The world of work, post- pandemic has seen massive transformation driven by trends in Information Technology (IT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). These advancements have led to a 360- approach in how businesses across various industries operate.

In Central and West Africa, Nestlé continues to drive these technological advancements across its operations in over twenty-five countries. The company has recently launched an internal initiative dubbed ‘’DIGITAL BAR’’. This program is part of efforts to enhance employee knowledge in Information Technology tools and equip teams with the right skills to make their work efficient and effective. The Digital Bar is a platform for employees to ask question to the IT teams and seek clarification for any challenges they have.

‘’Without a doubt, the digital revolution is in motion and employees must take advantage of the opportunities to be digitally savvy and have more of analytical knowledge and understanding. That way, they are better prepared!’’. Mauricio Alarcón, Market Head, Nestlé Central and West Africa.

At the global level, Nestlé has been focusing on using artificial intelligence, cloud-based mobile applications, big data, to digitally transform its operations. As of 2023, the annual IT spending of Nestlé was estimated at $1.4 billion. Nestlé Central and West Africa is a beneficiary of this spending earmarked for technology transformation, leading to the development of AI tools for employees.

Upskilling employees through Digital Bar

While the Digital Bar seeks to upskill employee knowledge in new technology trends, it is also to provide real time solutions across the various CWAR sites. There are tools readily available to functions cutting across supply chain, finance, HR, communications, marketing, sales, and manufacturing.

Some of the tools include Viva Insights, Synthesia, Co-Pilot, Mural, Teams, Outlook, SharePoint, Power Bi, NesGPT. The Digital Bar which opens every last Friday of every month across Nestle CWAR sites and is expected to help address the IT concerns of employees while equipping them with the requisite digital skills to make use of the existing platforms.

These tools are helping employees to leverage artificial intelligence, embrace automation and effectively utilize data in their line of work from the factory to the office.

‘’If you do not leverage AI, you will surely be left behind! This is why we encourage everyone to take advantage of the opportunities that AI and digital tools present to have an efficient and improved work life’’, Frank Osei-Karikari, Head of IT, Nestlé CWAR.

The digital revolution scene keeps evolving and businesses in Central and West Africa must remain up to date with the trends, providing advanced solutions to improve employee and consumer experience. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Nestlé.

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus named an experienced squad featuring 20 Rugby World Cup-winners – the entire starting 15 and five players on the replacements’ bench – for their opening Castle Lager Incoming Series Test against Ireland at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday, in what is expected to be a humdinger of an encounter between the top two ranked teams in the world.

The three players in the match-day 23 who did not participate in the international spectacle in France, where the Springboks claimed their second successive RWC title, are Gerhard Steenekamp (prop), Salmaan Moerat (lock) and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (utility back), who are elevated to a selection featuring a six-two bench split in favour of the forwards.

Twelve of the starting XV for Saturday’s showdown (six forwards and six backs) started in the 12-11 RWC final victory over New Zealand, with the other three (Willie le Roux, Kwagga Smith and Ox Nche) coming off the bench in the final.

The selection of previously unavailable players means that the team shows eight changes to the one that defeated Wales by 41-13 in London 10 days ago as Erasmus welcomed back captain Siya Kolisi, Le Roux, Cheslin Kolbe, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Handre Pollard, Marco van Staden, RG Snyman and Steenekamp.

“This is the team we believe will give us the impetus we need against Ireland, who are the second highest ranked team in the world,” said Erasmus.

“We are blessed to have a lot of depth in our squad, and we are in a fortunate position to have several Rugby World Cup-winners in our ranks who know what it takes to perform at the highest level and play against the best teams in the world.

“The fact that most of these guys have played together is a bonus for us, and most of them have faced Ireland before so they are well aware of the challenge that lies ahead, especially since we haven’t beaten them since 2016.”

Erasmus said he was in a fortunate position to be able to call on so much Rugby World Cup winning experience: “It’s great to be in such a position, and while it may serve as a mental boost, Ireland are a quality outfit and they’ll come out guns blazing. This is a new year for us with new systems in place, so while it certainly helps that most of the players have won a World Cup or two, this is a fresh chapter for us.”

Erasmus said he was excited to see what dimension Steenekamp, Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Moerat would bring to the game – in what will mark Steenekamp and Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s second Test matches – and said: “Gerhard made a strong statement in the front row against Argentina in Buenos Aires last year and we were equally pleased with how easily Sacha slotted in and the contribution he made against Wales.

“Sacha, similarly to Grant (Williams), also offers us additional options in the backline, as he can cover flyhalf and centre, while Grant is efficient at scrumhalf and wing, which places us in a good position with the six-two split.

“Salmaan, in turn, may only have a few Test caps, but he’s a former Junior Springbok captain, he captained the DHL Stormers, and like Sacha, he came through our Elite Player Development (EPD) system, so they have been exposed to the way we do things at this level for some time now.

“This match will test their skills, but they are all quality players, in whom we have full faith, and it doesn’t get better to experience that against a team like Ireland.”

Erasmus expected a physical onslaught from the visitors in front of a sold-out Loftus Versfeld crowd and said it would be a full-out battle for 80 minutes.

“Ireland have had the upper hand over us in the last few years and they will certainly want to build on that on Saturday,” said Erasmus. “That said, we have a good idea of what to expect from them, especially after the World Cup last year.

“They have a few new players in their ranks this year, but so do we and that contributes to the excitement for the match. They are a physical team that never give up, but the margins between the teams are fairly small, so it’s going to be an intense battle and one that will require a resolute performance for the full 80 minutes.”

Springbok team to face Ireland at Loftus Versfeld:

15 – Willie le Roux (Vodacom Bulls) – 93 caps, 75 pts (15t)

14 – Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath) – 31 caps, 91 points (14t, 3c, 5p)

13 – Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 67 caps, 80 points (16t)

12 – Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 78 caps, 55 points (11t)

11 – Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls) – 15 caps, 65 points (13t)

10 – Handré Pollard (Leicester Tigers) – 69 caps, 698 points (7t, 96c, 152p, 5dg)

9 – Faf de Klerk (Canon Eagles) – 56 caps, 50 points (5t, 5c, 5pg)

8 – Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 41 caps, 35 pts (7t)

7 – Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) 78 caps, 40 points (8t)

6 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Racing 92) – 83 caps, 50 points (10t)

5 – Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 74 caps, 15 points (3t)

4 – Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 120 caps, 30 points (6t)

3 – Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers) – 70 caps, 5 points (1t)

2 – Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 69 caps, 70 points (14t)

1 – Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 28 caps, 0 pts

Replacements:

16 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 65 caps, 85 points (17t)

17 – Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls) – 1 cap, 0 points

18 – Vincent Koch (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 50 caps, 5 points (1t)

19 – Salmaan Moerat (DHL Stormers) – 4 caps, 0 points

20 – RG Snyman (Leinster) – 34 caps, 10 points (2t)

21 – Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls) – 18 caps, 0 pts

22 – Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 9 caps, 10 points (2t)

23 – Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers) – 1 cap, 7 points (2c, 1p)

Stats and facts:

Springbok record against Ireland:

Played 28, Won 18, Lost 9, Drawn 1. Points for: 530; Points against: 412. Tries scored: 72; Tries conceded: 38. Highest score: 38; Biggest win: 38 points (38-0). Average score: 19-15. Win %: 64.2%.

Miscellaneous:

Only two players in the forward pack – Ox Nche and Kwagga Smith – have fewer than 69 Test caps.
Only one player in the backline has fewer than 30 Test caps, namely Kurt-Lee Arendse.
Only three players in the team were not members of the RWC-winning squad (Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Salmaan Moerat, Gerhard Steenekamp).
Willie le Roux needs only six Test caps after Saturday’s match to join the select club of Springbok centurions.
The total Test caps for the Springbok starting line-up is 966, the second most experienced team ever selected by South Africa after the 987-capped side for the RWC final last year.
There are 403 caps in the backline, with 563 caps among the forwards. On the bench there are a further 182 caps.
The average caps per player in the backline is 57, the forwards 70, while the players on the bench average 22.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of South African Rugby.

For further information, please contact:
Andy Colquhoun
GM: Communications and Commercial
+27 (0) 21 928 7010
+27 (0) 82 926 0789
andyc@sarugby.co.za

De Jongh Borchardt
Communications Manager
+27 (0) 21 928 7021
+27 (0) 82 999 9979
dejonghb@sarugby.co.za

Rayaan Adriaanse
Junior Rugby Media Manager
+27 (0) 21 928 7013
+27 (0) 82 999 0022
rayaan@sarugby.co.za

Sindiswa Ximba
Media Operations Coordinator
+27 (0) 21 928 7011
+27 (0) 60 504 1069
sindiswa.ximba@sarugby.co.za

Zeena Isaacs
Springbok Media Manager
+27 (0) 21 928 7020
+27 (0) 82 357 3112
ZeenaI@sarugby.co.za

JJ Harmse
Sevens and Women’s Rugby Media Manager
+27 (0) 21 928 7014
+27 (0) 71 480 4570
jjharmse@sarugby.co.za

KnowBe4 (www.KnowBe4.com), the provider of the world’s largest security awareness training and simulated phishing platform, released its International Healthcare Report. The report takes a closer look at the cybersecurity crisis currently experienced by the healthcare sector, in particular hospital groups, across the world. 

Africa was the global region with the highest average number of weekly cyberattacks per organisation in 2023. One in every 19 organisations on the continent experienced an attempted attack every week. Although South Africa’s healthcare sector has managed to avoid a major attack since 2020, the alarming escalation of attacks in other sectors within the country suggests that it’s only a matter of time before the next attack strikes, making it a question of “when” rather than “if”.

Hospitals have become increasingly attractive targets for ransomware attacks due to their comprehensive patient databases, sensitive information, and their interconnectedness between systems and equipment. Moreover, poor security measures have made hospitals vulnerable to cyber threats. When attacked, cybercriminals can potentially take control of entire hospital systems, and gain access not only to patients’ health information but also their financial and insurance data.

Hospitals are severely impacted by cyberattacks (https://apo-opa.co/4csCXH4), which can lead to a reduction in patient care, loss of access to electronic systems, and a reliance on incomplete paper records. This can also result in the cancellation of surgeries, tests, appointments, and, in some cases, even loss of life. 

Some shocking facts discussed in the report include:

In the first three quarters of 2023, the global healthcare sector experienced a staggering 1,613 cyberattacks per week, nearly four times the global average, and a significant increase from the same period the previous year.
The healthcare sector has seen a dramatic surge in cyberattack costs over the past three years, with the average cost of a breach reaching nearly $11 million, more than three times the global average. This makes healthcare the costliest sector for cyberattacks.
Ransomware attacks have been the most prevalent type of cyberattack on healthcare organisations, accounting for over 70% of successful attacks in the past two years.
The majority of cyberattacks (between 79% and 91%), across sectors, begin with phishing or social engineering tactics, which allow cybercriminals to gain access to accounts or servers.
According to KnowBe4’s 2024 Phishing by Industry Benchmarking Report (https://apo-opa.co/4csuiEB), healthcare and pharmaceutical organisations are among the most vulnerable to phishing attacks, with employees in large organisations in the sector having a 51.4% likelihood of falling victim to a phishing email. This means that cybercriminals have a better than 50/50 chance of successfully phishing an employee in the sector.

“The healthcare sector remains a prime target for cybercriminals looking to capitalise on the life-or-death situations hospitals face,” says Stu Sjouwerman, CEO of KnowBe4. “With patient data and critical systems held hostage, many hospitals feel like they are left with no choice but to pay exorbitant ransoms. This vicious cycle can be broken by prioritising comprehensive security awareness training to empower employees and cultivate a positive security culture as a strong defence against phishing and social engineering attacks.”

The report examines the state of cybersecurity in the healthcare sector in North America, Europe, the United Kingdom, Asia-Pacific, Africa, and Latin America. In addition it also highlights some of the most prolific global ransomware attacks that occurred between December 2023 and May 2024, the aftermath thereof and what healthcare organisations can do to protect themselves from cyberattacks. 

To download a copy of KnowBe4’s International Healthcare Report, click here (https://apo-opa.co/3xIjjaY).

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of KnowBe4.

About KnowBe4:
KnowBe4, the provider of the world’s largest security awareness training and simulated phishing platform, is used by more than 65,000 organizations around the globe. Founded by IT and data security specialist Stu Sjouwerman, KnowBe4 helps organizations address the human element of security by raising awareness about ransomware, CEO fraud and other social engineering tactics through a new-school approach to awareness training on security. The late Kevin Mitnick, who was an internationally recognized cybersecurity specialist and KnowBe4’s Chief Hacking Officer, helped design the KnowBe4 training based on his well-documented social engineering tactics. Organizations rely on KnowBe4 to mobilize their end users as their last line of defense and trust the KnowBe4 platform to strengthen their security culture and reduce human risk.

Siemens (www.Siemens.com​) and PANA Infrastructure announce a strategic collaboration to tackle Nigeria’s Electrical Infrastructure sector; The initiative aims to enhance power stability and create job opportunities in Nigeria; Combining expertise, they aim to enhance Nigeria’s power sector.

Siemens, a leading global technology company, and PANA Infrastructure, a Nigerian conglomerate with an increasing footprint across Sub-Saharan Africa, have formally announced a strategic partnership aimed at modernizing and upgrading Nigeria’s electric power infrastructure through the provision of grid automation, and smart infrastructure solutions across Nigeria. This collaboration, solidified through a formal agreement signifies a pivotal step towards addressing Nigeria’s pressing electricity challenges while fostering economic growth and technological advancement in the region.

“This collaboration underscores our commitment to fostering sustainable development and advancing technology in Nigeria,” stated Sabine Dall’Omo, CEO of Siemens Sub-Saharan Africa. “By combining Siemens’ expertise in smart grid technologies with PANA Infrastructure’s deep market insights, we aim to ensure a reliable power supply and drive economic progress in the region.”

According to Mr. Daere Akobo, Chairman of PANA Holdings, “this strategic collaboration with Siemens is a pivotal opportunity to transform Nigeria’s power sector. We are committed to addressing Nigeria’s critical power infrastructure with the use of advanced low voltage, medium voltage, and smart grid management technologies. This collaboration is in alignment with the transformation agenda in the power sector by the Nigerian government to significantly improve power supply in the country, in a manner that translates to economic progress for all Nigerians.”

The agreement signed between Siemens and PANA Infrastructure, focuses on enhancing grid reliability and stability, deepening electrification rates to meet the rapidly growing demand for electricity in Nigeria.

Simultaneously, recognizing Nigeria’s potential for substantial investments in industrial modernization, the partnership will concentrate on unlocking Nigeria’s potential in the industrial power sector. This initiative aims to revolutionize Nigeria’s industrial landscape by harnessing the power of advanced technologies and solutions to enhance productivity, efficiency, and quality. Through local capacity development, enhancing employees’ skills and capabilities, Siemens and PANA Infrastructure will pave the way for a new era of industrial excellence in Nigeria.

“Siemens reaffirms its commitment to Nigeria, with a focus on identifying and developing strategic business opportunities within the region. By leveraging a go-to-market strategy that includes knowledge platforms, collaborative business strategies, integrated sales and marketing teams, and global support, Siemens strives to bring significant business value to the Nigerian market,” says Sabine Dall’Omo.

Meanwhile, PANA Infrastructure has positioned itself as a key player in understanding and envisioning the needs of industry stakeholders and local communities. By integrating innovative technologies and forming strategic partnerships, PANA Infrastructure provides sustainable solutions that support Nigeria’s growth across a range of industry sectors.

This strategic collaboration between Siemens and PANA Infrastructure represents the convergence of proven expertise and application know-how, ensuring the highest quality of solution implementation for Nigeria’s industrial power sector. By addressing key challenges in Nigeria’s power and industrial sectors, including electricity losses, rural electrification, capacity building, local production, technology transfer, and quality standards, this partnership aims to drive sustainable growth and development in Nigeria.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Siemens AG.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Siemens Market Communications Manager
Keshin Govender
Keshin.govender@siemens.com 
+27 79 891 6589

About Siemens AG:
Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a leading technology company focused on industry, infrastructure, transport, and healthcare. From more resource-efficient factories, resilient supply chains, and smarter buildings and grids, to cleaner and more comfortable transportation as well as advanced healthcare, the company creates technology with purpose adding real value for customers. By combining the real and the digital worlds, Siemens empowers its customers to transform their industries and markets, helping them to transform the everyday for billions of people. Siemens also owns a majority stake in the publicly listed company Siemens Healthineers, a globally leading medical technology provider shaping the future of healthcare.

In fiscal 2023, which ended on September 30, 2023, the Siemens Group generated revenue of €77.8 billion and net income of €8.5 billion. As of September 30, 2023, the company employed around 320,000 people worldwide. Further information is available on the Internet at www.Siemens.com.

About PANA Infrastructure Ltd:
PANA Infrastructure Ltd is a subsidiary of the PANA Holdings Group, a pan-African conglomerate headquartered in Nigeria and operating across sub-Saharan countries through its various subsidiaries. PANA Infrastructure focuses on creating and expanding critical infrastructure in the Power sector, Energy sector and Urban sector. In tight collaboration with its affiliate, AKD Digital Solutions Ltd, PANA Infrastructure offers robust, integrated solutions in automation, motion and control while maximizing use of local resources and domesticating value-adding activities to ensure cost effectiveness for its clients, as well as to contribute to the growth of indigenous talent and African economy.