Latest news with #RebeccaDavis
Daily Maverick
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Maverick
The Gathering 2025: Daily Maverick's flagship event returns for its 15th edition
After another sold-out edition in 2024, Daily Maverick's headline event, The Gathering 2025, brought to you in partnership with Ninety One, returns on Thursday, 28 August 2025, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, with general access tickets to the public now officially open. This isn't just another current affairs conference — The Gathering is where South Africa's boldest thinkers and leaders come together to tackle the country's most urgent challenges and explore ideas that could shape the future. Last year's tickets sold out in record time — proof that South Africans are hungry for spaces that matter, conversations that count and change that lasts. This year's theme: Changemakers | The Impact Edition The 2025 edition will spotlight people and ideas driving meaningful change across South Africa, with a programme designed to challenge, provoke and inspire. Hosted by award-winning journalist, sharp political commentator and one of South Africa's most distinctive voices Rebecca Davis, she confirmed speakers joining us on stage include: Cosatu president Zingiswa Losi, Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube, acclaimed artist Mary Sibande, CEO of SmartStart Grace Matlhape, journalist and human rights activist Mark Heywood, philanthropist and co-founder of the Kolisi Foundation Rachel Kolisi and fibertime founder Alan Knott-Craig. Plus: Co-founders of Murmur Intelligence Kyle Findlay and Aldu Cornelissen, Daily Maverick CEO Styli Charalambous, award-winning journalists Pieter-Louis Myburgh, Estelle Ellis and Zukiswa Pikoli, and a special performance of Round of Applause: Freshly Squeezed for Daily Maverick by Marianne Thamm. These are just some of the confirmed speakers (we're keeping a few big surprises!). What awaits you Unfiltered debates on education, politics, AI, business and civil society. High-impact sessions designed to challenge, provoke and inspire. Direct access to South Africa's boldest thinkers and changemakers. In addition to thought-provoking discussions, The Gathering 2025 offers a unique opportunity for attendees to explore Daily Maverick, connect with fellow participants and engage in activities throughout the day. Whether in person at the Cape Town International Convention Centre or joining online, The Gathering 2025 invites individuals from all walks of life to join a community dedicated to shaping the future of our nation. Date: 28 August 2025 Location: Cape Town International Convention Centre Time: 8am to 7pm Event starts at: 9am Tickets: R325 to R2,200 Book now. Be part of the change. DM
Daily Maverick
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Watch – Manufactured praise: The strange campaign around Senzo Mchunu
Senior journalist Rebecca Davis highlights a disturbing trend on South African social media: fake accounts, copy-paste tweets, and manufactured praise for politicians. From the ANC to ActionSA, online manipulation is simulating public support and it's already impacting political discourse. With the 2026 elections around the corner, this could be a threat to democracy.
Business Wire
17-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Miso and Roboworx Team to Deliver Comprehensive Restaurant Automation Solutions
LOS ANGELES & CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Miso, a leader in restaurant technology and AI kitchen automation, has signed robot field service organization Roboworx to provide installation, maintenance and ongoing support for Miso's restaurant automation systems. This collaboration combines Miso's cutting-edge AI-powered Flippy Fry Station robots with Roboworx's nationwide network of robot technicians to provide restaurant operators with a complete, powerful and reliable solution, and a rapid return on investment (ROI). Robot field service specialist #Roboworx announces a new partnership with #restauranttech & #AI kitchen #automation leader @misorobotics to install, maintain & support #Flippy, Miso's signature restaurant automation system. #FoodTech #FlippyFryStation Share With the restaurant industry facing persistent labor shortages and operational challenges, automation has become essential for improving efficiency, reducing food waste, and enhancing customer satisfaction. Flippy Fry Station, powered by Miso's proprietary Kitchen AI, delivers 99% uptime with 'self-healing' capabilities. The robots automate the undesirable and hazardous tasks of cooking fried foods such as French fries, onion rings, chicken, and tacos with precision and consistency. Additionally, Flippy creates safer work environments and expands labor flexibility because the robot can be operated by employees under age 18 in compliance with federal regulations. 'Our goal at Miso is to deliver 'day one ROI' to our customers through reliable, intelligent automation,' said Rebecca Davis, VP of Operations, Miso Robotics. 'To scale effectively, we needed a service partner with deep robotics expertise and a national reach. Roboworx's proven track record and technical expertise make it the ideal partner to ensure our systems are deployed and maintained to the highest standard.' Miso's robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) model offers Flippy Fry Stations with no upfront costs and a monthly fee that is often less than the cost of a full-time employee. Flippy Fry Stations are currently deployed in 20 locations, including Jack in the Box and White Castle restaurants, with weekly deployments scheduled through the end of September. Rollout plans leverage Roboworx for both new installations and installed base Under the agreement with Miso, Roboworx will support both new installations and the existing installed base of Flippy Fry Stations. Roboworx's field service technicians will lead deployments, conduct preventative maintenance, provide on-demand service, and perform regular customer success check-ins, ensuring each system delivers maximum value. The collaboration allows Miso to focus on advancing its technology, while Roboworx ensures operational excellence in the field. 'Miso's automation platform is powerful and intuitive, but like any sophisticated systems, it requires knowledgeable support to deliver its full potential,' said Jeff Pittelkow, managing director, Roboworx. 'As the service backbone of Miso's nationwide rollout, we're helping the company set a new standard for restaurant automation – and helping it and its customers thrive.' About Miso Miso is a pioneer in kitchen automation and AI-driven robotics in the restaurant and food service industries. Its flagship product, Flippy Fry Station, automates the frying process with unmatched precision and consistency. Powered by Miso's proprietary Kitchen AI, Miso's technology is reshaping kitchen operations, addressing labor challenges, and enabling more efficient food preparation in partnership with leading brands and innovators. Learn more at Press & Media resources can be found at About Roboworx Roboworx offers world-class robot service, maintenance, and management, delivered by expert technicians, to ensure that both robot OEMs and end customers maximize the value of their robot fleets. Roboworx's comprehensive services include preventive maintenance, on-call break/fix, installation, customer training & retraining, and warehousing/depot services. The company caters to a wide variety of robots across numerous industries, including warehousing, cleaning, delivery, security, and more. Roboworx' services are available through flexible subscription or pay-as-you-go programs, tailored to meet the unique needs of each partnership. For more information, visit
Daily Maverick
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Watch – Rebecca Davis reports from Ukraine: Can South Africa stay neutral?
Hearing firsthand stories from Ukrainians about Russian atrocities can't help but leave you ashamed of Pretoria's stance on this awful war. Daily Maverick's Rebecca Davis reports from Ukraine.
CNA
22-05-2025
- Politics
- CNA
South Africans exasperated by Trump false claims during Ramaphosa meeting
JOHANNESBURG: South Africans expressed dismay on Thursday (May 22) at how US President Donald Trump's false claims of a white genocide dominated a conversation with President Cyril Ramaphosa, and many wondered if his trip to Washington was worth the trouble. Ramaphosa included popular white South African golfers in his delegation and he had hoped talks with Trump in the White House on Wednesday would reset relations with the United States, which have nosedived since the US leader took office in January. But Trump spent most of the conversation confronting his visitor with false claims that South Africa's white minority farmers are being systematically murdered and having their land seized. "He didn't get Zelenskyyed. That's what we have to hang onto (He) did not get personally insulted by the world's most horrible duo of playground bullies," Rebecca Davis of the national Daily Maverick wrote. At a February White House meeting, Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling him ungrateful for US military aid, and Zelenskyy heatedly tried to argue his case. For some, though, Ramaphosa's cool composure raised the question of what was achieved by his having subjected himself to the onslaught. "I don't think it was the right call. I don't think we need to explain ourselves to USA," 40-year-old Sobelo Motha, a member of a trade union, said on the streets of Johannesburg. "We ... we know there's no white genocide. So for me, it was pointless exercise." The South African president arrived prepared for an aggressive reception given actions in recent months by Trump, who has cancelled aid to South Africa, offered refuge to white minority Afrikaners, expelled the country's ambassador and criticised its genocide court case against Israel. But throughout, Trump wanted only to discuss the treatment of white South Africans, playing a video and leafing through articles that he said proved his allegations. Foreign ministry spokesperson Chrispin Phiri defended Ramaphosa's handling of the encounter, saying it was important that the two leaders engaged. "It's not in the president's (Ramaphosa's) nature to be combative. (He) looks at issues calmly, matter-of-factly. I think that's what we expect of our presidents," he told Reuters. FRINGE GROUPS IN SOUTH AFRICA Three decades after the end of apartheid in South Africa, some fringe groups lament the loss of white power that democracy brought and point to persistent economic crisis and corruption. Wider disillusion - not just among white South Africans - over the state of the country cost Nelson Mandela's legacy party its majority in last year's election. White South Africans make up less than 8 per cent of the population and are still the most affluent group, controlling three-quarters of private land. While South Africa has one of the highest murder rates in the world - about 20,000 a year - most victims are black. Data collected by white farmers themselves does not support the notion of a genocide. Afrikaner farmers' union TLU-SA has counted 1,363 white farmers murdered since 1990, or an average of 40 a year - far less than 1 per cent of total murders. South Africa's richest man, Johann Rupert, owner of Richemont group that owns brands like Cartier, was at the White House meeting and told Trump crime was a problem "across the board". Still, for more than a decade, global far-right chatrooms have been circulating the notion that whites are persecuted, views that appear to have influenced Trump, a large number of Republican politicians and his ally, South African-born Elon Musk. "I think the misinformation campaign by various right-wing groups and various Afrikaner groups was extremely successful," white South African writer Pieter du Toit told Reuters. "They have been feeding the idea of white victimhood into the right-wing ecosystem in the United States for years." Back home, though, most white South Africans take a more nuanced view. "In its entirety, the violent crime in South Africa should be looked at," Owen van Roen, 47, a global commodity trader, said in the affluent streets of Johannesburg's Sandton financial district.
