The application of Blockchain technology in commercial banks has enabled commercial banks to actively participate in the research and development of Blockchain technology. Blockchain has brought a huge change to the traditional financial business of commercial banks. Bank of America, Barclays Bank, Citibank, HSBC, Tong Shang International Commercial Bank (Gambia) and other 40 multinational banks are gradually developing Blockchain technology in the financial field and developing applications. What these banks are really interested in is how Blockchain technology can improve operating efficiency and reduce costs. Blockchain has the ability to create large-scale, low-cost networks, which can simplify and automate a large number of manual financial service processes, greatly shorten transaction time and reduce transaction costs. Secondly, under the new business model, banks need to find ways to create profits. For example, because the Blockchain can realize micro-payments at low cost, banks can develop financial products and expand markets for a large number of people who cannot obtain bank accounts but have access to the Internet. In addition, commercial banks dare not take it lightly in the face of market competition. Competitive pressure comes from the same industry on the one hand, and on the other hand from the rapid development of the Internet finance business of financial technology companies. With the facilitation of transactions, the profit of each transaction may decline in the future, and commercial banks can only maintain profits if they seize the opportunity and strive for a larger business share. For the latter, existing commercial banks have two advantages in developing Blockchain. The first is the advantage of regulatory costs, that is, commercial banks can better absorb the huge costs of dealing with regulatory authorities and obtaining and maintaining relevant licenses compared to startups with tight funds. The second is the advantage …
‘Between the Races’ Video Following Iconic MTB Racer Sam Hill
‘Between the Races’ Video Following Iconic MTB Racer Sam Hill Mountain Bike Documentary Series Shows Multiple World Champion Prepare for 2021 Enduro Race Season CORONA, California – June 15, 2021 – Mountain bike racing is finally back – and so is our documentary series! Monster Energy is proud to announce the latest episode of ‘Between the Races’ featuring professional enduro mountain biker and multiple MTB World Champion Sam Hill. Live now across Monster Energy’s social media channels, the six-minute video follows the 35-year-old mountain bike icon from Perth, Australia, during training. Hill is headed into the 2021 enduro MTB racing season as the defending Enduro World Series (EWS) Champion. “The best thing about mountain biking is just the freedom of it. No matter what’s going on in life… you’re stressed out or having a hard time. Anything. You can just go out into the bush and ride. And all that stress and whatever is going on seems to disappear. All you worry about is riding and having fun,” said Hill in the documentary, adding: “It’s a good way to clean your mind, I think.” The MTB athlete with the humble attitude has built one of the biggest legacies – and across two disciplines – in the sport. In downhill MTB racing, Hill has won two World Cup Series titles (2007/2009) and five World Championships. And now three consecutive Enduro World Series overall titles. His dominance continued after making the switch to enduro racing, where the Australian has been crowned the back-to-back Enduro World Series overall champion in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Now viewers can learn what makes one of the fastest MTB racers on the planet tick. The new episode of ‘Between the Races’ catches up with the Aussie madman with a genuine passion for all things two-wheel at home in Perth, Australia. Supplemented by interviews with Hill’s Monster Energy teammates about his profound influence on the sport, the documentary is live now on YouTube here. The Sam Hill episode …
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Free Maths Software Available to all Teachers in South Africa
Cape Town, June 16, 2021: To celebrate Youth Day and Youth Month, Head Start Education has partnered with SplashLearn, the leading game based learning program in the world, to provide free access to SplashLearn’s maths program to all teachers in South Africa. This digital educational offering is valued at over R5000 per teacher. In 2017, the World Economic Forum ranked South Africa’s primary education 116th and its maths and science education as 128th out of 137 countries. There is a clear need for South African learners to receive as much attention and quality resources in mathematics as possible. Furthermore, the COVID-19 Pandemic has led to millions of learners needing to play catchup due to the interruptions of the school year in 2020. SplashLearn aims to solve these problems by creating engaging and scalable learning experiences to transform children into fearless learners. Its Pre-kindergarten to Grade 5 game-based learning program has an adaptive algorithm that offers each child a personalized learning experience that is fun and immersive. The program gives teachers access to a teacher dashboard, which provides real-time updates on each student’s progress. If a student is struggling with a particular concept, the teacher dashboard allows them to see and address the issue to better help the student. SplashLearn also allows teachers access to its content library which covers 400+ curriculum-aligned math skills with over 6500 games and activities, to help students learn new math concepts through engaging game-based learning modules. It is currently used by more than 40 million children and 750 000 teachers in over 150 countries. “We believe that the use of SplashLearn will eventually provide a world-class mathematics education to millions of South African students”, said Shivad Singh, the 26-year-old founder & CEO of Head Start Education. “The key to effective education is making sure each student’s individual needs are met. Achieving this …
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The Countryside Escape Edition Of 5 Colour Fitness In The Heart Of Kwazulu-Natal
The 5 Colour Fitness show proudly aired the first episode of its 5th season, the 5 Colour Fitness Countryside Escape Edition, which was filmed at the Brahman Hills Hotel in the picturesque Midlands of South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal. Season 5, which will run until the end of July 2021 on DSTV’s SuperSport channel 209 Variety 4, was filmed in time for South Africa’s winter, making it easier for South Africans to be fit, healthy and active from the comfort (and warmth) of their homes. With South Africa entering level 2 lockdown and a third wave of Covid-19 in full swing, 5 Colour Fitness is a safer alternative to many longing for a great workout during the colder season. Executive Director for FHA, Berne van Zyl: “We are now in our fifth season and the show will soon celebrate its first birthday in July. We could not be anything but proud of how far we have come with the show and everyone involved in it from our cast to our sponsors, and of course those who join our workouts! It all comes down to us all sticking together during this rocky time in our lives and in the world.” A highlight of this season are the very talented learners of Curro Mount Richmore Independent School in the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal, who enthusiastically joined our trainers. These learners were from different sport curriculums at the school, including rugby, hockey, netball, golf and soccer, and were joined by renowned South African singer, Bobby van Jaarsveld. The 5 Colour Fitness Countryside Escape Edition will be broadcast from Monday to Sunday at 07h00 and again at 17h00 on SuperSport channel 209 Variety 4. The show is also available on DSTV Catch Up and Showmax. FHA also recently launched the YouTube channel where you can view previous seasons to join in on the FREE workouts. Van Zyl adds: “Our trainers are local South Africans and are eager to motivate our viewers to live a healthier and fitter lifestyle. The new season’s cast includes qualified personal trainers, guests …
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MathsGee Unveils Peer to Peer Revenue Model
2020 saw the sharpest rise in digital transformation across the globe. The pandemic accelerated the introduction of online education workflows in an unprecedented fashion. The effects of the crisis-induced change in teaching and learning are permanent. “When the worldwide lockdowns started, every school was scrambling to see how they can deliver value and ensure learning continuity during this terrible time. The crisis exposed the technology access gap between the poor and rich in many societies”, stated Edzai Zvobwo, the Founder and CEO of MathsGee a peer to peer learning platform for learners to help each other through subject-specific questions and answers. Online learner support platforms like MathsGee, Brainly and Byjus among others saw experienced exponential growth as learners and teachers were scrambling for scalable solutions to help them weather the “learn from home” phenomenon. The common feature among platforms that gained the most users during this period is the availability of free content. This inclusive approach to business enabled learners from all walks of life to have access to quality educational resources at no cost. This trend is evidence that there is a need for new and innovative business models that serve all learners regardless of their economic situation. One prevalent business model that has enabled inclusivity is the ads-based model whereby learners can consume all the content but are exposed to advertising from third parties. Another model that has grown is the freemium model whereby learners have access to basic content or free trials for a given period and then to access more features they have to pay a monthly or annual subscription fee. “The freemium model is half-good because it gives you access but not full access thereby depriving learners of the quality information behind the paywall, this is exclusivity”, said Zvobwo. MathsGee is committed to providing tools that enhance learner outcomes regardless of …
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Gangbusters Surfing Magazine Issue 4 Is Live!
Gangbusters Issue 4 Is Live! South Africa – time does seem to fly when you’re having fun. It seems just the other day that we were thinking about publishing a new online surfing magazine.with the hope of making a few people laugh. We had some support from the start, and that support has been growing nicely as more and more people realise that if they want to keep up with the world of surfing in South Africa, they might have to move off the endless Facebook and Insta photos, to get a decent take on the whole thing. There is so much happening right now in the digital space that one needs to figure it out and embrace it somehow or be forever wondering wtf just happened. There are some fabulous websites out there. We have Magicseaweed, Stab, Beachgrit and Wavescape, where we can consume cool stuff daily, and a few classic movies are being made and distributed. We have movies like Satori, Matt Bromley’s new Over The Edge movie coming soon, and John John’s crazy Maps Of Home movie. People are making fantastic online series, like Kai Linder and The Regular Guy. There was the successful Rip Curl E-Pro, part of the Surf Web Series last year - and there is the digital version of the Rolling Retro rolling out right now (did you see what we did there?) Among all of this is little old Gangbusters Magazine (issue 4 ekse), with its passionate bunch of supporters and advertisers and a steadily growing fan base of strange people. We’re doing something a little bit different and not too worried about where this is all going, as long as we’re having fun along the way and not just desperately trying to keep up on social hubs. To steal a quote from Elvis Depressedly, “we want to try a few new things and do weird shit and maybe fail.” We have an interview with cover boy Matt Bromley, and we have a classic ‘best-of’ from the photographer, snowboarder and 1987 Billabong Country Feeling winner Grant Myrdal. There’s some more of the gold that Dave …
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The South African BRICS Youth Association to host Dialogues for Youth Month
The South African BRICS Youth Association to host Dialogues for Youth Month The South African BRICS Youth Association (SABYA) is a youth led non-profit organization with a vision to advance and be the leading voice of youth in response to their developmental needs locally, regionally and globally. The association aims to provide youth with the opportunity to meaningfully participate in the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union Agenda 2063 from an African perspective and create a network of young diplomats to tackle challenges in making the world a better place. As the country will be observing and celebrating youth month, SABYA will be hosting a series of Dialogues with key Government officials. The dialogues aim to create a platform for young people to participate in the Development trajectory of the country. The dialogues are open to all youth, activists, diplomats and researchers who are interested in advancing a people-centred mandate within the BRICS bloc and have a keen interest in engaging and exchanging ideas. Raymond Matlala, Founder and Executive Chairman for SAYBA explains "we seek to maximize youth participation in BRICS and other international engagements. We hope to build a cohort of policymakers and influencers who are key players in creating a world free of internalized, interpersonal, and institutional oppression in strategic platforms such as BRICS, G20, UN, AU and others. If we can get our youth to meaningfully participate in critical issues that affect the youth globally, then we can create a network of young diplomats to tackle challenges in making the world a better place.” Our dialogues are as follows: 9 June 2021 14:00 – 16:00 SAST The Importance of commemorating June 16 15 June 2021 14:00 – 16:00 SAST Trade and Investment on the African Continent 23 June 2021 14:00 – 16:00 SAST International Solidarity - How do young people play a role? 26 June 2021 13:00 – 16:00 …
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Call for Applications for the $150 000 Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer Research Grant
Applications are open for the $150 000 JWO Research Grant for early career scientists on the African continent Applications for the 2021Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer (“JWO”) Research Grant, worth $150 000 (USD) are now open for submissions. The JWO Research Grant is an important initiative that seeks to support early-career African researchers focused on innovative research that will contribute to the advancement of environmental and allied sciences; and address relevant, real-world, African issues of current and future importance. The JWO Research Grant begins its third year with impressive momentum, having garnered more than 217 applications from researchers originating from 26 African countries in 2020. The third JWO Research Grant follows the awarding of the inaugural grant in 2019 to Dr Hayley Clements for her ground-breaking research in, ‘Quantifying the biodiversity planetary boundary for Africa,’ and the 2020 recipient, Dr Bernard Coetzee, who was awarded the grant for his work on ‘Reducing vector-borne disease risk by optimising artificial light expansion across Africa’. The JWO Research Grant was founded in honour of the late Mrs Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer – who was passionate about preserving the continent’s natural heritage. The grant aims to continue her contribution to and love for Africa, the environment, and for pioneering science. “We are delighted to continue to give tribute to Mrs Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer, preserve her legacy, and make known her lifelong vision of seeing research being at the forefront of developing solutions in conserving Africa’s natural heritage,” said Bridget Fury, Head of Oppenheimer Generations Philanthropies. “We look forward to receiving ground-breaking research applications from entrants for the third JWO Research Grant. We are confident that the contributions will not only enhance how we better manage our natural environment but also ensure the continued advancement of science on our continent,” said Dr Duncan …
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African attractions association to inspire global and local industry with second virtual conference
The African Association of Visitor Experiences and Attractions (AAVEA), in partnership with South African Tourism (SAT), the marketing agency for the Department of Tourism, is pleased to announce that it will host its second virtual conference, AAVEA 2021, on Thursday 19 August 2021. This year’s virtual conference will feature a theme focussed on "Unfolding future: Insights that will inform our approaches for tomorrow" and is set to be a day of inspiring presentations by keynote international speakers, thought-provoking panel discussions, an interactive exhibition space, and more. Stepping up to virtually inspire the continent’s attractions and visitor experiences professionals at the AAVEA 2021 conference are: Liam R Findlay, a Themed Scent Consultant for AromaPrime in the UK. AromaPrime provides attractions with every smell from Pirate Ship to Penguin Sick! Past projects include an authentic T-rex scent for the British Museum, celebrity fragrances for Madame Tussauds, and horrific stenches for Halloween scare mazes. Liam’s AAVEA 2021 virtual presentation will focus on how to boost profits at local attractions with multisensory tricks. Chao Tayiana Maina is a Kenyan digital heritage specialist and digital humanities scholar working at the intersection of culture and technology. Chao is the founder of African Digital Heritage, a co-founder of the Museum of British Colonialism, and a co-founder of the Open Restitution African Project – each an online initiative seeking to encourage a more critical, holistic, and knowledge-based approach to the design and implementation of digital solutions within African cultural heritage. Her AAVEA 2021 virtual presentation will focus on exploration of digital initiatives within African heritage and building sustainable digital solutions within heritage practice. An exciting addition to the 2021 virtual programme is the highly anticipated release of the results of the first ever benchmark study for South African …
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Summit to stimulate investment into Africa
SingularityU announces Exponential Finance Summit 2021 aimed at growing investment ecosystem in Africa Johannesburg, 2 June 2021: SingularityU South Africa has announced its plans to host the SingularityU Exponential Finance Summit online in 2021. Taking place from 28 – 30 July 2021, the summit aims to build and grow an African investment innovation ecosystem by connecting South Africa and Africa’s top entrepreneurs and innovative businesses with global venture capitalists, institutional funds, private investors and global thought leaders. SingularityU is known for its prowess in corporate education by showcasing bleeding edge speakers, ground breaking topics and thought provoking insights at its summits and programmes. This year's Exponential Finance online summit responds to President Ramaphosa’s recent appeal at the South Africa Investment Conference for more investments into the country, by focussing on how to bring investment into South Africa and Africa so as to create an investment ecosystem in which to harness Africa’s true potential. The diverse range of topics that will be addressed at this year’s summit will include Leadership and Investment, Exponential Technology, Crypto/Blockchain, Future of Banking, Scaling, ESG, 5G, Cybersecurity, Social Impact, Inclusive Growth, NFT’s (nonfungible tokens), Gaming and DEFI (decentralized finance). The goal is to empower delegates with the latest future focussed knowledge and potential solutions to solve the global challenges, such as water, energy, education, financial inclusion, the future of work, food security, governance and prosperity. Furthermore, the 2021 Exponential Finance summit will place specific focus on innovation that will drive scalable investment, digital business acceleration and stimulate deal flow. While the Covid-19 pandemic has placed many industries under strain, it has also triggered new opportunities for innovation and growth, which will be explored at this online summit. A …