Business & Tech News Amazon Bid to Buy TikTok : In an interesting development in the US TikTok ban saga, Amazon has reportedly put in a bid to purchase TikTok, in a last minute pitch with the US ban on the platform set to go into effect on Saturday. The Amazon offer was apparently made in a letter to Vice President JD Vance and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick , according to a report in the New York Times. The TikTok ban had been upheld by the US Supreme Court, in line with recommendations on national security issues, was given a…
Author: Greg Stewart
Johannesburg, 3 April 2025. The annual PGM mining industry gathered today with a stream of interesting perspectives on the future of the industry being discussed in-depth. Tariffs and Talking Points As can be expected, a hot topic on the lips of delegates and speakers was the prospect of the impact of yesterday’s tariff announcement by the US administration. There is some question still about whether the tariffs would be imposed on minerals as well as manufactured products, but it is likely that for now it will be imposed across the board on all imported products. Some of the South African…
What many businesses need to focus on in the digital economy we find ourself, is to generate, compile and structure deep sets of data across their business. This is a crucial step to understanding your company, understanding your market, your customers and ensuring that you have the best opportunity to succeed and grow. In today’s digital economy, data is more than just numbers on a spreadsheet—it’s a powerful asset that can drive business growth, improve customer experiences, and create a competitive edge in your designs, products, production processes and enhance organisational efficiencies. Companies that leverage big data effectively can uncover…
Business & Tech News AI Agents that Teach Agents: Emergence AI, a startup founded by former IBM Research veterans have launched a new AI agent creation platform that lets the human user specify what work they are trying to accomplish via text prompts, and then turns it over to AI models to create the agents they believe are necessary to accomplish said work. This new system is literally a no code, natural language, AI-powered multi-agent builder, and it works in real time. Emergence AI describes it as a milestone in recursive intelligence, aims to simplify and accelerate complex data workflows for enterprise…
South African leadership seems fixated on creating advances in many sectors that are often at odds with the real issues or the reality of the lived experiences and situation on the ground. There is talk about Smart Cities, when existing cities such as Johannesburg, a key business centre in the country and others are in a state of complete decay and in disrepair. There is much talk of high-tech, high-speed train services, when the existing basic PRASA rail service is functionally not in operation in most areas in South Africa. And then there is the rising monumental ambition to create…
If you’re running a small business, you already know that keeping your customers happy is the key to long-term success. This is true even for small clients, who over time can often grow into medium or large customers, and their experience with your company will determine if they stick with you or not in future. The other important factor is that keeping and growing revenue from customers is much more sustainable and cheaper than constantly having to find new clients. Up-selling is a skill and great customer service is directly related to client retention and up-selling. It’s a very competitive…
Business & Tech News Trump Tariff Day Today – What will the Global Impact be In the Whitehouse Rose Garden, later today, in what the White House is calling its “Liberation Day”, US President Donald Trump will be announcing his global tariff rates and how this is to be implemented. The impact of the announcements is expected to be vast and will in essence be changing a system of economic globalisation that has been running for decades. While many countries who trade with the US have import taxes or duties, the US in the past has provided wide import duty…
In today’s competitive business landscape, a well-structured digital marketing strategy is crucial for small businesses aiming to thrive online. Many start-up businesses will focus on building products or services and capacity, while neglecting that they need to reach as wide an audience for their business as possible. There are a multitude of ways to get your business in front of people and none today surpass that of online capabilities. At any given time, there are thousands of people looking for a product or service that your business offers and the sheer scale of the web audiences today make it a…
To VAT or not to VAT That is the Question? As the Government of National Unity (GNU) currently is grappling with its new coalition structures and budget decision making processes this week, we will soon know if the proposed VAT increases proposed in the budget are to take effect or not. Tomorrow will see the national budget being voted on in Parliament and it is unlikely that VAT will not be increased at all, as options for raising additional taxes are few, while government has not sought to cut spending in any significant way. In the 2025 Budget Speech, Finance…
Business & Tech News Hooters Goes Bust: Restaurant chain, Hooters America, has gone bust and has subsequently filed for bankruptcy in Texas, as it looks to restructure the group in order to save the company and pay off debts. The group now plans to sell- off all its company-owned restaurant outlets to a group backed by its two of Hooters founders. The firm currently directly owns and operates 151 restaurants, with another 154 restaurants owned and operated by franchisees, that are mainly in the US. The company said its restaurants, which serve classic American bar food, will stay open during…
