BYD, the prominent Chinese vehicle manufacturer, is set to launch its most affordable model to date, the Atto 1, in South Africa. According to a report by CarMag, which recently visited the company in China, the vehicle is expected to be priced at below R400,000. If this price holds, it could position the Atto 1…
With the 1 August deadline upon us and no trade agreement yet, experts agree that relations between South Africa and the US would need a reset and cool heads to negotiate. With hours to go before US President Donald Trump’s tariffs are expected to come into effect, South Africa announced “urgent interventions” to support exporters…
A TSCM fabrication plant in Taiwan The apparent threat by Taiwanese officials to impose microchip export restrictions on South Africa is likely unenforceable. Most of the electronic equipment sold in South Africa featuring Taiwanese-made chips is imported from other jurisdictions, and not directly from Taiwan. According to Axiz CEO Craig Brunsden, there are regional supply…
Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS), a state-owned company, said on Friday that there has been a “systems failure” at OR Tambo International Airport that disrupting flights. OR Tambo is South Africa’s busiest airport, and a hub for the Southern African region. ATNS said the system failure on Friday — a busy day for the…
The European Commission does not think that imposing a network fee on big technology companies is a viable solution to the debate over who should fund the roll-out of 5G and broadband, a spokesman for the EU executive said on Thursday. The issue pits Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica and Telecom Italia against Google, Facebook, Netflix,…
South Africa is seeking proposals to shortlist bidders for a R390-billion grid expansion project to bolster the country’s energy security. The department of electricity & energy invited “experienced and committed” groups to participate in a pre-qualification process for transmission projects, it said in an advertisement. The plan is to build 14 218km of transmission lines over…
Regulatory obstacles in South Africa could cost Starlink its usual first-mover advantage, potentially allowing Amazon’s Project Kuiper to enter the local market concurrently or even sooner. Kuiper, which began launching satellites in April, plans beta testing soon, with a commercial rollout expected in 2026. Amazon representatives have reportedly met with local telecoms ahead of this…
This week, The Bank of Namibia unveiled newly upgraded coins – the country’s first major redesign since independence – and introduced next-generation polymer banknotes. Branded under the theme ‘Our Currency, Our Heritage, Our Pride’, the new money represents progress: improved durability, enhanced security and a celebration of national identity. But beneath this symbolic leap forward…
A top South African diplomat said on Tuesday that US demands on domestic affirmative action policies were complicating efforts to secure a trade deal, days before a 30% tariff on South African exports to the US takes effect. South Africa has tried for months to persuade US President Donald Trump’s administration to lower the tariff…
Multinational payment authorization giant Visa officially launched its first data centre in South Africa on Wednesday. This new infrastructure forms a key part of Visa’s R1 billion commitment to investments across Africa. Read: Bandwidth Blog & Smile 90.4FM Tech Tuesday: Nvidia passes $4 trillion valuation Located in Johannesburg, the data centre aims to enhance Visa’s…
