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The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited (“SBSA”) has signed a USD185m, 3-year loan agreement with  International Financial Corporation (“IFC”), a development finance institution that is part of the World Bank  Group,  with a focus on private sector development . The loan proceeds will be used for immediate relief and ongoing support for eligible Small and Medium Enterprises (“SMEs”) and corporates in South Africa that have been affected by Covid-19 by  assisting them with the purchase and production of goods and services needed to cope with the crisis and towards  stimulating long-term investments in affected industries.    “We take our responsibility as a corporate citizen seriously and value the ongoing collaboration with IFC. This transaction reflects Standard Bank’s commitment to supporting our clients through this pandemic.” says Lungisa Fuzile, CE of Standard Bank, South Africa.  “This is an unprecedented crisis, with devastating health, economic and social consequences. Our ex

The rapid growth in demand for cloud and software-as-a-service solutions is changing the face of the IT reseller channel in South Africa, with entrepreneurs from outside the technology industry, independent software vendors (ISVs) and other agile, innovative players moving into the market.   That’s the word from Oliver Niemandt, general manager: sales at Tarsus On Demand, the cloud enablement company within Tarsus Technology Group.  He says that Tarsus On Demand has seen an explosion in new channel partners and end-user demand over the past year, with the arrival of Microsoft’s Azure data centres in South Africa acting as a catalyst. The more immediate spark however, has been the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic which has seen users sprinting to meet their remote working and work from home (WFH) needs, in the cloud.   “The business is growing at a pace that is exceeding our expectations,” he says. “It’s particularly interesting to see a surge in demand for our services in the rest of

  TONE Free Model HBS-FN6 with UVnano Case Removes Germs While Charging LG Electronics (LG) revealed two new LG TONE Free true wireless earbuds (models HBS-FN6 and HBS-FN4), both delivering exceptional listening experience with lifelike audio thanks to Meridian Audio technology. LG HBS-FN6 features LG’s industry-first UVnano case which eliminates bacteria and germs on the earbuds as they charge. The new canal-type design delivers a more comfortable fit and comes in two colors: matte Stylish Black and glossy Modern White.   The earbuds deliver an extra dimension courtesy of HSP (Headphone Spatial Processing) technology from Meridian – LG’s long-standing audio partner in delivering superior sound – powered by Digital Signal Processing, a technology that Meridian has been perfecting for over 25 years. DSP not only recreates a realistic soundstage that simulates the experience of listening to real loudspeakers, it also delivers vocals with pristine clarity, completely immersing the listene

  Improved exposure and better selfies make the mini 11 an important upgrade for budding instant photographers.    FUJIFILM South Africa is proud to announce the launch of the instax mini 11, the highly anticipated follow-up to 2017’s best-selling mini 9. The mini 11 instant camera provides on-the-spot photo printing and comes with a number of features never seen before on instax mini cameras.  New features for better photos The new instax mini 11 is the first entry-level model to feature the ‘Automatic Exposure’ function, providing better-looking photos in darker lighting conditions. Here the camera automatically senses the level of ambient light when the shutter button is pressed, optimising the shutter speed and flash output according to the surrounding brightness. The result is less flash ‘blowout’ indoors, with both the subject and background now correctly exposed. Another feature that makes taking instax photos easier than ever before is the Selfie Mode, which is ideal for both s

Unique functionality makes the Mini Link the go-to for instant photos when out and about.      FUJIFILM South Africa is pleased to announce the launch of the INSTAX Mini Link, the latest in its line-up of instant printing devices. The INSTAX Mini Link   is a smartphone printer with a variety of unique functions designed to make on-the-go instant printing possible.  Weighing in at just 200g for excellent portability, this compact palm-top printer is an accessory that can be taken to any location, party or event.   The INSTAX Mini Link   creates high-quality INSTAX instant prints from a smartphone camera roll. Using Bluetooth* 1 , the Mini Link app* 2  connects a smartphone to the printer. The app allows users to enjoy a variety of creative features, with Bluetooth providing a quick and seamless transfer of images.   Interestingly, users of the Mini Link can active different modes depending on how the printer is placed. Stand the Mini Link vertically and the traditional Print Mode is act

Standard Bank Group, Africa’s largest bank by assets, has provided more than R133bn of debt relief to customers as part of its ongoing efforts to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on society.   The group recognises that Covid-19 is a health and economic crisis unlike anything we have witnessed in our lifetime and is therefore taking extraordinary measures to assist customers and society at large.   In Personal and Business Banking (PBB), Standard Bank has implemented a number of instalment relief measures, fee waivers and restructures. By the end of May, Standard Bank’s PBB business in South Africa had provided R92 billion in relief to individuals and business clients across 285,000 accounts.    In other African markets, Standard Bank’s PBB division had provided debt relief worth R11 billion by the end of May.   Moreover, the group had concluded restructures for eligible Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB) clients – mostly in South Africa – with risk exposures amounting t

The spread of the novel Coronavirus across the world has created new opportunities for online fraudsters who are exploiting the vulnerability of users confined to their homes, taking advantage of their reliance on the Internet to access information and services. “Fraudsters thrive in desperate times,” says Andrew van Der Hoven, Head of Digital Banking at Standard Bank. “They know that there is communication around Covid-19 relief and support for those who may find themselves in financial difficulty and use that as a hook to reel in users.”  During the month of April, Standard Bank saw an increase in common cybercrime techniques such as phishing scams where fraudsters try to entice customers to reveal personal and sensitive information through fake emails, SMSs or websites. Van der Hoven explains that the highest volumes of cyber fraud are perpetrated on the Internet Banking channel, which is largely accessed via desktop or laptop. “Desktop-banking remains an easier target for data brea

Market turmoil offers tech industry an opportunity to strengthen operational discipline and customer focus   Technology distributors and resellers that want to survive the current turbulence in the global and South African economies should seize the opportunity to improve operational efficiency and customer focus in the months ahead. Those that adapt fastest to the realities of a downturn in the market will emerge as strong players once the shakeout is complete.   That’s according to Gary Pickford, chief commercial officer at Tarsus Distribution. He says that challenging market conditions offer an opportunity to create a more efficient business without making compromises on the customer experience. “We’re looking at the current conditions as a rich opportunity to segment our customer base and strengthen the business using a range of levers,” says Pickford.   “Because we’re operating in an environment expecting negative to flat growth, we have taken steps to improve working cap

At home or away, the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite features an S Pen with refreshed design for note taking and creating, and an immersive display for enhanced entertainment Samsung has announced the new  Galaxy Tab S6 Lite , a stylish and affordable tablet designed for both work and play. With ample screen size to do more, a thin and compact body and a redesigned S Pen included in the box, the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is the ideal tablet for taking quick notes and enjoying your favourite content.   Tablets have showcased their flexibility recently as many people navigate between marathon video streaming sessions and video calls with the family and office. With more people working from home, devices such as the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite make a meaningful difference. Moving between rooms is also effortless as the device becomes the perfect middle-ground for content consumption and communication. And with the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite – a whole lot more.   “We understand how life has evolved as our work bec

Brand Africa research proves Samsung’s enduring popularity in Africa At the 7th annual Brand Africa 100, Samsung was recognised as Africa’s most admired technology brand in the Electronics/Computer category. The continents best-loved 100 brands were revealed in a global broadcast across multiple platforms which coincided with the opening of the stock exchanges in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa, to demonstrate brand value. Brand Africa 100 is the first and most comprehensive Pan-African study and ranking of brands in Africa.   “It’s fitting that the Brand Africa 100 rankings were released on Africa Day. Samsung has an ongoing focus on harnessing the power of technology to empower consumers and be a part of the continent’s growth and prosperity. This is demonstrated in upliftment projects including Samsung’s Engineering Academies which equip the youth to fulfil their true potential and work towards a brighter future for themselves and their communities,” said Dudu Mokholo, Chief Marketi

1Life , Samsung South Africa and  LifeQ  have partnered to launch a life insurance eco-system – 1Life Pulse. This partnership brings life insurance, technology and science together in a simple way, providing consumers with attainable, dynamic, long-term value for making better choices regarding their wellbeing.   1Life Pulse is backed by leading wearables and app technology and enables consumers to grow their life insurance cover, simply, by making better choices. 1Life Pulse is a sophisticated lifestyle monitor and management system that tracks and guides heart, activity and sleep – monitoring overall wellbeing. Every time you choose to get a little extra sleep or go for a walk, for example, you’re likely to grow your life cover by up to R216 per day, or up to R6 560 per month, starting from day one. Over two years, policyholders are able to grow their additional life cover by up to R200 000, as they grow their wellbeing   All qualifying new 1Life policyholders that take out cover for

The increasing complexity of information management, along with the growing digital maturity of smaller companies has been creating exciting growth opportunities in document management for office automation and technology resellers. This optimistic view should be dimmed by the arrival of COVID-19 but with the need for many South Africans to work from home (WFH) or work remotely, there is an increased reliance on accurate and flexible process management. The ability to pass paper documents around the office, for example leave and approval forms, may at least for a while, be a thing of the past. Obviously the South African economy needs to recover from the effects of Lockdown and the resulting economic downturn and many businesses will be focussing on survival in the short term. However, to fulfil the needs of the document management space, resellers will need to build strong solutions-selling capabilities and embrace a philosophy of partnering. That’s according to Kevin R

As a result of the outbreak of COVID-19, the adoption of digital and contactless payments is increasing at a rapid rate. With heightened awareness around hygiene and safety, more individuals are turning to these solutions as they look to avoid the handling and exchange of physical cash due to the risk of contamination.  “We are witnessing a shift in behaviour in the area of payments,” explains Andrew van der Hoven: Head of digital banking at Standard Bank “With concerns over cleanliness, customers are opting to rather make payments via online banking and mobile app banking or by using the tap-to-pay functionality when paying for items in the physical store.”  Even before the virus made its way to South Africa, digital and contactless payments were on the rise. These payment methods have shown significant growth over the last 12 months. Standard Bank’s popular mobile payments solution app SnapScan, for example, recorded annual turnover growth of around 65% in 2020.  Further