tech news
Cape Town Tech Startup Secures $14.5-Million More in Funding
“In emerging-market megacities, hundreds of millions of people use public transport to get where they need to go. Before WhereIsMyTransport, there was no central source of data for these networks, despite their size, scale, and importance,” reads a blurb on the startup’s official website. “WhereIsMyTransport helps people understand mobility in emerging-market megacities. We’re trusted by industry leaders like Google, the World Bank, and WSP.” Founded in Cape Town in 2015, the tech startup focusing on mobility creates data maps for formal and informal public transport networks in cities and uses this data and tech to improve the public transport experiences of commuters. WhereIsMyTransport hopes to make public commutes more reliable, predictable, safe, inclusive and more accessible to indiv...
Offline Device Locking: Protect Your Financed Devices against Non-payment with NuovoPay
Sourced from Travellers With the advent of 4G technology and the promising 5G technology, smartphones have offered people a gateway to enter the digital economy and get socio-economic benefits. According to Statista, in 2020 global smartphone unit sales for end-users were 1.38 billion. This shows a strong demand for smartphones, which is largely driven by consumers from developed countries. The consumer in developed countries has easy access to smartphone finance, affordable loans, alternative forms of credit scoring, etc. This necessarily does not hold true for certain emerging markets such as Sub-Saharan Africa or South Asia. According to Newzoo Global Mobile Market Report 2018, Smartphone penetration in South Africa was 35.5%, Vietnam was 37.7%, Indonesia was 27.4% as compared to 83% an...
FaceTime Releasing for Windows and Android
Image sourced from The Verge. /* custom css */ .tdi_4_b24.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_4_b24.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } During its WWDC keynote, California-based tech monolith Apple has announced that its FaceTime app, once only available on its iPhones and Mac computers for iOS/MacOS, is releasing on the web and will be available for users on Android and Windows. It seems Apple is taking on Zoom and the video calling service market with this move. FaceTime will also now allow users to send and receive links to scheduled calls. Call links can be shared with people in advance. A release date has yet to be announced, according to The Verge. However, it is expected to be included in the iOS 15 update coming in spring. The new web version of FaceTime will either be availa...
Cybersecurity and Data Protection Laws Urgently Needed Across Africa
The pandemic has driven home the high value of personal data to the global economy, while also highlighting its vulnerability to abuse and attack. In response, governments around the world have been reviewing their data privacy and protection laws and regulations, including in South Africa and Ghana. Global cybersecurity firm Kaspersky recently noted that cyberattacks are set to rise in African countries, especially in the key financial centres of South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria. The cybersecurity firm noted that rapidly evolving digital techniques had led to an increased risk of Advanced Persistent Threats and hacking-for-hire events in Africa. South Africa In South Africa, the Cybercrimes and Cybersecurity Act was signed into law by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in early June 2...
What Your Education Level Means for Your Employment Chances in SA
Image sourced from Iemas Financial Services. /* custom css */ .tdi_4_5e7.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_4_5e7.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } South Africa is currently dealing with an incredibly high unemployment rate, one of its highest in history, according to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS). The latest QLFS results show that the official unemployment rate increased to 32,6% – the highest rate on its record. The number of unemployed people remained relatively unchanged at more than 11.4-million people, however, Stats SA notes that this number may not be concrete considering the large number of non-economically active individuals who make up home-makers and/or previously discouraged workers at 17-million. “The number of discouraged work-seekers increased by 201,000...
Eazzy Banking App Grows 222% as Digital Banking Explodes in Kenya
Image sourced from Kenya Online News. /* custom css */ .tdi_4_00d.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_4_00d.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK)’s Bank Supervision Annual Report 2020 noted that there was a notably high adoption of digital financial services by consumers during the beginning months of the pandemic in the country. This is believed in part due to consumers seeking channels for financial transactions with minimal physical contact, a necessity in remaining safe and socially distant as COVID-19 waves fluctuate. Now according to Techweez, the digital banking services provided by Equity Bank Kenya are now ahead of its traditional banking in terms of sheer volumes transacted. This comes via an announcement made when the lender revealed its Q1 20...
Beware of Scammers – 4 Tips to Spot Digital Banking Fraud
Sourced from Pure Cloud Solutions To prevent becoming the victim of fraudsters, it’s vital to be on guard, especially when using transactional, card-based accounts linked to cheque and savings accounts. Vijay Naidoo, CIO at Old Mutual Finance, pointed out that “…transactional accounts are among the most commonly used accounts, which means they are prime targets for scammers.” “Scammers are continually finding new ways to gain access to personal banking information and use it to defraud unsuspecting customers. So, banks need to continually upgrade their security systems, while consumers need to be informed and alert.” Phishing involves sending what appears to be an official email notification from an institution. If you open the message, malware is installed on your computer and account inf...
More & More iOS Users Could Be Leaving to Android – New Research
Image sourced from Stuff.com. /* custom css */ .tdi_4_c5b.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_4_c5b.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } New information has emerged from the court case between Fortnite developer and publisher Epic Games and Apple in May. Specifically, leaked internal company documents shown in court during the case reveal that Apple continued to lose iPhone users over several quarters between 2019 and 2020. Epic Games vs. Apple /* custom css */ .tdi_3_e9c.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_e9c.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } Epic’s suit over Apple was about, what the games publisher believed was, anti-competitive policies in Apple’s infamously rigid App Store. The App Store does not allow app developers to sell directly to users. The games company publicl...
MultiChoice Introduces New AI Chatbot to its Service
Sourced from Tech Central. /* custom css */ .tdi_4_6d6.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_4_6d6.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } MultiChoice is enhancing its digital customer service through an Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbot. Called by the tongue-in-cheek name, “The Ultimate Master of Information”, or TUMI, this innovative service is available 24/7 to answer customer queries about products and services. “TUMI is an evolutionary leap in our service capability. Born and developed right here in Africa, TUMI is a tangible manifestation of our commitment to innovation. This is not innovation for its own sake; the focus is to continue to grow our capacity to give our customers an excellent service experience,” says MultiChoice South Africa CEO, Nyiko Shiburi. /* custom css */ .td...
Nigeria Threatens to Arrest and Prosecute Users Avoiding Twitter Ban
Image sourced from Mfidie.com. /* custom css */ .tdi_4_a87.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_4_a87.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } The Nigerian government has ordered federal prosecutors to arrest and prosecute users of the Twitter app in the country after a blanket ban on the social media company went into effect on Friday. Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, issued the directive Saturday in a statement signed on his behalf by his spokesman, Dr Umar Jibrilu Gwandu reports CNN. “Malami directed the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF) at the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, to swing into action and commence in earnest the process of prosecution of violators of the Federal Government De-...
Digital Supply Chains – The Future of Business Automation
/* custom css */ .tdi_4_db7.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_4_db7.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } Cloud technology is driving change and accelerating digital transformation across multiple industries simultaneously. Not only is cloud technology itself evolving at pace, but the way organisations buy and manage software is having to adapt as well. Marilyn Moodley, Country Leader for South Africa and WECA (West, East, Central Africa) at SoftwareONE, says navigating multiple systems, processes, and software licence agreements presents a significant challenge. “Software is one of the largest expenses for many organisations. But the buying, optimising and management of that software requires the right balance between tools and digitisation, processes and expertise that work togethe...
Top 4 Most Trending Stories – Week in Review
/* custom css */ .tdi_4_f6c.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_4_f6c.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } As this week comes to a close we take a look at the stories that resonated most with our readers. An enormous underwater mudslide cripples the internet. The South African government seeks to regulate Netflix and other digital streaming services, and how blockchain and cryptocurrency can increase financial inclusion in developing countries. Finally, the Huawei Band 6 round out this week’s most trending stories. Find out more about this week’s top articles: /* custom css */ .tdi_3_f21.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_f21.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } 4. How Blockchain and Crypto Can Lessen Financial Exclusion in Developing Countries COVID-19 has had many different ...
