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Cape Peninsula University of Technology Adopts Huawei OceanStor Dorado All-Flash Storage System

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Huawei

CPUT’s vision is to be at the heart of education and innovation in technology, across Africa

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, November 24, 2022/APO Group/ — 

South Africa’s Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) is the only university of technology in the Western Cape and is also the largest university in the province. Ranked among the top 12 universities in South Africa in 2020, it is home to more than 30,000 students and over 70 programs, spread across 13 campuses and service points.

Rewind to January 1, 2005, and CPUT began life with the merger of Cape Technikon and Peninsula Technikon. (In South Africa, technikons are tertiary level institutions that offer technical and vocational education.) This merger was, in fact, part of a wider, national transformation process that aimed to reshape the landscape of higher education in South Africa. Announced in March 2001 by the then Minister of Education, Kader Asmal, this National Plan on Higher Education included, not only the merger of higher education institutions, but also the formation of universities of technology, an acknowledgement of the direction the future was going to take. 

Focusing on Innovation and Efficiency: Harnessing Technology

CPUT’s vision is to be at the heart of education and innovation in technology, across Africa. To achieve this, of course, it needs to have a university campus that is ultra-efficient and environmentally sustainable. Indeed, with the university is always looking for ways to enhance the quality of its teaching, it sees ongoing digital transformation as an imperative to build improved teaching environments.

With technology developing at pace, CPUT knew that it needed to upgrade its overall Information Technology (IT) infrastructure. Aged legacy infrastructure was suffering from bottlenecks that were seriously impacting efficiency. In addition, the IT systems deployed across CPUT’s 13 campuses were distributed and silo’ d, meaning that they couldn’t communicate with each other. In addition, storage resource utilization was extremely high, with some systems reaching end of support. Total storage utilization was anywhere between 85 and 95% and required continuous management. When problems arose — and they did — IT engineers had to waste valuable time doing manual interventions, moving workloads around to ensure business continuity.  This led to inefficient use of university human and IT infrastructure resources. With a challenged service offering because of the strained environment, traffic spikes that happen at the start of every new term, were not handled well. This occurred when students rushed to register for courses, causing systems to be compromised.

Cooperating with CPUT on its digital transformation journey, Huawei first began workshopping with the university’s IT Operations and Maintenance (O&M) team back in June 2019, ultimately recommending OceanStor Dorado all-flash storage to replace the legacy system.  In October 2019 CPUT conducted a Proof of Concept (PoC) test, which convinced the team to include Huawei in their RFP process. After a vigorous procurement process managed by CPUT’s Procurement Services Department, Huawei was awarded the contract.  This was because Huawei met both the technical and commercial requirements set out by CPUT. 

With Huawei OceanStor Dorado all-flash storage system in place, CPUT is well positioned to continue its transformation journey

High Performance, High Availability, and Easy to Use

Huawei OceanStor Dorado all-flash storage uses proprietary hardware, End to End (E2E) Non-Volatile Memory express (NVMe) architecture, and Huawei’s intelligent FlashLink algorithm, which optimizes communication between controllers and Solid-State Drives (SSDs). Backed up by RAID Triple-Parity (RAID-TP) technology, the smart SSD enclosure can tolerate the simultaneous failures of three SSDs and reconstruct 1 TB of data within 25 minutes. In addition, the storage system offers comprehensive enterprise-grade features, such as 3 second periodic snapshots, setting a new standard for storage product reliability.

OceanStor Dorado all-flash storage systems also employ a next generation hardware platform and ultra-stable SmartMatrix full-mesh architecture, to enhance data reliability and service continuity, ensuring always-on storage services. With a fully interconnected design at both the front- and back-ends, SmartMatrix tolerates seven out of eight controller failures, without disrupting services. In the event of a controller fault, services are switched to a functioning alternative within a single second, creating an uninterrupted link.

With OceanStor Dorado in place, CPUT now enjoys superior performance, millisecond-level latency, and extremely high reliability. Performance bottlenecks have been eliminated and the course registration system works smoothly, even during peak times, significantly improving the university experience for faculty, staff, and students alike, effectively supporting the development of teaching and scientific research. In addition, OceanStor Dorado’s intelligent O&M provides a unified storage resource pool to manage storage resources across all campuses, helping the university identify performance peak hours in advance. It proactively looks for potential component faults — endangering everything from ventilation fans and the power supply to the flash disks themselves — preparing in advance to mitigate and even avoid any impact on services. As a result, the university enjoys better maintenance efficiency, up by 30%, and improved IT resource utilization of up to 70%.

Fostering a New Generation of Technology Talent

“OceanStor Dorado’s high levels of performance have significantly improved application performance, providing us with a far more stable environment across the entire university,” said Jerome Corns, CPUT’s IT Director. “We’ve had a very positive experience with Huawei. The local service team quickly responds to problems on the live network, ensuring the stable running of our systems.”

Now, with Huawei OceanStor Dorado all-flash storage system in place, CPUT is well positioned to continue its transformation journey, supporting innovation in technology and education in Africa. It’s also fully equipped to focus on its most important mission and what it does best: fostering a new generation of technology talent.

Click to learn more about Huawei OceanStor Dorado all-flash storage (https://bit.ly/3tUyZST) and how your company can win in digital era.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Huawei Enterprise.

Business

Aurionpro expands its multi-country transaction banking engagement with Diamond Trust Bank (DTB)

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Aurionpro’s upgraded iCashpro platform for DTB delivers a unified digital experience across payments, trade, virtual accounts, and real-time reporting, enhancing straight-through processing, visibility, and control for both the bank and its corporate customers

MUMBAI, India, April 30, 2026/APO Group/ –Aurionpro Solutions Limited (www.AurionPro.com) (BSE: 532668 | NSE: AURIONPRO)a global leader in banking technology, announced the expansion and upgrade of its transaction banking engagement with Diamond Trust Bank (DTB), to modernize and enhance the bank’s corporate transaction banking capabilities across multiple countries.

Download Document: https://apo-opa.co/4edHUaC

This multi-country transaction banking upgrade covering Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania aligns with DTB’s intent to enhance customer experience, streamline operations, and support growing transaction volumes as it expands its regional corporate banking footprint. DTB continues to focus on building a more agile, ‘digital-first’ banking experience, particularly around payments for its corporate customers across Africa, and is now well positioned to scale these capabilities. As part of its broader transformation agenda, the bank has been steadily investing in platforms that enhance scale, reliability, and service consistency across markets.

Through this partnership, we are proud to lead the next era of transformation in transaction banking, helping DTB enhance operational agility

Aurionpro’s upgraded iCashpro platform for DTB delivers a unified digital experience across payments, trade, virtual accounts, and real-time reporting, enhancing straight-through processing, visibility, and control for both the bank and its corporate customers. By enabling DTB to standardize and scale its transaction banking operations across countries, the platform ensures consistent service levels, stronger control, and improved efficiency. It also supports enhanced user experience, advanced security, and the flexibility to introduce new features as DTB expands its regional transaction banking footprint.

Murali Natarajan (https://apo-opa.co/48trPdk), Managing Director & CEO, DTB Kenya   commented: “We are delighted to strengthen and broaden our partnership with Aurionpro Solutions as part of DTB’s ongoing digital transformation journey across multiple markets. Our focus on innovation, operational excellence, and customer-centricity continues to guide our technology investments. This upgrade strengthens our transaction banking capabilities, enabling us to deliver greater value to our customers through robust digital channels and seamlessly integrated experiences.”

Ashish Rai, Group CEO, Aurionpro Solutions, commented: “We are pleased to deepen our multi-country engagement with Diamond Trust Bank and support the next phase of its transaction banking modernization. As DTB continues to scale across markets, platform resilience and consistency become paramount. Through this partnership, we are proud to lead the next era of transformation in transaction banking, helping DTB enhance operational agility, deliver superior experiences to corporate customers, and create long-term value across geographies.”

He added, “Aurionpro’s iCashpro lays a strong digital foundation for transaction & wholesale banks across the globe to grow their corporate and SME client portfolio today, while creating a clear roadmap for next- generation capabilities in AI-driven insights, advanced automation and API-led connectivity for businesses in Kenya and across Africa.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Aurionpro Solutions Ltd.

 

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Minerals Council Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Joins African Mining Week (AMW) as South Africa Improves Sectorial Investment Climate

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Energy Capital

Minerals Council CEO to share insights on policy, infrastructure and investment trends shaping South Africa’s mining industry

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, April 30, 2026/APO Group/ –The upcoming African Mining Week (AMW) conference will feature Mzila Mthenjane, CEO of the Minerals Council of South Africa, as a speaker. Scheduled for October 14 – 16, 2026 in Cape Town, the event will bring together global investors, policymakers and industry leaders, with Mthenjane’s participation highlighting the council’s commitment to engaging international stakeholders and promoting investment across South Africa’s mining sector.

His participation comes at a critical moment as the Minerals Council works closely with government on finalizing the Mineral Resources Development Bill 2025, a policy framework aimed at strengthening the country’s mining investment climate and the sector’s contribution to GDP. According to the council, the revised legislation will support new investment across the value chain as South Africa seeks to mobilize R2 trillion over the next five years to unlock its critical minerals potential.

The policy reforms come amid shifting production trends in the sector. In 2025, South Africa recorded declines in gold and platinum group metals output of 1.9% and 4.1%, respectively. The new regulatory framework is expected to strengthen public-private partnerships and stimulate investment, enabling South Africa to increase production and capitalize on strong global commodity prices. Increased private sector investments is crucial with South Africa seeking targeting to unlock an estimated R40 trillion in untapped iron ore potential as well as maintain its position as the world’s leading producer of chrome and manganese.

At AMW 2026, Mthenjane is expected to outline these trends, providing insights into how the council is contributing to addressing challenges disrupting the sector. Infrastructure and energy costs remain key concerns for industry players. To support the energy-intensive sector, South Africa approved a 35% reduction in electricity tariffs for major ferrochrome producers, helping stabilize an industry that has faced significant cost pressures after electricity prices surged by roughly 900% since 2008.

Logistics constraints are also a priority area for reform. South Africa’s economy is losing an estimated R1 billion per day due to inefficiencies across rail and port infrastructure. As a result, the government is considering measures supported by the Minerals Council to increase private sector participation in logistics. Planned reforms include rail modernization initiatives targeting 250 million tons of freight capacity by 2029, alongside port upgrades and private operator participation aimed at strengthening mineral exports and improving supply chain efficiency.

Beyond infrastructure and policy reforms, the Minerals Council is advocating for stronger exploration investment to support long-term industry growth.

At AMW, Mthenjane is expected to highlight these developments and outline the steps required to reinforce South Africa’s position in the global minerals supply chain. His insights will offer investors and stakeholders a timely perspective on opportunities within the country’s mining sector.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

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Seychelles Targets Energy Investment Push as Minister Jérémie Joins African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 as a Speaker

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African Energy Chamber

Seychelles energy minister will speak at AEW 2026, positioning her to highlight reforms, renewable projects and investment opportunities as the island nation advances its transition toward a diversified energy system

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, April 29, 2026/APO Group/ –Marie-May Jérémie, Minister of Environment, Climate, Energy and Natural Resources for Seychelles will participate as a speaker at this year’s African Energy Week (AEW) 2026, taking place from October 12–16 in Cape Town. Her participation underscores the country’s growing role in shaping Africa’s small-island energy transition agenda.

Minister Jérémie’s presence at AEW 2026 comes at a critical time as Seychelles accelerates efforts to reduce its heavy reliance on imported fossil fuels. The event provides a platform to attract investment, strengthen policy alignment and showcase bankable projects, positioning the country as a viable destination for private-sector participation in island energy systems.

Seychelles is demonstrating how policy reform and innovation can unlock investment in constrained environments

In May last year, international finance institution the World Bank approved the Renewable Energy Acceleration Program, a seven-year initiative aimed at modernizing the grid and increasing renewable energy penetration to 15% by 2030. The program focuses on unlocking private capital while strengthening transmission infrastructure to accommodate variable renewable energy sources.

Project development is gaining traction in the country, particularly in innovative technologies suited to Seychelles’ land constraints. The 5.8 MW Seysun Lagoon floating solar PV project, developed by independent renewable power producer Qair, is under construction and expected online in 2026.

Alongside renewables, Seychelles continues to pursue upstream opportunities to diversify its economy. The government approved new exploration entrants in 2025 and extended exiting petroleum agreements, while securing an infrastructure partnership with China. Multilateral estimates suggest over $800 million in investment will be required over the next 25 years.

Regulatory reform is central to this transition, with Seychelles introducing an independent power producer framework to open the market to private developers. Standardized power purchase agreements, grid access reforms and strengthened public-private partnership structures are being implemented to improve transparency, reduce risk and accelerate project bankability across solar, storage and emerging wind opportunities.

“Minister Jérémie’s participation highlights the strategic importance of island nations in Africa’s broader energy transition,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber. “Seychelles is demonstrating how policy reform and innovation can unlock investment in constrained environments. Her insights will be critical to advancing dialogue on resilient, low-carbon energy systems across the continent.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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