What's Next with Aki Anastasiou

AI financial advice is becoming easier to access, but trusting a chatbot with major money decisions can introduce serious risks. Ajen Mothee, Head of Innovation at Old Mutual Personal Finance, explains why more South Africans are turning to AI for financial guidance and where the technology can genuinely add value. Mothee discusses how AI can help users learn financial terminology, build basic bud...

Financial pressure is changing how South Africans save, spend, buy homes, and build additional income streams — but it has not killed their ambition. Jolandé Duvenage, Value Ecosystems and CX CEO at FNB, shares what a decade of customer behaviour on FNB nav» reveals about how people are adapting to rising living costs and greater financial uncertainty. She explains why customers increasingly want...

AI infrastructure is set to reshape South Africa’s cloud and data centre market as demand grows for more compute power, GPU capacity, and efficient hosting. Lee Lennox, Product Manager for Xneelo's Cloud and Self-Managed Hosting portfolio, explains how the company is expanding its data centre infrastructure while preparing for the next generation of cloud and AI workloads. Lennox discusses the glo...

South African cloud services are gaining importance as businesses focus more closely on data sovereignty, cybersecurity, predictable costs, and local support. Biscay Mulaudzi, Chief Executive Officer at Gole Cloud and Bottomline IT, explains why he built a locally hosted cloud platform designed for South African businesses, SMMEs, and individual consumers. Mulaudzi discusses how Gole Cloud keeps c...

AI can deliver real business value, but companies need more than licences and hype to turn the technology into measurable returns. Gregory MacLennan, CEO of Digicloud Africa, explains how South African businesses can adopt AI practically, using tools such as Gemini in Google Workspace without requiring large specialist teams. He discusses how Gemini can support everyday work across Gmail, Docs, Sh...

Small business growth increasingly depends on using connectivity, data, cloud services, and AI to work smarter and compete more effectively. Andrew Dawson, Managing Executive: Small, Medium and Diversified Business at Telkom Business, explains how technology can help South African SMEs become more efficient, resilient, and prepared for future opportunities. Dawson discusses why small business owne...

In this episode of What’s Next, Aki Anastasiou speaks to Jan-Jan Bezuidenhout – Chief Executive Officer at Metrofibre about his journey from investment banking and private equity into leading one of South Africa’s fastest-scaling fibre operators. Jan-Jan shares how curiosity, decisive leadership and a generalist mindset have shaped his career, and why building an agile, entrepreneurial culture rem...

Digital materials testing is transforming how South African roads, bridges, airports, and municipal infrastructure are built and maintained. Nico Engelbrecht, Business Manager for SGS South Africa Industries & Environment, explains how construction laboratories have evolved from manual testing and paper-based reports to digitised systems, automated reporting, and advanced inspection technologies....

AI cyberattacks are forcing businesses to rethink cybersecurity as criminals increasingly use the same powerful technology available to defenders. Morné Laubscher, Chief Technology Officer at Logicalis, and Nabeel Rajab, Cisco Security Solutions Manager, explain how artificial intelligence is reshaping the cybersecurity battle for South African organisations. They discuss why traditional security...

HONOR’s robot phone and Magic V6 show how the smartphone maker is pushing foldables, AI, and mobile content creation into new territory. Fred Zhou, CEO of HONOR South Africa, and Lionel Chen, Product Marketing Manager at HONOR South Africa, discuss the company’s rapid local growth and the technology behind its latest devices. They unpack the newly launched HONOR Magic V6, including its ultra-thin...

AI software development is allowing companies to build applications significantly faster, while fundamentally changing how engineering teams work. Jaco van der Merwe, CEO of DVT, explains how artificial intelligence is transforming software and data engineering, with some projects already showing productivity improvements of around 50% and certain contained use cases moving even faster. He disting...

In this eye-opening episode of What’s Next, Aki Anastasiou sits down with Prof Danny Myburgh, Associate Professor of Practice of the Workwell Research Unit for Economic, Management Sciences at NWU and a leading digital forensics and cybercrime expert, to unpack the growing threat of cybercrime. From business email compromise and ransomware attacks to large-scale data breaches, Prof Myburgh explain...

Nurse leadership could be one of the most effective ways to improve patient care and strengthen South Africa’s healthcare system. Prof Siedine Coetzee, DST/NRF Research Chair in Nursing Science at NWU, explains why the environment nurses work in has a direct effect on their wellbeing, job satisfaction, patient safety, and quality of care. Her research shows that staffing and resources remain major...

South African software company Globetom quietly powers millions of MTN customer interactions while building technology for the emerging AI economy. Philip Stander, Group CEO at Globetom, explains how the company grew from a telecoms-focused systems integrator into a technology business serving customers across telecommunications, aviation, data analytics, and artificial intelligence. Stander revea...

Pi by MTN is bringing subscription-style connectivity to South Africans with flexible mobile and home plans managed entirely through a digital platform. Ernst Fonternel, Chief Consumer Officer at MTN South Africa, explains how Pi by MTN was designed around simplicity, transparency, and self-service. Customers can sign up digitally, activate an eSIM, change plans from month to month, purchase addit...

Estate planning remains a major blind spot for South Africans, with many families financially unprepared for what happens after a loved one dies. Deenisha Nadesan, Managing Director of Fiduciary Services at Capital Legacy, unpacks the company’s Estate Readiness Index and what it reveals about South Africans’ preparedness for death and deceased estate administration. She explains why funeral cover...

Agentic AI banking could transform how South Africans make payments, manage money, detect fraud, and receive personalised financial guidance. Hylton Kallner, CEO of Discovery Bank, explains how the bank is moving beyond conversational AI towards intelligent agents that can understand goals and complete tasks. He discusses agentic payments, where customers can upload an invoice and have the system...

AI in education can personalise learning without replacing teachers, helping students overcome knowledge gaps and learn at a pace that suits them. Ryan Swartzberg, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of CambriLearn, explains how the online school uses technology and learner data to build personalised education pathways for students across more than 100 countries. He discusses why children who f...

AI-powered software development is rapidly changing how South African businesses build technology, automate processes, and compete globally. Deon Koegelenberg, Chief Executive Officer of Agile Bridge, explains how artificial intelligence is accelerating software delivery and helping organisations unlock more value from their technology investments. He compares the current AI shift with earlier tec...

In this episode of What’s Next, presented by SGS, Aki Anastasiou is joined by Johan Eksteen, Business Manager for Connectivity & Products for Sub-Saharan Africa at SGS South Africa. They unpack the rapidly evolving regulatory landscape for imported and locally distributed products, and why compliance is becoming more complex as technologies converge and global trade expands. Eksteen explains how s...

AI in South Africa is entering a defining phase as businesses and workers adapt to rapid digital change. Vukani Mngxati, CEO of Microsoft South Africa, explains what comes next. Mngxati discusses why artificial intelligence represents the most profound technology shift he has seen during his career and how AI is changing the way services are delivered, employees work, and organisations build new t...

South Africa’s two-pot retirement system has changed how members engage with retirement savings, but withdrawal timing can have major long-term consequences. Marvin Nair, Old Mutual Corporate Investment Solutions Executive, explains how greater access to the savings pot is reshaping retirement investment strategy. He discusses why sequence-of-return risk matters when members withdraw during market...

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 devices bring slimmer designs, larger displays, and deeper AI integration to Samsung’s newest foldable smartphone range. Zahir Cajee, MX Lead of Product and Commercial at Samsung South Africa, explains how the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Fold 8 Ultra, and Flip 8 serve different users. He compares the compact Fold 8’s content-focused design with the Fold 8 Ultra’s productivity, multita...

AI governance is becoming essential as businesses automate more decisions and connect artificial intelligence to sensitive corporate data. Nicky Downing, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Guideline BizTech, explains why organisations must build trust, ethics, and accountability into AI systems from the beginning. She introduces RUBIQ Hub, an AI-first digital trust platform designed to help en...

Enterprise data protection is becoming critical as South African organisations adopt AI, expand storage, and defend against ransomware. Mirian Lin, Account Manager at Synology, explains how the company is growing beyond its traditional NAS and SMB base to serve enterprise customers in South Africa. She discusses rising demand across mining, government, manufacturing, media, and education, where se...