Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, professor Blade Nzimande, has used the GovTech 2025 Conference, held in Durban, to highlight the challenges faced by many developing countries in adopting new technologies. “Many countries in the developing world are struggling to address their national priorities due to problems such as the slow, uneven and discordant adoption…
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg offered $100 million signing bonuses to top OpenAI employees. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images The artificial intelligence arms race is heating up, and as tech giants scramble to come out on top, they’re dangling millions of dollars in front of a small talent pool of specialists in what’s…
The 2025 cohort of Huawei SA’s Women in Tech with their certificates. Since its inception in 2021, Huawei South Africa’s Women in Tech digital skills initiative has trained more than 300 women participants. This is according to the technology firm, which recently concluded the latest three-day programme of the Women in Tech training programming. This…
South African retail chain Checkers, owned by the Shoprite Group, is trailing new “smart” shopping trolleys that let customers scan items and pay for their groceries directly from the cart. The Checkers Xpress Trolley, developed by the group’s innovation department, ShopriteX, is being tested at two stores in the Western Cape. Read: Checkers pilots new…
The Free Market Foundation (FMF) has cautioned South Africa against blindly following EU regulations, saying the country needs its own strategic domestic policies on technology and digital innovation. It cautioned against what it termed the “Brussels effect”, where regulated entities end up complying with EU laws because of the size and attractiveness of that market….
Google DeepMind is launching a new AI world model called Genie 3, which can generate interactive 3D environments in real time. This new version promises significant improvements, including longer play sessions and the ability to “remember” where objects are placed within a virtual space. Read: Google Deepmind launches Genie 3, an AI video model that…
GirlCode has launched the Digital Skills Employment Acceleration Programme for Women, aimed at equipping young women (aged 18 to 35) with software development skills that will enable them to secure work in SA’s growing tech sector. Supplied image Zandile Mkwanazi, founder and chief executive officer of GirlCode, says the programme goes beyond learning how to…
The third cohort of the Women in Tech Programme kicks off. Standard Chartered, in partnership with WomHub, announced the launch of the third cohort of the Women in Tech (WiT) programme. Standard Chartered South Africa has invested $50 000 to empower women‑founded tech enterprises. The WiT incubator programme aims to improve gender equality and innovation in science,…
Advancements in wireless technology have made it possible for vehicle owners to access and start their cars without having to insert a physical key into the door or ignition cylinder. However, the convenience of keyless access does have its drawbacks, with criminals exploiting technology loopholes to make vehicle theft much easier. They no longer need…
Nairobi, Scidev.Net — Despite Africa’s growing digital footprint, the continent’s science and technology remains underrepresented on Wikipedia, one of the world’s most visited sources of information. While Africa accounts for around 10 per cent of Wikipedia articles, less than one per cent cover science and technology, Anusha Alikhan, chief communications officer at the Wikimedia Foundation,…
