First National Bank, a division of FirstRand, has launched its new cellphone banking offering, making every handset in South Africa a banking channel. The new service uses SMS technology for customers to conclude banking transactions, increasing mass-market reach and adding functionality.
The JSE Securities Exchange was firmer in noon trade on Wednesday, despite a stronger rand. Dealers said that the market was primarily order driven, with few clear trends. By 12.07pm, the all share index added 0,24%. Resources rose 0,69%, with the gold and platinum mining indices jumping 1,34% and 1,39% respectively.
Josh Cunliffe of Dainfern Country Club in Johannesburg won the men’s Sanlam South African Amateur Stroke-Play Golf Championship at Wingate Park Country Club on Tuesday. The 21-year-old closed with a 70 in the afternoon’s fourth round for a 10-under-par 278.
A controversial header late in the second half by Chelsea captain John Terry gave the Premiership leaders a remarkable 4-2 win over Barcelona in their Champions League first knockout-round clash on Tuesday. Elsewhere, the dream of Sir Alex Ferguson to give Manchester United a second Champions League title under his stewardship ended — perhaps for good.
Jose Mourinho has admitted that he enjoyed Chelsea’s stomach-churning triumph over Barcelona on Tuesday even more than watching his former club FC Porto triumph in last season’s Champions League final. The acrimony that marred the first-leg encounter between the two sides failed to prevent them from delivering an epic encounter.
With Arsenal about to say farewell to their Premier League title, French striker Thierry Henry has a moody demeanour these days, even when he’s stroking the ball into the net. Instead of waving his arms and grinning from ear to ear, Henry tends to jog quietly away, take the applause of the crowd and teammates and go to say thanks to the player who provided the pass.
All Blacks pair Doug Howlett and Tony Woodcock will make their first Super 12 rugby appearances of the season for the Blues against the Chiefs at Waikato Stadium, Hamilton, on Saturday. There are two other changes from the team who sneaked an 18-15 win over the Queensland Reds on Friday.
Justin Nurse, the founder of T-shirt company Laugh It Off, made a bold statement on Tuesday when he took off his jacket in the Constitutional Court in Johannesburg. What looked like colourful Hawaiian flowers on his shirt appeared to be drawings of Saddam Hussein.
A South African woman whose arrest heightened fears that terrorists were slipping across the United States-Mexico border has been deported. Farida Goolam Mahomed Ahmed (49) was turned over to authorities in South Africa on Tuesday, Immigration and customs enforcement officials said. She is barred from returning to the United States for 10 years.
A rampant Australia start firm favourites in the first cricket Test against New Zealand starting in Christchurch on Thursday with speed demon Brett Lee at his blistering best after tormenting the Black Caps in the one-day series. As the tourists aim for a clean sweep in the Tests to complement the 5-0 drubbing they handed out in the one-day series, their ranks have now been bolstered with opening batsman Matthew Hayden.