Author: Editor
By Howard Feldman, Head of Marketing & People at Synthesis It could be a severe and even terminal case of Stockholm Syndrome. But after a few weeks out of South Africa, I started to miss the imperfections of home and even some of the characteristics that make living in the country a unique experience. After having been assailed relentlessly by interrupted power, there were times that I even felt a little left out of the “loadshedding” and corruption conversation. As though I had been removed from a club that I might not have asked to join, but had grown fond…
By Kim Furman, Synthesis Marketing Manager You may not know what the acronym stands for, but chances are, you are already benefitting from this technology. NFC or near field communication allows devices (smartphones, laptops and smart devices) to communicate by sharing data wirelessly. The catch – this exchange of data has a limited range of a few centimetres unlike Wifi or Bluetooth. But don’t overlook this technology. The limited range provides maximum security (as will be explained) and this technology packs a power punch when it comes to convenience. An example of NFC is how I seamlessly upgraded to my…
By Anna Branquinho, Product marketing associate at Trinity IoT Asset-tracking using Internet of Things (IoT) devices is not new. But as the technology evolves, so does the number of use cases extend beyond the traditional. In fact, tracking non-powered assets on a low or no-installation basis thanks to the availability of innovative hardware has the potential to be revolutionary. It is especially in agriculture and tracking of livestock like cows where this can be ground-breaking. South African farmers are turning towards IoT as a more effective way of introducing digitally-driven, smart agricultural practices. Earlier this year, Jon Deere announced their…
By Frikkie Malan, head of sustainability at Remote Metering Solutions The regulations for the mandatory display of building Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) in South Africa is expected to promote energy efficiency awareness and the improvement of building energy performance. EPCs will help property owners to identify which buildings represent the greatest potential for energy efficiency improvements. An EPC is a certificate that shows the energy performance of a building as a rating from A to G, with A being the most efficient and G the least efficient rating. In terms of the regulations, an EPC must be displayed in the…
By Tjaard du Plessis, Synthesis Head of Digital & Emerging Tech Here be Dragons! There’s something about that moment when you go: File > New. Together with the beauty of the blank page, the nothingness also invokes, fear. Fear of uncertainty. At the start of a project is when we know the least. Surely, we can’t be building software in such a state of unknown? What is needed is a way to eliminate uncertainty before we start, right? The traditional and maybe most intuitive approach is to analyse before you start, to carefully map out a plan. The tension of…
By Nelson Camara, Go-to-market Executive at SilverBridge Holdings Analysts expect insurers to focus on automating the marketing and sales functions. By doing so, insurers can embrace a data-driven marketing approach which enables personalised campaigns that are more relevant to customers. In turn, this will create an opportunity for insurers to access previously untapped revenue opportunities. As part of this, the injection of advanced data analytics can assist insurers to gain a better understanding of customer behaviour. This lets them become more relevant and increase the success rate of their end user engagements. Even before the developments of the past two…
Buying something and receiving it now while paying it off later seems designed to be helpful: It lets consumers enjoy things before they pay for it and enables purchasing without the liquid cash, letting people pay it off down the road. But the buy now, pay later (BNPL) model is laced with limitations and opens the door to unsavoury outcomes for consumers and the economy overall. The pitfall of paying something off later The BNPL design locks consumers into owing money, and if this is spread across merchants and unregulated lenders, it can cripple the future finances of the consumers…
Today’s digital-first business environment puts effective data management front and centre of the organisational strategy. And while the principles of backup and recovery still hold true, these have evolved to now encompass borderless visibility and on-demand access to all your data regardless of where it is stored, all managed through a single application with no hardware required. Redstor examines some of the considerations around choosing the right approach for the business. Helping hand The best partner is one that takes great technology and delivers it in a way that makes sense for the company. Of course, the solution is important.…
Coronation Fund Managers shakes up their category with the launch of their new advertising campaign. This vibrant creative execution is aligned with one of their simple and clear business objectives: “Inspire people to invest”. When analysing the investment category, two interesting trends were highlighted. Firstly, there is little differentiation within the category and secondly, for decades the category has been preaching patience and time. The absence of a strong call to action and urgency to invest immediately was stark. In promoting patience and time, the category inadvertently created a languid and passive audience. This explains why investing is something most…
Turkish Airlines have once again displayed their commitment to Cape Town by introducing the airline’s most advanced aircraft, the Dreamliner, on route from 1 April 2022. Regarded as one of the most advanced aircraft for its fuel efficiency and range flexibility, the 787-9 Dreamliner offers refined and luxurious comfort for its passengers from South Africa to Istanbul. Turkish Airlines’ Dreamliner has a seating capacity of 300 passengers, including 270 economy class seats and 30 exceptional business class seats. The modern cabins provide the perfect setting to enjoy Turkish Airlines’ award-winning on-board dining and in-flight entertainment. Within a spacious wide-body cabin…