tech news
The Future of Work – Becoming a Digital Workforce
Sourced from HCAMag.com The future of work has always been a popular topic for discussion, especially among HR and payroll practitioners. However, the current COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdown many countries have experienced are fast-tracking discussions towards more practical interventions to prepare the workforce for what will be the new normal. “Even though many aspects of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and the digitalisation of workforces have been theoretical, the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic has forced management to rethink their approaches to employees and how they use technology to not only improve productivity but reinvent traditional processes,” says Ian McAlister, GM at CRS Technologies. More than just technology Consider artificial intelligence (AI)...
Nutanix Appoints New Director of GSI Business
Enterprise cloud computing company, Nutanix has announced that it has appointed Adam Tarbox as Director of Global System Integrator (GSI) Business for the Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) region. With more than 25 years’ experience in the IT industry, Tarbox moves to Nutanix from NetApp, where he spent more than a decade running the Service Provider, Channel UKI and GSI UK business units. In his new role, Tarbox will be responsible for developing and executing an overarching regional alliance strategy for Nutanix’s GSI partners. He will lead a team distributed across the EMEA region, and be focused on driving go-to-market (GTM) activities with GSIs around joint offerings for both horizontal markets and industry verticals. “GSI partners are a key element of our ability to deliver exa...
Facebook and Instagram Introduce Gift Card Feature for South African Businesses
Instagram and Facebook are making it a little easier for South Africans to support local businesses in their communities thanks to the new gift card feature. Facebook has created this feature to help local businesses, such as restaurants, fitness studios, salons, bookshops and bakeries as they navigate their way through the COVID-19 pandemic and national lockdown. People can find offers from participating merchants through a “Support Local Businesses” ad in their Facebook feeds, a Gift Card button on merchants’ Instagram profiles or in Stories through the Gift Card sticker. Supporting small businesses and restaurants is an important part of Instagram’s community, which is why Instagram is also launching Food Orders, making it easier for businesses to get support from their customers throug...
Safaricom Eyes an Opportunity to Expand into Ethiopia
Sourced from CGTN. Safaricom PLC is planning to extend its reach into Ethiopia, Kenya’s northern neighbour. Although not initially successful with its first few attempts, new changes within the Ethiopian government may prove beneficial for the mobile carrier to finally establish a presence within the country. Last month, the Ethiopian government said that it would be impossible for Safaricom’s M-PESA service to have any space in the market. The Ethiopian central bank about reiterated that no foreign financial institutions would be allowed to offer mobile money services in the country. Now, the good news for Safaricom is that the company was recently offered a window to buy into Ethio Telecom, the country’s mass-monopoly provider whose privatisation process is currently underway. This is on...
FISE and KaiOS Unveil the First 4G Device with an Integrated Thermometer
FISE and KaiOS Technologies have unveiled the world’s first 4G phone that includes a built-in infrared thermometer which allows users to conduct temperature checks accurate down to 0.2 degrees Celsius. Developed in response to COVID-19 and the resulting urgent global demand for on-the-go temperature monitoring, this new KaiOS-enabled smart feature phone also comes with 4G connectivity, the Google Assistant, and popular apps like WhatsApp, YouTube, Facebook, and Google Maps. The companies say that real-time temperature monitoring is crucial to helping curb the global pandemic, and this new device makes checking temperature easy and convenient. Users simply hold the thermometer near the subject’s forehead for just one second for a precise, contactless temperature reading. This is particularl...
E-Health Framework in Development for South Africa
South Africa’s healthcare organisations are currently on a journey to providing comprehensive and accessible healthcare services to all its citizens, in both the private and public healthcare ecosystems. However, the finalisation of legislation and standards that govern this sector has not been without challenges. The aim is to ensure that South Africa’s healthcare organisations – like their counterparts across the globe – comply with legislations and adhere to standards that support the transformation of the healthcare ecosystem. This through information and technology with various benchmarking and standards frameworks has resulted in the creation of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill, aimed at achieving specific strategic objectives in the delivery of healthcare. As an adjunct to t...
SADV ISP Appoints New MD
SA Digital Villages (SADV) ISP has appointed telecommunications industry veteran, Junaid Munshi as its new managing director – effective 01 June 2020. The company recently became a standalone entity after its fibre network division was absorbed by Vumatel in April of this year. SADV ISP says that the appointment signals the company’s focus and commitment to delivering world-class Internet access to its customers. Munshi, who brings more than two decades of experience in telecommunications – spanning four countries, will be instrumental in driving customer uptake and delivering growth across the business Speaking on his new appointment, Munshi says “I am super excited to be joining the team at SADV. I believe that we have a unique opportunity to establish a new digital dawn for all South Af...
Google Launches Website to Help People Avoid Online Scams
Sourced from Google. Ever opened your emails and received a poorly-worded message about a payment that you weren’t expecting? What about one proclaiming that you’ve won a competition you never entered. “Congratulations!” it reads, beneath, a sinister attachment that you probably should not open. This is becoming more and more common, and now Google has unveiled a website to teach people how to spot and avoid online scams. Digital hoaxes, malware and cyberattacks have been surging during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The website – Scamspotter.org – tries to show users how to identify things such as false stimulus checks, fake vaccine offers, or other fake medical information. The site also attempts to make clear certain patterns that are typical of hoaxes, like a romance scammer asking ...
Will Crypto Enter The Mainstream In Africa?
Cryptocurrencies are garnering interest across the globe, and have been for the last decade, but it is in Africa in which many are starting to think that these new digital currencies will take off with vigour. The reason for this could well be that Africa finds itself in a rather unique monetary situation, along with an equally unique technological one. Mobile and crypto, the perfect combination Whereas in Europe and North America Internet connectivity took off mainly through fixed-line broadband, Africa has been at the forefront of truly mobile-first Internet infrastructure. While cities are indeed rolling out fixed-line broadband, the vast majority of Africans get online through their data connection solely on their mobile phone. This has lead to a situation where 5G is expected to...
Understanding African Markets During COVID-19
Sourced from iStock. We are living in unprecedented times. COVID-19 has swept throughout the world, and governments globally have taken drastic measures to stop the spread in an attempt to save lives. In February 2020, as African countries watched Asia and Europe begin the implementation of lockdown, a study by Survey54, an automated mobile-led data collection platform, found that approximately 80% of Africans interviewed felt almost immune to the virus as they were yet to hear of any confirmed cases on the continent. This did not last long and by Mid-March, lockdown procedures were initiated across Africa. Despite the swift response, lockdown came with many challenges that drastically affected a continent which heavily depends on the informal sector. With roughly 90% of Africans now conce...
Vodacom is The First Telco to Zero-Rate what3words
The what3words technology, available as an app or online map, has divided the world into a grid of 3m squares, giving each square a unique combination of three words: a what3words address. Vodacom has become the first telco globally to zero-rate the lifesaving addressing technology, what3words, for its more than 43 million subscribers across South Africa. The UN estimates that 75% of countries in the world have a poorly maintained addressing system – or none at all. This is an issue that South Africa knows well, with large parts of the country still lacking spatial planning. This might be an inconvenience when you are expecting a delivery, but it is a far graver issue for locals living in rural areas or informal settlements when it comes to emergencies. Without an address – or in the event...
Trump Threatens Twitter and Other Social Media Platforms After Being Fact-Checked
Sourced from Politico. US President Donald Trump has threatened to regulate or even “close down” social media platforms in a series of tweets over the last day on Twitter. This comes after Twitter added a fact-check label to some of his posts. The labels entail that particular tweets contained misleading information. The president (ironically) tweeted that republicans feel that social media platforms such as Twitter are trying to censor their political views. ….happen again. Just like we can’t let large scale Mail-In Ballots take root in our Country. It would be a free for all on cheating, forgery and the theft of Ballots. Whoever cheated the most would win. Likewise, Social Media. Clean up your act, NOW!!!! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 27, 2020 He then warned, “Big action [is]...
