technology news
MTN Group Appoints New Strategy and Transformation Executive
Image sourced from TechFinancials MTN Group has appointed Chika Ekeji as its new Strategy and Transformation Executive – effective from 15 March. The telco says this appointment is part of its plans to further bolster management capacity to accelerate the Group’s strategic ambitions. “In December 2020, MTN Group announced the completion of a comprehensive strategy review with a focus on accelerating growth, deleveraging the holding company debt and unlocking value,” says MTN. “To support the execution of the repositioned strategy, we announced the appointment of a new Group Chief Financial Officer as well as changes to the Group’s regional structure and the Group Executive Committee.” According to MyBroadband, Ekeji has a Masters of Engineering in Computer Science from Cornell University a...
5 House Objects Cybercriminals could Use to Spy on You
It is estimated that there are more 22 billion devices linked to a home internet connection around the world, and research suggests this figure could reach 38.6 billion by 2025. While hyper-connectivity offers countless benefits, it also increases the number of available attack points to hackers and invisible intruders. Check Point research warns that there are five household objects that are being targeted by cybercriminals to spy on individuals in their own home. “Mobile phones, Smart TVs, computers and toys are just some of the devices being targeted. The number of products that feature a camera or microphone is growing every day, which can become an issue if they are connected to the internet and do not have the necessary security measures in place,” says Eusebio Nieva, Technical Direc...
Ukheshe Confirms Global Expansion of its FinTech Operations
Ukheshe set to expand its fintech operations across the Middle East, Europe and Asia Pacific. The move comes on the back of partnerships in various African countries including Kenya, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, Nigeria, Malawi, Botswana, Angola, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique and Ghana. In addition to collaborating with numerous blue-chip banks, telcos and fintechs, Ukheshe has built strong alliances with Mastercard while acquiring two companies and raising just under R100m within a two-year period. “We will continue to look for potential acquisitions in these new markets to further support Ukheshe’s growth and strategy as we pursue our goal of reaching unicorn status within the next three years,” says Clayton Hayward, CEO of Ukheshe. “Ukheshe is ex...
Airbnb and SnapScan Join Forces to Encourage Local Spending in South Africa
Image sourced from The Tyee Airbnb has partnered with SnapScan to launch ‘Support Jozi, Shop Local’, an initiative that aims to aid the recovery of SMEs by driving traffic to smaller businesses, and delivering a much-needed economic boost to local communities. Using the SnapScan app, locals and visitors alike can now buy goods and services in 20+ Jozi businesses, chosen and recommended by local Hosts on Airbnb. People using SnapScan in these locations will also earn cashback vouchers called ‘Jozibucks’, which can then be ‘spent’ in the shops throughout March, driving additional revenue for the local businesses. The vouchers are funded by Airbnb. The “Support Jozi, Shop Local” initiative aims to encourage an inclusive recovery of the sector, by providing a platform to showcase small local b...
Multichoice Adds New Local Channels in Ethiopia
Image sourced from The Vanguard Nigeria MultiChoice has added Abol TV – a 24-hour premium 100% Ethiopian general entertainment channel – to its list of locally-focused channels. Abol TV joins DStv’s stable of Ethiopian programming including the Ethiopian Premier League, Amharic language channels such as Zee Alem, Nick Jnr Amharic, and local free-to-air channels. In developing the programming for Abol TV the channel director paid careful attention to Ethiopian culture, audience preferences and of course language. The content team worked with local Ethiopian producers and offered creative and financial support, partnering with them to produce world-class content that celebrates with the cultural nuances of the country and its people. MCG says that it supports the development of a continent-w...
Microsoft Blames Cyber Attack on China-based Hacker Group
Microsoft believes the recent attacks on its business email software was by the Chinese government-backed hacking group, HAFNIUM. “Microsoft Threat Intelligence Centre (MSTIC) attributes this campaign with high confidence to HAFNIUM, a group assessed to be state-sponsored and operating out of China, based on observed victimology, tactics and procedures,” reads a statement from the company. “In the attacks observed, the threat actor used these vulnerabilities to access on-premises Exchange servers which enabled access to email accounts, and allowed the installation of additional malware to facilitate long-term access to victim environments.” The versions affected are: Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 Microsoft Exchange Server 2016 Microsoft Exchange Server 2019 “These vulnerabilitie...
Why Cyber Attacks are Technology’s ‘Natural’ Disasters
Sourced from Forbes The SolarWinds attack was stunning in its scope and scale. If it were an earthquake, it would be 9.9 on the Richter scale. As digital transformation accelerates in 2021 and beyond—and applications accelerate as central enablers of business and all manner of digital life—cyberattacks have become technology’s natural disasters. Both have the power for profound devastation, threaten our sense of safety, and are (sadly) the reality of our world today. There is, however, one notable difference between a natural disaster and cybercrime. It is within our control to reduce the devastating impact of cybercrime. We can learn from the weaknesses the SolarWinds attack exposed and use this event as a catalyst for behaviour changes that will materially reduce the impact of future att...
Netflix Launches ‘Fast Laughs’ to Rival TikTok and Reels
Netflix has launched a new short-form video platform called Fast Laughs. The service is expected to give users an inside look at funny clips from Netflix’s library of series. “Wanna see something funny? On Netflix, this one little question opens up lots of possibilities from hilarious series and films to laugh-out-loud stand-up specials,” reads a statement from the company. “That’s why we’re launching a new Fast Laughs feature for mobile devices. Fast Laughs offers a full-screen feed of funny clips from our big comedy catalogue including films (Murder Mystery), series (Big Mouth), sitcoms (The Crew) and stand-up from comedians like Kevin Hart and Ali Wong.” Users can access the service through the bottom navigation menu by clicking on the Fast Laughs tab. Clips will start playing – wh...
Blockchain Usage in Finance
Most people hear the term blockchain and automatically think of cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin. We are living in an age where cryptocurrencies actually increasing in their popularity each given day, an example of it is the increasing demand for crypto trading apps. While this is still one of the most popular uses for blockchain technology, it’s still capable of much more. Let’s look at why and how this innovation is used in finance. Blockchain is a unique type of data storage. All types of information, including account numbers and transactions, can be stored as an encrypted code. These codes connect to each other to form larger blocks of data, and then blocks are chained together. The information is stored all over the world rather than in one place. Because data is encrypted ...
Telkom Rolls Out New Uncapped Fibre Deals
Image sourced from Bandwidth Blog Telkom has announced that not only will double the speed of its fibre lines, it is also set to introduce new high-speed fibre packages for existing and new customers as well as price changes. From 5 March 2021, new customers can experience 25/5Mbps Uncapped fibre from R399 and 50Mbps at R699, while existing Telkom internet fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) customers get a free speed upgrade, in some Instances 2.5x times more the speed, to the new speed portfolio with no price increases while others get a price decrease. New FTTH Home Unlimited Bundles prices have been updated as below: 10/5Mbps moves to 25/5Mbps @ R399 10/10Mbps moves to 25/25Mbps) @ R449 20Mbps moves to 50Mbps at the 20Mbps price @ R699 50Mbps moves to 100Mbps at the 50Mbps price @ R899 ...
Free Stratus Webinar: New Strategies for a ‘Digital Everything’ Future
When it comes to the world of work, 2020 will be remembered as a year that accelerated technological change. The recent “Cloud in Africa” report revealed that cloud technology was vital in helping businesses manage the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Among the common uses of the cloud was edge computing technology — a distributed model where computing takes place near the physical location that data is being collected and analyzed, rather than on a centralized server. This innovation allowed organisations to maximise asset performance while also increasing the efficiency of employees and assets — which is especially key during a time when IT teams are trying to do more with less. To help more organisations implement a successful path towards a digital transforma...
UserTesting Appoints Two New Members To Its Board Of Directors
UserTesting has appointed Shannon Nash and Cindy Russo to its board of directors. These two women bring a wealth of financial and operational experience as UserTesting continues to expand and diversify the board. Nash brings more than two decades of experience, and is currently the Chief Accounting Officer at Reputation. Previously, she held executive finance roles at Insidesource, Cumulus Media, Aspire Public Schools, and Sunseeker Media. She is also a board member of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation and on the CalCPA Diversity Equity & Inclusion Commission. “UserTesting and Reputation both understand the important role customer feedback plays in building strong brands, products, and services,” says Nash. “I immediately recognized this as a great opportunity as I see compa...
