Technology

The people in the know say that Professor Alberts’ super-thin solar panel technology is “potentially the biggest solar energy breakthrough to date”.

It took more than a decade of research for a team of scientists at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa, led by Professor Vivian Alberts, to achieve the breakthrough, named Thin Film Solar Technology (TFST), an advanced system that is poised to provide the final push needed to make solar power an accessible energy option. ... more

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Developed for diamond mines, Scannex could find deployment at international airports.

The scare with a would-be terrorist who apparently smuggled a bomb into a plane destined for USA on Christmas Day 2009 brought into focus the necessity for improved security. The United States and other Western countries are implemented body searches and have started using full-body scanners at international airports. ... more

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South Africa has a first-world telecom network in the commercial centres, but very low penetration of services in rural and remote areas. The country has over 14 million mobile phone and almost five million fixed line subscribers. Until recently, Telkom was the only licensed provider of public switched telecommunications services. ... more

The total size of the South African IT market stood at R63 billion in 2008 and is expected to increase to almost R100 in 2013. While the shortage of electricity and IT costs may influence IT spending negatively, the 2010 Soccer World Cup and the government digital and infrastructure projects are certain to give it a boost. ... more

South Africa sees itself as a technology leader in Africa. The country has even bigger ambitions for the future: ... more