Recent events did not create SA’s xenophobic online machine. They reveal how entrenched, interconnected and politically influential that machine has already become. South Africa’s latest wave of xenophobic mobilisation did not begin with a political speech or a major violent incident. It began with a missing-person campaign. Yet this resurgence would not have been possible…
If you grew up in the 1990s and 2000s, you’ll probably remember sitting down at a specific time to watch your favourite show. You had to quickly run to grab a snack during the ad break, so you didn’t miss anything, you flipped from one channel to the next because there weren’t many options, and…
Understanding how to market your business online starts with knowing where to show up. For SMEs navigating business marketing in South Africa, the challenge isn’t just being online, it’s choosing the right mix of platforms that work together to drive real results. A single channel won’t carry your strategy. Success comes from a multi-platform approach,…
The universe of Eve Online is expanding in an unexpected direction. Fenris Creations, the developer formerly known as CCP Games, has announced a strategic partnership with Google, seeing the search giant take a minority stake in the studio. This shift comes on the heels of the developer successfully buying back the rights to the Eve…
By 2024, only 38% of Africa’s population was online, according to the International Telecommunication Union–far below the global average of 68%. For a continent often described as digital-first, this gap exposes deeper structural barriers that continue to limit access, opportunity, and meaningful economic participation, particularly for its youth. Africa’s digital economy is frequently framed as…
Licensed South African bookmakers have called on banks and payment providers to block transactions to “illegal” offshore gambling platforms, which they claim now account for nearly two-thirds of all online betting activity in the country. The South African Bookmakers Association (Saba) has said in a new report it commissioned from global gaming research firm YieldSec…
When a 45-second video of reality star Taylor Frankie Paul hurling metal barstools at her ex-boyfriend during a 2023 altercation surfaced just days before her season of “The Bachelorette” was set to premier on ABC, the fallout was swift. ABC said it wouldn’t air the show. Some cast members from both “The Secret Lives of…
The world’s online population rose by more than 240 million people in 2025, bringing the total number of Internet users to six billion, according to the latest Facts and Figures 2025 report released by the International Telecommunication Union, ITU. The report shows that about three-quarters of the global population are now online, up from 5.8…
Harold van Graan, chief revenue officer, Solid8 Technologies. Let’s kick off with an obvious question, namely: what is online fraud? Fraud is variously defined as a deception or misrepresentation; a perversion of truth to convince someone to part with something of value or surrender a legal right. Online fraud encompasses both financial fraud and identity…
As a boom in online gambling across Africa gathers pace, governments are hiking taxes to contain addiction risks and fill depleted state coffers. In by far the biggest market, South Africa, the industry is pushing back. Once a niche activity, gambling has exploded across the continent as a result of easily available online betting accounts….
