Alphabet, the Google parent that has pioneered self-driving cars and quantum computing, is making its biggest bet much closer to home: online search. Applying artificial intelligence to the search business that made Google a household name remains the largest gambit for the company, Ruth Porat, Alphabet’s president and chief investment officer, said at the Reuters NEXT...
Year: <span>2024</span>
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Year in Review: Key trends in the South African retail Payments industry
Physical retail is as important as ever, which means that in-person payments continue to play a pivotal role in South Africa’s retail landscape. In light of this, continued investment has been directed toward in-person payment innovation, a trend that is expected to persist well into the foreseeable future. In-person payments refer to payments that occur...
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Saudi Arabia announced as a host 2034 FIFA World Cup
Saudi Arabia has been confirmed as host of the 2034 men’s World Cup. The Middle East nation was the sole bidder for the finals in ten years’ time, with an online Fifa Congress voting by acclamation in favour of its staging, despite the huge controversy surrounding the bid. The hosting rights for the centenary tournament...
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African Development Bank grants Madagascar $165 million loan to improve infrastructure and trade
The African Development Bank Group has approved a $165 million loan to Madagascar to develop critical trade corridors and improve regional connectivity. The funding, granted on 11 December 2024 in Abidjan, will support the third phase of a major infrastructure project to improve trade corridors across the country. Funding will be sourced from the African...
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Data democracy, much like political democracy, seeks to empower everyone for transformative change
In January, a Time Magazine article called 2024 a make-or-break year for democracy, with more than half of the planet’s population heading to the polls. South Africans saw peaceful democracy at play when the ruling party lost its majority for the first time since 1994. Dozens of other countries had elections with varying degrees of...
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Predicts Artificial Intelligence (AI) Advances will Shape Evolving Landscape of Cyber Threats and Defences says KnowBe4
KnowBe4, the world-renowned cybersecurity platform that comprehensively addresses human risk management, announced its 2025 cybersecurity predictions from its team of global industry experts. In 2024, the world witnessed cyber threats evolve faster than before primarily due to the rise in the number of and popularity of AI tools. These tools assist cybercriminals in refining and...
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Binance & AltSchool Africa partner to empower Africa’s young talent with scholarships
Binance has announced a partnership with AltSchool Africa to provide full-tuition scholarships to 500 young Africans. Kicking off in January 2025 to 31 December, this collaboration is aimed at addressing the digital skills gap in Africa by offering access to specialised education in fields such as software engineering, cybersecurity, sales and content creation, empowering learners...
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Ecobank Côte d’Ivoire and the International Finance Corporation partner to empower Ivorian women’s businesses
Ecobank Côte d’Ivoire has signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the International Finance Corporation to roll out the 10,000 Women initiative to enable Ecobank Cote d’Ivoire’s women small and medium-sized enterprises (WSME) clients to build their capacity, transform and grow their businesses. Speaking about the intended impact of this partnership, Paul-Harry Aithnard, Regional Executive...
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Man City and Puma allow fans design new third kit using AI-powered platform
English soccer giants Manchester City and sportswear brand Puma have launched kit design platform powered by artificial intelligence that will give fans the opportunity to create the club’s official third kit for the 2026/27 season. The Puma AI Creator was recently used by City players Ederson, Stefan Ortega and Rico Lewis, who designed the first-ever AI manufactured...
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Companies plan to increase IT Security budgets up to 9% in the next two years
Companies are planning to increase their investments in information security against the background of growing financial losses from cyber incidents. This trend was revealed in the recent Kaspersky’s IT Security Economics report. Kaspersky IT Security Economics is an annual report that unpicks the changes in budgets, breaches and business challenges affecting IT Security decision makers....