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Automechanika Johannesburg convened experts from South Africa’s automotive industry at its first CEO breakfast of 2026 at the South African German Chamber of Commerce, where speakers warned that the sector’s ability to compete and grow will hinge on tackling a deepening skills crisis, while responding decisively to rapid technological disruption. In his first official address …
Pretoria: Stellantis South Africa announces the opening of the new Bidvest McCarthy Centurion dealership reinforcing its Brand House Network and expanding access to key automotive brands across the Gauteng Province. The multi-franchise facility offers customers a modern retail experience that brings Citroën, FIAT, Jeep®, Opel, Peugeot, and the all‑new Leapmotor closer to the Centurion community. …
Pretoria: Prototypes of Jaguar’s new all-electric luxury four-door GT have begun their latest round of winter testing. Taking on extreme temperatures as low as minus 40°C in the Arctic Circle. The new four-door GT is undergoing the most rigorous global validation programme in Jaguar history, with 150 prototypes covering hundreds of thousands of kilometres across …
Emerald Resources, the energy, mining, and commodities subsidiary of Emerald Group (https://EmeraldGroup-Inc.com), and LVC Global Holdings have entered into a definitive agreement to merge their operations, forming Emerald Global Resources (EGR)—a next-generation natural-resource platform headquartered in Abu Dhabi.
The merger unites Emerald Resources' international footprint with LVC Global's Africa-focused asset acquisition and deal-origination capabilities, creating a fully integrated Pan-African platform focused on metals, minerals, oil and gas, and integrated resource logistics.
EGR is structured to attract global institutional capital—including private equity firms, sovereign wealth funds, hedge funds, family offices, and ultra-high-net-worth individuals—seeking scalable, de-risked exposure to high-quality natural-resource assets across the Global South.
“This merger creates an execution-driven platform that global investors have been waiting for,” said C. Derek Campbell, Executive Chairman of LVC Global Holdings. “EGR brings together institutional scale, sector expertise, and deep local access.”
“EGR positions us to build a world-class natural-resources enterprise headquartered in Abu Dhabi, with the capacity to scale across Africa's most strategic markets,” added N'Gunu Tiny, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Emerald Group.
EGR will integrate upstream asset acquisition, midstream logistics solutions, and commodity commercialization under a unified governance framework designed to meet the expectations of multinational investors.
Emerald Global Resources is expected to commence operations at once following regulatory and corporate approvals.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Emerald Group.
Contacts:
Investor Relations
Raúl Bragança Neto
rb@emeraldgroup-inc.com
General information
info@emeraldgroup-inc.com
T: +971 4 452 7272
About LVC Global Holdings:
LVC Global Holdings is a natural-resources asset acquisition and deal-origination platform founded in Washington, D.C. and headquartered in Abu Dhabi with a point of presence in London. The firm focuses on optimizing and monetizing metals, minerals, and energy assets across emerging and frontier markets, leveraging extensive sector expertise and networks across both public and private sectors.
About Emerald Group:
Emerald Group is a global diversified investment conglomerate headquartered in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), with core verticals spanning finance and investment, energy and natural resources, and media and communications. The Group maintains offices in the UAE, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Angola, South Africa, and China.
Africa's digital commerce economy is growing fast, but not without friction. Fragmented retail, inconsistent data, complex payments, rising fraud risk and disconnected customer journeys continue to slow down scale for retailers, brands and marketplaces across the continent.
Converge Africa 2026 will place these challenges at the centre of its agenda, as the continent's leading digital commerce, fintech and retail technology players gather from 4 to 6 May 2026 at the CTICC in Cape Town to define what frictionless, borderless and trusted digital trade should look like for Africa.
The event today confirms Intent HQ as Diamond Sponsor, Absa Bank as Platinum Sponsor, and BEES as Gold Sponsor, three organisations operating at different layers of the commerce stack, united by a common mission: enabling African businesses to trade smarter, faster and at scale.
Converge Africa unites leaders across Retail and eCommerce, Digital Marketing, Payments and Fintech, Digital Security, and Fulfilment, Logistics and Last Mile for three days of strategy, technology and high value meeting introductions.
The real challenge: turning African digital growth into profitable, scalable commerce
Across Africa, digital adoption is accelerating. Consumers are shopping online, mobile payments are mainstream, and informal retail is rapidly digitising. Yet many organisations are struggling to convert this growth into sustainable, profitable digital commerce.
Retailers battle with disconnected customer data and slow decision making.
Brands struggle to digitise fragmented trade networks.
Marketplaces face trust, fraud and cross border payment complexity.
Customers expect personalised, real time experiences without sacrificing privacy.
Converge Africa 2026 is designed to tackle these realities head on, bringing together the platforms, infrastructure and intelligence required to build the next generation of African digital commerce. Expect main stage keynotes, track led content, hands on workshops, an exhibition of market ready solutions, and structured networking to enable meaningful partnerships and tangible ROI.
It is within this context that Intent HQ, Absa Bank and BEES take centre stage.
"Scaling digital commerce in Africa requires more than a single solution, it requires intelligence, infrastructure and execution working together. Converge Africa brings that full commerce stack into one room. " said Terry Southam, Group Director of Retail - Converge Africa.
Sponsor announcements and why they matter now
Intent HQ: powering real time, privacy first customer decisioning (Diamond Sponsor)
Intent HQ is the Human to AI Context Company that helps enterprises anticipate and activate real customer intent in real time, safely and at scale. Its flagship platform, IntentOne, sits between enterprise data estates and execution channels to orchestrate the moments that matter.
It detects intent signals, recommends next best actions, and activates decisions instantly across existing martech and experience stacks without replacing them. By combining always on data with on device Edge AI, Intent HQ delivers higher conversion, loyalty and lifetime value under strict privacy and security governance.
At Converge Africa, retailers and marketplaces will see live demos of IntentOne's Customer Intent Engine, showing how to align engagement to true shopper readiness, improve decision velocity for promotions and service recovery, and prove measurable uplift with responsible AI. This speaks directly to the data fragmentation and personalisation challenges facing South African e commerce.
“We're excited to return to Converge Africa to showcase our award-winning Agentic Customer AI. By understanding behavior and intent, we help brands deliver smarter, more inclusive digital services.”
- Jonathan Woolf, Chief Revenue Officer, Intent HQ
Absa Bank: enabling trusted, scalable digital commerce (Platinum Sponsor)
Absa Bank is a leading pan African financial services group serving retail, business and corporate clients with acquiring, payments, embedded finance and risk solutions across the continent. Absa stands out by blending African insight, strong digital ambition, responsible banking, and human centred leadership to create real economic impact, not just financial results.
Absa's presence underscores the centrality of secure, seamless payments to e commerce growth. Delegates can expect insights on cross border enablement, fraud and digital security, omnichannel merchant services, and the rails that support scalable digital trade, core to resolving payment complexity and trust deficits in South Africa's online market.
BEES: digitising the retail value chain at scale (Gold Sponsor)
BEES is a global B2B digital commerce platform connecting FMCG brands with millions of independent retailers. Through a single app, retailers can order, pay, access promotions and insights, while suppliers unlock data driven route to market, trade activation and loyalty at scale.
BEES brings proven playbooks for digitising fragmented retail, which is critical in Africa's mixed trade landscape. Delegates can expect practical sessions on retailer onboarding, in app merchandising, incentives, and how first party trade data can drive better demand planning, fulfilment and ROI for brands and distributors. This directly addresses the fragmentation and execution gaps holding back South African e commerce.
“BEES is a B2B digital commerce platform that elevates every interaction with our retailers from ordering to delivery. Powered by AI, it enables us to influence retailers more successfully, improve sales effectiveness, and deliver superior service, resulting in stronger performance.” - Representative BEES.
How Converge Africa 2026 addresses today's pain points
Retail and eCommerce: Connecting channels and data to create seamless journeys and increase decision velocity at the point of need.
Digital Marketing: Operationalising real time intent to lift acquisition efficiency and lifetime value, while protecting privacy.
Payments and Fintech: Building trusted, scalable rails for omnichannel commerce, including cross border, risk and fraud controls.
Digital Security: Hardening the ecosystem against evolving threats with enterprise grade governance, identity and compliance.
Fulfilment, Logistics and Last Mile: Turning demand into on-time delivery through better planning, inventory visibility and execution.
About Converge
Africa Converge Africa is the continent's leading platform for digital commerce leaders to connect, learn and grow. Held annually at the CTICC in Cape Town, the event convenes retailers and eCommerce brands, payments and fintech innovators, cybersecurity specialists, logistics and last-mile providers, and digital marketers to shape the future of Africa's online economy.
Converge Africa 2026 4–6 May, CTICC, Cape Town
Frictionless digital commerce. Transacting seamlessly, without borders.
Registration & Sponsorship
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of VUKA Group.
Additional Link:
https://apo-opa.co/3ZcWVRe
Mining Review Africa invites readers to explore the latest developments shaping the mining industry in Issue 1 of its digimag, now available as a free download.
This edition takes a closer look at how technology is supporting more sustainable mining practices, including the growing role of artificial intelligence in shaping the mine of the future. It also examines how strategic partnerships across the sector are helping to build sustainable communities and deliver long-term value beyond extraction.
Packed with project updates, industry insights and expert perspectives, Mining Review Africa Issue 1 offers practical and relevant content for mining professionals across the continent.
Inside your FREE digimag:
Readers can access all this and more in the free digital edition.
Click here to download your free copy: https://apo-opa.co/4qQiRxz
Join the MRA community today and sign up for news and views here: https://apo-opa.co/4k95yWx
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of VUKA Group.
Friday, 30 January 2026: Eskom’s power system continues to demonstrate stability, driven by sustained advances under the Generation Recovery Plan and further improvements in the Energy Availability Factor. Together, these developments are enhancing operational reliability and supporting South Africa’s long-term energy security. The Energy Availability Factor (EAF) further increased to 64.95% year to date (1...
A new chapter begins as the first LEPAS L4 vehicles depart Port Taicang in China, bound for South Africa, signalling the arrival of a bold new era in intelligent, elegant mobility. With refined performance, striking design, and intelligent innovation, the L4 is set to captivate South African drivers and redefine expectations in its segment. LEPAS …
By Toni Anderson, Head of Home Services at Standard Bank: The South African Reserve Bank’s decision to hold the repo rate steady provides welcome certainty for homeowners and prospective buyers, reinforcing a period of stability in the residential property market. While interest rates remain unchanged, the cumulative effect of earlier rate cuts has already begun …
Invest Africa (http://www.InvestAfrica.com) and global corporate intelligence and cyber security consultancy S-RM (http://apo-opa.co/4qHDgVH) have renewed their partnership for the third year in 2026. The partnership reinforces a shared commitment to advancing trade and investment across the African continent.
Building on a strong year of collaboration in 2025, the partnership will deliver valuable insights and high-quality engagement across Invest Africa's three flagship events:
Together, these events promote robust cross-sector dialogue and collaboration to advance trade and investment across the continent. Throughout the year, S-RM will also support Invest Africa's members and wider network on a range of integrity and ESG due diligence remits.
Building on this momentum, Invest Africa and S-RM will continue to empower businesses and investors in 2026 by delivering actionable intelligence, tailored to an evolving geopolitical and regulatory landscape. They will also curate strategic events, thought leadership and insights to inform organisations seeking to invest in Africa.
Deepening strategic intelligence and market insight
With two decades of experience in Africa, S-RM helps Invest Africa's network navigate opportunities and risks across the continent with industry-leading intelligence, resilience and response solutions.
Commenting on the renewal, Chantelé Carrington, CEO, Invest Africa, said: “We're delighted to renew this partnership, which has proven to be an asset to our network, providing critical insights and solutions in a rapidly evolving business landscape, supporting informed investment decisions across Africa. In 2025, S-RM helped elevate our flagship events – from the Mining Series to the Africa Debates in London and now the UAE. We look forward to continuing to work together to unlock opportunity and promote sustainable growth across Africa.”
Matt Venturas, Head of sub-Saharan Africa, Corporate Intelligence, S-RM, said: “We are delighted to enter another year as Invest Africa's intelligence partner, having collaborated closely over the past two years. 2025 saw us broadening networks and unlocking opportunities throughout Africa, the UK, and the UAE – and we expect to build on these successes in 2026 through this key partnership. I'm looking forward to connecting with many of the Invest Africa members at the Mining Series in Cape Town next month, and throughout the year.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Invest Africa.
For further information, please contact:
George Meadows
Invest Africa
George.meadows@investafrica.com
Adam Kellett
Rostrum
s-rm@rostrum.agency
About Invest Africa:
Invest Africa is a leading business and investment platform, using over seventy years' experience in Africa to provide our network with unique information and exposure to business opportunities.
Our global footprint includes over 400 member companies, encompassing multinationals, private equity firms, institutional investors, development finance institutions, professional service organisations, government bodies, and entrepreneurs.
With presence in the UK, UAE, US, South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria, we connect our network through our extensive global reach, market intelligence, and exposure to business opportunities.
As the trusted entry point into Africa, we support and connect businesses and investments through our membership, dynamic events programme, and consultancy services.
Our vision is to play a central and influential role in Africa's socio-economic growth by guiding sustainable capital towards key opportunities on the continent.
Find out more at www.InvestAfrica.com
About S-RM:
S-RM is a corporate intelligence and cyber security consultancy. Founded in 2005, we have 400+ practitioners globally, serving clients across all regions and major sectors. We support our clients by delivering intelligence that informs strategy and decision-making; by supporting them in building resilience to cyber threats; and by providing rapid response to cyber incidents and other organisational crises. We partner with leading organisations, supporting them at all levels, from CEOs and their boards through to front-line teams.
Find out more at www.S-RMinform.com.
Chatsworth, KwaZulu-Natal – Mitsubishi Motors South Africa in partnership with AmaZulu FC, has rolled out a high impact Back to School initiative anchored in community upliftment and stakeholder value creation. This year’s beneficiary, Lamontville High School, holds deep emotional resonance for the club, it’s the alma mater of AmaZulu goalkeeper Olwethu Mzimela, a proud son …
The infrastructure for digital trade in East Africa is finally catching up to its entrepreneurial energy. What happens in 2026 […]
Benin’s smallholder dairy farmers need development finance to plant shady trees on the land where their cattle graze, to improve cattle health.
With millions of Kenyans already trading, saving and earning through crypto, the question is no longer whether adoption will continue, […]
Wednesday, 28 January 2026: Eskom, the Government of the Netherlands and the Mpumalanga provincial government officially launched the Grootvlei Climate Smart Horticulture Centre at the Grootvlei Power Station yesterday, marking a practical milestone in linking South Africa’s Just Energy Transition to new local economic opportunities in climate-smart food production and skills development. The partnership will...
A 20-dealer national footprint and immersive showroom concept will support iCAUR’s phased entry into the South African market. Expressive new energy vehicle (NEV) brand iCAUR has announced key details of its dealership rollout strategy ahead of its official entry into the South African market. The brand will launch with an initial network of 20 dealerships, …
The Automobile Association (AA) has expressed concern following the latest #SaferCarsForAfrica campaign crash test results from Global NCAP, which reveal that the Toyota Corolla Cross has received a two-star rating for adult occupant protection, due to the absence of standard side head protection. Despite achieving three stars for child occupant protection, the results clearly demonstrate …
Johannesburg – GWM South Africa has reinforced its commitment to community upliftment through the delivery of back-to-school support packs to foundation phase learners at four primary schools in Tembisa, as part of its Giving More corporate social investment (CSI) programme. The initiative forms part of GWM’s ongoing partnership with the Rally to Read Foundation, which …
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) calls on business leaders and investors to take a firm stand against the R100 billion BEE fund proposed by the ANC Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau. The original aim of Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) – to economically empower black South Africans – has not been […]
The post Business community should take a firm stand against ANC’s proposed R100 billion BEE fund appeared first on Freedom Front Plus.
Kaspersky's (www.Kaspersky.co.za) latest global research shows that mostly all people currently interact with their family members digitally: 86% of all survey participants communicate with family via messaging apps, 58% have regular video calls, and 44% have even established joint streaming service accounts. In South Africa, the statistics showed a similar trend: 91% communicate with family via messaging apps, 68% have regular video calls, and 53% have joint streaming service accounts. While digitalisation offers unprecedented convenience and flexibility in family communication, Kaspersky experts warn that this increased online connectivity demands a heightened awareness of digital safety practices and the protection of devices.
Communication in the digital sphere has become an integral part of everyday life. Thanks to video calls and instant messaging, we can maintain connections with our loved ones, no matter where we are. Digitalisation has reshaped not only how we communicate, but also how we spend our free time together. Kaspersky has conducted a survey* to reveal the common patterns of modern family life in the digital age and discover the cybersecurity challenges that lurk beneath our screen interactions.
Cyber safety during family communication
According to the survey, regular messaging via WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Viber and other messenger apps were top of users' choices when communicating with their families. Globally, people in the 35-54 age group were the most likely to engage this way, with 89% of respondents choosing this option. Video calls were a much less popular option among all survey respondents as a way of keeping in touch with relatives, with only 58% choosing this digital solution.
Another popular way of staying connected online for many families is exchanging posts and memes on social media and messengers (53% globally and 51% in South Africa). The 18-34 age group globally leads this trend with a 58% participation rate, showcasing how humor and shared cultural references are becoming essential family bonding mechanisms.
The older generation (above 55 years old) is in general less digitally engaged than other ages, though the share of those globally who chat with their families in messengers is on par with the average (85%). 42% of this age group even exchange memes and posts via social media. Despite the fact that older people are more active in the digital sphere, they may still not be ready to face cyber threats and scams. Users should therefore educate (https://apo-opa.co/4sZ0Crj) their older relatives on how to stay safe online and use gadgets securely.
Even for advanced users, communication online carries potential cyber security risks. From phishing attempts disguised as legitimate messages to sophisticated social engineering attacks, the digital battlefield operates within our most personal communication channels. To ensure complex protection for your messengers, it's highly recommended to enable two-factor authentication where possible, use unique, complex passwords for each account, remain skeptical of unexpected links or attachments, use a reliable security solution (https://apo-opa.co/4rjPEv4) with anti-phishing protection for messengers, and follow security tips (https://apo-opa.co/4t5blk6) from Kaspersky experts.
Family accounts – convenience or risk?
The survey shows that in their free time 70% of all participating families choose to watch movies together, with 44% having family streaming accounts. Online games do not have such popularity as a family pastime, with only 35% of general respondents opting for them. In South Africa, 78% of families choose to watch movies together, 53% have family streaming accounts, and 35% choose online games as a family pastime.
While sharing streaming subscriptions and gaming accounts may seem like a cost-effective solution, it opens the door to a host of digital vulnerabilities that can compromise your family's security and privacy, especially when an account is used by different family members under the same login and password. Such accounts create a perfect storm for security breaches. If one family member's device is compromised, hackers gain access to the entire account. Additionally, password reuse across multiple platforms means that a single breach could expose your financial information, email accounts, and other sensitive data. To manage all passwords securely, it's highly recommended to use a password manager (https://apo-opa.co/4qFEOQ1) for all family members.
“As our family life moves more and more online, it opens up amazing ways to stay close and create memories – but it also brings new risks, like scams and hacking. Kids and older relatives can be especially at risk, so looking out for each other online is really important. Protecting your digital privacy and using cybersecurity measures is an important way to care for your loved ones and keep your family safe”, comments Marina Titova, Vice President for Consumer Business at Kaspersky.
* The study was conducted by Kaspersky's market research center in November 2025. 3000 respondents from 15 countries (Argentina, Chile, China, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, UK, United Arab Emirates) took part in the survey.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Kaspersky.
For further information please contact:
Nicole Allman
nicole@inkandco.co.za
Follow Kaspersky:
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About Kaspersky:
Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company founded in 1997. With over a billion devices protected to date from emerging cyberthreats and targeted attacks, Kaspersky's deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into innovative solutions and services to protect individuals, businesses, critical infrastructure, and governments around the globe. The company's comprehensive security portfolio includes leading digital life protection for personal devices, specialized security products and services for companies, as well as Cyber Immune solutions to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. We help millions of individuals and nearly 200,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them. Learn more at www.Kaspersky.co.za.
The global digital economy is driving an unprecedented surge in electricity demand from data centers and IT infrastructure. Worldwide, uninterruptible power supply demand for IT equipment alone is forecast to reach 249 GW by 2030, with total installed capacity, including cooling and ancillary loads, expected to climb to 374 GW. For Africa, where digitalization, cloud adoption and mobile services are accelerating, this trend presents both a challenge and an opportunity. According to the African Energy Chamber's (AEC) (https://EnergyChamber.org) State of African Energy 2026 Outlook, data centers are poised to become a transformative force within the continent's power markets, reshaping investment priorities ahead of African Energy Week (AEW) 2026.
Data Centers as Catalysts for Power Investment
Africa's digital transformation is gaining momentum, particularly in markets such as South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and Egypt. The growing demand for cloud infrastructure is emerging as a powerful driver for electrification, positioning data centers as stable, long-term anchor customers for power systems. Unlike traditional loads, data centers require large volumes of reliable, uninterrupted electricity, creating predictable and bankable demand. This reliability strengthens the case for new generation capacity and grid expansion.
The effects extend beyond power markets. Data center development supports job creation, stimulates technology ecosystems and enhances Africa's competitiveness in the global digital economy. Hyperscale operators are increasingly prioritizing sustainability and efficiency, accelerating innovation in renewable energy procurement, storage and demand management – trends that align closely with Africa's long-term energy transition goals.
Challenges to Address
Despite the potential, Africa's data center-driven power transformation faces structural hurdles. Reliable electricity supply remains uneven, with frequent outages and limited redundancy undermining operational resilience. Sustainable cloud infrastructure also depends on coordinated policy frameworks, investment incentives, robust telecom regulation and regional collaboration.
Historically, Europe-based data centers serviced much of Africa's digital demand. Rising latency requirements and growing data sovereignty regulations, which increasingly mandate local storage, are making this model unsustainable. In response, global cloud providers are adopting pan-African strategies, establishing local presence, and accelerating demand for domestic data center capacity. Unlocking this opportunity will require governments, investors and utilities to strengthen grids, enable multiple supply points, and create an environment conducive to long-term infrastructure investment.
AEW 2026 will play a central role in facilitating these discussions, bringing together policymakers, financiers, developers and the broader energy industry to explore collaboration as a driving force behind Africa's data-driven power development.
Emerging Case Studies
Successful examples illustrate the transformative potential of data centers for power investment. South Africa is Africa's largest and most mature data center market. With cloud zones from Microsoft and AWS already live and Google expected to follow, the country is evolving from a telecom-driven colocation model to a wholesale data center hub. Current utilization exceeds 83%, projected to surpass 94% by 2030, with demand concentrated around Johannesburg and Cape Town. Strong foreign investor interest reinforces South Africa's role as a regional anchor market.
Kenya is emerging as East Africa's fastest-growing hub, with around 40 MW of IT load capacity and a projected 30% CAGR through 2028. The market is being shaped by proactive digitalization policies and flagship initiatives such as the Konza National Data Centre under Vision 2030. By 2029, total supply is expected to exceed 155 MW, positioning Kenya as a critical node in Africa's distributed cloud future.
“Data centers are no longer just a technology story – they are an energy story. If Africa gets the power framework right, digital infrastructure can unlock investment, strengthen grids and accelerate inclusive growth across the continent,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, AEC.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.
Cassava Technologies (www.CassavaTechnologies.com), a global technology leader of African heritage and AXON Networks (AXON) (www.AXON-Networks.com), a global leader in intelligent network platforms, today announced a strategic partnership to co-develop, deploy, and manage Africa's first end-to-end Operator-as-a-Service (OaaS) platform (https://apo-opa.co/49XR2we).
A bold step in unlocking Africa's AI and digital future, customers and service providers will leverage AXON's AI-ready, real-time, multi-tenant, digital twin-enabled platform across Cassava's extensive high-speed fibre backbone to connect millions of people and businesses across the continent and unlock new pathways for economic development and innovation.
The partnership was announced at Counder Conference 2026 (https://apo-opa.co/4pZn2pB) in Cape Town, South Africa, the flagship event of the Counder visionary leadership network, where 500 global investors, family office principals and corporate decision-makers meet for one of the largest international private capital gatherings ever assembled in the Southern Hemisphere.
“As businesses of all sizes continue to digitise their operations, the need is for cost-effective, flexible, high-performance network solutions that reduce time-consuming manual design and configurations. By partnering with AXON Networks, we are moving beyond traditional hardware-centric infrastructure to create a truly programmable, AI-managed network, which will significantly reduce operational costs and increase access to customers and service providers”, said Hardy Pemhiwa, President & Group CEO of Cassava Technologies. “This transformation allows us to treat our pan-continental fibre network as a dynamic digital platform, enabling us to provision and modify customer networks in near real-time, rather than days or weeks. We are going beyond connectivity to becoming a partner in the digital transformation journeys of our customers”.
This AI-first connectivity platform becomes the foundation for accelerating digital transformation for African businesses of all sizes, including other telecommunications service providers. The Operator-as-a-Service platform will deliver secure, private, high-speed data infrastructure, enabling mobile network operators, LEO satellite providers and internet service providers (ISPs) with unprecedented agility, intelligence, and reach. It is designed to support these service providers in unlocking new opportunities for growth, innovation, and AI adoption.
“Partnering with Cassava, with its unmatched fibre footprint across the continent and investment in AI-enabled data centres, to integrate our Operator-as-a-Service platform with real-time digital twin technology at this scale, is incredibly exciting,” said Martin Manniche, CEO and founder of AXON Networks. “We're not just mirroring networks — we're virtualising an entire infrastructure into a live AI-driven ecosystem that will leverage this extensive backbone, including Cassava's planned AI-powered factory, to bring growth, prosperity, and the promise of AI sovereignty to Africa and its people. This is a transformational opportunity to provide the foundational platform for the AI economy across the African continent and redefine the future for generations to come, and we couldn't have found a better partner than Cassava to bring this vision to fruition.”
"We are honored that Cassava Technologies and AXON Networks have chosen Counder Conference 2026 as the platform for this groundbreaking announcement," said Michel Weiss, Founding Partner and CEO, and Leonard Stiegeler, Founding Partner and Chairman of Counder. "This partnership exemplifies exactly what Counder is designed to foster: trusted connections between visionary leaders that spark meaningful collaboration and drive tangible impact. When world-class organizations come together in Cape Town to advance their work in emerging trends & markets, we see the power of our mission in action: connecting leaders to collaborate on tomorrow's most important opportunities."
AXON's breakthrough OaaS solution creates a living, dynamic model of Cassava's fibre network, comprising more than 110,000 km of terrestrial and submarine fibre, satellite capacity, and wireless connectivity. By turning networks into self-learning, autonomous, self-optimising systems, AXON's Digital Twin technology reduces operational complexity, accelerates service delivery, introduces cost efficiencies, and ensures resilient connectivity at scale.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Liquid Intelligent Technologies.
About Cassava Technologies:
Cassava Technologies is a global technology leader of African heritage providing a vertically integrated ecosystem of digital services and infrastructure enabling digital transformation. Headquartered in the UK, Cassava has a presence across Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and the United States of America. Through its business units, namely, Cassava AI, Liquid Intelligent Technologies, Liquid C2, Africa Data Centres, and Sasai Fintech, the company provides its customers' products and services in 94 countries. These solutions drive the company's ambition of establishing itself as a leading global technology company of African heritage. www.CassavaTechnologies.com
About AXON Networks:
AXON Networks (www.AXON-Networks.com) is a global leader in intelligent network platforms, known for its award-winning Digital Twin technology that enables real-time, predictive, and self-optimizing operations. Its operator-as-a-service platform is used by service providers and enterprises worldwide to unlock the full potential of advanced networks, accelerate new services, and deliver superior customer experiences. AXON Network's platforms are relied upon by over 30 leading global operators to enhance the broadband experiences and optimize the advanced services delivery to over 87 million broadband households and businesses.
Mukuru (www.Mukuru.com), a leading next-generation financial services platform, has been certified as a Top Employer 2026 in South Africa and Zimbabwe. This achievement places Mukuru among Africa's most progressive workplaces. The recognition shows that local companies can meet global standards in employee practices while improving financial inclusion in their markets. It also highlights how a strong culture and empowered teams are key to achieving sustainable growth led by technology.
This is Mukuru's third consecutive Top Employer certification in South Africa and its second in Zimbabwe, making it the first financial services and technology company in Zimbabwe to receive this honour. The Top Employers Institute evaluates organisations based on their people strategy, culture, talent development, diversity, well-being, and leadership. The certification comes after a detailed assessment against international standards.
Mukuru's recognition reflects positive results within its workforce, such as lower turnover, quicker hiring, better performance, and improved well-being indicators. Its recruitment approach relies on structured data and behavioural insights, earning global recognition and featuring Mukuru's practices on the Top Employers Institute's knowledge hub.
“These accolades confirm the daily experience of our people,” said Andy Jury, CEO of Mukuru. “In fast-changing markets, success relies on teams that feel supported and empowered. Culture is part of strategy; it drives impact at scale.”
“Being a Top Employer reflects how people experience leadership, growth, and belonging every day,” added Savina Harrilall, Chief People Officer. “Our teams in South Africa and Zimbabwe have created a culture that is both high-performing and human, and this recognition reflects their contribution.”
The dual-country certification highlights Mukuru's ability to use global standards in a relevant way for local markets. This is essential for organisations working across diverse African countries. It also strengthens Mukuru's employer brand with employees, partners, and stakeholders, reinforcing its long-term commitment to building inclusive workplaces that promote growth and innovation.
As Mukuru expands across the continent, investing in people remains central to its strategy. This focus ensures resilience, performance, and significant impact.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Mukuru.
Tuesday, 27 January 2026: Eskom welcomes the firm sentence handed down by the Ermelo District Court against Mr Simeon Majaonke Shongwe, a former Howden contractor employee, convicted of tampering with essential infrastructure and theft that caused damages of more than R22 million and disrupted operations at Camden Power Station, a designated National Key Point, in...