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…
Experts say stronger government incentives and clearer policy frameworks are needed to accelerate EV charging. (Image created via Gemini) Regulatory uncertainty and lack of government funding are major obstacles to scaling South Africa’s charging network, says the electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure sector. While SA has made meaningful progress in building public charging infrastructure over…
Charge chairman Joubert Roux Off-grid EV charging infrastructure company Charge (formerly Zero Carbon Charge) is planning a public investment offering in the coming months, bypassing the JSE in favour of a token-based exchange called Mesh. Joubert Roux, the company’s founder, revealed the plans in an interview with TechCentral on Wednesday and said Charge is currently…
If left unchanged, the new policy could have unintended consequences for SA’s broader economic and energy objectives, warns Zero Carbon Charge. The South African National Roads Agency’s (Sanral’s) proposed overhaul of its rest and service facilities (RSF) policy could derail private investment in electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure at a critical time for the country’s energy…
In a major bid to reclaim its dominance in the Chinese market, BYD has unveiled a suite of high-performance hardware upgrades, including the latest generation of its “Blade” batteries and a new ultra-fast flash charging architecture. The announcement, made in Shenzhen on Thursday, arrives as the world’s largest electric-vehicle manufacturer faces a deepening sales slump…
Zero Carbon Charge has broken ground on two off-grid solar-powered EV stations along the N3 in the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal. They will be the first fully off-grid, solar-powered and ultra-fast EV charging stations on the N3, one of the country’s busiest and most important transport routes. Zero Carbon Charge built its first off-grid charge…
China’s BYD, the world’s largest manufacturer of electric cars, is set to make the biggest single investment yet in South Africa’s nascent electric vehicle (EV) sector. In an exclusive interview with TechCentral in Johannesburg, BYD Executive Vice President Stella Li disclosed the company’s plans to roll out a national network of ultra-high-speed charging stations. Read:…
BYD executive vice president Stella Li The world’s largest manufacturer of electric cars, China’s BYD, will build a nationwide network of super high-speed vehicle charging stations in South Africa, TechCentral can reveal. BYD executive vice president Stella Li, who has been credited with leading BYD’s rapid expansion outside China, disclosed the company’s plans in an…
MaxiCharger DC Fast units installed by Autel Energy at Cape Town’s Arrowgate Depot, forming the backbone of South Africa’s largest EV bus charging hub with capacity to expand to 50 chargers and 120 buses by 2025. Autel Energy, a global leader in smart and sustainable EV charging solutions, today announced its pivotal role in South…
BYD’s new Dolphin Surf Eskom has signed a memorandum of cooperation with BYD Auto South Africa aimed at advancing electric mobility in the country, while supporting the launch of the Chinese car maker’s new compact all-electric model, the Dolphin Surf. The agreement, signed on Tuesday, comes after Eskom introduced 20 EVs and 10 charging stations…
