Global smartphone shipments fell 6 per cent YoY to 272 million units in Q3 2026, according to data from Omdia. This follows the front-loaded demand seen in Q1 2026 which gave way to the adjustment phase of the memory cost cycle. Persistently high memory prices disrupted supply, increased component costs and forced vendors to rethink pricing, product portfolios and channel strategies. The result has been a sharply polarised market, with vendors’ performance increasingly determined by their scale, supply chain resilience, pricing power and exposure to entry-level smartphones. Vendor Highlights Market Dynamics: Headwinds reset industry priorities and create structural opportunities The...
VOICES | The Future Belongs to Builders, Not Destroyers writes John Sanei, Futurist and Trends Spotter
Every mission eventually becomes whatever it repeatedly practices. If a person, movement or organization is built on creating value, solving problems and improving the lives of others, those habits become stronger over time. However, when a mission is built on hatred, resentment or destruction, it eventually runs into a very different problem because, once the original enemy has been defeated, it needs another one. The identity was never about building. It was always about breaking. History offers endless examples of this pattern. A group of thieves may successfully rob a bank, but they rarely wake up the next morning with...
When is your payroll software a security risk?
How cloud-native payroll platforms give SMEs a security boost. “It won’t happen to us because we’re too small.” Many small and medium-sized businesses rely on this logic when it comes to cybercrime risks. Surely criminals will target a business that is larger, promising a handsome payoff for their efforts. Why would they care to go after a small company when there are much larger fish to target? Unfortunately, this is a dangerous myth. Online criminals frequently target small businesses, and they often focus on payroll software. “There are two things that every business should think about for security. First, large...
Toshiba TV Launches in South Africa, Bringing Japanese Engineering Excellence to Modern Homes
Backed by Hisense South Africa’s established service network, Toshiba TV introduces a curated range of premium televisions and electronic accessories, combining decades of Japanese craftsmanship with advanced display technology. Toshiba TV has officially entered the South African market, offering consumers access to a carefully curated range of premium televisions and electronic accessories. Combining decades of Japanese engineering excellence with cutting-edge display technology, Toshiba TV delivers exceptional entertainment experiences backed by trusted local service, support, and manufacturing capabilities. The launch marks a significant addition to South Africa’s consumer electronics landscape, one defined not by volume or noise, but by a deliberate...
6DOT50 and Supergroup dealerships complete South Africa’s first integrated cryptocurrency vehicle purchase
Hyperclear Ventures’ fintech subsidiary, 6DOT50, has successfully enabled its first integrated cryptocurrency vehicle purchase through Mercedes-Benz Constantiaberg, part of the Super Group Dealerships network in South Africa. The milestone transaction marks the launch of one of the world’s most comprehensive cryptocurrency payment solutions for motor dealerships, enabling customers to seamlessly purchase new and pre-owned vehicles using cryptocurrency through the 6DOT50 platform. Beyond vehicle purchases, customers can also use the solution to pay for a range of value-added products and dealership services, including extended warranties, maintenance and service plans, parts purchases and other related offerings available through participating Super Group Dealerships....
The Biggest TV Buying Question Isn’t How Big Your Screen Should Be
As televisions become bigger, brighter and more technologically advanced, the way consumers think about picture quality is changing too. For many South Africans, buying a new TV is no longer simply about finding the biggest screen that fits the living room. Increasingly, the conversation is shifting towards what makes an image look better: from deeper blacks and brighter highlights to more accurate, consistent colour. The challenge is that television technology has become increasingly complex, with terms such as OLED, QLED, Mini LED and Quantum Dot competing for consumers’ attention. For the average shopper, understanding what those technologies actually mean can...
Media mogul Oprah Winfrey to close South African girls’ Academy after nearly 20 years
Oprah Winfrey announced Wednesday she is closing the residential campus of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa, ending a nearly 20-year chapter to focus instead on an expanded scholarship program. The academy, located in Henley on Klip in Gauteng Province, will end operations in its current form at the close of the 2027 academic year, according to a statement from Winfrey. The provincial government’s Gauteng Department of Education will then take over the facility and continue running it as a school, per the terms of the academy’s original partnership agreement. “The dream was never simply to...
What the OpenAI security incident teaches us about workload identity
NBConsult’s Nicolas Blank says the OpenAI-Hugging Face incident is a warning about how organisations govern machine identities, not just AI models. Cape Town, South Africa – 30 July 2026 – The recent disclosure by OpenAI of a security incident involving Hugging Face has offered a practical, real-world illustration of what can happen when an autonomous system is given a goal, access to tools, and enough authority to pursue that goal across technical boundaries, according to Nicolas Blank, CTO of NBConsult, a Cyberlogic company. “According to OpenAI’s preliminary account, models being evaluated for advanced cyber capability found a way through a...
Thought Leadership: Everything as a Service begins with Organisational maturity
More than 82% of global enterprises adopted at least one Everything as a Service (XaaS) model in 2024, driven by accelerated digital transformation across industries. Seen as the natural evolution of cloud computing, XaaS now touches almost every business capability. Yet some organisations still hesitate to embrace it, doubting its value. According to Wayne Yan, CTO at Dariel, the reason has very little to do with technology: “Organisations do not become service-oriented because they consume cloud services, he says. They successfully consume cloud services because they have already matured into service-oriented enterprises.” Every business already operates through services, whether it recognises this...
Incoming Apple, CEO John Ternus promised to bring more Innovation and entertainment on TV
Incoming Apple, CEO John Ternus, says he is committed to building on the company’s momentum in the entertainment business when he takes the helm from Tim Cook on September 1st. Apple began offering original TV series and films through the Apple TV streaming app in 2019 and has found success with 2022 Best Picture winner Coda, Brad Pitt-fronted blockbuster F1: The Movie and TV shows such as Severance, The Morning Show, The Studio and Ted Lasso. “I think we have such tremendous momentum right now in Apple TV,” Ternus told Reuters. “There’s so many amazing shows, so many amazing characters and stories, and so we’re just...