Author: Akin Naphtal

Deputy Finance Minister David  Masondo announced that South Africa plans to offer financial assistance to the monitoring industry as it shifts towards manufacturing electric vehicles. The funding will be included in the midterm budget on 25 October, which comes at a challenging time for government revenue and the risk of not meeting its debt stabilization goal. The objective is to promote investment into the production of EVs and their components “comes at a time when the focus is particularly stretched”, Masondo said in an address to the industry. “The only way to justify the government’s fiscal support to the sector is…

Paystack , the Nigerian payment service provider owned by US payment technology giant Stripe has launched out of private beta in Kenya, and available to all businesses in a move the firm expects will bring its payments and business growth tools to even more ambitious businesses across Africa. Paystack, with operations in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa, launched in private beta 10 months ago after it had received a Payment Service Provider Authorisation from the Central Bank of Kenya, the country’s remittance, banking and payments regulator. “We’ve worked very closely with a vibrant community of business owners, developers, and partners.…

In a recent report, more than half a dozen handset brands have launched new devices in South Africa in the past three months. Over the past three months, a wave of new smartphones from more than half-a-dozen Chinese brands have been launched in South Africa, and promotional campaigns have intensified as they challenge for a share of Africa’s most strategic market. According to report, the brand; Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo, Honor, Vivo, Realme and Itel have all released new handsets, ranging from the entry-level to high-end flagship devices. During the same period, the market leader, Korean manufacturer Samsung, released its new…

The social network formerly known as Twitter, now called X, has updated its privacy policy to include the collection of a new type of user data. However, does not provide a clear definition of what it considers to be biometric data, although other companies have used this term to refer to data obtained from a person’s face, eyes, and fingerprints. “Based on your consent, we may collect and use your biometric information for safety, security and identification purposes,” the company said in its new policy. X doesn’t define what it considers biometric, though other companies have used the term to describe data…

Vodacom has signed a virtual wheeling agreement with Eskom – the first of its kind in South Africa – to speed up efforts to solve the country’s energy crisis. As well as adding capacity to the nation’s power grid, the agreement – described as a Vodacom innovation co-developed with Eskom – will also move Vodacom closer to its goal of sourcing 100% of its electricity from renewable energy by 2025. The agreement allows Vodacom to carry out the next phase of the plan: securing independent power producers (IPPs) under the same terms and conditions that underpin its agreement with Eskom.…

Dell Technologies has announced the global availability of Dell NativeEdge, which is an edge operations software platform that simplifies how customers deploy, manage and secure their edge infrastructure and applications. According to Dell, a recent analysis of Dell NativeEdge and standard edge deployments showed the platform can simplify and accelerate edge deployments, offering up to 22 times faster lifecycle management by automating routine and repetitive tasks, such as onboarding devices at scale and managing applications. As edge use cases proliferate across industries, Dell’s partner community plays an important role in supporting customers in their edge journeys. Dell NativeEdge provides a…

Organized cybercrime is set to pose a threat to Canada’s national security and economic prosperity over the next two years, the National Signal Intelligence Agency has said. The Communications Security Establishment (CSE) in a report identified Russia and Iran as cybercrime safe havens where criminals can operate against Western targets. Ransomware attacks on critical infrastructure such as hospitals and pipelines can be particularly profitable, the report said. Cybercriminals continue to show resilience and an ability to innovate their business model, it said. “Organized cybercrime will very likely pose a threat to Canada’s national security and economic prosperity over the next…

At the IFA 2023 press conference, Samsung Electronics unveiled its latest innovations for the connected home, demonstrating its commitment to enhancing the user experience. The company’s vision for SmartThings is to empower consumers across Europe to focus on topics that matter to them, such as energy conservation, heightened security, and seamless access to entertainment. The SmartThings ecosystem, currently utilized by a staggering 285 million people, offers users the ability to adapt and personalize their homes. This is achieved by controlling multiple appliances and devices via a single, user-friendly app. This innovation is a testament to Samsung’s dedication to creating a…

Tecno unveiled the latest product of its R&D labs this week- the rollable smartphone concept Phantom Ultimate. It expands sideways, increasing the display from 6.55” to 7.11” in 1.2-1.3 seconds. This second concept device by Tecno is very similar to the Vision V only without the folding part. The Phantom Ultimate has a single-drive motor system that expands the device at the press of a button, positioned on the top right side of the phone. When the device is rolled, it is a basic 6.55” smartphone, with the extra screen sitting on the back, acting as an Always-On Display. Specs-wise,…

Nigerian Fintech company, Moniepoint, has announced that its monthly transactions now valued at $12 billion. This is even as the company has announced its entry into Personal Banking to fast-track financial inclusion in Nigeria. This was declared recently during a chat with journalists in Lagos, by the company’s acting Managing Director, Babatunde Olofin. He attributed the success to the cash scarcity incidence that occurred early this year, which pushed more businesses and individuals to go cashless. Olofin revealed that in the first three months after entering the personal banking market, Moniepoint, that presently serves over 1.6 million enterprises, plans to…