GWM’s Ora 5 battery-electric vehicle Much has been written about how miserable electric vehicle sales have been in South Africa. Car makers evidently think that is about to change. At the Festival of Motoring at Kyalami from 28-30 August, at least 19 battery-electric models were on display, several still without confirmed pricing. Only one of…
Netflix announced an expansive slate of local series and films to celebrate a decade of showcasing South African stories that supported more than 8,000 jobs through partnerships with over 30 local production companies. The slate was unveiled at a press showcase in Rosebank, Johannesburg, where Netflix executives, filmmakers and on-screen talent gathered to mark 10…
Apple on Wednesday unveiled a foldable called iPhone Duo, introducing the biggest change in years in the company’s flagship product. The US$1 999 starting price for the iPhone Duo means it will could cost north of R50 000 when it is launched in South Africa. TechCentral has calculated this estimate based on the non-discounted price of…
South Africa’s banks have lost the body through which they collectively governed the national payment system. On 2 September, the Reserve Bank’s recognition of the Payments Association of South Africa as the country’s payment system management body lapsed, ending a self-regulatory arrangement that had run for 27 years. Pasa’s functions, staff and intellectual property have…
The world map based on Gerardus Mercator’s 1569 projection On 4 September, the UN General Assembly voted 164 to one to encourage the world to stop drawing itself on Gerardus Mercator’s 1569 projection – the world map everyone learnt at school. The non-binding resolution, tabled by Togo for the African Group and the African Union…
Over the past 50,000 years, many of the world’s large mammals have gone extinct. Until recent decades, all we knew about them came from fossils. Now, analysis of ancient DNA is adding to the picture. Ancient DNA is damaged and degraded genetic material often obtained from fossils thousands of years old. It’s giving scientists insights…
Africa’s G20 priorities have lost ground under the US presidency, with little pushback from the AU or other development-focused members. Has the African Union (AU) taken up the continent’s baton from South Africa after United States (US) President Donald Trump evicted Pretoria from the G20 presidency? That left the AU, which only joined in 2023,…
Bulk water utility Rand Water on Thursday disclosed that it had become the latest institution to fall prey to cyberattackers. However, it said the impact on its operations has been minimal. Rand Water’s primary activity is the provision of bulk water supply services – potable bulk water and sanitation services — in Gauteng and neighbouring…
The Electric Mission’s Hiten Parmar South Africa has still not crossed 1% of new vehicle sales going to electric vehicles, well short of the 5% mark at which adoption typically accelerates, The Electric Mission executive director Hiten Parmar told TechCentral’s Watts & Wheels with Wills. Parmar, who heads the non-profit advocacy body and co-founded the…
The 1961 Indemnity Act was passed by the apartheid government in the wake of the massacre and protected the police and government from having criminal charges or even civil claims brought against them in relation to what happened at Sharpeville. Despite more than 30 years of democratic rule, that law remains on the statute books….
