Paytm, the Indian fintech firm has revealed that it has launched a “soundbox” device that lets merchants accept both mobile and card payments across networks including Visa, Mastercard, American Express and homegrown RuPay. The ₹999 (US$12.08; R229) Card Soundbox also provides instant audio payment alerts to prevent fraud, and it comes as rival Pine Labs announced a similar device at “nearly one-third of the cost of a regular point-of-sale terminal”. The company is currently competing with companies like Google Pay and Walmart’s PhonePe in India, and it rose to fame as digital payments gained traction after India banned some high-value…
Author: Yanga Manci
Bidvest International Logistics explains why holistic approach is gaining a foothold among South African logistics firms. Systems thinking is gaining traction among supply chain firms. This type of thinking embraces a holistic approach to analyse how a system’s constituent parts relate to and work with one another. In terms of logistics, it allows companies to view the entire end-to-end supply chain as a complex, ever-changing and interlinked system. The result is better-informed decision-making processes that benefit the business as a whole. A brief look at South Africa’s supply chain for the week ending August 25 is a good example of how…
BLUETTI, a global leader in the clean energy storage industry has launched effective solutions to combat load shedding as countries grapple with energy crisis. Recently, South Africa has been grappling with the pressing issue of load shedding, and experts warn that this power crisis may persist until the end of next year. In seven months to July, the total hours of living in darkness in South Africa amounted to 49 days, reaching a grim milestone in the nation’s history. BLUETTI has launched several power backups to help countries like South Africa break away from perennial power outages that saw the…
At first glance, cybersecurity and sustainability may seem like two separate topics. From a business perspective, there are considerable benefits to having a robust cybersecurity strategy in place, particularly when it comes to ensuring the sustainability and longevity of a company. But the links between cybersecurity and sustainability go much deeper. Cybersecurity is a necessary condition to ensure a safe and sustainable future for everyone. Digital economy and interconnected society Digitising every aspect of our society, accelerated by the pandemic, enables people to interact with their world, friends and family, work, entertainment, shopping, banking, and more, in ways that were…
South Africa’s pending legislation to smooth the way for private energy suppliers to help alleviate the country’s power crisis may well prove to be the game-changer so desperately required. The exemptions contained in the Exemption for Energy Users draft regulations include agreements relating to joint procurement of alternate energy supply for the national grid, sharing of backup or energy generation capacity, and joint financing of shared backup and alternative energy generation capacity, among other key aspects. The government has also launched what it calls the Energy One Stop Shop, a portal to streamline regulatory processes required for private energy generation and expedite…
It has been revealed by the Board of Directors at Zenith Bank Plc that Dr. Juliet Ehimuan has been appointed as a Non-Executive Director of the bank, effective from August 29, 2023. This news underlies the bank’s commitment to bringing aboard top-tier talent with diverse and impactful backgrounds. The news were disclosed through a corporate action filing with the Nigerian Exchange, and the official statement, signed by Company Secretary Michael Osilama Otu, highlights the achievement of Dr Juliet Ehimuan. The appointment was also confirmed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in a statement that read: “The Board of Directors…
As the flagship smartphone segment to encompass foldable smartphones continues to expand, South Africa is becoming a favoured destination to launch these devices. One of the Chinese smartphone brands, Honor, is planning to bring its latest device to South Africa next year, the foldable Magic V smartphone which debuted at Mobile World Congress 2023. The president of Honor MEA, Daniel Wang made the revelation while speaking to South African media in Dubai last month. He mentioned that the company is planning on bringing its full range of products, including flagships such as its latest Magic V2 foldable smartphone, to the…
The new expectation for the Gross Domestic Product of BRICS is 36 percent of global GDP and 47 percent of the world population. This is coming after there was an announcement of the six nations to the BRICS bloc. The president of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa made the announcement saying: “We have decided to invite the Argentine Republic, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to become full members of BRICS. The membership will take effect from 1 January 2024.” Adding…
In the first quarter of the 2023/24 financial year that ended June 2023, Eskom reported a R5 billion loss before tax. The revelation came from Eskom’s unaudited quarterly results that were presented to the Standing Committee on Appropriations on Tuesday the 29th of August. The company’s net revenue went up to R70.9 billion for the quarter, up from R66.3 billion for the same quarter in 2022. Primarily, the increase happened because of the 18.65% increase in electricity tariffs for direct customers from 1st of April 2023. Sales volumes were 3 TWh, 6.2% lower than budgeted and declined by 7% compared…
Jorge Mendes, the new CEO for Cell C has revealed that they have plans on the pipeline to reach 15% revenue market share in South Africa to become sustainable, which will require a big jump in revenue. In a media briefing this week, Mendes said the telecoms company will be shaking up the South African mobile industry with innovative new products, and also promised that it would not be business as usual at Cell C and the company would be different going forward. Mendes said: “We have to build an amazing culture. Our employees and partners must love to work…
