Author: Editor

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…

When combined with cloud computing services, such as AWS and Azure, the Internet of Things (IoT) provides organisations with more opportunities to leverage data pulled from assets in the field. For some, this means using asset data to drive and improve internal business operations, for others, asset data is the key to unlocking new revenue streams from innovative business applications. To discuss this potential, Trinity IoT will be hosting an exclusive cloud-focused IoT Webinar on Thursday, 8 September at 15:00. The panel will also provide the audience with an overview of Trinity’s Connect platform, which enables its customers to rapidly…

Syncrony, one of South Africa’s premier Magento developers, has completed the redesign of the Web site of the Deetlefs Wine Estate (https://deetlefs.com/), the second oldest family-owned wine estate in the country that is known as a top quality lifestyle brand. Deetlefs is not just a wine, it is a lifestyle. “The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted every industry across the world. People have come to rely more on Web sites than ever for information, shopping, and an all-round high quality experience. If a business does not deliver on those requirements, customers will simply move to a competitor offering,”…

By Tajrish Herbst, Prepayment Systems Team Leader at Remote Metering Solutions A lot has changed to improve the environment for women in the workplace in the last three years. Gender-based placements and increased acknowledgment and respect toward women are steps in the right direction. And while the situation is not perfect yet, it is reaching the stage in business where it is your knowledge that defines you and not your gender. More women are joining the utilities industry, not only in administrative and managerial roles, but also in the technical field. This provides an incredible platform for future growth. Equal…

By Kim Furman, Synthesis Marketing Manager “If Covid has taught us anything, it is that we are not using cloud enough,” says Synthesis Head of Cloud Computing Darryl Govender. Previously, we all walked into a bank or shop with ease. Suddenly banks, retailers and industries across the board had to create digital solutions that not only scaled but satisfied new customer needs. Enter the cloud. “Our clients had to further their cloud usage and implement digital solutions. They had to test, fail fast and fail forward. With an influx of cloud adoption, the most striking finding involved how companies were…

By Annalie Terblanche, Head of Product at SilverBridge Holdings Even prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, insurers were under pressure to modernise their legacy systems as customers started expecting more agile solutions capable of benefitting from advances in digitalisation, the cloud, and even machine learning technologies. Global events over the past 17 months have accelerated the need for this as an increasingly connected customer base now demand tailored solutions reflecting the world of today. According to research, insurers can capture three primary areas of value by transforming their business model and modernising their core IT systems.…

By Howard Feldman, Head of Marketing & People at Synthesis Now that it’s all over, I can share the story of someone who was very angry with me. So angry was he, that he took the time to write a very long email with a very impressive number of words; and an even more impressive number of legal references that I did not check for accuracy. The email was not addressed to me but rather to Broadcasting Complaints Commission and to the radio station, who apparently needed to take me to task and give me a very serious talking to.…

By Lindiwe Duma, IoT System & Device Communication Manager at Remote Metering Solutions We are witnessing positive changes in the South African workplace. Women are making big shifts into industries and roles that were once predominantly male. One such field is the utilities sector and in particular the technical aspects thereof. While further career growth opportunities for women is needed, I do applaud the efforts made in recent years. Women are adept at using soft skills and emotional intelligence to better understand their team members and interact with everyone on an individual level. Generally, women are also very calculating. They…