Author: Tapiwa Matthew Mutisi

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is imposing a $16.5 million penalty on Avast, a cybersecurity software company, for allegedly selling consumer data to third parties. The complaint filed by the agency accuses the company of collecting and selling customers’ browsing data without their knowledge or consent, thereby breaching their trust.…

Diaspora Kapita, a prominent investment company, announced its intent to invest $600,000 in Jamboo during its capital raising process in the early months of 2024. This strategic investment will position Diaspora Kapita at the forefront of establishing a pioneering wealth and investment platform focused on Africa. Jamboo is an innovative…

Sweden’s Swedfund, a development finance institution (DFI), and African-based credit fund BluePeak Private Capital Fund have invested in West Africa-based Teyliom Finance. Swedfund contributed $5m out of the combined investment of $25m, which aims to strengthen financial assistance for micro, small and medium scale enterprises (MSMEs), particularly those owned by…

It’s a national election year in South Africa, as well as for many countries around the world. This time round, we are about to witness how generative AI will impact the run up to voting day. Zaheer Ebrahim, Solutions Architect at Trend Micro MEA, gives some insight into how this…

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is positioned to earn millions following Reddit’s forthcoming initial public offering (IPO). Altman has a 9.2% voting power stake in the company, as stated in the prospectus shared by Reddit. His involvement with Reddit dates back to 2014 when he led a $50 million Series B…

On Thursday, Reddit filed for its Initial Public Offering (IPO) with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The social media platform plans to list and trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “RDDT”, becoming the first major tech IPO of the year and the first social media…

Grab, the major ride-hailing platform in Southeast Asia, has reported its first profitable quarter. The company revealed in its Q4 earnings report that it garnered a profit of $11 million. This is a significant improvement from the $391 million loss it incurred during the same period last year. This profit…

Blue Label Telecoms, a company that currently owns almost 50% of Cell C, is hoping to increase its ownership by an additional 4.04% within the next six months. This acquisition would be made through The Prepaid Company, a subsidiary of Blue Label Telecoms. Before this can happen, they need the…

On his resignation date set for 31st March 2024, Stephen van Coller will vacate his position as the CEO of EOH. Andrew Mthembu, presently known for his position as the organization’s independent non-executive chairman, has been selected by the board along with the remuneration and nomination committee to fill in…

Hundreds of South African customers using Starlink, SpaceX’s internet service, faced interruptions and blocking of their accounts likely due to a company reselling the service against its terms of service, according to Wessel van Wyk, a patent attorney at Smit & Van Wyk. The disruption primarily affected users who obtained…

South Africa’s Information Regulator has ruled that telemarketing falls under electronic communication and thus, is subject to regulation according to the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). Any non-compliant parties face potential penalties including fines up to R10 million or imprisonment. Violators would first be processed through an investigation and…

The South African technology sector struggled this past year, with 5% of local software developers facing retrenchments due to the global economic downturn and large-scale tech job cuts. Furthermore, salary growth for developers has remained stagnant. These findings are highlighted in OfferZen’s 2024 South Africa Report: State of the Software…

South African retail group Spar’s profitability over the past year has been significantly affected due to a problematic implementation of SAP at its KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) distribution center. Despite a rise in turnover by 9.3% in the 20 weeks ending on 16 February 2024, the group noted that the grocery business’s…

Blue Label announced on Thursday a 6.7% drop in half-year revenue for Cell C, from R6.39 billion to R5.96 billion. This decline, according to acting CFO El Kope, is attributed to a change in the accounting treatment for certain sales where Cell C is now considered an agent rather than…

South African retailers have requested government intervention to plug tax loopholes that are allegedly being exploited by the rapidly expanding Chinese e-commerce platform, Temu. Similar concerns have also been expressed about another Chinese e-commerce platform, Shein. Etienne Vlok from the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers Union, suggested urgent amendments…

The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has expressed its desire to equip 650 million African workers with digital skills by 2030 while concurrently generating millions of jobs for the continent’s youth. This goal was announced by Claver Gatete, ECA Executive Secretary, at the 2024 ECA Africa Business Forum which took…

MTN Cameroon recently announced the launch of Chenosis, a comprehensive, pan-African platform featuring a plethora of industry APIs (Application Programming Interfaces). This platform serves as a marketplace that accommodates developers, entrepreneurs, and various corporations, and grants them entry into an expanding library of open interfaces. Chenosis offers a broad variety…

The South African solar energy firm, Hohm Energy, has successfully secured $8 million in a seed funding round to expand its rooftop solar installation product. This round of funding, led by E3 Capital and 4DX Ventures, is noted as the largest ever seed round raised by a tech startup from…

Gebeya, a tech talent marketplace that initially offered Software as a Service (SaaS), has now expanded its scope to become a comprehensive talent cloud provider. This transition is encapsulated in its latest offering, Gebeya 3.0, complete with the groundbreaking Gebeya Talent Cloud (G-TC) platform. The company, which began its operations…

Apple has launched a new app, Apple Sports, aimed at sports enthusiasts looking to follow real-time scores, player statistics, and updates about their favorite teams and leagues. The app will initially be available in the U.S., U.K., and Canada and will feature information from various soccer, basketball, and hockey leagues.…