Technology

African telecoms and financial companies join global leaders on WorkL’s 2026 World’s Happiest Workplaces list

Several African telecommunications and financial services companies have earned global recognition after being named among the World’s Happiest Workplaces 2026, published by employee experience platform WorkL

According to a recently released report by WorkL, the rankings draw on anonymous feedback from over one million employees across more than 120,000 organisations worldwide. Companies that score 70 or above in WorkL's 'Happy at Work Test' qualify for inclusion.

Africa’s telecommunications sector was particularly well represented, with Kenya’s Safaricom featuring alongside major global operators. South Africa also emerged strongly, with MTN Group, MTN South Africa and Vodacom South Africa all included in the telecommunications and publishing category. Beyond telecoms, Standard Bank was recognised in the financial services category, reinforcing South Africa’s reputation for workplace cultures that prioritise employee wellbeing, engagement and purpose.

Their inclusion places African companies alongside global industry leaders such as AT&T, Telefónica, Tata Communications, Disney and ING Bank, underlining the continent’s ability to compete on workplace satisfaction as well as commercial performance.

Measuring workplace happiness

WorkL’s World’s Happiest Workplaces rankings are based on its Happy at Work Test, a free and anonymous survey that takes employees less than ten minutes to complete. The assessment measures six areas that influence workplace happiness: wellbeing, job satisfaction, reward and recognition, information sharing, empowerment and instilling pride. The final list can be filtered by country, industry and category.

According to WorkL, organisations recognised on the list typically report higher productivity, lower staff turnover and reduced absenteeism.

Commenting on the 2026 results, WorkL founder Lord Mark Price said, "I’m delighted to publish the World’s Happiest Workplaces 2026 List today. Organisations who are recognised report higher productivity, lower staff turnover and lower sick leave as a result of employees being happier."

"Our research shows that nearly 50% of people are unhappy, anxious or depressed at work. It’s our mission to make the world’s workplaces happier, and it starts with acknowledging the ones who are doing a good job."

Vertiv unveils Next Predict, an AI-powered service that predicts and prevents data centre risks before they arise. (Image source: Vertiv)

Vertiv has launched Vertiv Next Predict, an AI-powered managed service designed to revolutionise data centre maintenance

Moving beyond traditional time-based and reactive approaches, the service industrialises operations by analysing asset behaviour before risks occur. Next Predict represents the latest enhancement in Vertiv’s integrated AI infrastructure portfolio, providing predictive intelligence across power, cooling, and IT systems to establish a unified, resilient foundation for AI-driven data centres.

As AI workloads transform the data centre environment, facilities require greater visibility and control over critical infrastructure to ensure continuous performance at scale. By adopting advanced analytics and predictive maintenance strategies, organisations can proactively address these challenges and maintain reliable operations across distributed environments.

“Data centre operators need innovative technologies to stay ahead of potential risks, as compute intensity rises and infrastructures evolve,” said Ryan Jarvis, vice president of the global services business unit at Vertiv.

“Vertiv Next Predict helps data centres unlock uptime, shifting maintenance from traditional calendar-based routines to a proactive, data-driven strategy. We move from assumptions to informed decisions, by continuously monitoring equipment condition and enabling risk mitigation before potential impacts to operations.”

Vertiv Next Predict uses AI-based anomaly detection to continuously monitor operating conditions and identify deviations from expected behaviour at an early stage. A predictive algorithm evaluates potential operational impacts to determine risk and prioritise response. Root cause analysis isolates contributing factors to support efficient, targeted resolution. Based on system data and the operational context, prescriptive actions are defined and executed, with corrective measures carried out by qualified Vertiv Services personnel.

Built for versatility and future growth, Vertiv Next Predict currently supports a broad and expanding range of Vertiv power and cooling platforms, including battery energy storage solutions and liquid cooling components. The service is designed for scalability, enabling seamless integration with future data centre technologies as part of a unified, grid-to-chip architecture. This approach allows customers to adopt Next Predict today while ensuring the service can evolve alongside their infrastructure requirements.

Vertiv Services brings decades of experience in critical digital infrastructure, a global network of trained technicians, and AI-powered analytics.

For more information about Vertiv Next Predict or Vertiv’s end-to-end power and thermal management solutions, including the OneCore scalable prefabricated data centre infrastructure solution, SmartRun modular overhead IT infrastructure system, and Vertiv’s expanding portfolio for AI and high-density workloads, visit Vertiv’s website.

Data intelligence drives safer roads across Limpopo province. (Image credit: AARIVE ALIVE)

Positioned at the centre of Southern Africa’s transport network, Limpopo carries a constant flow of traffic along key routes such as the N1, R71 and R37. These corridors are vital for linking communities, enabling regional trade and moving goods across borders

Their importance, however, also brings heightened safety risks. For the Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety (LDTCS), improving road safety relies heavily on one essential factor: reliable, easy-to-use data that explains where crashes happen and what causes them.

For many years, road crash information in the province was recorded manually across different districts, without spatial mapping. This fragmented approach limited the ability of authorities to identify high-risk areas or take preventive action. Through the Limpopo Road Safety Programme (LRSP), funded by the Anglo American Foundation and delivered with support from The Impact Catalyst, Project 3 was launched to address these gaps.

In collaboration with LDTCS and the Office of the Premier (OTP), the project team developed a GIS-based incident dashboard that consolidates provincial crash data into a single, visual platform.

“Having a shared picture of where our highest-risk corridors and communities are makes all the difference,” notes Mr Stephen Matjena, LDTCS Head of Department, “because it allows us to direct limited enforcement and investment where they can have the greatest impact.”

Building a practical tool through collaboration

The initiative began with a proof-of-concept system built on ESRI technology, developed alongside the CSIR and technical partners. Early testing focused on real-world applications, including pedestrian vulnerability and ambulance response trends. As the work progressed, greater emphasis was placed on improving data accuracy and usability. Records were cleaned and structured, filters and categories refined, and terminology adjusted in close consultation with provincial officials. By 2025, the dashboard was ready for handover, giving users an intuitive way to analyse incidents by corridor, district, severity and time period. It is already informing corridor planning discussions and helping justify targeted interventions in identified high-risk zones.

“The goal was never to build a shiny system in isolation,” reflects Dr. Mari Romijn, Impact Catalyst Head of Department of Capable State. “It was to co-create something practical with provincial teams that can grow into a full road safety intelligence platform over time.”

Strengthening partnerships and future opportunities

The benefits of the dashboard are becoming increasingly clear. It has established a common evidence base for LDTCS, the Office of the Premier, the Department of Health and Roads Agency Limpopo, supporting closer coordination on enforcement priorities, strategic planning and updates to the Limpopo Road Safety Strategy and Action Plan. At the same time, the Limpopo Department of Health’s new Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system presents opportunities to integrate emergency medical services data in the future, offering deeper insight into crash severity, response times and patient outcomes.

Overall, the incident dashboard shows how practical, data-led solutions can help even resource-limited administrations move from reactive responses to a proactive, intelligence-driven approach to road safety, while gradually building the skills and systems needed for long-term ownership and innovation.

Oni-Tel launches high-speed data network.

Oni-Tel Fibre Networks, a leading fibre optic cable infrastructure provider in South Africa, has unveiled its Inter-Data Centre Fibre Network, with Digital Parks Africa (DPA) acting as the first point of presence (PoP)

This high-speed fibre backbone links all major data centres across Gauteng, delivering seamless, low-latency connectivity between facilities and opening new opportunities for enterprise and cloud infrastructure.

The launch represents a major advancement for the region’s digital infrastructure, positioning Oni-Tel to:

• Be the first provider to introduce new infrastructure access models through a purpose-built network designed for data centre interconnectivity (DCI) and external links, including Carrier Points of Presence (PoP), Carrier Hotels, and Campus Cross-Connects.

• Lead in deploying next-generation technology combined with innovative commercial frameworks.

• Act as a key disruptor in the data connectivity sector, transforming how businesses approach interconnectivity and scaling.

A new era of participation and innovation

At the official launch held at DPA’s Midrand headquarters, Oni-Tel CEO Andre Pillay said the company is moving fast, living boldly, and entering a new era of participation and innovation in the market.

“We are focused on resilient architectures, future-proof infrastructure, and intelligent monitoring platforms that transform how we manage and secure critical assets. We see a growing technical need for stability, scalability and speed, and that is why we are investing in robust infrastructure,” he explained.

“To date, we have laid over 70km of cutting-edge fibre, purpose-built for high-speed and low-latency, ready for future demands of digital connectivity. With a proactive approach, our core network is pre-provisioned to enable time-critical requirements to be met seamlessly and on schedule.”