South Africans Less Exposed to QR Code Fraud, Despite International Worries

The war in Ukraine has added concerns to an already tense cybersecurity environment. What’s more, recent international coverage about scammers using QR codes to misdirect funds is fuelling fraud uncertainty. But South African consumers, while wise to remain vigilant, are well protected if they stick to a few simple QR guidelines. Quick Response or QR

SARB Green-lights New SME banking Platform from Lulalend, Access Bank

The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) has given regulatory approval for a new partnership designed to serve the SME sector exclusively. Powered by Access Bank South Africa Ltd, the collaboration with Lulalend will see the creation of Lula, a platform that will address common challenges SMEs face when managing finances. A 2020 McKinsey study showed

Telkom Pay Mobile Point-of-Sale Aims to Simplify Payments for SMEs in the Country

TELKOM Financial Services has launched the Telkom Pay Mobile Point-of-Sale (mPOS) app, a fintech tool that allows business owners to make and receive payments through their mobile phones. The app is aimed at simplifying business for small, micro, and medium enterprises (SMEs). Telkom said it was committed to providing SMMEs with solutions that would enable

ATMIA Announces 2022 ‘Improve the Costs of Cash White Paper Contest’

Do you have a solution to improve cash management and logistics that will help ATM deployers reduce costs? If so, the ATM Industry Association (ATMIA) wants to hear about it. ATMIA today announced the opening of its ‘Improving the Costs of Cash White Paper’ contest. ATMIA members worldwide are encouraged to submit a two-page document

Standard Bank and Woolworths Partner to Successfully Complete R600-million Sustainability Funding Deal

Standard Bank has partnered with Woolworths Holdings Limited to successfully conclude the first sustainability-linked working capital facility in South Africa to the value of R600 million. This partnership is testament to Woolworths’ commitment to achieving bold sustainability targets and realising its vision to be one of the world’s most responsible retailers. This working capital’s facility

Update on the South African Reserve Bank’s Disposal of its 50% Shareholding in African Bank Holdings Limited

On 1 June 2021 the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) announced its process to dispose of its 50% shareholding in African Bank Holdings Limited (ABHL), given the potential conflict as the regulator, the significant shareholder, and the lender of last resort to African Bank Limited. The SARB appointed a set of transaction advisers and proceeded

Visa, Bantu Collaborate to Foster Financial Inclusion in Africa, Other Economies

Visa, the world leader in digital payments, is collaborating with the Bantu Blockchain Foundation (Bantu), custodians of the Bantu Blockchain Network infrastructure, to connect its digital asset-linked Visa cards to the Bantu Network Token (XBN), a utility token developed by Bantu to facilitate fast and secure transactions on the Bantu blockchain. This integration is expected to directly

BIS Innovation Hub and Central Banks Of Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and South Africa Develop Experimental Multi-CBDC Platform for International Settlements

Project Dunbar developed two prototypes for a shared platform that could enable international settlements using digital currencies issued by multiple central banks. The platform was designed to facilitate direct cross-border transactions between financial institutions in different currencies, with the potential to cut costs and increase speed. The project identified challenges of implementing a multi-CBDC platform

Absa Group 2021 Earnings Increase on Lower Impairments, Higher Pre-provision Profit

*Salient points Revenue increased 6% to R85.9billion Operating costs rose 4% to R47.4 billion Cost-to-income ratio decreased to 55.2% from 56% Pre-provision profit increased 7% to R38.5 billion Impairments fell 59% to R8.5 billion Headline earnings per share increased to 2197 cents from 946.5 cents Return on equity improved to 15.8% from 7.2% Group CET

1Stream: Five Ways CRM Can Help Your Sales Team Close More Deals

When you give your sales team the right tools to effectively and efficiently manage clients and build a relationship with them, you positively impact your bottom line. 1Stream’s smart CRM is specifically designed to do just that and has helped transform organisations across various sectors in Southern Africa, which understand the value of building meaningful