SATNAC is Africa’s leading ICT research and innovation event, bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, academics, and innovators. The 2025 programme includes keynote addresses from industry experts, panel discussions, and research presentations.

Student challenges and innovation exhibition

The conference will feature the SATNAC Industry Solutions Challenge and an Innovation Exhibition, where students and researchers can present solutions to industry problems and connect with potential employers and partners.

Dr. Mmaki Jantjies, Telkom’s Group Executive for Innovation & Transformation and SATNAC 2025 Chairperson, said the conference bridges industry and academia. “SATNAC is more than an event, it’s a bridge between industry and academia, where research meets real-world challenges. Our investment in SATNAC and our research Centres of Excellence demonstrates Telkom’s commitment to building digital infrastructure, nurturing talent and advancing knowledge creation across Africa.”

Supporting research and skills development

Through partnerships with the National Research Foundation and universities, Telkom supports master’s and PhD students working on AI, IoT, and next-generation networks. “These partnerships ensure that research is not only theoretical but also aligned with Telkom’s priority areas and the practical needs of industry,” Jantjies said. “By funding skills development and offering internships, we are helping to bridge the gap between academic research and real-world application.”

Jantjies explained that Telkom’s support for SATNAC is part of a broader digital inclusion strategy. “For us, digital transformation is not just about technology, it’s about empowering people and ensuring that innovation is grounded in the realities of Africa. By investing in skills development, research, and open innovation, we are helping to shape a future where all Africans can participate in and benefit from the digital economy.”

Collaboration across sectors

The conference strengthens collaboration between industry, academia, government, and civil society. “This approach is essential for positioning South Africa as a research and innovation hub for the continent,” Jantjies said. “We are deliberate about including historically disadvantaged institutions and ensuring that opportunities are accessible to all.”

SATNAC 2025 takes place from 30 November to 3 December in Hermanus, Western Cape.

Subscribers across the Mzansi reported issues with their Telkom connection from early this morning, with complaints that their internet wasn’t up to subscribed speeds.

Adding to the confusion has been the sporadic nature of these slow speeds. Issues have been reported in multiple provinces, through multiple ISPs, though parts of Johannesburg and Cape Town appear to be the most affected.

According to online fault trackers, the first widespread reports began filtering through at around 9am. Openserve has ascertained that the SAT3/WASC break is in the Libreville, Gabon vicinity and that the WACS break point is in the vicinity of Luanda, Angola.

The unusual and simultaneous dual cable break has resulted in customers, that are connected to Openserve’s global capacity clients, experiencing reduced speed on international browsing. International voice calling and mobile roaming has also been impacted

The WACS and SAT3/WASC cable systems are deployed in the Atlantic Ocean and connect South Africa and many other African countries to Europe. The WACS system lands in South Africa at Yzerfontein, Western Cape while the SAT3/WASC system enters South Africa at Melkbosstrand, Western Cape.

Webafrica acknowledged to this problems earlier through a series of tweets, though did not identify exactly how long the interruption will last for.

As of an update issued within the past three hours, however, Openserve said that it has made its resources available to both consortiums to assist wherever possible and that undersea cable infrastructure repairs are complex and can be time consuming.

It’s unclear at this stage exactly how many subscribers have been impacted, though as is to be expected some of the more vocal took to Twitter to complain about the company.

I had to get off my Telkom Fibre so that I could tweet and complain about how slow it the internet is. Wow.

— NdimhleFcukedUp (@JackDevero) January 16, 2020

2mbps download speed on a 100mbps fibre line from Telkom

— Kojo Baffoe (@kojobaffoe) January 16, 2020

The current record stands at 120 hours 23 minutes as set by Canada’s Suresh Joachim. He arrived in South Africa on Monday morning to compete against the ten South African contestants in defending his title.

The Telkom unlimited movie marathon kicked-off yesterday, Tuesday 08 December just in touch for lunch time. At 2:36pm today, the remaining seven contestants had clocked 22 hours 43 minutes.

It might all seems easy, but the rules of the record attempt state that contestants may not sleep or take their eyes off the screen while watching the movie, and they are allowed only a ten minute rest break between movies. Movies have to be at least 90 minutes in length, and they must watch the entire film until the credits end.

Those with time on their hands can visit the marathon to watch movies for as long as they want, for only R30 a day. Secure parking is available and the R30 includes popcorn and a frozen drink. All proceeds will go towards LifeLine, which provides free counselling services across South Africa

Those “S” years are when Apple adds some of its most useful features. Siri? Touch ID? Both valuable additions to the iPhone platform that have since grown in importance. This year we get 3D Touch, a potentially awesome way to interact with iPhones. The thing is, a device’s worth isn’t just tied up in one feature: It’s about how all those moving parts work together. That’s why the new 6s and 6s Plus (starting at R549 and R699, respectively, for 16GB models) are such great phones. The combination of much-improved hardware and some polished software makes this year’s release far more than just a modest refresh.

BUT, where can you get the iPhone 6s and/or 6s Plus first as it launches this morning? All service providers offer the handsets in Rose Gold, Space Gray, Silver and Gold. 

Vodacom

Tried and tested and just-announced most reputable mobile network operator in SA, Vodacom’s online portal can get your device delivered on the same day (given that you’re in Johannesburg and place your order before 12pm) or within 24hrs to major cities. We’re in based in Welkom and Bloemfontein and the handful of times we had to order something from Vodacom, it would arrive a day later. That aside, Vodacom has listed the iPhone 6s (16GB) for R549 pm x24 on their Smart S contract while the 64GB variant goes for 799 and the 128GB for R899. Its brother the iPhone 6s Plus retails for R699 (16GB), R799 (64GB) and R899 (128GB). 

MTN

The yellow guys from Randburg hosted us for a iPhone 6s launch party at their innovation center overnight. Don’t worry, I showered before I came here. So it fitting that they’d be one of the first few to make it available on launch. Pricing on their website is listed to start at R349 pm x36 on their Minute 100 contract for the 16GB 6s while their 6s Plus starts at R399 pmx36. Online purchases are available. 

Telkom 

Centurion was the last service provider to confirm having the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus available online and in their stores from this morning. Pre-orders on their website kicked off earlier this week and soon customers will be holding their in hand. Telkom was kind enough to reveal their contract pricing which starts at R559 for the iPhone 6s (16GB) up to R1899 for the 6s Plus on their unlimited plan. 

Cell C

We’re just being ambitious  

Mzansi’s leading communications service provider earlier today launched Openserve, which it dubs as its redesigned wholesale and networks division.

According to the press release (excuse our quotes if you attended the launch event), Openserve will be a distinct business unit within the Telkom Group, “which is formed as part of the company’s ongoing efforts to strengthen customer focus through a more flexible and agile operating mode.”

The separation forms part of Telkom’s transformation journey, thus the creation of distinct business units. Separation is important for Telkom as it facilitates the independence of the Consumer division from the Wholesale and Networks division. Through this separation, Telkom will improve its customer focus and establish clearer lines of accountability. As a stand-alone business unit within Telkom, Openserve will be autonomous and will be responsible for its own profit and loss account.

Alphonzo Samuels, former Chief Technology Officer at Telkom has been appointed as OpenServe MD.

The project, further endorsed by CEO Sipho Maseko, its aim is to offer speedy 100Mbps internet to an extra 500 thousand homes over the next three years. The ctelecoms giant kicked off the project in high density Joburg and Cape Town, and today it’s announcing the next city on its hit list: Bloemfontein. Roughly R2.5 million of its promised investment will go towards fitting out 50,000 homes and businesses in the area. Specifically, this is the student and luxe business areas — so Rayton Ridge and Universitas Ridge, including parts of the University. If you’re desperate to get hooked up, you can keep peekig at Telkom’s coverage site — there’s no guarantee, but it just might move to your neighbourhood next.

Persistent illegal industrial action in the form of “go-slows” at Telkom’s call centres also escalated this weekend, with incidents of staff intimidation and walk-outs reported.

Telkom’s discussions with organised labour, regarding the Section 197 process, has been underway for five weeks. Unions requested that Telkom move the transfer date out from 31 March to 30 April. 

Telkom agreed to both requests. Written acceptance of the offer was required from the unions by Friday afternoon.

While Solidarity and the South African Communication Union (SACU) accepted Telkom’s offer ahead of the deadline, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) withheld the majority consent, which meant no agreement could be reached.

This is not a load balancing solution, it’s a true bonded solution where lines are combined to create a fast speed. The bonding takes place in OpenWeb’s 1Gbps cloud which offers superb speeds, redundancy, reliability and performance.
The company has invested in a state-of-the-art cloud backbone that will deliver the lowest bonded latencies in the country. Clients can now bond up to seven ADSL lines together to create one fast Internet speed.

Bonded in the cloud allows one to bond up to seven ADSL lines together and enjoy one single superfast upload and download speeds. Openweb offers a three tier redundancy system that will ensure continued performance when one needs it most.

Packages start at R799 for a 50GB 2 X lines bonded solution and goes up to R2 849 for a 150GB 4 x lines bonded solution.

Telkom will bundle the new DStv Explora decoder with its SmartHome Premium package for R899 on a 24 month contract. The offer will be available from 22 November 2014 to new and existing Telkom customers.

Customers will need to link their DStv Explora to their existing internet router, either by Ethernet cable or using the DStv WiFi Connector to enable these new services.

More data is only part of the value proposition for capped customers, though; the plan also offers the ability to sign-in into Mweb’s WiFi hotspots.
Additionally, the ISP is slashing line rental prices b up to R84 for their 10Mbps lines — but note that these retail from about R539 (10Mbps). While these updates are good news for current capped subscribers, they’re quite as competitive as Telkom’s Do budle rates, which start at R399 a month with unlimited (read: 10GB) data, unlimited night time surf (12am-6am) and up to 4Mbps line rental included. That said, R145 a month for 10GB 20GB and hotspot functionality is a nice step up on Mweb’s part.

The winner, Ms Tabitha Bailey was awarded prize money of R120 000 and a free Telkom DSL service for 24 months for her winning idea of adaptive learning solution that creates a unique learning path for students to engage with educators and learning material on a digital platform.

Mr Rametse Mohasoa, was named the runner-up winning prize money of R50 000 and a free Telkom DSL service for 24 months, for his video surveillance technology proposal.