campus
Teraco has announced the completion of the first phase of JB4, its new hyperscale data centre addition to the Bredell Campus, Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, South Africa.
[South Africa] Absa selects nCino to optimize its relationship banking debt management business
nCino, a pioneer in cloud banking and digital transformation solutions for the global financial services industry, announced that Absa Bank (Absa), has selected the nCino Bank Operating System, to deliver a single platform solution.
Trive South Africa begins client onboarding
Trive South Africa announced it has begun onboarding clients. Based in Bryanston, Johannesburg, Trive South Africa is a new multi-asset investment firm, providing digitally advanced competitive offerings and products.
[South Africa] Cisco Networking Academy announces ambitious next-phase goal as it celebrates 25 years
Cisco has announced its goal to provide digital skills training to 25 million learners over the next ten years through its Cisco Networking Academy programme.
[South Africa] 14 Africas startups selected to pitch at the AlphaExpo Pitch Competition
14 African startups have secured a spot to pitch live on stage at the Africa Fintech Summit Cape Town, which takes place from November 2-4, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC).
ACWA Power and Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa set to explore green hydrogen projects
The agreement signed during the state visit of the President of South Africa to Saudi Arabia intends to accelerate the green hydrogen economy in South Africa and paves the way to project(s) potentially valued at US$10 billion
IFC, FMO invest in United Exports to strengthen South Africa’s blueberry sector
IFC and the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank (FMO) have partnered to provide funding and advisory support to United Exports to help the company increase sustainable blueberry production in South Africa.
[South Africa] Agrarius lists first Shari’ah-compliant sustainability-linked Sukuk on the JSE
Agrarius Sustainability Engineered (Agrarius), listed Africa’s first Shari’ah-compliant sustainability-linked Sukuk (Sukuk) on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE).
[South Africa] JSE proposes amendments to listing requirements following market consultation
In May, this year and as part of its ongoing efforts to ensure that the bourse is fair, efficient, transparent, and competitive, the JSE released a consultation paper, requesting stakeholders to comment on a raft of proposals.
COLUMNS.
[Column] Bonisiwe Tshabalala: Five technology priorities for enhancing the African healthcare sector
One of the most transformative developments in healthcare in recent times is the growing adoption of data and analytics tools to drive improvements across the healthcare value chain ...read full column here
[Column] Mark Wilson: The ERP and technology trends that will shape 2023
Even with pandemic-related restrictions now a thing of the past, many reopened enterprises have quickly realised the market is not what it used to be ...read full column here
[Column] David Meintjes: Unified communication and collaboration trends for 2023
As businesses continue evolving to meet changing customer behaviour, the uptake and investment in cloud unified communications platforms and tools will continue to soar ...read full column here
INTERVIEWS.
[Interview] Temitope O. Oguntosin, CTO, Femsin Technologies Solutions, Nigeria
Femsin Technoloigies Solutions Limited is an IT solution company based in Lagos, which was founded and incorporated in Nigeria in 2018… read full interview here
[Startup Interview] James Adebisi, Founder, Oruis Medical, Nigeria
Orius Medical is a Nigerian health startup that provides mental care and support through psychotherapy and mental health education … read full interview here
[Interview] Dr. Kevin Muragaijimana MD, Founder & CEO of DoctorAI
Dr. Kevin MURAGIJIMANA is the fonder and CEO of DoctorAI,DoctorAI is a HealthTech and Artificial Intelligence-based company… read full interview here
B2B Events
The Africa Trade Expo (TATE) | Virtual Conference and Trade Show | 9 March 2022 - 9 March 2023
The Africa Trade Expo (TATE) presents direct access to African buyers whose main aim is to source the latest products, establish partnerships, and conclude import/export deals ... read full details here
Future Foods | African Food & Beverage Industries Virtual Conference & Trade Show | 9 March 2022 - 9 March 2023
Future Foods is a virtual meeting place for importers, F&B managers, retail category buyers, owner-operators, agents, and distributors from across Africa’s diverse and booming ... read full details here