In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Poly HP’s Bob Aoun discusses how hybrid working has evolved.Aoun is the Regional Sales Director for Poly HP, a position he has held for over eight years.Aoun strongly believes that equipping employees with the right tools is critical to a business’s success.In 2024, this includes providing the hybr…

In this What’s Next with Aki interview, CloudZA founder and CEO Jonathan Oaker discusses the benefits cloud technology offers to South African businesses.Oaker is an entrepreneur who is known for his visionary leadership in the cloud computing industry.He is now responsible for leading CloudZA as its CEO, and is committed to ensuring the company of…

In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Tom Crotty discusses how claims processing has evolved in recent years.Crotty is Liberty’s Lead Specialist for Technical Marketing and boasts well over a decade of experience in the financial services industry.Crotty also worked as an Actuary for Alexander Forbes from 2013 to 2017 and, before this,…

In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, the director of broadcast cybersecurity and anti-piracy at Irdeto, Frikkie Jonker, discusses the importance of fighting piracy.Jonker is a highly respected name in the South African anti-piracy industry, boasting over 30 years of experience in the field.In his current role, Jonker heads up the Irde…

In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Dr Angus Hay – Africa Data Centres’ Regional Executive for South Africa – discusses the company’s new data halls in Cape Town.He began his leadership journey in the telecommunications industry when he was appointed as the CTO of Transtel from 2001 until 2006.He now oversees the commercial and opera…

In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Bill Blackie discusses key insights from the Standard Bank Business and Commercial Banking Africa Unlocked Conference.Blackie is the CEO of Business and Commercial Banking at Standard Bank Group and boasts over 25 years of experience in the industry.In 2022 he was promoted to his current role, wher…

In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Boitumelo Mothoagae discusses how Liberty automates its claims process.Mothoagae is the Divisional Executive for Claims Management for Liberty Group South Africa and has worked with the company for over a decade.Her extensive experience and knowledge position her as a top expert in the insurance in…

In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Lisa Gibbon discusses the reasons why certain insurance claims are deemed invalid and how you can avoid this.Gibbon is the Divisional Head of Onboarding at Liberty, a position she has held for over five years and where she leverages her over 25 years of industry experience.Gibbon studied at the Uni…

In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, SmartCrypto Managing Director Dayle Wheeler discusses cryptography’s role in data protection.Wheeler boasts over 30 years of experience in the ICT industry and has held his current position at SmartCrypto since 2020. Before this, he worked as SmartCrypto’s Technical Director for three years.Wheeler…

In this 2024 Cloud and Security Conference interview hosted by Aki Anastasiou, BCX Cloud Advisory and Consulting Executive Mpho Mothapo discusses the cutting-edge cloud solutions offered by BCX.Mothapo is a respected entrepreneur and executive in the ICT sector, with extensive experience in business strategy and consulting.In 2019, Mothapo became t…

Jeanetta Hendricks is the General Manager for the Care division at Fedgroup.In this role she oversees the operation of the Fedgroup Beneficiary Care offering. Hendricks has over 30 years experience in the financial services industry and has occupied a variety of roles which included advisory services, consulting, administration, and intermediary se…

In this interview, Dr Nkosi Kumalo, MTN’s General Manager of Product and Capability at MTN Business, speaks with Aki Anastasiou about MTN Business’s impressive cloud offerings.Dr Kumalo is responsible for driving MTN’s product strategy and innovation.Before joining MTN, Dr Kumalo held various leadership positions at Oracle, BCX, and Telkom.Dr Kumal…

In this What’s Next in Business Banking interview with Aki Anastasiou, Investec Business Banking’s Hazel Banach and Dr Greg Cline discuss finding the right lending and import partner.Hazel Banach is the Head of Product for Investec’s business lending division and boasts extensive experience in areas like business development, key account management…

In this interview with Aki Anastasiou, Cipherwave CEO Shamith Maharaj discusses Cipherwave’s partnership with OADC to deliver cloud services through its data centres.Maharaj has extensive knowledge in project management, network design, network activations, network operations, network management, IT management, and service assurance.He previously w…

In this Driving Sustainability with Aki Anastasiou interview, SolarAfrica Head of Commercial Brandon Horn discusses the impact of rising electricity prices on South African businesses.Horn boasts over 16 years of sales and business development experience, and has a proven track record of driving sales growth and business expansion.Horn begins the i…

In this Investec What’s Next in Business Banking interview, Investec’s Kevin Hogan and Thivian Moodley discuss the importance of security in business banking.Hogan is the Head of Fraud Risk at Investec. He has worked in the banking industry for 21 years — first as a credit analyst at Nedbank and then as part of the first retail banking fraud preven…

In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Head of MarTech and Data Product at CloudSmiths Anton Kopytov explains the benefits of Salesforce Data Cloud.Kopytov is a visionary technology leader with over two decades of experience leading digital transformations across various industries.He is renowned for crafting robust technical roadmaps a…

In this What’s Next in Business Banking interview, Investec Head of Treasury Sales and Structuring Dhiren Mansingh, and Investec Head of Digital for South Africa Davina Maharaj, discuss the evolution of business banking in South Africa.Mansingh has worked at Investec since 2011. He specialises in many areas, including interest rates, the money mark…

In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Fedgroup’s Warren Winchester and Jason Green unpack the nuances of providing finance in diverse domains.Warren Winchester is the General Manager of Ventures at Fedgroup.Jason Green is the General Manager of Property Finance at Fedgroup and boasts an impressive track record in the finance industry.G…

In this What’s Next in Motoring with Aki Anastasiou interview, Tracker’s Chief Operating Officer Duma Ngcobo explains how businesses can protect themselves against fleet vehicle crime.Ngcobo has over 20 years of experience in finance, telecoms, and IT, which has equipped him with a wide range of skills for his role at Tracker.Ngcobo begins the inte…

In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Everest Wealth CEO Thys van Zyl discusses the upcoming national elections and their impact on local markets.Van Zyl is passionate about private equity and alternative investments and has earned a reputation as one of South Africa’s best financial planners.He has worked in the industry throughout th…

In this episode of What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou, Wetility brand ambassador and Springbok rugby legend Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira discusses Wetility’s solar power products.Mtawarira began playing for the Springboks in 2008 and retired in 2019 after winning the Rugby World Cup that same year.In 2022, Mtawarira founded The Beast Wine Collection and i…

In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Head of First for Women Seugnette van Wyngaard discusses the importance of offering insurance products tailored for women.First for Women is owned by Telesure Investment Holdings (TIH), and before taking on her current role in 2018, van Wyngaard worked in several other positions in the group.In her…

In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Absa CIB Managing Executive for ESG Msizi Khoza discusses how Absa CIB supports sustainability initiatives.In his current role, Khoza provides executive leadership over the firm’s numerous ESG-related initiatives. He also works with clients to help them access local and international capital market…

In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Cogence CEO Jonel Matthee-Ferreira discusses Cogence’s partnership with Discovery, and how it helps Cogence build superior financial products.Matthee-Ferreira joined Cogence in January 2024 and has assumed the roles of CEO and CIO immediately.Before joining Cogence, Matthee-Ferreira worked at Sanla…

In South Africa, 45% of corporations are actively using GenAI. Unlock valuable insights into the use of GenAI and access recent research by World Wide Worx, Dell Technologies and Intel. To view the webcast announcement of the research results, contact marguerite@pbpr.co.za and we will send you the link.…

In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Amazon Web Services (AWS) Country General Manager for South Africa, Chris Erasmus, discusses the importance of AI technology.Erasmus is responsible for setting AWS’s local strategy and guiding its local growth.He is well-qualified for this job, as he boasts over 15 years of strategic, commercial, a…

In this What’s Next in Finance with Aki Anastasiou interview, Fedgroup’s Michael Field unpacks the biggest challenges facing local investors. Field is the General Manager for Investments at Fedgroup and has worked for the company since 2011. Before working at Fedgroup, he gained experience working for Murray and Roberts, and MegChem Engineering and…

In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, MediaTek’s Director of Business Development for the MEA region, Rami Osman, unpacks the key features of the Dimensity 9300 chip.In 2006, he joined Microsoft as a Corporate Account Manager, before joining Qualcomm as the Country Manager for Business Development in GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) and …

In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, HONOR South Africa General Manager Fred Zhou explains what makes the new HONOR Magic Series smartphones disruptive in South Africa.HONOR is a leading global provider of smart devices and was founded in 2013.Headquartered in Shenzhen, China, HONOR has grown to become the biggest smartphone brand in …

In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, PEP Chief Executive Michael Silke discusses PAXI – PEP’s counter-to-counter parcel delivery service.Silke has over 21 years of experience in the retail sector – much of which has been with PEP.In his current role, Silke oversees all PEP’s departments – including Cellular, Financial Services, FMCG, …

In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Microsoft experts John Press and Michelle Olivier explain how AI tools take Windows 11 to the next level.John Press is a sales and marketing executive at Microsoft Device and Partner Solution Business in South Africa.He has been with Microsoft for over 16 years and has gained experience across many…

In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Comsol founder and CEO Iain Stevenson unveils Comsol’s new business-focused 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) product. Stevenson boasts 27 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, having founded Comsol in 1997.As CEO, Stevenson continues to guide the business's overall direction to ensu…

In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, MasterStart Chief Learning Officer Dr Alexia Cox discusses why it is important for South African companies to embrace innovative learning solutions.Dr Cox holds a PhD in Human Resource Management and Literature from the University of Stellenbosch, as well as a Masters in Art, English Language, and …

In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, ESET Southern Africa Group CTO Adrian Stanford unpacks how AI is transforming the cybersecurity industry.Stanford is an experienced cybersecurity professional who bridges the gap between business and technical teams to deliver excellent outcomes.This is thanks to his strong ethos of curiosity and h…

On this episode of What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou, Telkom Group CEO Serame Taukobong discusses the company’s evolution into an Infraco.Taukobong studied at the University of Cape Town, where he completed a BSc degree in chemistry, and went on to study executive management courses at IMD in Switzerland, GIBS, INSEAD in Singapore, and the Wharton Sc…

In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, CipherWave CEO Shamith Maharaj discusses CipherWave’s expansion plans for Africa.Maharaj has extensive knowledge in project management, network design, network activations, network operations, network management, IT management, and service assurance.Maharaj joined BCX in 2019 as the Executive for D…

In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Hein Engelbrecht — the Group Chief Executive Officer at Mustek Limited — discusses the role of education and training services in ending South Africa’s technology skills shortage.Engelbrecht joined Mustek in 1997 as Group Financial Manager and was promoted to Group Financial Director in 2001.He was…

In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Vodacom Group CEO Shameel Joosub discusses Vodacom’s huge success – both in South Africa and across the continent.In 2011, Joosub was appointed CEO of Vodafone Spain, before returning to South Africa to take the reins as Group CEO of Vodacom in 2012. He has held this position since and has led Voda…

In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Supersonic Managing Director Carolyn Holgate unveils her customer-centric vision for the ISP in 2024 and beyond. Holgate unpacks her vision for Supersonic and explains how the company will navigate the changing broadband landscape in South Africa.She emphasizes that because Supersonic is not a tier…

In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Dimension Data CEO Alan Turnley-Jones discusses why the company is rebranding to NTT Data.Turnley-Jones held multiple managerial roles at BCX in the 1990s before joining Dimension Data in 1999.Turnley-Jones also held other roles at Dimension Data, such as Services Executive and Managed Cloud and In…

In this episode of What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou, Justin Hume – the Vice President of Mobile at Samsung South Africa – unpacks the newly launched Samsung Galaxy S24 flagship smartphone lineup.Hume has worked in the cellular industry since 1997. He first served as the Marketing Manager for Mobile Phones at Samsung Electronics for 11 years before j…

In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Thato Matsio – The Impact Catalyst Head of Department: ICT and Education – discusses the Northern Cape School Connectivity project. Matsio has helped customers and organisations deliver ICT projects and programmes for the past 14 years while serving in a variety of important roles, including:• Acti…

In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Datacentrix Sales Leader for Digital Business Solutions, Phil Anderson, discusses the importance of embracing AI in business.Anderson is an experienced technology delivery and sales leader who is fulfilled by helping clients create more profitable, sustainable businesses through technology adoption…

In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Andrew Allison – CCO of Red & Yellow Creative School of Business – explains how educators can keep up with the latest trends.Allison is a Chartered Management Accountant with a keen interest in the intersection of technology and marketing with education, transformation, and diversity.Allison begins…

In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Botha van der Vyver — Founder and CEO of JustSolve — discusses how AI and low-code solutions accelerate digital transformation.Van der Vyver is a software developer with over two decades of industry experience.In this interview, Van der Vyver explains what low-code is and highlights the emerging tr…

In this episode of What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou, Vishal Maharaj – Beyond Banking Divisional Executive at Nedbank – discusses the Nedbank Avo SuperShop app.Maharaj is a founding member of Nedbank Avo SuperShop and recognises the importance of delivering extraordinary, data-driven customer experience.Maharaj begins the interview by highlighting th…

In this episode of What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou, David McDonald — co-founder and CEO of SolarAfrica — discusses electricity wheeling and the positive impact it can have on the South African energy landscape.McDonald boasts over 17 years of experience in the power industry, and his technical expertise and hands-on approach have been instrumental …

In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Dr Ayotunde Coker — CEO of Open Access Data Centres (OADC) — discusses how better data centres can drive digital transformation in South Africa.Coker is one of the leading figures in the African data centre industry and is the chairperson of the influential Africa Data Centres Association industry …

In this What’s Next in Motoring interview, Alex Taplin — TiAuto Investments Group CEO — talks to Aki Anastasiou about Tiger Wheel & Tyre and its successful business model.Taplin has been with TiAuto Investments for over 25 years, during which time the group has expanded its operations across South Africa.In this interview, Taplin talks about one of…