With two billion monthly users in 200 countries, Google’s AI Overviews can claim to be the most popular generative artificial intelligence product yet released to the public. The short summaries generated by the company’s Gemini AI model have turned Google from search engine to answer engine, settling the nerves of investors who were worried that…
Multinational payment authorization giant Visa officially launched its first data centre in South Africa on Wednesday. This new infrastructure forms a key part of Visa’s R1 billion commitment to investments across Africa. Read: Bandwidth Blog & Smile 90.4FM Tech Tuesday: Nvidia passes $4 trillion valuation Located in Johannesburg, the data centre aims to enhance Visa’s…
Thokozani Mvelase, CEO of COMRiC. As organised crime syndicates increasingly entrench their dominance, South Africa’s telecommunications sector players are struggling to lay new infrastructure. So said Thokozani Mvelase, CEO of Communication Risk Information Centre (COMRiC), highlighting that the telecoms sector is not immune to ‘extortionists’, as he described them. COMRiC is the non-profit organisation (NPO)…
Welcome to the machine (with apologies to Pink Floyd). This is Watts & Wheels, a new motoring show hosted by motoring journalist (and “buzzhead” – or is that “electronhead”?) William Kelly and TechCentral editor (and wannabe EV owner) Duncan McLeod. With a focus on the shift to electric motoring, the pilot season of Watts &…
Stellantis is set to launch the Leapmotor brand in South Africa this September, with the C10 electric SUV leading the charge. The C10 features a petrol engine that acts purely as a battery charger, extending its range. More Leapmotor models, including fully electric options, are expected to follow next year, according to Mike Whitfield, MD…
MoneyBadger’s partnership with Peach Payments has gone live, with the intention to broaden Bitcoin adoption and use in retail. African payment services provider Peach Payments has partnered with South African Bitcoin and crypto payments solution provider MoneyBadger to enable its merchants to accept payment in Bitcoin and other crypto assets. The companies cite research by…
A roof-mounted Project Kuiper terminal. Image: Amazon Regulatory hurdles in the way of Starlink’s pursuit of a local operating licence could see the SpaceX subsidiary losing the first-mover advantage it has enjoyed in most markets. This as competitor, Amazon’s Project Kuiper, looks to enter the local market. Kuiper in April began launching its satellites into…
MultiChoice CEO Byron du Plessis has pledged significant changes to boost the company’s subscriber base, stating the broadcaster is “willing to reverse decisions when they are not the right ones.” In an interview, Du Plessis elaborated on plans to potentially unbundle SuperSport from higher-tier DStv packages. Read: Bandwidth Blog & Smile 90.4FM Tech Tuesday: Nvidia…
The services of a mediator are required to assist the SABC and Sentech to reach an agreement on future signal tariffs. It’s an interesting week for the ICT sector, as National Treasury’s eTenders Portal delivers requests from organisations that are currently in the media spotlight for various types of mismanagement. This includes the Road Accident…
South Africa’s entrepreneurs and SMEs sit at the heart of our economy, contributing over 30% to GDP and employing between 50% and 60% of the country’s workforce. They’re the corner bakeries, the growing logistics firms, the niche manufacturers, the consultancies with 10 or 50 people quietly powering supply chains that feed larger industries. But for…
