Technology
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POTRAZ Will Continue Reviewing Telecoms Tariffs
Zimbabwe’s telecoms regulator, the Postal and Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) says it will continue reviewing tariffs in line with cost movements and international best practices following concerns over the high cost of products in the country. Telecommunications service providers announced new tariffs effective April 1 in response to rising costs following the removal of…
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Zoom’s CEO Eric Yuan Emigrated From China 22 Years Ago, Spoke Little English — And Now he’s Worth Almost $3 Billion
Not even Eric Yuan’s closest friends, oldest advisers and earliest investors thought Zoom needed to exist. It was 2011, and the market was littered with video conferencing systems from Google, Skype, GoToMeeting and Cisco, where Yuan had been leading WebEx’s engineering team. “He came to a market that everybody said was done,” said Dan Scheinman, Cisco’s…
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Google Workers Hold a Sit-in May 1 (Workers/Labour Day) to Protest Alleged Retaliation
Google workers staged a sit-in yesterday Wednesday to protest alleged retaliation from management toward employee organizers at the company. The demonstration, which started at 11 a.m. Wednesday, will be six months to the day of last year’s historic walkout, in which 20,000 Google workers left their offices to protest the company’s handling of sexual harassment allegations directed at key…
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Liquid Telecom Partners Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Innovation Challenge
Liquid Telecom will serve as Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) outreach partner for Africa in this year’s edition of the inclusive innovation challenge (IIC). Through the partnership, Liquid Telecom will be encouraging African-based start-ups, innovators and technology companies to take part in various challenges. The 2019 IIC has four categories; technology access, financial inclusion, skills…
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Toshiba-Branded PCs Retired, Now Rebranded as Dynabook
The PC business unit behind the hardware has rebranded itself as Dynabook. The move comes after Toshiba sold its PC business unit to Sharp, the Japanese display maker. The tech community has already lost so much in 2019. Google+, Amazon Dash buttons, Microsoft Bands. Now, we must bid adieu to Toshiba-branded laptops. The PC business unit…
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Facebook, YouTube and Twitter Struggles to Remove New Zealand Mosque Shooting Videos
The shooter in at least one of the two mosque attacks in New Zealand on Friday used social media to stream his deadly rampage live. Shortly after, tech giants scrambled to remove his accounts, but versions of the video remained on some sites hours after the shootings, which killed at least 49 people. Facebook, Twitter and Google’s YouTube all said they…
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Top Gamer Tyler Blevins ‘Ninja’ Made $1 Million to Promote EA’s ‘Apex Legends’ Launch
What are a few hours playing videogames and a handful of tweets worth? $1 million if you are Tyler Blevins, known to millions as “Ninja,” the world’s most-followed computer gamer. Blevins was one of a few select professionals with huge followings pulled in by videogame giant Electronic Arts Inc to play and promote its latest…
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Google Chrome Browser Users Adviced to Update Amid Security Alert
Google Chrome users need to update the desktop version of their web browser as soon as possible, its lead security engineer has warned. Justin Schuh gave the warning after the internet giant announced it had uncovered a bug – known as a zero-day exploit – in its software which is actively under attack by hackers.…
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MTN Group CEO Rob Shuter — We Are The Best Network in South Africa
MTN Group CEO Rob Shuter says that the group’s South African operation has ‘turned a corner’ with a strong set of results. On Thursday (7 March), MTN reported a 10.7% jump in service revenue for the year ended December 2018, with revenue up 6% to R134.56 billion. Operating profit climbed to R23.6 billion, from R20.6…
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MTN Set to Launch an Instant Messaging Service Akin to WeChat and WhatsApp
MTN Group has announced it will launch an instant messaging (IM) service akin to China’s WeChat and Facebook’s WhatsApp as it seeks to expand revenue from digital services and mobile money. With the IM platform, which will form part of the group’s mobile money initiatives, MTN wants to build what group CEO Rob Shuter calls the…
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Lillian Barnard Replaces Zoaib Hoosen As New MD for Microsoft South Africa
Zoaib Hoosen has resigned as MD of Microsoft’s South African subsidiary and will be replaced by Lillian Barnard, the software giant recently announced. Hoosen, who has been at the helm of Microsoft South Africa for nearly five years, replaced Mteto Nyati in the role. Nyati, who joined MTN South Africa as CEO, is now CEO of…
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Strive Masiyiwa Buys Back Mascom Botswana For USD$300 Million
The Founder and Executive Chairman of the Econet Group, Strive Masiyiwa, has bought back Mascom Botswana from MTN for US$300 million, 14 years after losing control of the telecoms giant. Mascom was Strive Masiyiwa’s first mobile company before he obtained a licence to launch Econet Wireless after a protracted court battle with government authorities. The name…
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Huawei Sues The US For Being Blocked From Selling to Federal Government
Huawei is suing the U.S. over a law that bans government agencies from buying the Chinese technology giant’s equipment, claiming the legislation is unconstitutional, as the company goes on the front foot following months of political pressure. The lawsuit, which was filed on Thursday local time, focuses on a provision in a law known as the National Defense…
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Rwanda in Partnership With OneWeb Launches Icyerekezo Satellite to Connect Rural Schools to The Internet
Rwanda has launched a satellite named Icyerekezo, which will bring internet connectivity to students at Nkombo Island, in Lake Kivu. Rwanda wants to bridge internet connection in rural areas around the country. A satellite named Icyerekezo by students from Nkombo Island in rural Rwanda at Lake Kivu was launched on the 26th of February, 2019.…
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Econet Adjusts Roaming and International Calling & SMS Services Tariffs Effective February 26
Econet Wireless has revised its roaming services and international outbound calling & SMS services tariffs following the Monetary Policy Statement (MPS) announced by the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe on the 20th of February 2019. The MPS designated RTGS balances, Bond notes and coins as RTGS dollars, effectively differentiating the same from any…
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Rwanda To Open Africa’s First Smartphone Manufacturing Factory in April 2019
In a bid to solve the massive ICT and technology issues that the country is facing while also creating more jobs in the fast pace growing IT world, Rwanda is set to open its first smartphone factory making it the first in Africa to locally manufacture phones that will meet the demand of the African…
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Zim Govt National Data Centre Project 95% Almost Completion
The government says the National Data Centre Project is nearing completion and has called on industry and the continent to invest more in data centers given their importance to regional economies. The Deputy Minister of ICT, Postal and Courier Services, Dr Jenfan Muswere said they are forging ahead with the implementation of the national data center project which…
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Airtel and Telkom Are Merging to Take on Safaricom in Kenya
Airtel and Telkom are merging to create a stronger challenger to the market leader, Safaricom. Indian-owned Bharti Airtel and Telkom Kenya announced a deal to operate under a joint venture company that will be named Airtel-Telkom. The two companies said the deal comprises their corresponding mobile, carrier, and enterprises services but won’t include Telkom Kenya’s real estate…
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Uber’s New Features Enables Free Calls Between Riders and Drivers
Uber recently announced a new way for riders and drivers to communicate through the company’s app using voice over internet protocol, or VoIP. Much like Skype or FaceTime audio, Uber’s new VoIP feature uses an internet connection rather than cellular phone service to make calls. The ride-hailing company has been trialing the VoIP feature since…
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Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro (2019) With Punch-hole Display, 3-lens Cameras Launched in South Korea
The Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro (2019) was recently launched in South Korea, complete with an Infinity-O display, 6GB RAM, 128 GB inbuilt storage, a triple rear camera, 24 MP selfie sensor, 3,400mAh battery, and a rear fingerprint scanner. Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro (2019) has been priced in Korea at KRW 599,500 (roughly Rs. 37,800). It is…
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Roku Shares Skyrocket Due to Impressive Streaming Numbers
Roku shares soared after the company known for its streaming video devices reported impressive growth in the number of its active users and streaming hours. The company’s shares were up 25% at the market’s close on Monday to $42.18, highlighting Wall Street’s enthusiasm with Roku reporting a 40% year-over-year jump in active accounts to 27…
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The US is Wary About China Spying Using Huawei Technologies Co. Why? Because the US Have Done The Same Thing in The Past
The US is again warning its allies about the risks of using telecom equipment made by China’s Huawei Technologies Co. American officials have briefed their counterparts in countries like Germany, Italy, and Japan about what they argue are potential cybersecurity risks, according to the Wall Street Journal (paywall). This follows previous warnings, such as a claim earlier this…
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Huawei Technologies Fires Employee, Wang Weijing Who is Arrested in Poland on Spy Charges
Chinese telecoms equipment maker Huawei Technologies Co. says it has terminated the employment of a Chinese worker, Wang Weijing who was arrested on spying allegations in Poland. The allegations against Wang Weijing “have no relation to the company,” Huawei Technologies Ltd. said in a statement. It said Wang was fired because the incident “brought Huawei into…
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Mohamed Abdel Bassit Appointed as Liquid Telecom’s New Regional CEO for Middle East and West Africa (MEWA)
Liquid Telecom announced that it has appointed Mohamed Abdel Bassit its new Regional Chief Executive for the Middle East and West Africa (MEWA), effective January 1, 2019. Based in Cairo, Bassit will oversee the group’s expansion further into MEWA following the recent news that it is investing US$400m in the Egyptian market and has completed the first fibre network to stretch all the way from Cape Town to Cairo. Mohamed…
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LG G8 and Q9 To Be Released Early 2019
LG is all set to launch the successor to LG G7 ThinQ which didn’t manage to grab more eyeballs with LG G8 later next year. As per the source, the new LG G8 will launch globally by end of March 2019. It will feature 3D camera which has now become a trend with major Android smartphone manufacturer.…
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Huawei P Smart 2019 Details and Specs, With Sales Beginning January 2
After unofficially going on pre-order earlier this month, the Huawei P Smart (2019) is now officially official. Huawei is starting 2019 with a bang and the launch of the new Huawei P smart 2019 phone. The Chinese company dominated 2018 after shipping 200 million smartphones worldwide and overtaking Apple in the global rankings. It’s not stopping there, after revealing its first new…
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Hyundai Reveals Smart Fingerprint Technology to Unlock Your Car
If you’re prone to losing car keys, the latest-generation Hyundai Santa Fe just going on sale in China is for you. It offers buyers the option of using a fingerprint detector that can open the vehicle and turn on its engine, rendering car keys as necessary as a landline. Touch one of the SUV’s biometric sensors…
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Now You Can Send Money Across all Networks Including MTN Rwanda and Safaricom MPesa
MTN Uganda has today announced that it has completed (the final) Phase 3 which has seen UTL being switched on, making MTN the first telco in Uganda to fully comply with the Bank of Uganda initiative. This year 2017, Bank of Uganda directed all Mobile Money operations in Uganda to be interoperable between the telecommunications…
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Bharti Airtel to Sell 32% Stake in Bharti Infratel
Bharti Airtel has decided to sell a further 32% stake in Bharti Infratel, valued at close to Rs 15,500 crore, to create a war chest to bolster its countrywide 4G networks and counter Reliance Jio Infocomm. Separately, the Sunil Mittal-led telco on Thursday also appointed a panel to explore various other fundraising options, and named Badal Bagri as…
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Kenya’s Mobile Phone Penetration Surpasses 100% Mark
Kenya’s mobile phone penetration crested the 100 per cent mark, says the Communications Authority of Kenya. It joins Morocco, Namibia and Tunisia, the only countries in Africa to achieve the milestone. The first quarter sector statistics report for the financial year 2018/2019 by CA shows that the mobile penetration – the total number of active…
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Tawanda Kanhema Spent $5,000 of His Own Money to Put Zimbabwe on Street View
Zimbabwe is too far for many people to visit, but 37-year-old Tawanda Kanhema grew up here (Zimbabwe) before moving to the United States. Thanks to Kanhema, though, you’ll soon be able to play virtual tourist, thanks to his work and the magic of Google Street View, Kanhema, who left the country to study journalism and documentary film-making…
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MTN to Only Pay $53 Million to End Nigeria Dispute
Christmas has come early for MTN Group. The telecommunications operator’s shares are likely to soar when markets reopen on Thursday in Johannesburg after it announced late on Monday that it has settled a multibillion-dollar dispute in Nigeria. It will pay just US$53.2-million (about R777-million) in a settlement with Nigeria’s central bank, a tiny fraction of the…
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ZTE Foldable Smartphone Looks Like Samsung Galaxy Fold
A ZTE foldable smartphone described in a patent application that was recently uncovered describes a device which is pretty much, in concept, similar to Samsung’s foldable smartphone. We’re talking about a tablet that folds into a phone (or a phone that folds out into a tablet). It features a flexible display and allows the phone to unfold into a…
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Naspers to Invest $1 Billion in The Indian Food Delivering App, Swiggy
Naspers, the South African investment giant, is back at it in India! Days after backing educational startup Byju’s by leading a $540 million investment, it has led a $1 billion investment in food delivery company Swiggy. The new round sees Chinese internet and Naspers ally Tencent join the party, alongside fellow new investors Hillhouse Capital and Wellington Management…
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Discord, a Gaming Chat Startup Raises $150M, Surpassing $ 2B Valuation
Discord Inc., which makes chat software popular among videogame players, said it is now valued at $2.05 billion after a new funding round, the startup’s second this year as it expands its footprint into sales and subscriptions in the fast-growing game industry. Greenoaks Capital led the negotiations with Firstmark, Tencent, IVP, Index Ventures and Know-how Alternative…
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Zimbabwe’s Telecoms Sector Records 9,2% Revenue Growth in the Third Quarter to September, 2018
Zimbabwe’s Postal and Telecommunications sector registered a 9,2 percent revenue growth in the third quarter to September, 2018 on the back on increased usage of data and internet. In its Postal Telecommunication Sector Performance report for the third quarter, the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) said turnover grew to $435 million from…
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MTN Group Appoints New 5 Executives
MTN Group has announced the appointment of several executives, including the position of Chief Technology & Information Officer and Executive for Corporate Services & Sustainability. Charles Molapisi has been appointed as the company’s Group Chief Technology and Information Officer, effective 1 January 2019. His appointment follows Babak Fouladi’s resignation from the company to take up…
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Naspers Leads R7.7-Billion Investment in Indian Tech Startup
Naspers and Canada’s state pension fund have invested $540 million (R7.77 billion) in Indian educational technology startup Byju’s. Bengaluru-based Byju’s launched a learning app in 2015 that offers tools for school students in India, a country with the world’s largest number of children in primary education. The latest investment values the firm at around $3.6…
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BMW’s Premium Online Ride-hailing Service Launched in China
BMW has joined a handful of automakers to compete with transportation upstart Didi Chuxing, which bought Uber’s Chinese business in 2016. BMW has become one of the first foreign companies to be granted a ride-hailing operating license in China. Last Friday, the German luxury carmaker launched a premium ride-hailing service in Chengdu, the capital of China’s Sichuan…
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Africa committed to improving science, technology and innovation
By Byron Mutingwende African countries have shown their interest and willingness to strive for science, technology, and innovation (STI)-led development, the Africa Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) has noted. This emerged during the launch of the 2017 Africa Capacity Report held at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) in the capital on Tuesday 28…
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Africa, Europe collaborate in space science and technology
By Byron Mutingwende Africa and Europe are collaborating in space science and technology in pursuit of addressing the growing needs of African countries to access and use Earth Observation (EO) data for the implementation of sustainable development policies on the continent through the integration and deployment of African requirements and needs. Rungano Karimanzira,…
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Hivos launches creative space report
By Kundai Marunya Hivos is set to launch a research on creative spaces as a way of fostering activism and civic engagement at the Pamberi Trust Gardens next Thursday. The report which has the now defunct Book Café as a case study was commissioned some three years ago. “In 2012 Hivos commissioned a research study…
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About the Forthcoming Book Fair
By Kudzayi Zvinavashe Another edition of the Zimbabwe International Book Fair (ZIBF) which is billed to kick off on the 27th of July till the 1st of August, this year is expected to be bigger and better with an attendance of over 10 000 attendants and 120 exhibitors which includes 15 international exhibitors. The minister…