From left: Lucas Johnson-Barker and Jurgen Stroebel (representatives from 3CV), Timothy Treagus, CEO and co-founder of Yazi, and Mzwandile Sotsaka, CTO and co-founder of Yazi. AI-native research platform Yazi has raised its first institutional funding round from early-stage venture firm 3 Capital Ventures (3CV) at a pre-money valuation of R30 million. Founded in Cape Town…
First National Bank (FNB) has announced a significant expansion of its eWallet platform, integrating WhatsApp as a primary service channel to deepen its reach among South Africa’s unbanked and underbanked populations. The update aims to transform the platform from a simple remittance tool into a functional entry-level “digital account” for those who struggle to meet…
AI rivals will be allowed on WhatsApp for a year, Meta Platforms said, aiming to head off a possible temporary order from EU antitrust regulators after complaints from competitors shut out of the messaging service. The European Commission, the EU’s competition enforcer, last month threatened interim measures to prevent potential serious and irreparable harm to…
In a move that effectively isolates a massive portion of its population from Western communication, Russian authorities have blocked WhatsApp, the Financial Times reports. By removing the app from the nation’s official online directory, the government has essentially wiped the platform from the Russian internet, impacting an estimated 100 million users. Read: Pony AI and…
US messenger app WhatsApp, owned by Meta Platforms, has been completely blocked in Russia for failing to comply with local law, the Kremlin said on Thursday, suggesting Russians turn to a state-backed “national messenger” instead. “Due to Meta’s unwillingness to comply with Russian law, such a decision was indeed made and implemented,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry…
WhatsApp’s ‘strict account settings’ are rolling out gradually. Meta-owned instant messaging platform WhatsApp has released ‘strict account settings’ − a new security feature to protect users against cyber attacks. It introduces lockdown-style protections aimed at users who face higher risks of targeted cyber attacks, including journalists and public-facing figures. According to Statista, WhatsApp has over…
In addition to highly effective treatments like Lenacapavir, technology is central to South Africa’s HIV/Aids response. “Technology is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’ in the HIV response; it’s central. Young people live on their phones. If our solutions aren’t where they are, we are going to miss them,” said Cleo Sokhela, the chief programmes officer at…
Nkosikhona Nkosi, chief information officer of the CCMA. (Photograph by Lesley Moyo) The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) plans to deploy a WhatsApp chatbotfor labour dispute referrals, as it eyes tapping into generative artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. This is according to Nkosikhona Nkosi, chief information officer of the CCMA, in an interview with…
A dispute between WhatsApp and the Information Regulator of South Africa has been settled out of court. Speaking at a media briefing on Thursday, the chair of the Information Regulator, Pansy Tlakula, said the matter – which stemmed from the Meta Platforms-owned WhatsApp’s amended privacy policy in 2021 being in violation of the Protection of…
WhatsApp is rolling out a new feature that allows users to translate messages directly within the app, making cross-language communication easier for its more than three billion global users. Now, if you receive a message in a language you don’t understand, you can simply long-press on it and select “Translate.” The app will then display…
