Hidden Digital Voter Manipulation Ahead of 2026 Elections
South Africa’s upcoming 2026 local government elections will be contested not only on the streets but also within the recommendation algorithms of major tech platforms, according to a new report by the Johannesburg‑based Campaign on Digital Ethics (CODE). The study finds that South African voters face “regulatory inequality,” with far weaker transparency, ad‑library access, and micro‑targeting oversight compared with the EU, UK and US. Platforms such as Meta, Google, X and TikTok apply differing political‑ad rules, but enforcement and data‑access tools remain limited in South Africa. CODE warns that generative‑AI content and undisclosed influencer campaigns could amplify misinformation ahead of the November 4 vote.
TVET College in POPIA Breach over Employee Data Exposure
The Information Regulator ruled that Central Johannesburg TVET College breached multiple provisions of South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) after employee verification reports were mistakenly emailed to staff not involved in a governance review. The college failed to...
Yoco Buys AI-Native Operating System Dyner
Fintech leader Yoco has acquired AI‑native operating system Dyner.ai, a platform that streamlines restaurant operations through inventory, supplier, reporting and margin management. The deal, undisclosed financially, signals Yoco’s shift from pure payments to a broader commerce and operations suite for...
AI-Driven Attacks Shrink Window for Vulnerability Remediation
AI is dramatically accelerating cyber‑attack speed, scale and cost efficiency, forcing enterprises to shrink remediation windows. Threat actors now use AI to automate social engineering, exploit identity, endpoint and cloud exposures, with average breakout times falling to 29 minutes. Pentera...
Committee Probes Gauteng Broadband Delays
The Gauteng Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on e‑Government flagged persistent shortfalls in the province’s broadband rollout, despite the Department of e‑Government reporting an 84% performance rating for Q4 2025/26. The committee highlighted missed targets for WAN, LAN and public Wi‑Fi sites...
Eskom Breaks Ground on 75MW Solar Plant
South Africa's state utility Eskom has broken ground on a 75 MW solar plant at the Lethabo Power Station, marking the first utility‑scale renewable project integrated into its coal‑fired fleet. The solar facility is expected to generate roughly 147 GWh per year,...
ITWebTV Biz: Prosperity with AI Is a Full-Stack Strategy
Huawei Enterprise South Africa’s new CEO Kui Zheng highlighted the continent’s accelerating AI adoption, noting that over two‑thirds of local enterprises are experimenting with generative AI and 15 % have approved tools. He emphasized that AI’s promise hinges on robust data,...
Afrihost’s Echo Acquisition Gets Green Light
The Competition Commission has given unconditional approval for Afrihost’s acquisition of Echo Service Provider. Afrihost, a South African ISP known for fibre and fixed‑wireless broadband, will now own Echo’s vendor‑neutral network‑and‑cloud aggregation platform, which includes SD‑WAN, MPLS VPN and multi‑cloud...
Mapping a Hack
Glenn Wilkinson, CEO of Agger Labs, used a fictional story about "Jane Hacker" at the ITWeb Security Summit 2026 to illustrate how easily a social‑engineering email can give a cyber‑criminal foothold in a South African bank. The scenario shows a...
My Advisor Brings Financial Coaching to FNB App
First National Bank (FNB) has introduced My Advisor, an AI‑powered financial coaching feature embedded in its mobile app. The tool pulls a customer’s banking data to deliver a unified dashboard covering spending, debt, savings, insurance, wealth and retirement planning, plus...
Home Affairs Goes Digital to Catch Ghosts
South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs will launch a digital identity‑verification platform on 15 June to pilot biometric checks on civil‑service employees, aiming to eliminate ghost workers that cost the state about R3.9 billion ($205 million) in 2025. The system, linked to the...
New Partnership to Drive Virtual Wheeling Growth
Open Access Energy (OAE) and technology firm Mezzanine have signed a reseller agreement to embed Mezzanine’s virtual wheeling platform into OAE’s Energypro suite. The joint solution lets corporate buyers, independent power producers and traders tap virtual wheeling without amending Eskom...
Investec Upskills Workforce for AI-Driven Banking
Investec Specialist Bank is mandating AI and cloud upskilling for its entire South African technology workforce, requiring all 1,100 staff to acquire foundational and advanced skills. The program embeds learning into performance plans, pairing formal Azure certification with informal peer‑learning...
Altron Declares Special Dividend as Profit Surges
South African tech conglomerate Altron posted a 25% jump in operating profit to R1.2 billion (≈$65 million) for the year ended 28 February, driven by its platform‑based businesses. EBITDA reached R2 billion (≈$108 million) and earnings per share rose 34% to 239 cents, prompting the board...
Incoming Lottery Operator Bets on Tech Innovation
Sizekhaya has been awarded South Africa’s fourth National Lottery and Sports Pools licence and will take over operations from Ithuba on 1 June 2025. The consortium is launching a digital overhaul that includes a redesigned website, a forthcoming mobile app, and...