What's Next with Aki Anastasiou

In this What’s Next interview, Aki Anastasiou meets with Morne Hugo – Executive for Microsoft Solutions at Mecer Inter-Ed - to discuss how the education solutions provider achieved the global title of 2023 Microsoft Learning Partner of the Year. Hugo is an innovative Microsoft Training and Certification Solutions specialist with decades of experience in South Africa’s ICT training industry. He beg...

In this episode of What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou, Cheri Scholtz – CEO of PETCO – provides valuable insight into the South African recycling industry. Scholtz has led PETCO since it was founded in 2004 and has grown it from a small, industry-based initiative to a leading entity at a global level. In her role, Scholtz performs traditional CEO functions and operates in a hands-on corporate capacity...

In this episode of What’s Next, Takealot.com CEO Frederik Zietsman discusses how online purchasing trends have been impacted by load-shedding. Zietsman attended Paarl Boy’s High and studied at Stellenbosch University, where he became a qualified Chartered Management Accountant. Before joining Takealot in 2015, Zietsman spent over five years working for Distell, focusing on revenue growth managemen...

In this episode of What’s Next in Cloud, Stone He – President of Huawei Cloud in Southern Africa – discusses how Huawei Cloud supports e-commerce businesses in the region. He is an experienced ICT leader in the African market, who has worked in Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence, and Innovation through Technology. Previously the Managing Director of the Huawei Telkom Key Account in South Afr...

In this What’s Next interview, Africa Data Centres CEO Tesh Durvasula meets with Aki Anastasiou to discuss the company’s journey to becoming an industry leader in the data centre and hosting industry. Durvasula is an experienced CEO who specialises in digital infrastructure. He served as the Vice President of the Internet Services Division at AboveNet Communications from 1997 until 2002 – when he...

In this What’s Next interview, Aki Anastasiou is joined by Anita Erasmus, Head of Business at Bob Group; Graeme Cumming, Chief Product Officer at iKhokha; and Gill Balfour, Co-Founder of Stone Hut Designs, to discuss their companies’ exciting new partnership. Anita Erasmus heads up the business systems of Bob Group – an ecommerce ecosystem aimed at making online shopping reliable, simple, and trus...

In this What’s Next in Security interview, Sudipto Moitra – GM for ICT Solutions at MTN Business – joins Aki Anastasiou to discuss MTN’s transformation from a telco to a TechCo. Moitra has built up extensive experience holding several strategic management positions at leading companies – including TCS and Dimension Data. In his current role at MTN Business, Moitra is responsible for ensuring that...

In this episode of What’s Next, Anker experts Lorraine Gillesen and Chantelle Batty discuss the brand’s best load-shedding products. Lorraine Gillesen is the Anker National Sales Manager at Premium Brand Distributors. She has over 20 years of experience in IT hardware sales, business development, and channel management across different market verticals. Gillesen has an innovative approach to sales...

In this What’s Next interview, Metacom founder and chairman Réan van Niekerk meets with Aki Anastasiou to discuss the benefits and challenges of building an ICT company in Africa. Van Niekerk is an accomplished thought leader, technology architect, innovator, and entrepreneur who has successfully built multiple companies and complex tech solutions throughout his 40-year career. This includes Van N...

In this episode of What’s Next, Thabiso Hlatshwayo – Senior Solution Consulting Manager at OpenText Africa – discusses the relevance of Cloud FinOps, a topic he will be presenting at the Cloud & Security Conference 2023. Hlatshwayo leads a team of highly-experienced solution consultants who are responsible for the design of multifaceted technology solutions for clients across Africa. Born a digita...

In this episode of What’s Next, Marco Fonto – Managing Director at Stratum Benefits – discusses the benefits of gap cover. Fonto worked in the insurance industry in the late 1990s and early 2000s, before founding Stratum Benefits after noticing an opportunity in the market. Specialists were charging more than medical aid members were covered for, and the patients were struggling to pick up the dif...

In this episode of What’s Next, Matthew Cruise – Hohm Energy’s Head of Business Intelligence and Public Relations – talks about the role of solar energy in South Africa. Cruise is an energy expert who worked for Eskom for 11 years. During this time, he held multiple positions, including Engineering Project Manager, Integration Specialist, and Energy Specialist. He joined Hohm Energy at the beginni...

In this episode of What’s Next, Jan Bouwer – Chief of Digital Platform Solutions at BCX – discusses the benefits of managed cloud solutions, a topic he will be presenting on at the Cloud & Security Conference 2023. Bouwer started his career as an IT professional at a leading iron and steel manufacturing company, before joining Andersen Consulting and then Accenture – a global NYSE-listed company....

In this episode of What’s Next, Lee Syse – Lead Cloud Solutions Architect for the Cloud Providers business at VMware Sub-Saharan Africa – explains what he will present at the 2023 Cloud & Security Conference. Syse joined VMware in 2016 and has reached his current role as Lead Cloud Solutions Architect through hard work and a passion for the cloud industry. In this role, he collaborates with Africa...

In this episode of What’s Next, Lazaros Karapanagiotidis – Chief Product and Marketing Officer at IoT.nxt – and Vusi Mngomezulu – Head of Sales at IoT.nxt – discuss the role IoT is playing in addressing key ESG challenges in South Africa. Karapanagiotidis has extensive experience in key business areas such as digital strategy development and implementation, e-commerce, digital product development,...

Stephen van Niekerk is the Executive Head of Momentum Myriad and has worked at Momentum for over 20 years. He has played a vital role in the evolution of the impressive benefits offered by the Momentum Myriad life insurance products. Van Niekerk and his team have been responsible for key innovation in the risk protection market – such as Longevity Protection and Momentum’s Breadth of Cover Guarant...

David Behr is the CEO of Liquid C2 and is a highly respected voice in the Southern African cloud and cybersecurity industries. He is a top internet pioneer and entrepreneur who first rose to prominence when he founded ZOL in 1995 and grew it into Zimbabwe’s largest ISP. When ZOL was acquired by Liquid Intelligent Technologies in 2012, he joined the company as an Executive Director and was responsi...

Dinesh Govender is the CEO of Discovery Vitality South Africa and holds a position on the Discovery Executive Board. Govender has held his CEO position for over five years and is dedicated to the belief that behavioural economics and clinical science can improve people’s health. As a result, the Discovery Vitality Programme prioritises using the latest technologies to positively transform people’s...

Iain Stevenson is the founder and CEO of Comsol and boasts over 25 years of experience in the telecommunications industry. In 1997, Stevenson founded Comsol to fill a gap in the wireless telecommunications market in South Africa. Since then, he has grown the company from a single regional business to an industry leader in building terrestrial wireless access infrastructure across all sectors. Stev...

Rebatho Madiba is the Managing Executive for Business Development at BCX, a title she has held since July 2022. Madiba previously served as the SAP Competency Manager for Debswana, where she established the Debswana SAP Change and Training Management programme across its mines. She also worked at Transnet and held multiple prominent titles, including Digital Project Manager, the acting Group Chief...

Charles Mizzi is the head of Malta Residency, and Kurt Farrugia is the Chief Executive Officer of Malta Enterprise. Mizzi began his career in the banking sector and in 2014, he was appointed as the Executive Director of Media and Marketing for the Maltese Presidency in the European Council. He then became the Chief Officer for Communications and Business Development at the Individual Investor Prog...

Jan Roux is the portfolio executive for Digital Workspace Management (DWM) at BCX, a position he has held for over four years. Roux is a South African IT professional who has been in the industry for over 23 years. He is known for his technical expertise, leadership skills, and deep understanding of industry and technology trends. He previously worked at Integr8IT as the MD and then the CIO, befor...

Riaan van Reenen is the CEO of Discovery Life and over two decades of experience with this business unit. He worked at Discovery Health until Discovery Life was founded in 2001 – and he has since served in various roles in the Discovery Life division. Van Reenen’s main goal is to help Discovery Life’s customers lead healthier lives through unique, shared-value offerings. He also chairs the ASSA Li...

Hylton Kallner is an actuary, business builder, and the Chief Executive Officer of Discovery Bank. He has been a part of the Discovery ecosystem since 1996, where he began his journey as a key player in various marketing, actuarial, and strategic projects. He then became the company’s Chief Marketing Officer in 2006, and has since served in multiple CEO positions at Discovery Limited - becoming th...

Waldo Krugell is a professor of Economic Sciences at North-West University, where he teaches macro and microeconomics. He serves on the board of Economic Research Southern Africa, and previously was the editor of SAJEMS – a leading South African academic publication focused on Economic and Management Sciences. Krugell also shares his thoughts about the economy on his podcast – Die Ekonomie Minuut....