Lindiwe Matlali, founder and CEO of Swerfvalk. South African technology entrepreneur Lindiwe Matlali has established Swerfvalk, a Johannesburg-based deep-tech company focused on developing and deploying mission-ready drone, artificial intelligence (AI) and counter-drone systems for complex operational environments. Swerfvalk enters a local drone market that has matured rapidly over the past decade, with growing demand from…
Artificial intelligence is no longer a novelty for South Africans. In fact, it is rapidly becoming a practical tool woven into everyday life. According to a new study from Google and research agency Ipsos, 70% of South African adults have already used AI chatbots to upskill themselves, which is 25 percentage points higher than the…
Apple has significantly bolstered its artificial intelligence ambitions by acquiring the Israel-based startup Q.ai. While Apple has not officially disclosed the financial terms, reports from the Financial Times value the transaction at nearly $2 billion. If confirmed, this would represent Apple’s second-largest acquisition in history, eclipsed only by the $3 billion purchase of Beats in…
Smart ID cards are key to the DHA’s modernisation programme. (Photograph by DHA) The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) issued over four million smart ID cards in 2025, the highest rate of delivery in the history of the department. For the 2025 calendar year, the department says a total of 4 002 964 smart ID…
TechCentral’s electric car show Watts & Wheels is back for episode 3 of season 1, and while EVs remain the focus, the conversation takes a detour into something far less planet-friendly – and far more jaw-dropping. Duncan McLeod and co-host William Kelly kick off by drooling over a wild new Toyota performance machine they say…
Google DeepMind is transitioning its groundbreaking Genie 3 “world model” from an internal research tool into a public-facing experience called Project Genie. Originally designed to train AI agents by simulating interactive environments, this system can generate complex images and react in real-time as a user “moves” through the software’s simulated space. Starting today, users outside…
National Gambling Board data shows about R1.5 trillion was wagered in SA’s gambling industry in 2024–2025. South Africans are diverting money they are supposed to spend on groceries to try their luck on online gambling. This is one of the biggest findings from a study conducted by Durban-based market research firm Trade Intelligence. The online…
Frogfoot Networks has expanded its footprint in KwaZulu-Natal through the acquisition of fibre assets built and operated by Mitsol, bringing an additional 19 000 homes onto its network. Frogfoot said integrating Mitsol’s infrastructure into its national fibre platform will give customers access to its national pricing structure, support centre and a wider choice of internet service…
Research highlights growing AI literacy ambitions in SA. A new report from Google and Ipsos shows South Africans are adopting artificial intelligence (AI) at rates above the global average, using it for learning, career development and everyday tasks. The study, titled: “Our life with AI: Helpfulness in the hands of more people”, was conducted by…
The past year has marked a shift away from noisy, obvious scams towards attacks that look like ordinary business. In a recent KnowBe4 webinar, the company’s senior vice president of Threat Intelligence, Jack Chapman, described a landscape where the most dangerous messages are not the ones that scream “phish”, but the ones that blend into…
