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Tag: South Africa

Africa Business South Africa Southern Africa World 

Protection of Personal Information Act: How will it impact SA’s payments landscape?

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , , ,

– – The Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA) came into full effect from 1 July 2021. The Act is the comprehensive data protection legislation that obliges organisations to lawfully process the personal information of data subjects (both natural and juristic persons) by applying specific principles and conditions. But how will it affect the payments space specifically? “As businesses in the payments industry process copious amounts of personal information, they now have to change many elements of the way they operate in order to accommodate the Act,” says Cecil…

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Africa Business South Africa Southern Africa World 

Cannabis production as source of revenue for pandemic-stricken countries

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , , ,

– – Medical and adult use cannabis production could provide new sources of taxable revenue for countries seeking to recover financially in the aftermath of the pandemic. Recent legal developments in South Africa point to a growing attempt to harness the plant’s potential and ensure adequate control of the cultivation and sale of cannabis products. In April 2021, the South African Government proposed a draft national master plan with the aim of loosening regulations in the cannabis industry in order to boost economic development. The plan looks at the prospect…

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Africa South Africa Sports World 

South African footballers first to have Covid at Olympic village

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , , ,

– – Two South Africa footballers have become the first competitors to test positive for coronavirus in the athletes’ village in Tokyo – five days before the start of the Olympic Games. Meanwhile, six athletes and two staff members from Team GB’s athletics team are self-isolating after being identified as close contacts of an individual who tested positive on their flight to Japan on 15 July. South Africa’s Football Association confirmed Thabiso Monyane and Kamohelo Mahlatsi as their positive cases. The South Africa football team’s video analyst Mario Masha also tested…

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Africa South Africa Southern Africa World 

African Union calls for peace in South Africa amid deadly unrest

Elwin Mandowa, , , , ,

– – Firefighters are also cleaning up the mess, helped by local residents wielding brooms. Police have also arrested hundreds of people for the violent unrest as the military makes efforts to bring the rioting under control. South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa met with leaders of political parties on Wednesday to discuss ways to address the unrest. “President Ramaphosa welcomed proposals made by political leaders and said expanded deployment of the South African National Defence Force was being addressed,” a government statement said. The jailing of a former president is…

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Africa South Africa Southern Africa World 

At least 45 killed in pro-Zuma violent protests in South Africa

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , , ,

– – At least 45 people have been killed amid the violent protests taking place in some provinces in South Africa over the jailing of former president Jacob Zuma. The protests mainly in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng have led to looting and destruction of some property. Gauteng Premier, David Makhura said on Tuesday that 19 people had died in the province since the start of the violence. 10 of those deaths were due to a stampede at the Ndofaya Mall in Meadowlands, Soweto on Tuesday morning. Meanwhile in KwaZulu-Natal, the Premier…

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Africa South Africa Southern Africa World 

South Africa: Military deployed amid deadly unrest over Zuma’s jailing

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , , ,

Soldiers have been deployed to areas in South Africa where deadly protests have continued to take place over the jailing of former president Jacob Zuma. The government is hoping the soldiers can quell the deadly unrest that sparked looting of shops and setting of buildings on fire on Monday. At least six people have been killed and 200 arrested since the unrest began last week. This is the first time such pro-Zuma protests are taking place on the streets after the former leader was processed for prison last Wednesday. He…

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Africa South Africa Southern Africa World 

South Africa: Violent protests spread over jailing of Jacob Zuma

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , , ,

– – The jailing of a former president is unprecedented in South Africa, which has been gripped by Zuma’s legal turmoil. Mr. Zuma has said that the apartheid government treated him better than the current one after he was last week found guilty of contempt of court. The verdict was delivered by the country’s constitutional court after he failed to appear and participate at the state capture inquiry. Mr. Zuma said going to jail without trial was something he fought against during the white-minority apartheid rule. “Sending me to jail…

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Africa South Africa Southern Africa World 

South Africa: Jacob Zuma in prison to serve 15-month jail term

Elwin Mandowa, , , , ,

– – Former South African president, Jacob Zuma has handed himself over to the police and has now been admitted to prison to serve his 15-month sentence for being in contempt of court. The Department of Correctional Services confirmed on Thursday that the former President was admitted to the Estcourt Correctional Centre in KwaZulu-Natal to begin serving his time. “Mr Zuma will be taken through all the admission processes as per DCS regulations. Other relevant prescripts pertaining to admitting and orientating newly incarcerated persons will also be followed and executed,”…

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Africa Business South Africa Southern Africa World 

Chatbots: The solution to SA’s service delivery woes?

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , , , ,

– – Finance Minister Tito Mboweni recently said that communities and businesses are becoming increasingly intolerant of municipalities that can neither deliver basic services nor conduct their administration effectively. With lack of employee capacity being one of the root causes of poor service delivery, Kyle Oosthuizen, Chief Operating Officer at Blue Robot, believes that chatbots could be a solution. He says: “Chatbots offer municipalities a way to service more people faster, more efficiently and more cost-effectively.  Anyone who has ever had to apply for anything from a municipal or government department…

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Africa South Africa Southern Africa World 

37-year-old South African woman gives birth to 10 babies

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , , , ,

– – A South African woman has set a new record by giving birth to 10 babies at a go on Monday night in Pretoria. Gosiame Thamara Sithole, 37 thus sets a new Guinness World Record held by Malian Halima Cissé, who gave birth to nine children in Morocco last month. Sithole gave birth to her decuplets, two more than doctors had earlier detected during the medical scans. Sithole, who has six-year-old twins, said that her pregnancy was natural and wasn’t on fertility treatment. Her husband Teboho Tsotetsi told IOL…

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