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Toyota turns up the heat with GRMN Corolla
The standard GR Corolla was never short on performance. Toyota has now gone a step further. The company has unveiled the GRMN Corolla, a version aimed more squarely at track day enthusiasts than everyday drivers. The recipe is familiar: a little more power, less weight and fewer concessions to practicality. More power, same engine The
Aions Ventures Launches R100m Seed Fund to Bridge South Africa’s Critical Early-Stage Funding Gap
Aions Ventures has officially launched Aions Seed Fund I, a R100 million dedicated seed fund aimed at supporting early-stage technology startups. Furthermore, this initiative is particularly significant because it addresses a growing imbalance in the African funding landscape, where capital has become heavily concentrated in later-stage and scale-up ventures. Addressing the Persistent Early-Stage Chasm South
Prime Finally Lands in South Africa
Amazon has launched Prime in South Africa. The service costs R59 a month or R399 a year. Subscribers get free delivery, Prime Video and gaming-related benefits. The launch itself is not surprising. The timing is. Amazon entered South Africa's retail market in 2024 with the launch of amazon.co.za. Prime was notably absent. Instead, the company
Canal+ Begins Trading on the JSE Following MultiChoice Acquisition
French media giant Canal+ has officially begun trading on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), following the completion of its acquisition of MultiChoice and further expanding its footprint in Africa's media and entertainment sector. The secondary listing took effect on 3 June 2026 and fulfils one of the final commitments Canal+ made to South African regulators
Breaking News Today – Wednesday 3 June 2026
African Start-up News Headlines: Business News Today Debt Burden in South Africa Growing Eighty20’s Q1 2026 Credit Stress Report, released yesterday, highlights growing debt pressure in South Africa. The report highlights ongoing stress on South African households, particularly the middle class, despite some positive economic signals earlier in the quarter. It notes that Q2 2026
No Free Lunch – Building Smart Businesses on WhatsApp
AskMandla – Revolutionising Domestic Worker Services Through WhatsApp Innovation You may not be aware of the massive, yet largely informal, sector of domestic workers in South Africa. Official statistics put this at around 800 000 however many believe this market to be double that size. Despite the critical role these workers play, most operate outside
Renewable Energy Startups Powering Off-Grid Communities
Reliable electricity and energy remains out of reach for millions of Africans, particularly in rural areas where extending national grids is slow, costly and difficult to justify economically. While governments continue to invest in electrification projects, a growing number of renewable energy startups are stepping into the gap, bringing power directly to communities that have
Pick n Pay customers caught in data breach
Hackers accessed customer information linked to an older version of Pick n Pay's on-demand delivery service during a cyberattack. The incident affected customers who signed up for the service on or before 2022. At the time, the platform operated under the Bottles and later Asap! brands. Pick n Pay started notifying affected customers on 30
Paystack Absorbs Brass Banking Operations as Startup Winds Down
Nigerian business banking startup Brass will cease operating as an independent company and migrate customers to Paystack Microfinance Bank (Paystack MFB), bringing an end to one of Nigeria's most closely watched fintech rescue stories. In a statement released on Monday, Brass said customers who choose to continue using its services will be transferred to Paystack
Africa Provides the Ingredients, Others Build the Cars
Africa is central to the electric vehicle story. However, it mainly supplies the minerals that power batteries rather than manufacturing the products themselves. The Democratic Republic of Congo produces much of the world's cobalt. Zambia remains a major source of copper. Zimbabwe has also become an important lithium producer. Together, these minerals place Africa at
Kenya Stands By Gulf Fuel Agreements Despite Rising Fuel Prices
The Kenyan government has defended its fuel supply agreements with Gulf-based suppliers after opposition parties renewed calls for the contracts to be scrapped amid rising fuel prices and concerns over transparency. Speaking on May 29, Energy and Petroleum Minister Opiyo Wandayi said the agreements have helped stabilise fuel supplies and shield the country from volatility
ManageEngine Adds Autonomous AI Capabilities to Its Suite
ManageEngine, a division of Zoho Corporation and a leading provider of enterprise IT management solutions, has announced the rollout of Zia Agents, the company's proprietary AI-powered autonomous agent, across its digital enterprise management suite. Built within a secure and privacy-compliant framework, these agents can orchestrate and execute tasks without the need for intervention. The launch
Breaking News Today – Tuesday 2 June 2026
African Start-up News Headlines: Business News Today IPO Season – Anthropic Files for US Listing With several major public listings such as SpaceX on the horizon, Anthropic, the AI lab behind Claude, has also filed confidentially for an initial public offering, the company said in a blog post yesterday. The company, which is valued at close to
The Bottled Water Illusion: Opportunity, Risk and the Dangerous Knowledge Gap in South Africa
In townships, rural areas, and even many urban suburbs across South Africa, the belief persists that starting a bottled water business is one of the easiest ways to enter entrepreneurship. “It’s just water in a bottle,” the logic goes. Low barriers, constant demand, and the perception of a simple product have drawn thousands of small
Vivo Energy Ghana Partners With ATI to Train Informal Sector Mechanics
Vivo Energy Ghana has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Applied Technology Institute (ATI) to provide technical training and skills development opportunities for young mechanics working in Ghana's informal automotive sector. The agreement, signed on May 29, forms part of Vivo Energy's Mechanic Advocacy Programme, an initiative aimed at improving technical skills, safety awareness
Manufacturing Momentum Fades as Absa PMI Drops to 50.8 in May 2026
South Africa’s manufacturing sector lost steam in May, with the Absa Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) declining by 1.8 points to 50.8, according to data released on 1 June 2026. While the headline index remained above the crucial 50-point expansionary threshold for a second consecutive month, the sharp deterioration in underlying activity signals that the brief
Startup Mondays : Pricing strategies for early-stage startups
The hardest part for new founders? Picking a price. Go too high and people walk away. Go too low and you’re running a charity. Price it too low and the business may struggle to cover costs and signal value to the market. Many startups spend months developing products without giving enough thought to pricing, only
Kruger Gate Hotel: Where World-Class Business Meets the Heart of the African Bush
Located just outside the Gate of the iconic Kruger National Park, Kruger Gate Hotel has quietly established itself as one of South Africa’s most compelling venues for high-end business conferences, executive off-site private functions, and incentive travel. Offering a rare blend of sophisticated facilities and direct access to one of the world’s greatest wildlife destinations,
Germany's company bike leasing boom slows, but millions are still riding
Germany's company bike leasing market is no longer growing at the pace it did a few years ago. New figures from Deloitte and cycling industry association Zukunft Fahrrad show that revenue in the sector fell by 4% to €2.8 billion in 2025, while the number of new leasing contracts declined by 5% to around 720,000.
NALA Lands $50 Million Backing for Cross-Border Payments Expansion
NALA has secured a $50 million financing facility from LIQUIDITY and MUFG-backed Mars Growth Capital, giving the Tanzanian-founded fintech access to additional capital as it expands its international payments network. The funding comes as businesses and consumers increasingly look for faster and more efficient ways to move money across borders. The financing facility will support