
How China’s ‘Crystal Capital’ Cornered the Market on a Western Obsession
Decades ago, Donghai was a backwater county. Today, thanks to an army of 24/7 livestreamers, it orchestrates a multibillion-dollar global industry.
TUESDAY, 20 JANUARY 2026, 23:19

Decades ago, Donghai was a backwater county. Today, thanks to an army of 24/7 livestreamers, it orchestrates a multibillion-dollar global industry.

How the Cyberspace Administration of China inadvertently made a guide to the country’s homegrown AI revolution.

Explosive acceleration, limited dexterity, eyes in the back of its head. What could possibly go wrong?

Millions of words. Thousands of authors. The Morning Star of Lingao is barely known outside China—but it contains the secret to the country’s modernization and malaise.

Gen Z women in China are all in on digital companionship—even setting up dates with real-world versions of their AI boyfriends.

A global onslaught of cheap Chinese green power is upending everything in its path. No one is ready for its repercussions.

Amateur conservationist and social media influencer Theerasak ‘Pop’ Saksritawee has a rare bond with Thailand’s critically endangered dugongs. With dugong fatalities increasing, Pop works alongside scientists at Phuket Marine Biological Centre to track the mammals with his drone and restore their disappearing seagrass habitat. Translating complex science for thousands online, Pop raises an...

This summer, RSAWEB and Octotel are turning fast fibre into something even more exciting.

The Democratic Alliance in Gauteng urges connectivity first, as premier Panyaza Lesufi calls for AI-driven classrooms.

AI skills development could unlock massive productivity, drive economic growth and help support UN sustainable development goals.

Rapid digital growth is leapfrogging traditional infrastructure while expanding the cyber attack surface, according to a Check Point Software Technologies report.

South African creators raise concerns over plans to tax social media earnings, arguing the move is unfair and could stifle growth in the content economy.
A new study from Scripps Institution of Oceanography finds that factoring ocean damage into climate economics nearly doubles the estimated global cost of climate change, adding close to $2 trillion per year from losses to fisheries, coral reefs, and coastal infrastructure. “It is the first time a social cost of carbon (SCC) assessment — a key measure of economic harm caused by climate change —...

The Portfolio Committee on Transport wants motorists caught under the influence to be permanently banned from driving.

From boardrooms to back offices, South African companies are moving beyond AI hype and into execution.

Make sure SA’s most deserving women in tech get a nomination. Deadline is 8 February.

The Google News Initiative local language pilot aims to bring digital and AI training to community newsrooms.

Taiwan has secured preferential tariffs as chip makers expand US production under a strategic AI partnership.

A winning business case for AI in the contact centre starts by defining the target: efficiency, growth, cost savings or a combination, says Greg Jarvis, global customer success director at Connect.

Many AI and low-code programmes fail not because of poor technology choices, but because organisations underestimate readiness.

A seasoned energy analyst argues that Eskom and municipalities are not legally entitled to force households with rooftop solar power systems to register them — nor cut them off if they don’t.