Latest news with #Workshop17
IOL News
2 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Spaan: The new recruitment platform restoring trust in South Africa's job market
Founder Africa Nontso, alongside a team of industry experts, unveiled Spaan with a mission rooted in rebuilding the credibility of the digital recruitment landscape. Image: Itumeleng English / Independent Newspapers In a market plagued by scams and fraudulent job schemes, the launch of Spaan, a verification-based online recruitment platform, offers a refreshing perspective aimed at restoring trust among both job seekers and employers. The launch event, held at Workshop 17 in Rosebank on Tuesday, came at a crucial time as South Africa grapples with an alarming rise in unemployment, which has surged from 31.9% to 32.9% in the first quarter of 2025, according to Statistics South Africa. As expected, South Africans of all ages report in large numbers whenever a job opportunity arises, making the job market a cut-throat and dog-eat-dog business, while the trust deficit with other platforms plummets to an all-time low due to job scams and other fraudulent online schemes. Founder of Spaan, Africa Nontso, revealed that his platform is all about rebuilding trust, expanding the market while ensuring accessibility even to those in the rural areas due to extensive research of the needs of the country's dynamic job market, which cuts across various levels of occupations. "Spaan is about bringing trust back to the job market through three pillars as people no longer trust the job market due to level of trust deficit, and for us, trust is not where we end, but it is where we start as we want to build this market on trust and not on jobs," Nontso said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Nontso, who has worked in the IT industry for over 10 years, indicated that he spent over a year developing this platform in an attempt to bridge the gap between technology and accessibility. At the heart of Spaan is the Spaan Report, a shareable, verified profile that confirms a candidate's personal details, identity, and qualifications with verification statuses that give confidence that every candidate is exactly who they say they are. Furthermore, according to Tlali Taoana, head of the platform's marketing, Spaan is designed to reduce friction in hiring as it helps employers access credible, pre-vetted talent while giving job seekers a fair and trusted way to stand out and prove they're ready to work. "Spaan is inclusive by design. It works across devices and is accessible via mobile, USSD, and WhatsApp, ensuring reach even in communities with limited connectivity. Whether you are a domestic worker in Soweto, a technician in Polokwane, or a graduate in Cape Town, Spaan empowers you to show up with proof and be recognised in both the informal and formal job market. "Spaan isn't just a platform; it's a movement. We're reimagining how hiring works in this country. Being verified and trusted should be the standard, not the exception,' Taoana added.
The Citizen
03-06-2025
- The Citizen
Meta launches teen accounts to enhance SA teens' online safety
As a way to promote online safety for teenagers, Meta launched teen accounts on Instagram in South Africa on May 20 at Workshop 17 in Rosebank. Read more: St Vincents School for the Deaf learners schooled on dangers of online addiction The launch of teen accounts is part of Meta's commitment to ensuring safe and positive online experiences for teens across Africa. Teen accounts is one of Meta's safety tools, created specifically for teenage users. It is a new experience that is guided by parents. Also read: Sadag launches online support groups ahead of matric results release Meta's safety policy manager in Africa, Middle East, and Turkey (AMET) Sylvia Musalagani explained: 'It has built-in protections which limit who can contact them and content they see. It also provides more ways to safely connect with friends and explore their interests. Teen accounts was designed to better support parents, and give them peace of mind that their teens have the right protections in place.' Key protections offered with teen accounts include: • Private accounts: Teen accounts are set to private by default, and teens under 16 can only change this setting with parental approval. • Messaging restrictions: Teens can only receive messages from people they are already connected to. • Sensitive co-interactions: Teens can only be tagged or mentioned by people they follow, and the strictest anti-bullying feature, hidden words, is enabled by default. • Time limit reminders: Notifications prompt teens to exit the app after 60 minutes of daily usage. • Sleep mode: Enabled from 22:00 to 07:00 this feature mutes notifications and sends automatic replies to direct messages (DMs) overnight. Actress Mapaseka Koetle said, as a parent she was excited about Meta's safety features and appreciated that the platform required her to be involved in her child's social media activities. Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration! Have a story idea? We'd love to hear from you – join our WhatsApp group and share your thoughts! Related article: Keeping your child safe online At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
