Cyril Ramaphosa’s new university is only bushes and a dilapidated building
President Cyril Ramaphosa promised a new University of Science and Innovation in Ekurhuleni. However, the earmarked site only has bushes and a dilapidated building.
Science/Tech
Spotify Plans To Sell Physical Books
Spotify is planning to let premium subscribers in the U.S. and U.K. buy hardcovers and paperbacks directly through its app starting this spring, partnering with Bookshop.org to handle pricing, inventory and fulfillment. The Swedish streaming company, which entered the audiobook market in 2022, will also introduce a feature called Page Match that lets users scan a page from a physical book or...
New way to pay at Checkers
Self-checkout systems are rare in South Africa, but Shoprite has seen a positive response to one type it has been testing for the last six months.
FBI Couldn’t Get Into Reporter’s iPhone Because It Had Lockdown Mode Enabled
The FBI has been unable to access a Washington Post reporter’s seized iPhone because it was in Lockdown Mode, a sometimes overlooked feature that makes iPhones broadly more secure, according to recently filed court records. 404Media: The court record shows what devices and data the FBI was able to ultimately access, and which devices it could not, after raiding the home of the reporter, Hannah...
AI-Powered Experian Assistant for Model Risk Management Wins 2026 BIG Innovation Award
Experian today announced that its recently launched, AI‑powered Experian Assistant for Model Risk Management has been awarded the 2026 BIG Innovation Award in the Innovative Products category.
Taxi industry bets on digital payments to modernise operations
Digital payments are the foundation of the industry’s push to modernise operations, unlock data and integrate transport systems.
PubNub Achieves SOC 3 Compliance, Reinforcing Commitment to Security, Trust, and Transparency
PubNub, the real-time communications platform that powers low-latency, event-driven logic across modern application architectures, is pleased to announce that it has achieved SOC 3 compliance.
Global company acquiring South African software developer
The Competition Commission has approved a proposed acquisition of a local software development and consulting firm by Datamine Africa.
SA tech graduates arrive in jobs unprepared as skills gap widens
Employers fund costly retraining as South African tech graduates arrive unprepared for modern, high-demand digital roles.
ChatGPT boss ridiculed for online ‘tantrum’ over rival’s Super Bowl ad
Commenters said Altman’s lengthy post shows “a nerve was well and truly hit” by Anthropic’s advert.
Kalshi Claims ‘Extortion,’ Then Recants in Feud Over User Losses
Kalshi, the largest U.S. prediction market, accused a small data startup called Juice Reel of “extortion” after a stock analyst used the company’s transaction-level data to argue that prediction market users lose money faster than gamblers on traditional betting apps — then walked the allegation back hours later. The equity research analyst Jordan Bender at Citizens found that the bottom...
Government department says it can save South Africa R2 trillion
South Africa has ambitions to develop and launch its own communications satellite system, which the Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation says will save taxpayers billions every year.
UK’s £8bn research fund faces ‘hard decisions’ as it pauses new grants
UKRI boss Ian Chapman said it had been told by the government to “focus and do fewer things better”.
Starlink considers building its own phone
SpaceX has big plans for its Starlink business that could expand its reach into new markets, including handsets.
Vox Kiwi Wireless: fibre-like broadband for South African homes
Uncapped, unshaped data with no fair use policies, Kiwi Wireless is about to change the face of connectivity.
Huge blow to DStv in South Africa
DStv has responded to questions about whether SuperSport will show the Winter Olympic Games this year.
Binance SA sees growth amid crypto boom
The crypto-currency exchange sees 208% year-on-year customer growth, boosted by financial inclusion and cross-border payments.
Lesaka disburses R1bn in loans to social grant recipients
The fintech firm sees an uptick in demand after it increased its loan size from R2 000 to R4 000 and extended the terms from six to nine months.
China Has Seized Sony’s Television Halo
Sony announced last month that it plans to pass control of its home entertainment division — including the two-decade-old Bravia television brand — to Chinese electronics group TCL through a joint venture in which TCL would hold a 51% stake. The Japanese company was long ago overtaken in sales by South Korea’s Samsung and LG and now holds just 2% of the global television market. Sony stopped...
MTN Group looks to increase stake in IHS
The JSE-listed firm cautions shareholders as it confirms advanced discussions to acquire the 75% shares in IHS it doesn’t already own.
Makro launches new online store in South Africa
Makro Restored offers numerous pre-owned tech products at a fraction of the prices of new items.