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FRIDAY, 27 MARCH 2026, 13:24

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The future of the forecourt is not fuel-led – diversify or decline: Nedbank

Today at 13:09 PM, via Mail & Guardian

South Africa’s forecourt sector is facing pressure as declining fuel demand, rising costs, and intensifying competition reshape the industry. Insights from the latest Forecourt Retail Report 2025/2026, presented at a Nedbank-hosted media briefing, highlight how convenience retail is fast emerging as the sector’s primary growth engine. The session began with an economic overview by Nedbank...

South Africa

Africa’s AI Startup Scene Is Booming but Fragmented, With Five Hubs Driving Most Activity

Today at 12:39 PM, via iAfrica

Africa’s artificial intelligence revolution is not a continent-wide phenomenon but a fragmented one, concentrated in five distinct markets — Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria, Morocco and Tunisia — each shaped by its own economic conditions, founder backgrounds and investor preferences, according to venture deal data tracking more than 350 startup transactions across the continent over the […]

South Africa

MTN Joins $45 Million Round in AI-Native Radio Network Startup Alongside Nvidia, Cisco and Nokia

Today at 12:37 PM, via iAfrica

MTN Group’s digital infrastructure arm has joined a $45 million funding round in ORAN Development Company, a U.S.-based startup building AI-native radio access network technology, alongside Nvidia, Cisco, Nokia, AT&T and Telecom Italia. The Series A round, announced Thursday, positions ODC to develop software that would transform conventional cell towers into edge computing hubs capable […]

South Africa

Free State plan to reposition economy as Premier tackles unemployment ‘crisis’

Today at 12:36 PM, via SAnews

Free State plan to reposition economy as Premier tackles unemployment ‘crisis’

Free State Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae has named unemployment as one of the most pressing challenges confronting the province.The Premier was speaking during an engagement led by President Cyril Ramaphosa between the National Executive and the provincial government on Friday.Statistics South Africa’s...

South Africa

Algeria Launches National Innovation Call to Deploy AI and Smart Technology in Water Management

Today at 12:35 PM, via iAfrica

Algeria is turning to digital technologies and artificial intelligence to tackle its growing water security challenges, with the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, Start-ups and Micro-enterprises launching a national call for projects aimed at building a domestic innovation ecosystem in the water sector. The initiative, announced March 18, targets innovators, startups, scale-ups, micro-enterprises,...

World

Rubio heads to Europe to try garner support for Iran war

Today at 11:49 AM, via NPR

Representatives of the world’s wealthiest democracies gather in France today for a G7 meeting, where U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to try to shore up support among reticent allies for the Trump administration’s war on Iran.

Business

Early warning signs for homeowners in South Africa

Today at 13:00 PM, via BusinessTech

The Reserve Bank has warned that interest rate hikes may be warranted if the Iran war drags on, which could mean homeowners would have to pay more on their home loans in the near future. 

Sport

What is Francois Pienaar doing now?

Today at 12:26 PM, via The South African

Francois Pienaar received an honorary doctorate this week, and here we look at what the iconic Springbok has been doing since retiring.

Education

South Africa: ‘Nothing Should Get in Your Way’

Today at 12:44 PM, via AllAfrica

[UCT] The University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Moeletsi Tladi – a Vice-Chancellor’s Blue Carpet Scholarship recipient in 2023 – is looking forward to his graduation on 28 March. After being a top matric achiever in 2022, he is sharing lessons from his time at the institution.

Education

Liberia: British Envoy Backs Greater Access for PWDs to UK Scholarships

Today at 12:31 PM, via AllAfrica

[FrontPageAfrica] Monrovia — The Chargé d’ Affaires at the British Embassy near Monrovia has offered to collaborate with the National Commission on Disabilities or NCD in a partnership aimed at making UK scholarship opportunities more accessible to diverse applicants of people with disabilities otherwise known as PWDs in Liberia.

Science/Tech

OpenAI Abandons ChatGPT’s Erotic Mode

Today at 13:00 PM, via Slashdot

OpenAI has indefinitely paused plans for an erotic mode in ChatGPT as part of a broader strategy shift away from side projects and toward business and coding tools. TechCrunch reports: The proposed “adult mode,” which CEO Sam Altman first floated in October, had inspired considerable controversy from tech watchdog groups as well as from OpenAI’s own staff. In January, a meeting between company...

Health

As Kennedy Takes on Food Policy, Companies Push Back

Today at 11:02 AM, via New York Times

Though the health secretary falsely claimed a victory in a recent podcast, a federal proposal to review all new food ingredients is still in the early stages and drawing fierce opposition.