Techcentral Podcast

The pace of innovation in the cloud space is breathtaking. Gone are the days when the cloud was just about virtual machines and storage; today, it is a dynamic ecosystem, constantly introducing features that are fundamentally transforming how businesses operate, from the smallest start-ups to the largest enterprises. Preegan Chetty, Azure product manager at First Distribution, returns to TechCentral’s TCS+ to discuss some of the latest and most exciting features available in the Azure cloud environment and how businesses are leveraging those capabilities to facilitate growth. This is the third in a series of three episodes with Chetty and First Distribution. Episode one covered cloud cost optimisation in Azure and episode two looked at how businesses can manage the complexities of data residency in hybrid cloud environments. In this episode, Chetty delves into: • The benefits cloud-based IT environments offer over on-prem installations and how they help companies experiment and adopt new technologies faster;

Data is the lifeblood of every organisation, driving innovation, enhancing customer experiences and influencing strategic decisions. But managing this invaluable asset has never been more challenging. Hybrid IT environments – where some organisational data sits in the cloud other data resides in on-premises infrastructure – only adds to this complexity. In this second episode in a series of three delving into the ins and outs of Azure cloud deployments, Preegan Chetty, Azure product manager at First Distribution, discusses the data governance procedures that ensure organisational data is stored in the most useful, cost-effective and compliant ways. The first episode centred on effective cost management techniques for the Azure cloud environment. You can watch that episode here. In this episode, Chetty delves into: • Why the complexity of data governance increases when organisations migrate from on-premises to hybrid cloud environments; • The factors organisations should consider when deciding which data they

Organisations are flocking to the cloud for its agility, scalability and innovation potential. But while the cloud promises big things, it also presents a set of financial challenges. Many businesses find their cloud bills spiralling out of control, eroding the very benefits they sought in the first place. In this episode of TechCentral’s TCS+, Preegan Chetty, Microsoft Azure product manager at First Distribution, discusses the tools Azure provides for effective cost management and how businesses can take advantage of them to get the most out their cloud deployments without breaking the bank. Chetty delves into: • Some of the common pitfalls or hidden costs that organisations encounter when moving their workloads into the cloud and how to mitigate against these; • The different pricing models available in Azure and how organisations can leverage them; • What FinOps is and how businesses can benefit from it; • How organisational KPIs can be leveraged to manage cloud spending effectively; • How tagging can aid

The digitisation of social interactions has made it easier for people to maintain contact and build online communities. However, there has been a decrease in in-person interaction that has contributed to a sense of disconnect. South African-made social media platform Sociable hopes to solve this problem by combining online engagement with in-person meetups, connecting people based on shared interests. In this episode of the TechCentral Show, Sociable co-founder and CEO Jason van Dyk tells TechCentral’s Nathi Ndlovu about the importance of community and how Sociable is helping drive its development. In the show, Van Dyk delves into: • How community builders benefit from using the Sociable platform; • The features Sociable provides to communities and their members to enhance engagement; • How meeting spaces including coffee shops, bars and restaurants benefit from the in-person component of Sociable’s community meetups; • Sociable’s approach to safety for its users; • How Sociable positions itself against larg

This is the third episode of a new podcast series curated by TechCentral’s editorial team and generated by artificial intelligence tools. It’s an experiment that’s in beta for now, but if it works well, we’ll consider making it a regular feature by launching a season 1. Note that even using the most accurate and reliable sources, AI can and will occasionally make mistakes. In this episode, we highlight some of the biggest technology news stories from South Africa and the world over the last week, as covered by TechCentral. In this episode, we look at: • Takealot Group’s strong top-line performance; • The profit surge at Prosus and what’s driving it; • The over-capacity crisis hitting China’s motoring industry; • How Oracle, a dowdy database developer, got a new lease on life; • Jaltech’s decision to back solar specialist Wetility; and • The State IT Agency hits back at its critics in government; Again, this podcast is experimental. We welcome your feedback. Would you like this podcast to become a regular feat

Spar Group is determined to play a significant role in the on-demand grocery delivery space in South Africa despite coming from behind, its omnichannel executive for Southern Africa has told TechCentral. Speaking to the TechCentral Show, Blake Raubenheimer took the publication’s editor, Duncan McLeod, through the retailer’s plan to compete directly with the likes of Shoprite Holdings’ Sixty60, which gained an early market lead during the Covid lockdowns. Spar has every intention of becoming a meaningful player in app-based on-demand deliveries, according to Raubenheimer, who unpacked the retailer’s plan to gain market share in the increasingly competitive but fast-expanding segment with Spar2U. South Africa’s grocery sector has become increasingly competitive as price-conscious consumers look for value, convenience and distinctive products. Shoprite and Woolworths are keeping their rivals on their toes as they continue to sign up customers. Pick n Pay, which is also coming from behind, is aggressively targeti

Many municipalities in South Africa are struggling to maintain a reliable supply of clean water to households and industries. Thankfully, technology is here to help. In this episode of TechCentral’s TCS+, Helen Hulett, newly appointed chief sustainability officer at geospatial information science specialist AfriGIS, tells Duncan McLeod about the Resolve Water project that she leads and how she and her team are working with businesses and municipalities to try to address a problem that has reached crisis levels in some parts of the country. AfriGIS’s technology is able to have a real-world impact on this crisis, according to Hulett, who specialises in industrial water risk, water-related governance and social issues, and sustainability. Hulett, who has consulted with leading companies on the topic – they include the likes of Coca-Cola, Illovo Sugar Africa, Sappi, Aspen Pharmacare and Sasol – said AfriGIS offers advanced mapping and data analytics tools to address water scarcity, improve resource management and

This is the second (and beta) episode of a new podcast series curated by TechCentral’s editorial team and generated by artificial intelligence tools. It’s an experiment for now, but if it works well, we’ll consider making it a regular feature by launching a season 1. Note that even using the most accurate and reliable sources, AI can and will occasionally make mistakes. In this episode, we highlight several key developments in South Africa's ICT sector, including the intense capex competition among Vodacom, MTN and Telkom that reveals a fierce battle for network supremacy and market share within the mobile telecommunications sector. Concurrently, the surge in mobile virtual network operators is reshaping the South African mobile market, also fostering increased competition and delivering specialised offerings for consumers. Also this week: an uproar over home affairs' proposed database fee increases; the proliferation of Starlink and other low-Earth orbit satellites present a significant threat to radio astro

This is the first (and beta) episode of a new podcast series curated by TechCentral's editorial team and generated by artificial intelligence tools. It's an experiment for now, but if it works well, we'll make it a regular feature. Note that even using the most accurate and reliable sources (human-generated articles from TechCentral and other reliable media sources), AI can and does make mistakes. Again, this is experimental. We welcome your feedback. Would you like this podcast to become a regular feature on TechCentral? Is there anything you'd like to improve? Drop us a line at info@techcentral.co.za - we'd love to hear from you. TechCentral

What should one make of the noise surrounding the licensing (or non-licensing) of Starlink in South Africa? And what of the plans to reform the rules around black economic empowerment in the sector? To make sense of these developments – and others – TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod sat down this week with Nomvuyiso Batyi, CEO of the Association for Comms & Technology (ACT), an industry body that represents South Africa’s six largest telecommunications operators: MTN, Telkom, Vodacom, Rain, Liquid Intelligent Technologies and Cell C. In the interview, for the TechCentral Show, Batyi unpacked communications minister Solly Malatsi’s draft policy directive to communications regulator Icasa on so-called “equity equivalents” and why ACT believes there needs to be fairness in the licensing process. If the new rules apply to satellite operators, she said, they should apply to all licensees in the sector equally, including the big telecoms operators ACT represents. In the show, she also discussed: • Whether Starli

Mobile money has an increasingly vital role to play in South Africa’s economy, despite the fact that the country boasts an advanced financial services sector. That’s the view of Kagiso Mothibi, CEO of Fintech at MTN South Africa, who was sharing his views in a recent interview with TechCentral’s TCS+ (watch it below) in which he discusses the broader fintech vision for the network operator and its role in driving innovation across the group. But what is it about mobile money services that is attracting South African consumers to products like MTN’s MoMo, and what role do these platforms fulfil in the broader financial services ecosystem? Mothibi unpacks this in detail in the interview. He also discusses: • Why South Africa has proved to be a tougher mobile money market to crack than many other countries in Africa; • How the South African market differs from others in which MTN operates; • Who the target market is for MoMo – is it the unbanked and underbanked, or does MTN also have plans to serve well-heeled c

Forget the hype, embrace the revolution! In this episode of TCS+, TechCentral speaks with Workday South Africa country manager Kiv Moodley and manager of solutions consulting Jannie Malan to dissect the critical intersection of artificial intelligence and human potential. Malan oversees the solution consulting team, engaging with prospects and clients to understand their challenges and demonstrate how Workday’s technology can enable them to achieve their vision. Both Moodley and Malan, who coincidentally joined Workday on the very day its South African office launched in 2018, brought seven years of frontline experience to the discussion, proving that AI isn't just a buzzword – it's already shaping our world. TCS+ host Jaydev Chiba sat down with the two men to discuss the topic of “Human by design: real-world AI, real human impact”. Experts note that AI, like other technologies, might be overestimated in the short term but underestimated in the long term. Overcoming initial apprehension requires understanding

Altron Group announced last week that it was selling its Altron Nexus business in a management buyout led by Nexus MD Louis du Toit and BriteGaze founder and technology entrepreneur Reshaad Sha. Sha and Du Toit are our guests in this episode of the TechCentral Show, where they tell TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod about the acquisition and their plans for the business. As part of the acquisition – which is still subject to the fulfilment of certain conditions, which should be concluded by the end of June – Altron Nexus will be rebranded as Sentiv, a portmanteau of “sentient” and “intuitive”. Sha will serve as Sentiv’s executive chairman while Du Toit will be CEO. “Together they will steer Sentiv’s transformation into a future-orientated technology partner offering intelligent, context-aware, mission-critical communications and industrial internet-of-things solutions,” according to a statement from the acquiring parties. In this episode of the TechCentral Show, Du Toit and Sha explore: • How the deal came abou

TechCentral’s guests in this episode of the TechCentral Show believe Blue Label Telecoms and its affiliate (and soon to be subsidiary) Cell C present a compelling investment case. Philip Short, global portfolio manager at Flagship Asset Management – which counts Blue label as its sole South African investment – and Dylan Bradfield, portfolio manager at Sharenet, tell TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod that they believe the turnaround taking place at Cell C is real, and will have a meaningful impact on Blue Label shares. Blue shares, which have already rallied strongly – which have more than doubled in the past six months – could still have plenty of room to run, according to Short. In this episode of the TechCentral Show, Short and Bradfield unpack: • Blue Label’s announcement earlier this month that it is considering a JSE listing for Cell C; • Why Cell C’s restructured operating model and strategy makes sense, and why that’s good news for Blue Label shareholders; • The role of Cell C CEO Jorge Mendes in the t

This episode of TCS+ is the third in a series of three focused on the relationship between Switchcom Distribution and Huawei eKit as well as the networking solutions the two companies are providing for SMEs in South Africa and the rest of Africa. Dewald van Eck, networking engineer at Switchcom parent company CMVAS, and Kurt Anthony, support engineer at CMVAS, tell TechCentral’s TCS+ about their hands-on experience working with Huawei eKit in customer implementations. In this episode, Anthony and Van Eck delve into: • How the Huawei eKit benefits the network operations manager when implementing networking projects; • The problems the eKit solution solves for SMEs; • How the eKit streamlines the network setup process for SMEs; • Real-world examples of the how the eKit has helped SMEs on the ground; and • Some of the common challenges faced when supporting SMEs during project implementations. Don’t miss an informative discussion. TechCentral

4Sight Holdings has turned the corner and has signalled this with a recent move from the AltX to the main board of the JSE. CEO Tertius Zitzke is our guest in this episode of the TechCentral Show. He tells TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod about the turnaround he’s leading – not to mention the mess he inherited when he took over leadership of the business in December 2019, months before Covid hit. 4Sight has been operating largely below the radar, but the investment community has begun paying attention – and, although the shares been moving sideways for the past year, over three years they have climbed by 250%. In this episode of the TechCentral Show, Zitzke unpacks: • What motivated the decision to move to the JSE’s main board; • His background, including his leadership AccTech Systems, its acquisition by 4Sight and how he became CEO of the group; • Why the business was listed originally, and how its focus has changed under his leadership; • How the turnaround was achieved – and what still needs to be done; •

In this episode of the TechCentral Show, we chat to Clive Roberts, the consumer packaged goods (CPG) segment leader for anglophone Africa at Schneider Electric. In this discussion, Roberts unpacks the focus of the company’s segment, which covers the dynamic food and beverage industry across 24 African nations, encompassing about 1 800 manufacturers. The sector is driven by converging trends, notably in smart manufacturing and a strong emphasis on sustainability, including waste reduction and energy efficiency. Simultaneously, evolving consumer preferences for healthier options, ingredient transparency and diverse dietary needs demand agility and resilience from these manufacturers. Cost management remains a critical focus. The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated digital transformation, as manufacturers focused on automation and better system integration to ensure business continuity. Further challenges, such as load shedding and water curtailment, shifted the focus towards power resilience, prompting investments in

One of South Africa’s responsibilities as president of the global Group of 20 (G20) nations in 2025 is to hosting the G20 TechSprint, an event that invites innovators from around the world to develop financial solutions that solve the most pressing challenges faced by central banks. The South African Reserve Bank is hosting this year’s TechSprint in collaboration with the Bank for International Settlements. Lyle Horsley, head of fintech at the Reserve Bank, joined TechCentral’s Nkosinathi Ndlovu on the TechCentral Show to talk about the competition and other initiatives spearheaded by Bank under the G20 banner. In this episode of the show, Horsley delves into: The history of the G20 TechSprint and some of the solutions developed in previous iterations of the competition; The problem statements entrants are required to centre their solutions on; How central banks balance the often-opposing concerns of innovation on one hand and strong regulation on the other; How digital identity and the principles of open fin

Boasting 1.6 million subscribers after less than three years in the market, Capitec Connect has quickly become South Africa’s largest MVNO – and it has an ambitious plan for further growth. Dalene Steyn, head of Capitec Connect, tells the TechCentral Show (TCS) that the MVNO – or mobile virtual network operator – market in South Africa is poised for further expansion as banks, retailers and other brands muscle into the mobile business through wholesale partnerships with network operators. According to Steyn, although Capitec Connect is not a loss leader for the bank, the focus for now is building a critical mass of subscribers from Capitec Bank’s customer base – Capitec Connect users must be bank clients to sign up for the service. In the interview, Steyn tells TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod about: • Why Capitec Connect recently cut its prices, matching another MVNO, Afrihost AirMobile, as the cheapest MVNO provider in South Africa – spoiler: it’s all about building scale; • Why Capitec is pulling ahead in

Schalk Visser has worked in telecommunications for more than 20 years, first at Telkom, then at Vodacom and now at Cell C, where he has served as chief information and technology officer since 2020. Visser, an engineer, joined Cell C 13 years ago – during the tenure of former CEO Alan Knott-Craig – as an executive in the company’s programme management office, where he helped lead a renewal of its radio access network. TechCentral’s guest in the latest episode of the publication’s Meet the CIO podcast, Visser tells host Duncan McLeod about his career journey in telecoms before delving into his work in helping transform Cell C’s technology stack – with a focus on recent years as the operator moved to shut down its own radio access network in favour of partnerships with other mobile operators. In the interview, Visser chats about: • Where his interest in technology began; • His time with Telkom and Vodacom, including his experience helping build Vodacom’s network in Mozambique; • The changes that have occurred a