Vodacom Group’s fintech business has surpassed 100 million customers for the first time, with the JSE-listed telecommunications operator reporting 103 million active financial services users in the year ended 31 March 2026 – cementing its position as the largest mobile money operator in Africa. The milestone, disclosed in the group’s annual financial results on Monday,…
Dar es Salaam — MAJORITY of Tanzanians believe the country’s media operate freely, according to a new survey by Afrobarometer, which ranks Tanzania as the top performer in Africa on perceived press freedom. The report, which was released as the world marks Press Freedom Day today, shows that perceptions of media freedom vary widely across…
Weak SIM registration processes continue to enable fraud. (Graphic: Nicola Mawson, with images from ITWeb, Pexels and Freepik) Amid growing calls for biometric registration of SIM cards, global bodies warn that such a move could exclude vulnerable citizens and create underground markets for fraudulently registered SIM cards. Mobile industry veteran Johan van Graan is calling…
Standard Bank Group’s annual financial results, published on Thursday, have revealed that Africa’s largest bank by assets spent more than R14-billion on cloud, software and technology in 2025 — an 8.7% year-on-year increase that far outpaced the growth in its overall cost base. The “cloud, software and technology” line item in the group’s operating expenses…
In 2023, Nigeria recorded 53,500 new breast cancer cases, representing a 542.9 per cent increase since 1990. African countries are recording some of the fastest-growing breast cancer burdens globally, with Equatorial Guinea topping the list at a 312 per cent increase in new cases since 1990, a new analysis from the Global Burden of Disease…
SABC Plus, the free online streaming platform, has reached two million registered users, the public broadcaster said in a statement on Thursday. According to the SABC, the SABC Plus platform continues to serve as the “perfect puzzle piece” in its digital distribution strategy, as it redefines itself in the age of digital media. The number…
Telkom Group CEO Serame Taukobong Telkom Group’s mobile business has passed 25 million subscribers for the first time, powered by strong data growth that saw mobile data subscribers surge 29.3% to 19.3 million in the third quarter ended 31 December 2025. The milestone, disclosed in the group’s Q3 trading update on Monday, underlines the continued…
East Africa is expected to be Africa’s fastest-growing subregion in 2026, with GDP projected to expand by 5.8%, according to the UN World Economic Situation and Prospects 2026. The UN names Ethiopia and Kenya as the main drivers, putting the sub-region well ahead of the continent’s projected 4.0% average. The UN report says East Africa…
Alphabet hit a US$4-trillion (R65.5-trillion) market valuation on Monday, as the Google parent’s sharpened AI focus allayed doubts about its strategy and thrust it back to the forefront of the high-stakes race. The tech giant on Wednesday surpassed Apple in market capitalisation for the first time since 2019, becoming the second-most valuable company in the…
Global smartphone shipments rose 2% year on year in 2025, lifted by stronger demand and economic momentum in emerging markets, Counterpoint Research said on Monday. Apple led the market with a 20% share, the largest among the top five brands, supported by solid demand in emerging and mid-sized markets and strong sales of the iPhone…
