by Tech Talk | Mar 6, 2023 | Articles
Tencent Holdings founder Pony Ma and others from China’s crackdown-hit Internet sector will be absent from this year’s parliamentary sessions, as Beijing boosts representation from the tech hardware sector, delegate lists show.
Nearly 3 000 members of the National People’s Congress (NPC) will gather in Beijing on Sunday for its first meeting since Xi Jinping secured a norm-breaking third leadership term at a congress of the ruling Communist Party last October.
The makeup of the nation’s top legislative body, mostly local government officials but also representatives from other sectors, signals who lies in Beijing’s good graces, although the ultimate barometer of power remains the ruling Communist Party’s 205-member central committee.
This year, a new crop of representatives from the tech hardware sector appeared on delegate name lists for the first time, a sign of Beijing’s changing priorities as it looks to bolster its capabilities as Washington cuts off access to cutting-edge technology.
Pony Ma is absent from this year’s list after previously serving two five-year terms. The CEO of China’s most valuable company has kept a low profile in recent years while rival tech entrepreneurs were targeted by a wide-ranging state crackdown on Internet firms and as Xi urged greater scrutiny of the ultra-wealthy.
Tencent did not provide an immediate comment.
Other former darlings of China’s Internet scene including Alibaba’s Jack Ma, NetEase founder William Lei Ding and Wang Xiaochuan, founder of search engine Sogou, were also absent from the delegate list of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) after previous inclusion.
However, lower-profile executives from Alibaba and e-commerce giant JD Group are delegates to the CPPCC, a largely ceremonial political advisory body that meets around the same time as the NPC.
Newcomers to the events include representatives from chip firms Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, state-backed Hua Hong Semiconductor, Shandong Youyan Semiconductor Materials in the NPC and Cambricon Techologies in the CPPCC.
Other new NPC delegates come from robotics, laser, aerospace and aeronautics firms.
“The new line-up of the two sessions seems to reveal Beijing’s clear priority to strengthen its technological capacity to achieve self-sufficiency and stay competitive with the US,” said Angela Zhang, director of the Centre for Chinese Law at the University of Hong Kong.
“In the current geopolitical climate, consumer tech businesses are eclipsed by those companies that produce hardcore technologies,” she said.
Delegates for the NPC and CPPCC are chosen every five years by the Communist Party and have the option to resign.
Some veteran tech industry delegates will continue to serve under new five-year terms on the CPPCC including Lei Jun, founder of phone manufacturer Xiaomi, and Zhou Hongyi, CEO of cybersecurity firm Qihoo360.
Liu Qingfeng, head of US-sanctioned artificial intelligence firm iFlyTek, was also selected for another NPC term.
In a speech last month, Xi called for scientific and technological self-reliance, amid growing export curbs on advanced technology, mainly from the US.
Some celebrity CPPCC delegates did not reappear on this year’s list, such as Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan, film director Feng Xiaogang and state television anchor Bai Yansong. Yao Ming, a retired basketball star who heads the Chinese Basketball Association, has moved from the CPPCC to the NPC. — Reuters
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by Tech Talk | Mar 6, 2023 | Articles
Apple partner Foxconn Technology Group plans to invest about US$700-million (R12.7-billion) on a new plant in India to ramp up local production, people familiar with the matter said, underscoring an accelerating shift of manufacturing away from China as Washington-Beijing tensions grow.
The Taiwanese company, also known for its flagship unit Hon Hai Precision Industry, plans to build the plant to make iPhone parts on a 300-acre site close to the airport in Bengaluru, the capital of the southern Indian state of Karnataka, according to the people, who asked not to be named as the information is not public. The factory may also assemble Apple’s handsets, some of the people said, and Foxconn may also use the site to produce some parts for its nascent electric vehicle business.
The investment is one of Foxconn’s biggest single outlays to date in India and underscores how China’s at risk of losing its status as the world’s largest producer of consumer electronics. Apple and other US brands are leaning on their Chinese-based suppliers to explore alternative locations such as India and Vietnam. It’s a rethink of the global supply chain that’s accelerated during the pandemic and the war in Ukraine and could reshape the way global electronics are made.
The new production site in India is expected to create about 100 000 jobs, the people said. The company’s sprawling iPhone assembly complex in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou employs some 200 000 at the moment, although that number surges during peak production season.
Output at the Zhengzhou plant plunged ahead of the year-end holidays due to Covid-related disruptions, spurring Apple to re-examine its China-reliant supply chain. Foxconn’s decision is the latest move that suggests suppliers may move capacity out of China far faster than expected.
The plans could still change as Foxconn is in the process of finalising investment and project details, the people said. It’s also unclear if the plant represents new capacity, or production that Foxconn is shifting from other sites such as its Chinese facilities.
Apple declined to comment. Hon Hai, whose chairman Young Liu met India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week, did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment. The Karnataka state government also did not immediately respond. Liu, who is on tour in India, has committed to another manufacturing project in the neighbouring Telangana state.
Foxconn’s decision would be a coup for Modi’s government, which sees an opportunity to close India’s tech gap with China as Western investors and corporations sour on Beijing’s crackdowns on the private sector.
India has offered financial incentives to Apple suppliers such as Foxconn, which began making the latest generation of iPhones at a site in Tamil Nadu last year. Smaller rivals Wistron and Pegatron have also ramped up in India, while suppliers such as Jabil have begun making components for AirPods locally. – Bloomberg
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by Tech Talk | Mar 2, 2023 | Articles
While WhatsApp may differ in certain aspects from other social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, the cross-platform has more than 2-billion monthly active users worldwide and ranks high among social media users.
According to data presented by SportsLens.com, WhatsApp is the favourite platform among social media users, ahead of Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
The social media landscape is highly competitive and constantly changing. Platforms that can keep users engaged for longer periods, provide targeted and effective advertising solutions for businesses, and strike a balance between collecting data and protecting users’ privacy are likely to be more successful in the long run.
WhatsApp ranks high in this dynamic market. With over 420-million downloads worldwide, WhatsApp was the third most-downloaded app in 2022. And while Facebook and YouTube may lead by the number of monthly active users, for most social media users, WhatsApp is the number one platform.
According to Digital 2023 Global Overview Report, almost 16% of social media users aged between 16 and 64 named WhatsApp as their favorite choice. Instagram ranked as the second most popular platform with a 14.3% share among respondents, just 0.1% more than the world’s largest social media platform Facebook.
Statistics show WeChat ranked on high fourth place with a 12,1% share, almost double that of TikTok. Twitter and Facebook Messenger were in the middle of the list with 3,4% and 2,6% shares, respectively. The survey also showed LinkedIn was the least popular among social media users, with only 0.9% of respondents naming the platform their favorite choice.
Although WhatsApp is the favorite social media platform for many social media users, the average time spent using the app has dropped in 2022.
The Digital 2023 Global Overview Report showed last year, Android users worldwide spent an average of 17 hours and 20 minutes using WhatsApp per month, or 6,7% less than in 2021. In fact, WhatsApp was the only app besides Line whose monthly usage time decreased.
TikTok remained an absolute king in this category, with an average of 23 hours and 28 minutes spent using the app in one month, almost 20% more than a year before. Facebook followed, with just as impressive 19 hours and 43 minutes. Instagram ranked behind WhatsApp with an average of 12 hours per month.
However, statistics show that Telegram saw the biggest year-over-year growth. Last year, Android users spent almost four hours using the app per month, or 33% more than in 2021.
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by Tech Talk | Mar 2, 2023 | Articles
MTN has issued a trading statement for the year ended 31 December 2022, alerting shareholders to substantial changes from the previous year.
The group expects to report an increase in earnings per share (EPS) of between 35% and 45% (or 267 cents to 343 cents).
The EPS for the corresponding financial year ended 31 December 2021 (FY 21) includes a loss on deconsolidation of subsidiary of -262 cents, as well as fair value gains on acquisition or disposal totalling 99 cents; both of which were nil for FY 22.
Considering the EPS of 763 cents for FY 21, this translates to a range of 1 030 cents to 1 106 cents for FY 22.
EPS includes impairment losses that mainly relate to investments, goodwill and property, plant and equipment totalling approximately -44 cents (2021: -64 cents); an impairment loss on remeasurement of disposal groups of -70 cents (2021: -2 cents); a net gain on the disposal of South African towers of 22 cents (2021: 0 cents) and the net profit on disposal of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets of 9 cents (2021: 5 cents).
MTN is also expecting to report an increase in headline earnings per share (HEPS) of between 12% and 22% (or 118 cents to 217 cents).
Considering the HEPS of 987 cents for the corresponding FY 21, this translates to a range of 1 105 cents to 1 204 cents for FY 22.
HEPS was negatively impacted by some non-operational and once-off items of approximately -159 cents (2021: -123 cents) for FY 22. These include hyperinflation adjustments (125 cents), foreign exchange losses (-181 cents), an IFRS 2 charge arising from the MTN Ghana localisation transaction (-4 cents), divestments (-24 cents), remeasurement of deferred tax asset (-65 cents) and other non-operational items (-10 cents).
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by Tech Talk | Mar 2, 2023 | Articles
Cisco has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Department of Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) outlining key areas of cooperation for the development of skilled South Africans to participate in the digital economy.
Francine Katsoudas, executive vice-president and chief people, policy and purpose officer at Cisco, explains: “Inclusion isn’t just something we do – it’s part of who we are. Fulfilling our purpose to ‘Power an Inclusive Future for All’ means reimagining how we come together and how we respect each other’s identities and the roles we play both inside and outside of work. It means tearing down barriers to equity, collaboration, and connection – both in the many places we work and in the wider world.
“Cisco’s Networking Academy, in its 25th year, is making significant progress towards the meaningful inclusion and upliftment of women in the technology industry. In South Africa, 61% of the current intake of 82 219 students are female. This dedication to inclusivity also translates to instructors, where 574 out of a total of 1 127 instructors are female (51%).”
Building on the success of Cisco Networking Academy, Cisco intends to strengthen its collaboration with the DWYPD as an implementation partner to strengthen uptake of the Networking Academy offerings through its partners.
“The partnership with Cisco enables us to tackle the persistent challenge of unemployment, and youth unemployment in particular, in South Africa by bringing education and career connections to people who have historically been underserved and underrepresented in technology fields, including women, racial minorities, persons with disabilities, and rural populations,” says Advocate Mikateko Maluleke, director-general of the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities.
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