Monthly SA tech newsletter - October 2023

Author

Megan Ellis
October 31, 2023

The end of the month is here, which means that it's time to wrap up October’s tech news and reviews from independent South African publications.

Here’s a look at what happened this month…

News

The news that Amazon’s retail platform is coming to South Africa is no longer an open secret and has now been confirmed by the company. This means that Takealot is about to face some fierce competition in the online shopping market.

Amazon will launch in South Africa in 2024

After months of speculation and rumors, Amazon has confirmed that it will launch its retail services in South Africa in 2024.

meggwrites.com/2023/10/17/amazon-will-launch-in-south-africa-in-2024

If you’re looking for a new budget smartphone, Honor has you covered. The company launched the X6a and X5 Plus in South Africa for under R3,300.

Honor debuts X6a and X5 Plus entry-level phones locally - htxt

Honor has announced two new entry-level phones for South Africa - the Honor X6a and Honor X5 Plus - both available now.

htxt.co.za/2023/10/04/honor-debuts-x6a-and-x5-plus-entry-level-phones-locally

A gadget I’m particularly excited about is the InZone Buds from Sony. Sony calls them its first truly wireless gaming earbuds and they look perfect for long gaming sessions.

The device will be available in South Africa from December, with pricing details already confirmed.

Sony unveils INZONE Buds and INZONE H5 headset: price for South Africa

Sony has unveiled two new devices for those looking for a lightweight gaming headphones option: the INZONE Buds and INZONE H5 headset.

meggwrites.com/2023/10/16/sony-inzone-buds-h5-headset-price-south-africa

Reviews

I’ve been spending the last few weeks playing Fae Farm, a cozy farm sim with a magical twist.

You can see my thoughts on the game, which is available on PC and the Nintendo Switch, in my review below:

Fae Farm review: A joyous farming sim held back by bugs

Is it worth it to play Fae Farm? The cozy farming sim has so much joy to be found, but its overall experience is held back by bugs.

meggwrites.com/2023/10/13/fae-farm-review

It’s spooky season, which means there is a lot of horror entertainment to choose from. Pfangirl has you covered with reviews of the Netflix series The Fall of the House of Usher and the new movie release Five Nights at Freddy’s.

The Fall of the House of Usher spoiler-free review – Deliciously dark hungers of the human heart - Pfangirl.com

The Fall of the House of Usher sees showrunner Mike Flanagan entwine the Gothic Horror writings of Edgar Allan Poe with a contemporary tale of greed, privilege, cruelty and consequence. It’s also Flanagan’s last limited series for Netflix, and the question is whether he goes out with a bang following the likes of The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass?

www.pfangirl.com/entertainment/the-fall-of-the-house-of-usher-review

Five Nights At Freddy’s review – No need to call security - Pfangirl.com

Fan-favourite survival horror game series Five Nights at Freddy's makes the leap to the big screen just in time for Halloween 2023. Here are our thoughts on this highly anticipated adaptation.

www.pfangirl.com/entertainment/five-nights-at-freddys-movie-review

Tech Tips

Did you know that you can now generate AI stickers on WhatsApp? It seems that the update is limited to the Android app, but you can check out the process below.

@techvalkyrie

WhatsApp now lets you send AI geneeated stickers. Open a chat, select the emoji icon in the text box, then tap the sticker icon. Here you'... See more

With Black Friday around the corner, it’s important to not fall for online shopping scams. But if it’s too late, Hypertext explains how you can report the scam to the National Consumer Commission.

Fell for an online shopping scam? Here's how to report it - htxt

Online shopping scams are on the rise in South Africa, and now the NCC is allowing victoms to file complaints via the internet.

htxt.co.za/2023/10/24/fell-for-an-online-shopping-scam-heres-how-to-report-it