Firms pledge billions worth of ICT investments in South Africa

Vodacom and Cassava Technologies are among a total of eight companies pledging a collective R81.056-billion of investments into global business services, information and communication technology... 

Pre-applications for hydropower generation water-use licences invited

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has opened the preapplications phase for independent power producers (IPPs) to apply for authorisations to use water resources, water courses and... 

IoT’s connectivity backbone impacted by loadshedding

A backbone of connectivity is critical to ensuring South Africans experience the true depth of the potential of the Internet of Things (IoT). Despite finally emerging on to the market as a... 

Cost efficiency key for industry

Reasonable costs to operate, reliability, productivity and efficiency are increasingly becoming standard requirements in industry operations as the world moves towards digitisation and automation.... 

DWS signs cooperation MoUs with two European countries

A new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between South Africa and Finland, while a standing MoU has been renewed with the Netherlands during the United Nations 2023 Water conference,... 

Rain to launch mobile service

Data-first mobile network provider Rain is planning to launch a mobile service to add to its established fixed (home) fourth-generation (4G) and fifth-generation (5G) service offerings. Rain... 

Netstar, Vodacom Business introduce free WiFi for minibus taxi commuters

Altron subsidiary vehicle tracking and telematics company Netstar and information and communications technology group Vodacom Business have partnered to deploy a free in-taxi connectivity service,... 

Blackouts affecting water availability – Tiger Brands

Food manufacturer Tiger Brands plans to invest more than R35-million in infrastructure, including an increase in on-site water storage capacity, at its manufacturing facilities to mitigate the... 

Preclinical care platform prototype to be trialled in Mpumalanga

Nonprofit organisation Rhiza Babuyile has started field testing, for one year, a new mobile preclinical care platform prototype unit in Mpumalanga. The mobile care platform, developed and handed... 

MTN ‘hardening’ its sites as vandalism, theft shift from opportunistic incidents to organised criminality

MTN South Africa has accelerated its drive to ensure a resilient network as many of its towers are, in some cases, completely stripped, with the company spending over R1.5-billion this year. Teams... 

Icasa soliciting stakeholders’ views on measures to mitigate impact of electricity crisis on telcos

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) is actively in the process of identifying the constraints service providers are facing, amid persistent loadshedding and identifying... 

Clearing alien plant species helps to increase runoff to major Eastern Cape dams

Gamtoos Irrigation Board’s (GIB’s) years-long government-funded drive to improve water security in the Eastern Cape by clearing invasive alien plant species in the catchment areas of dams supplying... 

Additional 8.56bn m3 of wastewater must be retreated each year to meet SDGs by 2030, says ABB

New research has revealed that global wastewater treatment capacity needs to increase by 8.56-billion cubic metres every year to meet the 2030 ambitions outlined in the Sustainable Development... 

Coca-Cola, partners rehabilitate 11 500 ha in water catchment areas

Coca-Cola South Africa, along with its partners, has collectively rehabilitated and improved land management practices across more than 11 500 ha as it reaffirms its commitment to conserving water.... 

Seacom goes live on Equiano cable, providing latency speeds of 110 ms between South Africa and Europe

Telecommunications and managed services provider Seacom has gone live on Google’s Equiano subsea cable following its landing in Cape Town, in August 2022. Seacom’s services through the cable, which... 

Africa can achieve water security by 2030, says Water Panel

Through three proposed pathways, achieving water security and sustainable sanitation for all in Africa is possible by 2030 and is within the power of African leaders. This is according to the... 

ASSAf flags SA’s worsening water security situation in new document, suggests solutions

The Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) has published its Water Security Statement, in partnership with various institutions, to raise awareness and contribute solutions to mitigate South... 

Department solicits stakeholders’ views on draft water, sanitation services policy on privately owned land

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has hosted its final national consultations on the Draft Water and Sanitation Services Policy on Privately Owned Land. Approved by Water and Sanitation... 

Progress made towards achievement of water and sanitation SDGs

South Africa has developed, arguably, the most effective operational structure for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal six (SDG6) on water and sanitation on the African continent,... 

Firm to fast-track deployment of telecom towers in SA following financial close on R100m loan facility

After reaching financial close on a R100-million senior secured loan facility through Prescient Investment Management (PIM), independent telecommunications infrastructure company Eagle Towers SA is... 

Water challenges a consequence of a multitude of external issues

While South Africa’s water sector challenges are vast, and longstanding, many external factors are impacting on the country’s ability to provide reliable clean quality water to all its citizens.... 

Company distributes global offering locally

Dewatering pumps and dredging specialist IPR has settled into its new master distributorship with global industrial company Atlas Copco, incorporating the global firm’s new pumps range in the... 

Telkom, Clickatell launch mobile messaging payments

Chat commerce and business messaging firm Clickatell has launched its Chat 2 Pay feature for integrated communications company Telkom to enable safe and effortless mobile payments. The Chat 2 Pay... 

Mobile operators making tangible gains in drive towards net zero

Mobile operators globally are making tangible gains towards net zero, with nearly a quarter, at 24%, of the industry’s electricity globally now being bought from renewable sources, GSMA’s latest... 

Vodacom Business launches new SMME focused campaign

Information and communications technology group Vodacom Business has launched a campaign to highlight its support for small business and how the telecommunications operator can help them. With the... 

Power crisis could hinder 5G roll-out in SA

South Africa’s persistent power shortages could impact on the deployment of fifth-generation (5G) technologies across the country, says nonprofit wireless industry trade association Wireless Access... 

Private LTE networks expected to uplift Africa’s industrial, manufacturing sectors in 2023

As demand for private long-term evolution (LTE) networks across Africa increases, there are expectations that it could boost the operations of the industrial and manufacturing sectors during 2023.... 

Botswana’s Debswana installs eLTE solution at Jwaneng diamond mine

Botswana’s Debswana Diamond Company and information and communications technology (ICT) giant Huawei have unveiled its fifth-generation- (5G-) orientated smart diamond mine project. Debswana’s... 

Mobile connectivity to be harnessed in fight against disease in Africa

The GSMA and the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) have partnered to support the continent’s most significant healthcare challenges through mobile connectivity. The... 

Woodlands Dairy water recovery plant saves 217 000m3 water

South African dairy manufacturer Woodlands Dairy has successfully commissioned a water recovery plant which has saved about 217 m3 of water. The plant, commissioned in March 2017, has recovered... 

Global smartphone shipments rebound expected only in 2024

On the back of a slower market recovery than previously expected, market intelligence and advisory services firm International Data Corporation (IDC) has revised its worldwide smartphone forecast... 

Drone academy opens its doors

A new drone academy has been opened in Midrand, Johannesburg, to provide relevant training for a futureproof career in the drone space. The Rectron Drone Academy was launched in partnership between... 

Fujifilm’s new SA head office emphasises its ongoing commitment to the country

As Fujifilm South Africa celebrates its tenth anniversary in the country, the technology group has unveiled a new head office in Sandton. Marking a new chapter for the company’s presence in South... 

Classification system to define water developed

A global water classification system to define water as reserves and resources to put on the balance sheet has been developed to ensure this increasingly scarce resource can be measured and... 

Telkom embarks on cost-saving programmes as loadshedding, other challenges shrink earnings

JSE-listed Telkom has embarked on cost saving programmes to ensure its sustainability moving forward as it continues to face challenges dragging its earnings. The company is feeling the pressure... 

Last year’s spectrum auction bodes well for telecoms sector in 2023

Despite the dual headwinds of loadshedding and consumer inflation, 2023 has the potential to be a watershed year for telecommunications in South Africa, says cloud-based, business telephone service... 

5G drives growth for communications service providers

A new report has revealed a correlation between fifth-generation (5G) uptake and revenue growth for communications service providers (CSPs). A special Ericsson Mobility Report, the Business Review... 

Rand Water unveils largest-of-its-type reservoir in Ekurhuleni

Rand Water has unveiled a new 210 Mℓ post-tensioned concrete reservoir in Benoni, Ekurhuleni, deemed to be the largest of its type in South Africa. The next largest reservoir of its type is a 200... 

SA delegation to scout out Tanzania oil and gas investment opportunities next month

Research and consulting company Africa House and industry body South African Oil & Gas Alliance (SAOGA) are preparing to lead a delegation to Tanzania in March to help South African firms establish... 

Telcos feeling pressure of sustained levels of loadshedding

As South Africa’s persistent loadshedding shows no signs of abating, the country’s telecommunications companies are having to ramp up mitigation measures in an effort to keep consumers connected....