Cape Argus 2022-05-03

The Small Business Institute (SBI) and the Franchise Association of South Africa (Fasa) last week welcomed the government’s Bounce Back Support Scheme, which came into effect last week and enables additional funding to qualifying businesses and small medium enterprises (SMEs). John Dludlu, CEO of the SBI, said although the current Bounce Back Support Scheme appeared to be targeting formal sector SMEs, there was still a need to extend help to informal sector operators, especially in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and the Eastern Cape. But Dludlu said this initiative was welcome as SMEs had been brutally smacked by the Covid-19 pandemic, the July mayhem (in Gauteng and KZN) and, most recently, the floods in parts of KZN and the Eastern Cape. “The SME ecosystem has been advocating for something like this, especially the…

ABOUT 75 percent of South Africa’s top 100 corporates did not feel fully protected by their cybersecurity strategy, according to the State of Cybersecurity in South Africa. The study, conducted by World Wide Worx on behalf of Intel and Dell Technologies South Africa, found that that was despite nearly three quarters investing more in cybersecurity than the industry average. South African large businesses were over-budget on cybersecurity spend. Just over half felt there were more threats introduced by the remote work culture. World Wide Worx chief executive and principal analyst on the research project Arthur Goldstuck said last week that corporations over-budgeting on cybersecurity spend might look like a positive sign, but it also raised the likelihood that the budgets were too low to begin with. “In the game of…

WE have grown accustomed to the increasing phenomenon of the hacking of business computer systems and in some cases also private computers. Absa, the Department of Justice, Transnet National Ports Authority and, more recently, TransUnion are but a few South African examples of entities that were recently hacked and held at ransom. If asked, most people would indicate that they understand “hacking” to be the exploitation of computer software vulnerabilities to inject malware or spyware into a computer network. The aim of the infiltration is often to acquire confidential information or cause serious damage. However, computer systems hacking can also be done by using hardware, such as the modification of the printed circuit board of the computer or server. Already in 2018, Bloomberg reported that Supermicro motherboards (the clusters of…

From award-winning creator Julian Fellowes comes the much-anticipated motion picture event, which reunites the beloved cast as they go on a grand journey to the South of France to uncover the mystery of the Dowager Countess’s newly inherited villa. Downton Abbey: A New Era tells a dramatic, emotional and moving story that fans cannot afford to miss. We see our favourite characters evolve and also learn more about how the family have adapted to the ever-changing times. It is very difficult to review Downton Abbey: A New Era as a standalone or even as a typical sequel. Those who have been fans and watched all six seasons of the show, the Christmas specials, and the 2019 movie, make it fairly difficult to see this second movie as just a movie.…

Actress and rapper Boity Thulo, who turned 32 last week, bought herself a mansion to celebrate her big day. Taking to Instagram, the Bakae hitmaker shared an image of herself posing next to her new home, capturing the post: “The perfect birthday gift from my underground gang to me! “I could not be more proud of myself for how far I’ve come. I’m constantly working on becoming the best version of myself in all aspects of my life and even though I haven’t got it all right, the progress has been astounding!” Fans, family and friends congratulated Boity on her new home and wished her well on her special day. “Congratulations and Happy Birthday to you! Wishing you many, many more blessed birthdays and title deeds to celebrate,” commented media…

A Bishop Lavis couple are pleading for the safe return of their 2-month-old daughter who was allegedly abducted outside a grocery shop in the area. Kai-isha Meniers’s family said she was last seen with an unknown woman outside Shoprite on Saturday afternoon, while her mother, Francis Meniers, stepped inside to buy baby milk. Kai-isha’s sister, Shaieda Meniers, who met the suspect, said she believed the woman approached her mother under the guise of a good Samaritan to gain her trust so she could abduct her sister. “On Saturday afternoon my mom called me, saying that she had met someone who wanted to help her buy milk, nappies and wipes for the baby. She didn’t know whether she should trust her – that’s why she called me – and I was…