Star 2023-06-13

AN EXPERT says SA Inc might see MTN enter the fray for Telkom’s hand after the mobile operator yesterday confirmed that it had received an unsolicited non-binding indicative letter from a consortium for the acquisition of a controlling stake in it. The consortium is led by its former CEO Sipho Maseko, Afrifund Investments Proprietary Limited, comprising Axian Telecom and the Government Employees Pension Fund, managed by the Public Investment Corporation. Telkom’s share price yesterday surged 3.19% to close at R30.76 on the JSE. But the share price in the past year had decreased by 29.6%. “Telkom continues to pursue its strategic value unlock initiatives, and should such initiatives result in any developments that may have a material effect on the value of Telkom’s shares, information on such arrangements will be…

Banks under pressure from pressure groups and civil society organisations THE BANKS were a focus of environmental activist pressure yesterday with a protest at Standard Bank’s offices on the day of its annual meeting, and the release of a report that questioned Absa’s targets to reduce its exposure to the coal, gas and oil sectors. Standard Bank, in response to a query from Business Report, confirmed that a small group of people had protested at its Rosebank offices, and the bank welcomed the peaceful exchange of interests and ideas, and would continue to engage with stakeholders on the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (Eacop) project. Activists and civil society organisations said on Twitter the protest was to highlight the need for Standard Bank to withdraw its support for Eacop due…

SOUTH Africa has secured an immediate 100MW of electricity from Mozambique, to be added into the national grid from as early as next week in a bid to alleviate the intensity of rolling blackouts. This was confirmed by Minister in the Presidency responsible for Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, after meeting Mozambique’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Carlos Zacarias at the Union Buildings in Pretoria yesterday. The meeting finalised talks to secure electricity for South Africa to ease the frequency and severity of load shedding, following a previous engagement held in the Mozambique capital Maputo a fortnight ago. Ramokgopa said Mozambique had confirmed the 100MW was immediately available to South Africa, and could be ramped up to 600MW in the next six months and 1 000MW in the long term.…

ARTIFICIAL intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning have been with us for more than a decade. But it was only in the last few years that AI technologies started to advance at an unprecedented pace and created numerous new opportunities for businesses to redefine their operations and strategies. According to a recently published letter by the well-known Bill Gates, The Age of AI has begun, he emphasises that AI is just as revolutionary as the PC, the Internet and mobile phones. Numerous areas will be transformed by AI, such as healthcare, education, and the workforce. The proliferation of AI will allow industries and businesses to become significantly more efficient. Generative AI One of the latest innovations in AI is generative AI – a branch of AI that focuses on creating or…

WHEN TIM COOK, the Apple CEO, was launching the Apple Vision Pro (a new virtual reality headset) he was not only launching a new product. It was the first time he launched a product with his leadership fingerprints all over it since he took over from Steve Jobs. Jobs as the leader of one of the most loved brands launched great products. Cook not only launched his first product, but a new category of computing for Apple and the world. Until now, tech companies have been trying to develop a wearable product that enables viewing of the virtual world. Google tried with the Google Glasses, a product that failed dismally to be adopted by mainstream society. Microsoft tried to impress with the Hololens, an impressive product that tried to enter…

STAR WARS JEDI: Survivor delivers an exhilarating sequel that surpasses its predecessor in every way. Building upon the solid foundations of Jedi: Fallen Order, this game takes players on an epic journey through new planets, offering a vast and immersive experience. With an improved performance after the Day 0 patch, the game now boasts a smooth 60 frames-per-second gameplay, eliminating the frustrating frame rate drops and screen tearing issues that plagued the game at its launch in April. The heart of Survivor lies in its captivating narrative and well-developed characters. The crew aboard the Mantis and the individuals at Pyloon’s Saloon are charming, charismatic, and bring the story to life, making players genuinely care about their plight. The addictive exploration, complete with a Metroidvania structure, rewards players with satisfying puzzles…