Across Africa, mining is no longer seen merely as an extractive industry, but as a strategic pillar of growth, foreign exchange earnings and industrial ambition. From copper and cobalt to gold, manganese and lithium, resource-rich countries are seeking to move further up the value chain by developing more local processing, refining and downstream activities. Recent…
The Avbob incident comes amid a continued rise in cyber breaches affecting South African organisations. (Image source: 123RF) Insurer Avbob has confirmed a cyber incident that resulted in the disruption of some of its services. In a statement today, the insurer confirmed the recent disruption to certain of its digital platforms and services is the…
Didier Ongena, VP for global government and EMEA public sector. Today, businesses are being asked to navigate profound disruption on two fronts. On the one end, there is artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI (GenAI), which have already had an intense impact on industries, economies and society at large. On the other, widespread geopolitical uncertainty…
Siya Madyibi, executive director for Microsoft’s corporate, external and legal affairs in South Africa. As a lawyer for Microsoft, Siya Madyibi, executive director for Microsoft’s corporate, external and legal affairs in South Africa, has a keen interest in geopolitics. One of the situations he is watching closely is the deterioration in relations between South Africa…
An 86-year-old woman misplaces her phone and spends a week offline. She loses access to calls and messages, as well as contact with her family and the routines she has built over time. When connectivity is restored, her connection to daily life returns with it. This story reflects a wider reality across Africa. Digital connectivity…
South Africa is one of the few markets with the highest rate of suspected digital fraud attempts. (Image source: 123RF) South Africa had the highest rate of suspected digital fraud among African countries analysed, with 3% of transactions involving consumers in South Africa being suspected of digital fraud during 2025 – slightly below the global…
[CAPTION] South Africa lacks the election transparency tools available to voters in stricter jurisdictions. (Image created via ChatGPT) South African voters are set to enter the 2026 local government elections with fewer safeguards against online manipulation, voter suppression and discriminatory political targeting than their counterparts in many democracies across the globe. This is according to…
Temu and Shein’s boom has accelerated SA’s digital commerce shift. Nearly half of surveyed South African online shoppers buy from international low-cost platforms such as Temu and Shein, highlighting a shift in local consumer behaviour and intensifying pressure on domestic retailers. This is according to new consumer research conducted by payments firm Stitch, in partnership…
The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), in its new report, themed: ‘Financing Women’s Digital Entrepreneurship: A Pathway to Closing Africa’s Economic Gender Gap’ has revealed that women’s economic participation in Africa has fallen 0.6 percentage points below 2022 levels, extending the region’s timeline to reach economic parity from 120 years to approximately 170 years. The report…
South Africa’s digital divide continues to threaten economic development. But this divide is not just about connectivity – it is about whether access translates into meaningful opportunities for young people: learning, employment, and participation in an economy that is already digital by default. This challenge was at the heart of a panel discussion on digital…
