NUGGET (30 JANUARY 2025)
Nuggets! (Bite size updates on the real important stuff related to Tech, Trends, Business and the Planet.)
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The first nuggets of a new year!
As I start 2025, I asked myself: Did we have any environmental wins last year? It’s an important question because the media is dominated by very unpleasant or just outright devastating news. It becomes depressing, and while a lot of this news is legitimate, it also drowns out some of the very important good news, and there is good news! Let me share some.
Did you know that in China, power generation by ‘wind and solar’ has overtaken coal? Hard to believe, right? But China appears to be heading in the right direction.
Photograph Credits: Natural Earth
More good news? Sure! Let me share this wonderful video which offers 10 really good news stories from around the world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw3N97EXc8c
I normally offer at the start of each year a quick few nuggets on Global Trends For 2025 (and a little beyond). So there they are!
The telecommunications industry will likely (start to) undergo significant transformations driven by ongoing digital advancements and societal pressures.
Some of the key technologies and gadgets, such as artificial intelligence (AI), 5G, and cloud services, will start to reshape business models and customer services. Telecom operators will need to adapt to various challenges, including cybersecurity threats, the demand for sustainable practices, and the integration of their networks into emerging industries. As AI begins to be fully leveraged on a global scale, telecom companies can expect smarter networks and enhanced customer experiences. Additionally, with the rollout of 5G, businesses will experience improved connectivity and a variety of digital applications, including immersive virtual and augmented reality experiences.
Moreover, the emergence of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite networks is expected to bridge connectivity gaps in remote areas, while an increased focus on cybersecurity will prioritize network resilience and data protection. Telecom operators will also act as catalysts for industry convergence, forming partnerships to support new technologies like autonomous vehicles and virtual healthcare. Exciting developments such as real-time holographic communications and hyper-personalized customer experiences through generative AI will mark the industry’s evolution. As telecom operators shift towards cloud-native networks, they will enhance scalability and flexibility, ensuring a future-proof infrastructure ready to support the next generation of human interaction and business innovation. Of course, no one can predict the future, but what I have shared here is plausible and borderline likely.
Mr Gayton McKenzie, our Minister of Sport, Arts, and Culture, has announced the implementation of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system in the Premier Soccer League (PSL), with initial costs estimated at R80 million and R70,000 required per match. He emphasized the initiative’s importance for enhancing the integrity of the game and stated the government is ready to financially support it while seeking sponsorships. The introduction of VAR is viewed as a significant step toward improving South African football standards.
(For those who are keen to know: VAR, which stands for Video Assistant Referee, is technology used to review referee decisions regarding goals, penalties, red cards, and mistaken identity.)
I think the cost of VAR should be added to ticket prices and not become the responsibility on the tax base.
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At the start of this year, some forecasts are suggesting a 1.7% GDP growth for South Africa in 2025. Compared to prior years, that sounds like a win!
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AGI is inevitable. I have said it before and will say it again because I really believe it: superintelligence is the next level of intelligence. But I do not believe humans will possess this. If you look at ‘intelligence’ over time, you cannot deny that intelligence evolves, improves, and changes form. Those who believe intelligence is, or was always meant to be, restricted to organics are not considering the much bigger picture.
Here is a video from one of my favorite channels, well worth a watch, and linked nicely to this subject: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fa8k8IQ1_X0
I recently finished a book by Germaine R. Halegoua, (part of my ongoing studies regarding Smart Cities). Sometimes, I read a book and learn nothing—not because it’s a bad book, but because a lot of content is recycled.
Now, I am not saying that Germaine’s short book is plagiarized or devoid of fresh ideas; I would not dare! What I am saying is that there are only so many ways to express in words that an apple is a fruit. The key takeaway for me from this book was a Reconfirmation that there are No Smart Cities in South Africa—not even Cape Town!
My definition of a smart city is very different from the one used by politicians or commercialists. I do not believe a city can be classified as smart when public participation and engagement are missing. More specifically, in the context of South Africa, a smart city is one that serves all those who live within it. A smart city that is not inclusive of all its residents is, in my eyes, no smart city—even if it boasts the best technology and gadgets.
Outgoing US President Joe Biden announced (just before Trump took over) a ban on new offshore oil and gas drilling along most of America’s coastline, including the entire Atlantic coast, eastern Gulf of Mexico, and sections of the Pacific coast, as part of last-minute climate policy actions before Donald Trump takes office.
Biden has emphasized the necessity of protecting coastal communities and ecosystems from the risks of drilling. Obviously Trump criticized the ban as “ridiculous” and vowed to reverse it immediately
The ban covers over 625 million acres and uses the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act of 1953. (A reversal would likely require congressional action.)
Some ‘money’ news.
And a green flag in my eyes. South Africa has taken another step in standing up for itself. If you did not hear, we have just enacted the Global Minimum Tax Act to combat tax avoidance by multinational corporations (MNCs) and secure a fair share of global tax revenue.
Gazetted on December 24, 2024, and effective from January 1, 2024 (so backdated), the Act incorporates the OECD/G20’s GloBE (Global Anti-Base Erosion) Rules, which enforce a minimum 15% effective tax rate on foreign income earned by MNCs.
The legislation introduces a “Top-up Tax” for MNC groups with a global turnover exceeding €750 million, ensuring they pay at least the minimum tax, even if their South African operations report a lower effective rate. (The aim here is to discourage profit shifting to low-tax havens and promote equitable taxation.)
Is the World More Violent?
I love this channel so much, and the video on the link below was of particular interest to me in respect to an influence and dare I say trend I am tracking, namely WAR!
This short video will provide a really fresh perspective: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reSfF60-2S4
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It’s a business, but it appears to be good business! I don’t get to write enough about good environmental stories. There just don’t appear to be as many as I would like. So, this month, when one of my businesses got a request for a new client, I happened to stumble on their website. Take a look at a short video or two on the link below, and if you like what you see, check out the rest of their website.
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Some progress news for South African e-Law.
‘Court Online’ is now available in Cape Town. Well, Cape Town ‘web’.
Previously, Court Online was only accessible in Gauteng (Pretoria & Johannesburg), but in December 2024 it changed! All new cases can (must) be filed using the Court Online system. This applies to all High Court matters within Cape Town’s jurisdiction.
I love it when tech is used the right way and to solve real problems. More info here: https://www.judiciary.org.za/index.php/court-online/about-court-online
The End!
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Who is Jean-Pierre Murray-Kline?
Jean-Pierre is a South African serial e-entrepreneur, published author, and change champion who has worked in over 300 types of industries in some capacity or another. His own online businesses have generated millions of Rands and involved sectors such as law, web & app development, events & entertainment, property, technical services, media, and tourism.
He has traveled to over 180 cities worldwide and is extremely active as a business and environmental technologist. In addition to his own projects, he researches and consults on all things online: marketing, reputation, compliance, law, and e-security, and also offers strategy workshops and scenario sessions on future thinking with a key focus on technology, the environment, and global influences.
Jean-Pierre is often asked to be a guest speaker on a variety of subjects he continuously studies and writes about.
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