Author: Editor
Remote working has triggered a fundamental change in digital working and nomads now rule the workplace The world has changed. It has changed as fundamentally as it did when the wheel entered the transportation equation and electricity lit up the office. The world of work will never return to the humdrum run of traffic, office and watercooler gossip, not unless these are qualities that skilled employees are looking for in a business. Because this world of work is not one controlled by the organisation, it is one that has its terms and conditions dictated by the employee. For companies seeking…
The arrival of AWS in South Africa and the continuing evolution of the cloud have resulted in an enabling environment where businesses can embrace large-scale Internet of Things (IoT) projects. These can rapidly scale to meet any customer demand. This was one of the central themes discussed at the recent Trinity IoT Webinar held early in September. Panellists discussed the opportunities of IoT in a cloud-driven world. Ross Hickey, Founder and CEO of Trinity IoT, started proceedings by examining some of the changes in the local IoT landscape and how these have positively disrupted businesses. “We’ve walked a long journey…
By Muggie van Staden, MD and CEO of Obsidian Systems. Cloud-native technologies have become fundamental in helping enterprises drive innovation faster than before. The likes of Kubernetes, Docker, and serverless functions are the central building blocks when it comes to how applications are created and deployed, regardless of whether it is for a public, private, or hybrid cloud environment. As you know, containers package applications with the configuration and deployment files on which they depend. From a business perspective, this speeds up the time between development and deployment while empowering technology teams to accelerate delivery cycles. It is almost as…
What do a rock legend, the “First Lady of West End musicals” and a surgeon with a love of music have in common? A combined determination to keep the hearts of children in Africa beating. In a new initiative termed Young Hearts Africa, Cape Town cardiothoracic surgeon Dr Wilhelm Lichtenberg has joined forces with Queen guitar legend Brian May, West End and Broadway superstar Kerry Ellis and the Soweto Gospel choir, a two-time Grammy winner. Queen’s mega-hit song Who Wants To Live Forever was written by May for the motion picture Highlander in 1986. It has become one of the…
By Charlie Schoeman, Team Leader: Client Account Management at Remote Metering Solutions I have been working for more than 30 years. It is only in the last decade that workplace conditions for women have significantly improved. After finishing school, I wanted to join the SAPS dog unit but was refused a position because I was a woman and might become pregnant. It has been a constant battle to get to where I am today. However, I consider myself one of the lucky few who was given the opportunity to work at a company like RMS, where employees are judged on…
The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has triggered an unprecedented boom in online trading which, according to Databuild CEO Morag Evans, bodes well for the construction industry, especially as far as the future of warehousing is concerned. Global restrictions around lockdowns, quarantines and social distancing forced society to move online in order to work, live and survive, prompting the hasty dismantlement of the cultural and technological barriers that previously hampered the widespread adoption of online trading channels among businesses and consumers. “The resultant rapid surge in e-commerce has accelerated the need among the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector for…
By Kim Furman, Synthesis Marketing Manager Certain stories stick. In my case, the sticky story was shared with me in an MBA class in Madrid in 2019. An American Design Thinking Lecturer, whose face has blurred in my memory, gave over his story to our small class in one of those rooms purposely designed to encourage innovative thinking – glass walls for writing, ample space, modern wooden floors and the quintessential Lego. As he paced across those wooden floors, the story he shared went like this: An airport hired him as a consultant. They wanted him to oversee a new…
Wearing a mask at work is not necessarily a violation of your personal rights, it could be mandated policy and a firing offence if not followed There is little doubt that the cracks around COVID-19 are starting to show. From rapid lockdown regulations to hybrid models of working, organisations have been juggling changing rules and safety protocols for nearly two years. As employees become increasingly restless and frustrated with the limitations of masks and regulations, it’s becoming more complex to manage their rights versus those of the company and other employees. However, as Nicol Myburgh, Head: HCM Business Unit at…
With borders reopening and South African interest rates at record lows, a lot more South Africans are expected to relocate their families and businesses onto Mauritian soil, says Isabelle Hardy, Branch Manager for Rawson Properties Mauritius. She points out that – as of October 2021 – vaccinated travellers with a negative PCR test will be able to enter Mauritius without having to quarantine. “This is not only beneficial to South African holidaymakers, but also those looking to invest in Mauritian property.” Interestingly, South Africans make up the second-largest number of foreign investors in Mauritius, next to the French. According to…
By Howard Feldman, Head of Marketing & People at Synthesis Over the weekend, the ANC resorted to a crowdfunding initiative to assist them in the payment of employees who have not yet received their salaries. In doing so, they shared a poster on a number of social media platforms, with banking details, asking members of the public and ANC supporters to make contributions to a Nedbank account. It went swimmingly apparently, with one of the organisers saying: “The public response was very positive, the masses have responded positively.” I can confirm that my response was also more positive than anything…