Author: Elan

October is just around the corner, which means it’s time for some new desktop wallpapers! Designed by the community for the community, they’re here to brighten your screens, and maybe spark some creativity along the way.Misty mornings, leaves shining in bright red, yellow, and orange hues, and spooky creatures making an appearance — October has a very special charm. So, how about some new desktop wallpapers to celebrate October’s beauty, and the upcoming Halloween season, of course? Well, we’ve got you covered.Just like it has been a monthly tradition here at Smashing Magazine for more than 15 years already, the…

Khaltsha Cycles is among the local enterprises participating in South Africa’s tourism economy. Image credit: South African Tourism. South Africa’s tourism recovery is gathering pace, but winning a contract does not guarantee that a small business has enough cash to deliver it. For many tourism SMEs, the period between contract award and eventual payment has become a major barrier to growth. South Africa welcomed 5,584,473 international tourists between January and June 2026, according to the Department of Tourism. That represented a 12.3% increase compared with the same period in 2025, supported by stronger arrivals from both African and overseas markets.…

Grant Howarth, principal at MetierPrivate equity firm Metier, along with several other investors, has reinvested in South African fibre and internet businesses Frogfoot and Vox. The firm backed the companies through its Metier Capital Growth Fund III (MCGF III).Frogfoot and Vox are separate privately held South African companies, but they have the same shareholders. Frogfoot builds and operates open-access fibre networks across South Africa, providing the infrastructure used to connect homes and businesses. Vox is an internet service provider serving businesses, public-sector customers and households, with services including connectivity, voice, data, cloud and cybersecurity.“Metier is proud to renew its commitment…

Photo: Thecondia Advertisement African startups just pulled in over USD 1 billion in the first half of 2026, according to data tracked by Condia. That’s real money flowing into the continent. But here’s what matters: not all investors are equal, and knowing who’s writing the biggest cheques and where they’re betting can help Ghana’s next generation of founders understand the playing field.A new analysis by Condia, a funding tracker, ranked the 8 most active investors across Africa during the first six months of 2026. The list reveals something interesting: the investors backing Africa’s startups right now are not all traditional…

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In brief California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Oct. 1 that his office served OpenAI with an investigative subpoena over cybersecurity incidents involving its AI models, including the Hugging Face hack. Bonta said developers that fail to stop their models from carrying out or enabling cyberattacks “can and should be held legally accountable.” The subpoena adds California to an Alabama subpoena, a 15-state attorney general coalition demand, and a reported FTC inquiry. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said Thursday that his office served OpenAI with an investigative subpoena on Wednesday, seeking answers about cybersecurity incidents involving its AI models, according…

When Carl Wazen, Katlego Maphai, Lungisa Matshoba and Bradley Wattrus decided to start Yoco together around 2013, they did not have a polished business plan or a grand vision for building a payments company. They only had a problem they could not ignore. “We were all at this stage of our lives where we wanted to do something that had more meaning,” Wazen, Yoco’s chief business officer and co-founder, recalled. Wazen and Maphai met while working at the telecommunications consulting firm Delta Partners. Maphai and Matshoba had known each other since childhood and university, while Wattrus had worked with Maphai…

Andy Walker / Android AuthorityAdd Android Authority on Google: TL;DR Earlier this year, Android Auto’s cellular signal bars disappeared. Google is now rolling out a fix for the issue. The fix is not yet widely available. If you want to see how strong your cellular signal strength is while you’re driving, you can just look at the signal bar icon on Android Auto. Or, at least, that used to be the case before the icon disappeared earlier this year. While this bug has been a months-long frustration for many Android Auto users, there’s finally some light at the end of…

Amar Inamdar, managing director, KawiSafi VenturesKawiSafi Ventures, Acumen’s for-profit investment platform focused on accelerating Africa’s energy transition, has invested $2 million in Orb Energy to support the expansion of the company’s commercial and industrial (C&I) solar business across East Africa. The capital is ring-fenced for Orb’s Africa business and will support the company’s growing project pipeline in Kenya and the wider region. The investment will provide additional capital to support project delivery as Orb expands its African operations.“Orb has built a strong C&I solar business in Kenya at a time when businesses across the region are looking for more reliable…

The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) will officially mark the 30-day countdown to the 2026 Local Government Elections on Sunday, 4 October 2026, with major campaign events in Durban and Volksrust, including the launch of the IFP eThekwini manifesto. IFP President Hon. Velenkosini Hlabisa will deliver the keynote address at the Durban event, outlining the party’s vision for responsive, accountable and people-centred local government and setting out practical solutions to the challenges facing communities. The launch will also provide the media with an opportunity to hear directly from IFP leadership on the party’s election priorities, campaign programme and vision for local…