tech news
MTN Appoints Group Chief Risk Officer
Ferdi Moolman, MTN Group Chief Risk Officer MTN Group announced the appointment of Ferdi Moolman to Group Chief Risk Officer, a new Executive Committee (exco) position – effective from 1 March 2021. Moolman joined MTN in 2002 and has held several senior positions within the group in Nigeria and in Iran. He has spent the past five years as the CEO of MTN Nigeria and, as its CFO prior to that. During that time, the company says that significant progress has been made in stabilising the business and setting it on a sustainable growth path. That’s why the management of enterprise-wide risk is integral to MTN’s growth strategy. Moolman will bring extensive operational and financial experience to the role given his deep knowledge of the MTN Group, its markets and the telecoms sector. He will rem...
MTN Nigeria Appoints New CEO
MTN Group has appointed Karl Toriola, current VP for MTN Group’s West and Central Africa (WECA) region, as the new CEO of MTN Nigeria – effective 1 March 2021. Toriola will take over as MTN Nigeria CEO from Ferdi Moolman, who has served MTN Nigeria with distinction in this role for the past five years. Moolman will return to South Africa, where he will assume the new role of Group Chief Risk Officer. Toriola has a BSc Hons in Electronic and Electrical Engineering and an MSc in Communication Systems. In his five years as VP of MTN’s WECA region, he has overseen the steady progress of the operating companies in the region, notably the turnaround of MTN Ivory Coast and MTN Cameroon over the past two years. In addition, the WECA markets have made significant commercial and strategic strides, i...
Google could be Testing Dark Mode for Chrome OS
Image sourced from Android Police Google is testing dark mode for Chrome OS, according to AndroidCentral. If the feature is released, Chrome OS users would be able to join the ranks of Windows and macOS users. “Dark mode has been in high demand for any OS over the past few years for its benefits on eye strain and general readability,” reads a report from Android Central. “[And] although the feature isn’t fully ready and definitely has some bugs to squash, it already works on the Chrome browser and a bunch of different system web apps. The dark theme already seems to be a pretty comprehensive feature so far as it not only applies to the app backgrounds but seems to apply to other UI elements as well.” There’s no word yet on when (or if) Google will unveil this feature. /* custom css */...
How Post-Lockdown Shopping Figures Represent Changing Retail Landscape
The impact of COVID-19 on both consumers and retailers is becoming evident. Retailers are under pressure to reimagine and transform their businesses, build-out eCommerce solutions and expand their online offerings. Consumers, having already navigated a difficult year, and still uncertain about what the future holds, are likely to spend more conservatively over the next quarter. New data from Mobicred’s Consumer Spend index reveals some interesting trends as South Africans settle into post-lockdown shopping. While the previous quarter’s figures showed a higher level of eCommerce adoption, this spike was to be expected amid Coronavirus infection fears and consequent limitations on physical shopping during lockdown. Despite adoption rates levelling off, the data shows an increase of 9% i...
NCC Approves MTN and 9mobile’s Roaming Service Trial in Nigeria
Sourced from the Guardian Nigeria. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has granted MTN and 9mobile permission to trial a national roaming service. According to The Vanguard, this roaming service will allow a mobile subscriber “to automatically make and receive voice calls, send and receive data, or access other services when travelling outside the coverage of a particular network geographical area by utilising the network coverage of other networks”. “The approval requires 9mobile and MTN to configure and test their networks towards simulation for customer experience [and it] covers a few local governments, designated as the National Roaming geographic area, in Ondo State.” Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Umar Danbatta says that “the primary objective of the National Roaming Servi...
7 Ways to Reduce Cybersecurity Risks
Most corporate employees are still using remote working tools to help beat COVID-19, according to a recent survey by human resources consultants 21st Century. South Africa’s Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA), however, cautions work from home employees that the high-speed data connections, cloud-based file sharing and other remote working tools that enable the new normal are not without risk. “The shift to remote working has many benefits, but also creates new security risks because employees working from home may not have the expertise to properly secure themselves against online threats,” says ISPA chair, André van der Walt. Fortunately, here are seven practical tips to reduce cybersecurity risks: Backup your data. Not only does a backup protect you from a physical hard drive...
WhatsApp Unveils New In-App Features
WhatsApp has unveiled a number of new in-app features covering Shopping, Payments, and Customer Service. According to the messaging platform, the ways in which people and businesses communicate are not working. “The global pandemic has made clear that businesses need fast and efficient ways to service their customers and make sales. WhatsApp has become a simple and convenient resource at this time. More than 175 million people every day message a WhatsApp Business account.” With these in mind, here’s a closer look at WhatsApp’s new features: Shopping – WhatsApp will introduce new ways for people to check out available products and make purchases right from a chat. It also plans to make it easier for businesses to integrate these features into their existing commerce and customer solut...
Airtel Africa Reports Double Digit Growth
Sourced from Comms MEA Airtel Africa has reported double-digit growth and stronger performance in Q2, with revenue up by 19.6% – in spite of interruptions from COVID-19 and the associated restrictions on activities of both consumers and businesses. The telco saw growth across every region; Nigeria revenue increased 20.2% and EBITDA growth of 21.5%, East Africa revenue up 21.9% and EBITDA growth of 35.1%, Francophone Africa revenue up 4.4% and EBITDA growth of 4.1%. Voice and Data led to a mobile revenue increase of 15.3% while Mobile Money revenue grew by 30.4%. Airtel Money now serves over 20million customers. The telco says that it is in a strong financial position to capture the growth opportunities in a fast-growing region that is vastly underpenetrated in terms of mobile and...
How Global Brands are Keeping up with SA Tech Trends
As the demand for powerful, affordable Internet of Things devices grows in South Africa, the focus for manufacturers and distributors alike has shifted to provide a diversity of tech products to suit the needs and budget of a highly segmented market. It is for this reason that Mobile in Africa, the official distributor for Xiaomi in South Africa, is so committed to ensuring that there is the perfect device for everyone by bringing in quality technology at outstanding prices. The Xiaomi 9 Series range of innovative, cutting-edge devices stays true to this promise, by offering a unique device for every user. Something for the Techies The Redmi Note 9 is a powerful device packed with some exceptional tech for its price point. Its quad-camera composition is noteworthy on its own, containing a ...
Huawei Launches Petal Search, Petal Maps and Huawei Docs
Huawei unveiled a number of new additions to the Huawei Mobile Services ecosystem; Petal Search, Petal Maps and Huawei Docs. Here’s a closer look at these digital experience updates: Petal Search Huawei’s official search engine app, Petal Search now is available in over 170 countries and regions and supports over 50 languages, letting users conveniently and instantly find out the information and services they need. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_a55.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_a55.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } Petal Search offers search capabilities across more than 20 categories, including apps, news, videos, images, shopping, flights, and local business. It also develops and integrates various tools, such as weather, calculator and rate exchange. With the new update, the s...
Huawei Introduces the Mate 40 Series
Huawei has officially unveiled its new Mate 40 Series smartphones; including the Mate 40, Mate 40 Pro, Mate 40 Pro + and the Mate 40 RS Porsche Design. “Each year the Huawei Mate Series brings the most exciting technology together into one stunning package. This is what defines the Mate Series DNA and is all made possible by our dedication to innovation,” says Richard Yu, Executive Director and CEO of Huawei Consumer BG. “In these unprecedented times, we remain committed to creating a better future, with innovative technology that delivers a positive and meaningful impact on the lives of consumers. In the future, we will continue working closely with our partners to bring the Seamless AI Life experience to consumers all around the world.” Here’s a closer look at the Mate 40 Series /* custo...
Will Black Friday Contribute Towards Economic Stimulation in South Africa?
Despite 2020 being a very tough year for almost everyone, there’s nothing to be gained from not recognising Black Friday and the festive season at large. This is according to Matthew Leighton, spokesperson for OneDayOnly, who says that now more than ever, the economy requires stimulation and regrowth – and Black Friday is the biggest opportunity the eCommerce industry has to contribute towards that economic stimulation. Is this the year more people turn to online shopping? “We’ve seen consistent growth in Black Friday numbers and we expect this to continue,” says Leighton. Between 2018 and 2019, the home-grown daily deals site saw the number of Black Friday shoppers double, dwarfing the numbers seen on a regular day. “Internationally, well-established eCommerce markets are still experienci...
