Starlink has yet to formally apply to operate in South Africa. While it has rapidly expanded across other African nations, South African-born Elon Musk’s satellite-based internet company Starlink is still to make a formal application to operate locally. This was signalled by the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT), in a written Parliamentary response…
Herotel is currently South Africa’s third-largest fibre network operator behind Vumatel and Openserve. The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) has approved the licence transfer application of Herotel to Maziv subsidiary Vumatel. Maziv told ITWeb that ICASA approved the licence transfer application today. The approval follows the Competition Tribunal’s clearance of Vumatel’s acquisition of…
A computerised learner’s licence testing system at a licensing centre in Cape Town. The computerised testing systems at licensing centres across the country have led to a “significant” decline in fraudulent learner licence passes, says the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC). Introduced in 2021, the computerised learner licence testing systems aim to combat widespread fraud…
Starlink has hit back at Namibia’s decision to reject its licence application, calling the regulator’s characterisation of its non-compliance “misleading” and urging Namibians to request a formal appeal. In a statement published on its website, the satellite internet provider owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX said it had made clear over the past three years its…
SpaceX’s satellite internet service, Starlink, has significantly intensified its lobbying efforts to enter the South African market. The company recently published a dedicated advocacy page on its website, titled Starlink’s Efforts in South Africa, which directly addresses consumers and counters persistent criticisms regarding its licensing bid. This move follows an aggressive January campaign where Starlink…
BluEnergy Trading, a subsidiary of JSE-listed Blue Label Telecoms, has been granted a multi-year energy trading licence by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa). This landmark authorization allows the group, historically recognized for its prepaid airtime distribution and its majority stake in mobile operator Cell C, to officially buy and sell electricity. The…
The Department of Transport seeks a turnkey solution for personalisation of smart driving licence cards. (Image source: 123RF) The ICT industry is favoured with a broad range of requests on National Treasury’s eTenders Portal this week. Nevertheless, all eyes will be on a tender from the Department of Transport’s Driving Licence Card Account (DLCA) for…
Department of Transport minister Barbara Creecy. (Image source: GCIS) The political principals in the Department of Transport (DOT) have welcomed the ruling setting aside the driving licence card machines tender awarded to French firm IDEMIA. This week, the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria declared that the tender was irregular, invalid, unlawful and unenforceable. As…
Transport minister Barbara Creecy. Image: GCIS South Africa’s long-delayed plan to modernise its driving licence card system has been thrown back into uncertainty. This follows the high court in Pretoria overturning a multimillion-rand tender awarded to French technology company Idemia. It declared the tender irregular, invalid and unenforceable. The ruling was welcomed by transport minister…
Microsoft says it does not disclose or comment on the commercial terms of customer agreements. The Gauteng Provincial Government owes Microsoft R344 million in unpaid licence fees. This was revealed during a recent e-government portfolio committee meeting. According to a presentation by the provincial government’s finance department, it embraced digital transformation by integrating a range…
