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SA’s Net1 Buys a Stake in Bank Based in one of the Smallest Countries in the World

by Staff Writer

JSE and Nasdaq-listed tech firm Net1 announced on Tuesday it has acquired a strategic stake in Bank Frick, which is based in Balzers, Liechtenstein.

Liechtenstein is the sixth-smallest country in the world. It lies in the heart of the Alps between Switzerland and Austria. It is a is a doubly landlocked German-speaking microstate in Central Europe.[8] It is a constitutional monarchy

An Integrated Digital Public Transport is Vital for Africa’s Economic Growth

by Staff Writer

When we speak about Africa’s development, we refer not only to the rich natural resources at the continent’s disposal. More relevant to us today and more sustainable than resources, is the rise of its middle class.

The growth of this band of people is key to improving investor confidence, financial inclusion and contribution toward the formal economy and is therefore is of utmost…

SA’s Firm Introduces Keyless Car Rental Fleet with the Launch of their App

by Gugu Lourie

A search for a great customer experience has led South Africa’s Bidvest Car Rental to be innovative and introduce a keyless car rental fleet for the local market.

The launch of the keyless car rental fleet with the introduction of their app known as Snappdrive is aimed at redefining car rental market in the country.

The app will allow users to locate their car, via their phones…

Unsocial Media: Jealousy of Online Friends Leaves People Feeling Down

by Staff Writer

Social media started life as a way of staying in touch with friends and sharing happy memories.

However, the results of the latest global study from Kaspersky Lab indicate that social media now leaves many people feeling negative instead.

Post Likes The hunt for likes plays a central role in this, with the majority of people feeling down or upset when they don’t get as many likes…

Smart Contracts – Smart or Dumb?

by Pat McConnell

Consider, for a moment, these two statements from the “Ultimate Guide to Understanding Blockchain Smart Contracts” on a well known Blockchain website:

1) Traditional Contracts

“Traditional physical contracts, such as those created by legal professionals today, contain legal language on a vast amounts of printed documents and heavily rely on third parties for enforcement. This…

BMW Products Excel at the Cars.co.za Consumer Awards

by BMW South Africa

BMW South Africa was yesterday awarded a number of accolades at the 2016/2017 Cars.co.za Consumer Awards powered by Wesbank.

The BMW 750Li with the Design Pure Excellence package was awarded the First Class of the Year Award

The BMW M2 Coupe was awarded the Performance Car of the Year.

A certificate of excellence was also awarded to BMW South Africa for excellence in…

Shepard Fairey’s Inauguration Posters may Define Political art in Trump Era

by Peter Buwert

The American street artist Shepard Fairey created a poster for Barack Obama’s presidential election campaign. It was 2008 and the simple red, beige and blue stencilled image of Obama’s face over the word “HOPE” quickly became the iconic image of the election, the rallying cry around which it was fought and won. It remains the enduring image of his presidency.

But it is also now a…

SA’s MTN Free 50GB & 10, 000 Minutes Per Month Promotion is Back

by Staff Writer

It’s back by popular demand – the attractive Fri-Yay promotion that offers new and existing MTN customers the opportunity to receive a whopping 50GB of data and 10 000 on-net minutes monthly when they upgrade on selected packages or sign up for a new contract is available today only, on Friday 20 January 2017.

Customers who qualify for this offer will receive this free airtime and…

To What Extent are you Truly Free?

by Peter Lucas

In the early 21st century, Western-style freedoms are often presented as an ideal template for the rest of the world. Yet supposedly free democracies are also marked by substantial and growing disparities of wealth, power and status. Fellow citizens seem to be increasingly socially-disengaged, individualistic and narcissistic, and suffer record levels of psychological ill-health,…

Nine Ways to Slash E-commerce Cart Abandonment

by Kyle Rozendo, CTO at SID, who puts forward nine simple ways to make sweeping changes to e-commerce website performance. Global shopping cart abandonment on e-commerce websites is reported at anything between 60 and 70 percent. Yet simple tweaks to the purchasing process and a keen eye on usability can ensure more completed sales and, ultimately, better customer retention.

While there will…

Is US-based Letgo Likely to Pay Off  for Africa’s Internet Giant Naspers?

by Gugu Lourie

Africa’s Internet Giant Naspers’ R1.4 billion gamble into US-based second-hand marketplace app Letgo is an investment that many may have concluded that it makes little sense when it was done by this unknown company from South Africa.

When the deal was done Letgo’s competitors Craiglist and eBay were not worried about their market share in the tough US market.

But things seem to be…

Start Reimagining Your Business Model Now

by Brett Parker, managing director  at SAP Africa

“When you’re finished changing, you’re finished,” said the wise Benjamin Franklin. But we don’t need to take his word for it: there are many inspired thoughts that punctuate the role of change in business. The more difficult question is when change should happen.

This topic makes business leaders nervous. Change is good, but so is stability. The…

Science Must Grow Young Advocates if it Wants to Connect With the Real World

by Tolullah Oni

Science needs more “academic hybrids”: scientists who buck the stereotype of working in silos. This way of thinking must be broken if the narrative around the reality of science’s role in improving society for future generations is to change.

Education will be the key to smashing this stereotype, as will the creation of advocates – ordinary people who grasp just how important…

The new MINI John Cooper Works Countryman will be presented to the public for the first time in April 2017 at the Shanghai Motor Show.

The new MINI John Cooper Works Countryman will be available in South Africa in third quarter of 2017.

MINI John Cooper Works Countryman.

The driver assistance systems developed for the current model generation enhance comfort and safety in the new MINI John Cooper Works Countryman, too.

The standard collision warning with city braking function can be extended to include the Driving Assistant system with camera-based active cruise control, pedestrian warning with initial brake function, high beam assistant and road sign detection.

MINI Connected, the digital personal mobility assistant.

The new MINI John Cooper Works Countryman also demonstrates fascinating performance and great versatility in the area of connectivity. Going beyond the familiar functions of an in-car infotainment program, MINI Connected acts as a personal mobility assistant in the top athlete of the model range, too.

MINI John Cooper Works Countryman.

Based on a flexible platform, the Open Mobility Cloud, MINI Connected integrates the vehicle seamlessly into the MINI driver’s digital life via touchpoints such as the Apple iPhone and Apple Watch.

Thanks to the integral concept of MINI Connected, mobility doesn’t start in the vehicle. MINI Connected informs the driver of the optimum departure time based on calendar entries and current traffic data. Address data and appointments saved by the driver previously on a smartphone via MINI Connected are automatically transferred to the car and do not have to be entered in the navigation system again.

MINI Connected can also save regularly visited places as favourite destinations, and it detects frequently covered routes such as the daily run between home and work so as to be able to inform the driver in the event of unexpected traffic delays.

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Why Junk Status Still Hangs over South Africa

by Misheck Mutize and Sean Gossel

Although South Africa avoided a downgrade to non-investment grade, or junk status, in 2016, the country is not yet out of the woods and may be downgraded this year. The reasons for this are ongoing political risk as factional battles in the governing African National Congress intensify, policy inconsistencies and low economic growth.

The effects of a sovereign…

German carmaker BMW has revealed the The new BMW 4 Series models with even sharper styling and revised suspension.

The new BMW 4 Series will be available in South Africa from May 2017.

BMW 4 Series (Photo Credit BMW)

The new BMW 4 Series Coupe and BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe now come with a stiffer suspension set-up delivering even sportier handling without any loss of ride comfort. Both the lateral and longitudinal dynamics have been improved, regardless of the load on board. This applies not only to the standard suspension, but also to the M Sport suspension and the Adaptive suspension.

All new BMW 4 Series models now boast even more assured straight-line stability and more communicative steering.

BMW 4 Series (Photo Credit BMW)

There are three petrol engines (BMW 420i, BMW 430i and BMW 440i) and a diesel option (BMW 420d) available for all of the new BMW 4 Series models.

The optional Navigation system Professional for the new BMW 4 Series now features an interface with large tile-style control pads that is even easier to use. The control pads can be arranged as desired and display a constantly updated version of the linked menu content, making operation even more intuitive for users.

The BMW 4 Series range can be optionally fitted with the Multifunctional Instrument Display, giving the driver the choice of different visualisation options for all displays depending on the driving experience mode selected.

BMW 4 Series (Photo Credit BMW)

Sharper design for the BMW M4, too.

The BMW M4 Coupe and BMW M4 Convertible now come as standard with the adaptive full-LED headlights. And the newly designed full-LED rear lights again freshen up appearances and inject technical appeal. Besides this, a number of styling touches have been added to give the cabin of the sportiest BMW 4 Series variants an even more sophisticated air. And the two M4 models likewise feature the updated version of the Navigation system Professional and other ConnectedDrive features.

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Vodacom to Offer Facebook for Free to Ensure Digital Inclusion for Customers

by Staff Writer

In a move to further lower the cost to communicate and increase digital and social connectivity in South Africa, Vodacom announced on Tuesday the launch of Facebook Flex. This is the first of many products to launch under the Vodacom Siyakha platform.

Facebook Flex will give customers on the Vodacom network an opportunity to connect with friends and family using the basic version…