Bolt drivers earned R42.3bn in SA | ITWeb Tech Headlines 29 Sept - 3 Oct 2026
These are the stories making headlines on ITWeb this week. Bolt says it has paid more than R42.3 billion to driver operators in South Africa since launching in 2016, onboarding just over 500 000 drivers and serving more than 30 million passengers. Meanwhile, Home Affairs plans to use machine learning to make yes or no decisions on visa applications through its Electronic Travel Authorisation system, with humans stepping in only when an anomaly is detected, and study and work visas joining in early 2027. In addition, MTN has lost its bid to halt US anti-terrorism lawsuits, with a New York court denying its request to reconsider an earlier ruling and sending the Zobay and Long cases to discovery. At the same time, Xpatweb's preliminary 2026 Critical Skills Survey finds 25% of employers struggle to recruit ICT specialists, and 22% struggle to find AI and emerging technology skills. Finally, Capitec's fintech net income rose 30% to R2.7 billion in the six months to August, as Capitec Connect grew to 1.8 million a
The bank’s fintech income increases 30% to R2.7 billion, as it reports 19% growth in headline earnings in the six months to 31 August.
The company targets revenue growth in the upper-single-digit range in its 2027 financial year, after growing wholesale revenue by 20% and cutting net debt by 64%.
The internet service provider targets adding one million homes to its footprint in the next two years, says CEO Van Zyl Botha.
ITWeb TV: Herotel signals MVNO aspirations | Episode #145
The internet service provider’s CEO Van Zyl Botha details the company’s next growth areas, including adding one million South African homes to its expanding footprint.
The bank’s mobile virtual network operator introduces an eSIM offering, starting with customers with existing mobile plans.
South Africa’s MVNO market will reach approximately 14.4 million MVNO SIMs by 2030, says Africa Analysis.
Barriers to entry have dropped, leading to increased interest in new mobile virtual network operators, but success is not as simple as it sounds, according to MVNE.
The GIGS mobile offering allows the primary account holder to activate and manage multiple SIM cards from one central profile.
Nearly two years after its launch, FNB Connect’s eSIM offering now makes up 10% of the mobile virtual network operator’s sales volumes.
Fintech-led MVNOs increasingly pivot toward embedding financial services, such as cross-border payments and crypto wallets, says BMI.
Vodacom, MTN, Telkom and Cell C spent R708 million on advertising in the second half of 2025, with Vodacom accounting for half the total investment.
The big-four bank’s mobile offering now has one million active subscribers under its umbrella.
Nedbank Connect is now available on the Money App and online banking, with a broader public launch scheduled for 15 September.
ITWeb TV: The man behind Cell C’s virtualised network | Episode #104
In this episode of ITWeb TV, CTO Schalk Visser speaks about Cell C’s network transformation journey since 2012. He also addresses issues around the company’s advert “Now on SA’s Best Network” #CellC #Telecommunications #MNO #MobileNetwork