South Africa’s annual inflation slowed more than expected in November, strengthening the case for an interest-rate cut early next year as the central bank shifts toward a lower inflation target. Consumer prices rose 3.5% from a year earlier, down from 3.6% in October, Statistics South Africa said on Wednesday. On a monthly basis, prices fell…
Ben Powell, chief strategist for Middle East and Asia Pacific at BlackRock Investment Institute, at the Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW) conference. Bloomberg | Getty Images The wave of capital pouring into artificial intelligence infrastructure is far from peaking, said Ben Powell, chief investment strategist for APAC at BlackRock, arguing the sector’s “picks and shovels”…
Image: FlySafair FlySafair is turning to artificial intelligence to bolster its low-cost business model – and to deliver a more personalised customer experience usually associated with full-service airlines. Kirby Gordon, chief marketing officer and vice-president of sales and distribution at FlySafair, told journalists on Wednesday that technology is “absolutely key” to helping the airline keep…
Somalia has announced plans to accelerate the introduction of Swahili into the country’s curriculum for schools and universities as part of its push for integration within the regional bloc East African Community (EAC). Swahili is East Africa’s lingua franca and one of Africa’s most spoken languages. The authorities said the language will be promoted to…
Alpheus Mangale, group CEO of Seacom. Pan-African submarine internet cable operator Seacom has launched a new subsea cable system across the Indian Ocean Basin, Middle East, Mediterranean and Southern Europe. Unveiled at Submarine Networks World 2025, in Singapore, Seacom says the project marks a leap toward securing Africa’s role in the global digital economy, while…
Chip maker Nvidia will invest up to US$100-billion in OpenAI, marking a tie-up between two of the highest-profile leaders in the global artificial intelligence race. Companies worldwide are pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into securing and expanding capacity for powerful cloud computing required to develop and power complex AI technology. The two companies signed…
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wears the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses as he delivers a speech presenting the new line of smart glasses at the Meta Connect event in California. Carlos Barria/Reuters Meta Platforms on Wednesday launched its first consumer-ready smartglasses with a built-in display, seeking to extend the momentum of its Ray-Ban line, one of…
Dado Ruvic/Reuters Nvidia has announced it will invest US$5-billion in Intel, throwing its heft behind the struggling US chip company weeks after the White House engineered a deal for the US government to take a massive stake in the company. Nvidia’s support represents a new opening for Intel after years of turnaround efforts at the…
MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita MTN Group is preparing a major push into artificial intelligence infrastructure, signalling a strategic shift beyond its traditional telecommunications business. According to a Bloomberg News report on Tuesday, MTN is in talks with US and European firms to co-build data centres across the continent to supply AI computing power to…
PayInc CEO Stephen Linnell The Competition Commission in August recommended to the Competition Tribunal that the South African Reserve Bank’s proposed acquisition of a 50% stake in payments clearing house PayInc – previously BankServAfrica – be approved without conditions attached. The move radically changes the ownership structure of PayInc, the developer and manager of rapid…
