WhatsApp Plus, Meta Platforms’ optional paid subscription for its messaging app, is now available to South African users at R28.99/month, with the first month free. The tier is part of a broader push by Meta to build subscription revenue beyond its core advertising business. The company announced the global roll-out of consumer “Plus” subscriptions across…
Africa’s displaced population is generating an estimated $27 billion (about Shs100 trillion) in annual income, according to a new report by the Amahoro Coalition, which challenges the long-held view that refugees and internally displaced persons are solely dependent on humanitarian aid. The report, titled The Opportunity in Displacement: Africa’s Untapped Investment Frontier, argues that the…
Officially opening the 19th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers (CSPOC) of the Commonwealth Africa Region, Ms Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane, the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) in the Parliament of South Africa, assured conference delegates that South Africa is home to all Africans despite any anti-immigration sentiment. Addressing heads of parliaments and representatives…
South African investors poured R179-million in just two days into SpaceX when it hit the public markets last week, with EasyEquities data revealing a frenzy of activity that has already made the stock the platform’s second-largest US dollar holding after Tesla. Retail investors moved fast when SpaceX began trading. On the first day, Friday, 12…
Majorities support women’s autonomy in decisions about marriage and childbearing. Key findings On average across 38 African countries, majorities support women’s autonomy in marriage decisions (75%) and reproductive choices (62%). But women are less likely than men to say they make household financial decisions themselves (36% vs. 44%). A majority (57%) of Africans endorse women’s…
57% of respondents to a Yazi survey said they had sacrificed essentials to fund online gambling. (Photograph by Nicola Mawson) More than half of online gamblers in a survey said they sacrificed essentials to fund betting and almost a third had borrowed money to gamble. This, even as an international study shows operators are increasingly…
South African businesses are rolling out AI voice agents at speed. Most of those agents were built in the US. They sound American, “think” in English and process calls through servers on the other side of the world. Researchers at the University of Cape Town say the problem goes deeper than anyone selling a product…
Government performance ratings improve slightly, but still overwhelmingly negative. Key findings Six in 10 Africans (59%) describe their country’s economic condition as “fairly bad” or “very bad.” A slim majority (51%) say their country’s economic situation has worsened over the past year. About half (49%) of citizens are optimistic that their country’s economic situation will…
ARC urges the public to report suspicious investment offers. Investment holding firm African Rainbow Capital (ARC) is warning the public about a criminal syndicate fraudulently using the company’s branding and the identities of executives to lure people into investment scams. It says the fraudsters are primarily operating through social media platforms, particularly WhatsApp groups, where…
Only half are confident that their country’s legal system provides justice for ordinary citizens. Key findings Formal and informal justice systems continue to coexist: Across 38 countries, almost half of citizens see the police (41%) or local courts (7%) as their first point of contact for resolving legal problems, but 26% would go first to…
