Latest news with #R5.4
IOL News
05-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Cape Town's ambitious rollout of the largest public transport infrastructure project
A new MyCiTi bus stop has been proposed along the Parklands and Camps Bay routes. Image: File Parklands and Camps Bay residents have been invited by the City of Cape Town to comment on new proposed MyCiTi stops, which fall in line with a bid to tackle Cape Town's traffic congestion. A new MyCiTi bus stop has been proposed along the Parklands and Camps Bay routes. The city said that this follows an assessment of various public requests to make it easier to access the bus along existing MyCiTi routes. The proposed stop in Parklands would be on Tryall West (northbound and southbound), where the closest intersection is West Coast Road and Tryall Road. Meanwhile, in Camps Bay, the proposed stop would be on Argyle (eastbound and westbound), with the closest intersection being on Argyle Street and Lincoln Road. The city is making a big push into using the MyCiTi to tackle the traffic congestion headache facing drivers in Cape Town. Mayco Member for Urban Mobility, Rob Quintas, said the city is currently undertaking the rollout of the largest public transport infrastructure project in the country. 'We have set aside R5.4 billion for the rollout of the MyCiTi bus service in the medium-term to connect Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha with Wynberg and Claremont; as well as R88 million for the refurbishment and replacement of the current MyCiTi fleet; R397 million for upgrading public transport interchanges in Bellville, Happy Valley, Macassar, Makhaza, Retreat, and Westlake; and R153 million for formalising MyCiTi bus stops on existing routes and rebuilding damaged stations,' he said. 'The implementation of the second phase of the MyCiTi bus service to connect communities from the metro-south east with Wynberg and Claremont is the biggest life-changing investment in public transport since the implementation of passenger rail many decades ago. 'It is a mammoth project and we are tackling it incrementally,' Quintas said. Here is a look at the route stops in Parklands. Image: MyCiTi / Screenshot He explained that Phase 2A arises from the city's Integrated Public Transport Network (IPTN) plan, which envisages a continued phased implementation approach of MyCiTi services across the entire city. 'This is part of a commitment to redressing spatial inequality and implementing quality integrated public transport for the benefit of all residents and the local economy,' Quintas said. He shared that for more information on the new routes and stops, as well as the upgrades to the public transport interchanges, road and station infrastructure, residents should visit: Here is a look at the proposed stop in Camps Bay. Image: MyCiTi/Screenshot As for the aforementioned stops in Parklands and Camps Bay, the public is invited to submit their written comments/objections with motivation from April 10 to May 13, 2025, via the following channels: Email [email protected] and quote reference number MC0012/25 (Parklands) or MC0011/25 (Camps Bay) Submit your comment or objection via and quote reference number MC0012/25 for Parklands and MC0011/25 for Camps Bay The city added that objections would be considered before a final decision is reached. The city's Public Participation Unit will assist those who cannot read or write, live with disabilities, or are from disadvantaged groups and are unable to submit written comments. [email protected]
Mail & Guardian
30-04-2025
- Business
- Mail & Guardian
The future of ownership and learning
How tokenization and blockchain will reshape our world Last month, Microsoft revealed plans to invest an additional R5.4 billion (approximately $297 million) to expand its AI and cloud infrastructure in South Africa. This investment includes funding for technical certification exams for 50,000 individuals, aiming to enhance digital skills in high-demand areas such as AI, cybersecurity, and cloud computing. This initiative builds upon the company's earlier commitment, announced in January 2025, to train one million South Africans in AI and cybersecurity skills by 2026, targeting a broad audience, including companies, government entities, and the youth, providing them with skilling opportunities and industry-recognized certifications. President Cyril Ramaphosa welcomed Microsoft's investment, highlighting it as a vote of confidence in our economy and a significant step towards positioning the country as a leader in AI innovation. An era defined by exponential technologies, fuelled by artificial intelligence This is one of many examples that indicates how rapidly the landscape of knowledge, skills, and ownership is being reshaped by artificial intelligence, challenging traditional ideas about who controls information, how it is acquired, and who benefits from it. In an era defined by exponential technologies, AI, robotics, 3D printing, blockchain, crypto, and the metaverse, the pace of change is no longer linear. It's accelerating exponentially. As these forces converge, they are reshaping every aspect of our lives, from how we work and connect, to how we learn and own. Two powerful, underappreciated breakthroughs at the heart of this transformation are tokenization and blockchain-based certification. Together, they are setting the foundation for a future where ownership of physical and intellectual property is democratized and education is verifiable, portable, and truly borderless. Tokenizing the physical world Imagine a future where ownership of real-world assets such as art, property, vehicles, even intellectual property, can be divided into digital tokens. Each token represents a fractional share that can be easily bought, sold, or traded globally. Tokenization makes assets liquid, accessible, and programmable. It allows a teenager in Nairobi to invest in a commercial property in New York, a retiree in Cape Town to own a piece of a Picasso, or a start-up founder to raise funds without giving up full control. Beyond access, tokenized assets bring transparency and efficiency. Transactions are faster, intermediaries are reduced, and records are immutable, all secured on the blockchain. This is not science fiction, it's happening now. And it signals a fundamental shift: ownership is becoming democratized and decentralized. BlackRock, one of the largest investment firms in the world, predicts that RWA's (Real World Assets) will soon become a $10 Trillion industry. Certifying skills in a trust-less world At the same time, another revolution is unfolding in education. As learning becomes increasingly digital and decentralized, traditional certifications are struggling to keep pace. Fake degrees, unverifiable skills, and fragmented learning journeys are creating massive friction. Enter blockchain-based certification…. By anchoring educational achievements, degrees, diplomas, skills badges on an immutable blockchain, individuals can own, display, and verify their credentials anywhere in the world, instantly. This approach will eliminate fraud and empower lifelong learning. It levels the playing field for talent globally, whether you learned at a university or through self-paced online courses. Just as NFTs proved that a digital asset can have indisputable ownership and value, blockchain certifications (soul-bound NFT's) prove that knowledge, too, can be owned, verified, and trusted in the digital economy. A New era of digital empowerment The convergence of tokenization and blockchain certification points toward a broader truth: We are entering an age where value, in all its forms, can be digitized, democratized, and distributed globally. This seismic shift is about more than finance or education. It's about empowerment. It's about enabling billions of people who were previously excluded from traditional systems of ownership, of learning, of recognition, to finally participate on a global stage. In this future, your portfolio might include fractions of skyscrapers, song royalties, and sports teams. Your résumé might be a wallet address with immutable proof of every skill you've ever mastered. Your educational journey will be as dynamic, borderless, and verifiable as your ambitions demand. The technology is ready. The future is calling. The only question that remains: How will you own your value, and how will you prove your genius to the world? Explore the future at Singularity South Africa Summit 2025 These groundbreaking ideas and more will be explored in depth at the Singularity South Africa Summit 2025, in collaboration with Old Mutual and metaverse partner UBU (formerly Africarare), taking place in Johannesburg in October this year. Bringing together some of the world's foremost thought leaders in blockchain, AI, education, and finance, the summit will dive deep into how exponential technologies are reshaping ownership, learning, and opportunity on a global scale. Join us as we #FutureproofAfrica and build the foundation for a digitally empowered, decentralized future. To visit the UBU metaverse, go to
