New SA e-Commerce Regulations Published

South Africa’s National Treasury has published its Electronic Services Regulations for public comment, following last year’s budget requiring foreign businesses supplying e-books, music and digital services to register as value-added tax (VAT) vendors. The regulations, according to the National Treasury, are part of the government’s bid to bring e-commerce under the VAT regime, as currently

Standard Bank Group to Sell Controlling Stake in London-based Global Markets Business to ICBC

Standard Bank Group (Standard Bank or the Group) and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) have entered into a sale and purchase agreement in terms of which ICBC will acquire a controlling interest in Standard Bank’s London-based Global Markets business. ICBC will acquire, for cash, 60% of Standard Bank Plc, the Group’s UK

Latest Cyber Virus Highlights Importance of Secure Payment Network for SA Businesses

The variant of the Dexter virus – malware that attacks point-of-sale (POS) devices – which has resulted in financial losses for both South African banks and consumers highlights the importance for local businesses to utilise secure Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) that provide full protection against advanced threats. This is according to Mike White, Head of

Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria Lead in Mobile Banking

Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria, and the African continent as a whole, lead the world in the uptake of mobile banking, according to a new report by mobile trade association MEF. The first report in MEF’s Global Consumer Insights Series on Mobile Money said 82 per cent of consumers in Africa engaged in mobile banking,

Capitec Gets New CEO

Gerrie Fourie, Capitec Bank’s new CEO, starts his year on a high-note after a strong performance in 2013, but with ambitious plans to take the bank to new heights. Gerrie plans to focus on the continued delivery of friendly, simplified and pioneering banking, but with an even stronger focus on innovation to meet clients’ everyday

Nedbank Migrates to Oracle FLEXCUBE

Nedbank Limited, has selected Oracle FLEXCUBE to modernize its infrastructure and improve operating efficiency and customer service delivery. To help consolidate business operations and enhance the customer experience, Nedbank Limited will deploy Oracle FLEXCUBE to establish a single operating platform for its multi-country operations across five South African countries – Lesotho, Malawi, Swaziland, Namibia and

ReD and Setcom Partner to Fight Card-not-Present Fraud in South Africa

ReD, a fraud prevention provider, has announced a new four year agreement with South African headquartered payment gateway, Setcom. The agreement will make ReD’s industry leading ReD Shield fraud prevention solution available to Setcom’s global merchant base, as part of an integrated fraud and payments offering. The partnership will allow Setcom to offer ReD’s proven

New Technology for Municipal Bill Payments in SA

The recent merger of Bytes Technology Group (BTG) and Altech, has led to the establishment of the Technology Multimedia Telecoms (TMT) Division of Altron. Together, BTG and Altech are set to change the face of the financial administration of local government. The bringing together of these two established technology companies has allowed for the rapid

Spark ATM Cash Index South Africa – December

Latest statistics released by the Spark Cash Index (SCI), which measures the average value of cash withdrawals across more than 2 200 Spark Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) throughout South Africa, showed an increase in ATM withdrawal levels for December 2013. The SCI revealed a month-on-month increase of 2.97% in average cash withdrawal figures for December

5 Top South African Online Retail Trends for 2014

Online retailing has grown significantly in the last few years and increased online transactions are proving that South African consumers are feeling more and more comfortable translating their previously traditional purchasing habits to the more interactive and fast-paced online environment. Christy Turner, Co-Founder of Webtickets, the market leader in integrated online ticketing solutions in South