Gadget

Image by Google Gemini, based on a prompt by Gadget. South Africans do most of their online shopping on smartphones, yet are more than twice as likely to buy a flight or hotel through a web browser as through a mobile app. The figures come from the new Online Retail in South Africa 2026 study, released by World Wide Worx in partnership with Mastercard, Peach Payments and Ask Afrika on Wednesday.

Image by Google Gemini, based on a prompt by Gadget. Different arguments are being had in South Africa about who’s on the hook when an AI agent gets it wrong. While all of it is worth having, none of it matters if you can’t tell anyone what your agent actually did. That’s the part missing from the liability conversation, and it’s the part that decides who wins it.

Photo courtesy QuickPic. The Lepas L6 EV made its South African public debut at the Festival of Motoring at Kyalami last week, giving visitors their first opportunity to get up close to the brand’s latest electric offering. The L6 EV is powered by a front-mounted electric motor producing 160kW and 275Nm, with drive going to the front wheels. Its WLTC-rated range is claimed at up to 450 km. Charging is catered for through both AC and DC capability.

Justice comes with a dangerous compromise in By Any Means, a movie inspired by a true story about the limits of lawful investigation. The crime thriller is screening in Ster-Kinekor cinemas and Nu Metro theatres from today (4 September 2026). The story follows a young Black FBI agent sent into 1960s Mississippi to investigate a wave of brutal killings targeting civil rights leaders. When official channels fail to deliver answers, the case pushes him beyond conventional law-enforcement methods.

Photo courtesy CAP. SmartGuard, a surveillance service operated by South African non-profit security provider Community Active Protection (CAP), now uses a cloud-based AI platform to analyse CCTV footage beyond security monitoring. The platform can identify operational patterns related to safety, compliance, productivity and customer behaviour. “SmartGuard is an important part of CAP’s offering,” says Sean Jammy, CAP deputy CEO.

A new song with East African roots, titled Malaika, explores the softer side of love. The single features vocals from Tanzanian singer-songwriters Mbosso and Nandy, with production by S2Kizzy. Malaika is available to stream across digital platforms and serves as the lead single from S2Kizzy’s forthcoming album. The track released last month (21 August 2026). “Malaika is the kind of love song that does not need to rush,” says Virgin Music Group, global distributor for the song.

Image by Google Gemini, based on a prompt by Gadget. South African parents want phones controlled at school and social media delayed until the age of 16, according to a new survey. The Karri Parent 2026 Survey captures the views of 2,780 South African school parents representing more than 4,751 school-going children across all nine provinces on phones, social media, youth banking, education insurance and the Tooth Fairy.

Photo courtesy RedHat. If your virtualisation vendor just changed its licensing terms, you are probably staring at a bigger bill and a shorter runway to decide what comes next. The platform you choose in response will shape how your team operates for years, not just what you pay this quarter. In my conversations with IT leaders across Sub-Saharan Africa, I see two kinds of buyers. The first wants to move off their current platform as fast as possible.

Reflections of Eco Reserve. Photo supplied. Have you heard of Verified Impact? You may well be hearing a lot more about this emerging, localsed pilot standard developed for the Southern African ecotourism sector through the kimkim Climate Action Pilot Programme. The initiative serves as a voluntary operational management and benchmarking tool rather than an established national or regional industry standard.

Photo: SHERYL GOLDSTUCK. Suzuki has put some electricity behind one of its most familiar names, with the e Vitara making its South African appearance at the Festival of Motoring at Kyalami. The big question now is whether this electric SUV will eventually make the jump from show stand to local showroom. The e Vitara takes the compact SUV formula that Suzuki has had over decades and gives it a thoroughly modern twist: a battery-electric powertrain with zero tailpipe emissions.