Afleveringen
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In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Nielle Truter and Bob Aoun discuss how AI has been implemented in HP Poly devices to deliver an improved user experience.
Truter is the Chief Operating Officer at Headset Solutions — a trusted distributor of HP | Poly products.
In this role, he has forged long-term customer relationships and spearheaded new business development. His approach to business integrates rigorous business planning with astute analytical skills.
Aoun is the Sales Director for Middle East and Africa region for HP Poly.
He firmly believes that equipping employees with the right tools is critical to a business’s success — including hybrid working tools that help professionals thrive.
Aoun holds an MBA from the Université Panthéon Sorbonne and boasts a strong ICT skill set that ranges from operations management to pre-sales.
Learn more about Headset Solutions: http://www.headsetsolutions.co.za/
In this What’s Next interview, Truter and Aoun expand on the ways HP Poly has integrated AI into its products — and how this differentiates their products.
Aoun unpacks the new AI-powered devices that HP Poly recently launched at ISE Barcelona, as well as several AI-focused updates to existing products.
Truter elaborated on the features of HP Poly AI-powered products which most impress prospective and existing clients, and how these features benefit South African businesses.
Aoun shares predictions on the workplace of the future and reveals ways in which HP Poly is designing its products to adapt to this workplace.
Anyone keen to chat to Nielle and his team about the latest HP Poly products available to them, can reach out on www.headsetsolutions.co.za -
In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Elani van der Laan discusses Standard Bank’s tailored solutions for accounting and professional services businesses.
Van der Laan is the Head of Accounting & Legal Sectors, Business and Commercial Banking and has held the position since 2021.
She boasts nearly 15 years of experience working in the legal sector and has held several notable positions at leading companies.
In this What’s Next interview, van der Laan shares how Standard Bank is supporting accounting businesses with financial products that meet the needs of this sector.
She outlines the process that Standard Bank goes through to develop new and relevant solutions that meet the needs of small and medium-sized accounting businesses in South Africa.
Van der Laan then unpacks the biggest challenges in the sector from Standard Bank’s perspective and explains how ESG and sustainability goals factor into this.
She concludes the interview by sharing her advice for accounting businesses that want to stay competitive and meet their goals. -
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In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, David Plink discusses the importance of implementing a connected HR ecosystem for your business.
Plink is the CEO of the Top Employers Institute and boasts over 25 years of HR industry experience.
He has honed his skills across various HR themes, including general, commercial, and change management while working for global, results-driven companies.
In this What’s Next interview, Plink explains how the Top Employers Institute empowers companies with daily HR insights.
He discusses how the connected HR ecosystem is evolving, and the role the Top Employers Institute is playing in this process.
Plink then unpacks the most significant HR trends of 2025, and how these trends are impacting the HR function.
He explains what differentiates excellent HR practices from the rest, and the benefits of implementing a connected HR ecosystem.
Plink concludes the interview by explaining how the Top Employers Institute can help businesses embrace a connected HR ecosystem. -
In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Prasanth Seevnarayan discusses the importance of having a high-quality mattress.
Seevnarayan is the CEO and Executive Director at Lylax and Serta South Africa.
He is a visionary South African entrepreneur who has founded and led many successful businesses across several industries.
One of these businesses is Lylax, which is a family business that has been manufacturing premium mattresses and bases in South Africa for 40 years.
In this interview, Seevnarayan unpacks the Lylax and Serta mattress brands, noting that they have been in South Africa for 40 years and 25 years respectively.
He explains why it is important for South Africans to sleep on a high-quality mattress.
Seevnarayan then explains how customers must approach buying the right mattress for their needs – whether this is online or in-person.
He then highlights various interesting innovations that set Serta and Lylax mattresses apart from the competition in South Africa.
Seevnarayan concludes the interview by revealing how MyBroadband readers can buy the latest high-tech mattresses -
In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Bonga Gumede discusses Altron Digital Business’s latest report, which focuses on embracing key technology trends.
Gumede is the Executive: Retail GTM at Altron Digital Business.
He brings a wealth of experience to his role, where he crafts strategic growth solutions tailored to the South African retail landscape.
Gumede has a track record of leveraging digital tools to enhance retail operations, customer engagement, and profitability.
In this What’s Next interview, Gumede discusses a new Altron Digital Business guide titled “Future-Ready Retail: Embracing Key Tech Trends.”
He discusses the key findings of the report, including the fact that 73% of South African businesses see edge computing as crucial for digital transformation.
Gumede then discusses the report’s findings regarding how AI and machine learning are being used to optimise stock replenishment and reduce wastage, before unpacking other key findings from the guide.
With these insights in mind, Gumede explains how Altron Digital Business is positioned to help South African businesses take advantage of the latest business technology trends.
He also discusses which emerging technologies he thinks will play a key role for successful South African retailers in 2025, and concludes by discussing the most important thing local retailers can do to thrive in 2025 and beyond. -
In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Mohammed Mosam discusses how CFOs can leverage automation to improve their businesses.
Mosam is the Regional Product Marketing Director for Sage Africa and Middle East (Sage Intacct) and boasts over 30 years of industry experience.
This includes working as a Support Consultant at Pink Software, Director for Support and IT Operations at Brilliant Business System, and Divisional Director for Sage Pastel Accounting.
In this interview, Mosam outlines what CFOs and finance leaders should look for in financial software without having to get rid of their existing investments.
He explains what automation comprises in the financial sector, and how CFOs can use it to add more value to their businesses.
Mosam then unpacks why finance departments should be excited about advances in AI and reveals where he thinks AI can offer the most value for finance functions.
He also notes how the roles and responsibilities of CFOs are evolving beyond historical expectations.
Mosam concludes the interview by explaining how CFOs and finance leaders can adapt to these new responsibilities. -
In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Tracker COO Duma Ngcobo discusses South African crime statistics relating to business-owned vehicles.
Ngcobo is a veteran executive with over 20 years of experience in the technology and telecommunications industries.
In his current role as Chief Operating Officer at Tracker, which he assumed in 2021, Ngcobo formulates and implements strategies that promote operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.
This includes leading initiatives that have successfully improved customer experience, reduced costs, and enhanced the company’s market standing.
In this What’s Next interview, Ngcobo discusses the importance of the vehicle crime statistics Tracker recently published, and explains why hijacking business vehicles is so popular with criminals.
He then explains how Tracker is leveraging the power of AI to improve business vehicle safety for its clients.
Ngcobo also discusses geofencing, explaining how it can be used to protect businesses against vehicle-related crimes.
He highlights other emerging technologies Tracker is investigating to protect its clients from malicious parties.
Ngcobo concludes the interview by discussing what he believes the government and lawmakers can do to reduce business vehicle crime in South Africa. -
In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Professor Waldo Krugell unpacks what South Africans should expect from the 2025 Budget Speech.
Krugell is a Professor in Economics at the North-West University’s Potchefstroom campus. He holds an MSc in Economics and completed his PhD focusing on the geographical economy of South Africa.
In this What’s Next interview, Krugell discusses the general economic sentiment in South Africa ahead of the 2025 Budget Speech, and unpacks what can be expected for the NHI in the budgetary allocation.
He outlines his predictions for tax changes and his thoughts on how the expansion of the Basic Income Grant will be funded.
Krugell then reveals his expectations for further information about the R940 billion infrastructure investment President Ramaphosa has previously spoken about.
He concludes the interview by sharing how, based on his expectations, the rating agencies will react to the 2025 Budget Speech, and the relevance of recent issues between President Ramaphosa and President Trump. -
In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Macrocomm Group CEO Sivi Moodley unpacks the company’s 20-year journey to becoming an industry leader.
Moodley founded Macrocomm Group in 2005 and has since turned the company into a premier force in the smart solutions sector – focusing on the Internet of Things (IoT) and driving innovation across the African continent.
He boasts a diverse career history, having worked in healthcare, retail, communications, marketing, advertising, and IoT.
In this interview, Moodley unpacks Macrocomm Group’s exciting 20-year journey in South Africa.
He discusses the significant milestones the company has reached along the way, and how the company has created a holistic portfolio of services across energy management, water management, food security, safety, and health.
Moodley then expands on Macrocomm Group’s contributions to the smart utilities sector and its role in strengthening South Africa’s energy infrastructure – including in underserved communities.
He also shares his thoughts on how Macrocomm Group has helped drive advances in the South African IoT and IoE fields.
Moodley then unpacks the upcoming projects he’s excited about, including the company’s continued international expansion.
He concludes the interview by sharing his advice for South African entrepreneurs looking to achieve success. -
In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Morne Kroukamp discusses Dell’s redesigned PC portfolio and its partnership with Qualcomm Technologies.
Kroukamp is a Field Product Marketing Manager at Dell Technologies.
He has worked at Dell Technologies for over 16 years and has accrued experience in various roles – such as internal sales, product specialist, account executive, and field product manager.
In this What’s Next interview, Kroukamp unpacks the new range of redesigned Dell AI PCs and how they leverage the latest silicon innovations to ensure industry-leading PC capabilities across software, manageability, security, and sustainability.
He reveals the three simplified categories for the company’s PCs:
• Dell – for everyday users
• Dell Pro – for professional users
• Dell Pro Max – for maximum performance
He then discusses Dell Technologies’ partnership with Qualcomm and how it aligns with Dell Technologies’ goal of becoming the leading PC brand in the AI revolution.
Kroukamp explains that the Qualcomm Snapdragon X series processors are transforming the Dell PC landscape by integrating AI into its PCs through a dedicated neural processing unit (NPU) – enhancing performance and improving battery life.
He also discusses how Dell Technologies is leading innovation in the PC monitor sector and announced several new monitors and monitor technologies at CES 2025 – including the world-first 32-inch IPS Enhanced Black Display with QD-OLED panel technology.
He concludes the interview by explaining how the Dell PC ecosystem is a key priority for the company, ensuring that Dell Technologies caters to every working style and all employees. -
In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Abraham van der Merwe discusses how South Africans can save on electricity with Stage Zero.
Van der Merwe is the founder and CEO of Stage Zero — a renewable energy provider that specialises in embedded generation and energy storage solutions for residential and commercial customers.
He is an accomplished investor with over 20 years of experience in the embedded systems and telecommunications industries.
In this What’s Next interview, van der Merwe reveals what led to the creation of Stage Zero and how it differs from other South African solar providers.
He explains why load-shedding ceased in 2024, how this impacted the market, and his thoughts on the future of load-shedding in South Africa.
Van der Merwe then details how Stage Zero helps its clients install solar and notes the process and advantages of going off-grid.
He concludes the interview by unpacking Stage Zero’s plans for the future and how those interested in its offerings can get in touch. -
In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Deloitte’s Mohammed Shaikh discusses the shifting media consumption landscape in Africa.
Shaikh is a Partner in Assurance Services, Audit, and Assurance at Deloitte Africa.
He also serves as Deloitte Africa’s Media and Entertainment Sector Lead, where he helps clients navigate the evolving challenges and opportunities within the Technology, Media, and Telecommunications (TMT) industry.
In this What’s Next interview, Shaikh discusses the evolution of media consumption in Africa over the past ten years.
He explains that both global and local streaming platforms have entered the African market, and provides insight into how media and entertainment companies can navigate this dynamic landscape.
Shaikh then reveals several key trends in the African media industry, including the rise of local content, competition with social media platforms, and the power of fandoms and communities.
He concludes the interview by discussing how media companies and streaming platforms can partner with telcos and banks to deliver better consumer value. -
In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Justin Hume discusses the key features of the new Samsung Galaxy S25 smartphones.
Hume is the VP of Mobile Experiences at Samsung South Africa and has worked in the cellular industry since 1997.
In 2012, Hume rejoined Samsung South Africa as the Product and Marketing Director and quickly rose through the ranks.
He soon became the Chief Marketing Officer and then the Director of Integrated Mobility before taking on his current role.
In this What’s Next interview, Hume discusses the most exciting features of the Samsung Galaxy S25 series smartphones.
He explains how Samsung has improved the AI capabilities of the S25 smartphones by introducing multimodal AI agents, which work together to give users a more natural and comprehensive AI-powered experience.
He expands on why Samsung is so heavily focused on delivering this better AI experience to its smartphone customers.
Hume then discusses the photographic capabilities of the Samsung Galaxy S25 series smartphones and explains how AI tools contribute to better photos — both during the shot and in post-editing.
He also covers the various performance enhancements to the Samsung Galaxy S25 series, including a new chipset explicitly designed to run these smartphones’ multimodal AI agents effectively.
Hume concludes the interview by detailing the look, feel, and robustness of the Galaxy S25 smartphones, as well as how the pre-order process works. -
In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, NTT DATA’s Chris Wiggett unpacks the latest trends in business intelligence and AI that South African businesses must be aware of.
Wiggett is the Head of AI and Data Analytics at NTT DATA Middle East and Africa.
He has fourteen years of experience in data analytics and is well-known for his thought leadership in Advanced Analytics.
Wiggett is also obsessed with the future of data science, with a particular passion for the business insights it generates.
In this What’s Next interview, Wiggett unpacks the latest trends in data and business intelligence that are currently shaping the industry.
He highlights that data-driven decision-making has been spoken about for a long time, but with the rise of AI, it is finally being realized in practice and at scale.
Wiggett explains how NTT DATA differentiates itself through its proven processes and extensive experience implementing powerful AI and business intelligence solutions that generate real client value.
He then emphasizes the importance of effective data access controls, ensuring that the right people, teams, and tools have access to all the data they need, while avoiding giving out data access when it is unnecessary.
Wiggett also talks about the importance of implementing guard rails for AI tools, and explains why it is crucial that organizations promote inter-departmental collaboration and coordination to ensure that the full value of data-driven insights and AI is achieved.
He concludes the interview by discussing what he is most excited about in the fields of AI and data analytics in the future. -
In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Tumi Mothoagae discusses how AI helps Liberty to streamline the claims process for its clients.
Mothoagae is the Divisional Executive for Claims Management at Liberty Group South Africa and has worked at the company for 13 years.
During this time, she has held the roles of Team Manager and Financial Advisor – having joined the company after being an Associate Lecturer at Wits University.
In this What’s Next interview, Mothoagae discusses how Liberty has integrated technology into its claims processes – ensuring death and funeral claims can be processed in under 20 minutes, and lifestyle claims can be processed within 24 hours.
She explains how this is enabled by the use of AI, which pulls extensive data from multiple sources.
Mothoagae then discusses the challenges Liberty faced when implementing automation into its claims processes – including dealing with increased claims volumes due to COVID-19 – as well as how employees benefit from having repetitive processes removed.
Mothoagae concludes the interview by unpacking the metrics which show how successful the integration of modern technologies has been for Liberty. -
In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, MiWay CEO Burton Naicker discusses the latest trends in South Africa’s insurance industry.
Naicker’s professional journey began in the banking industry, before transitioning into the insurance sector when he was appointed as a Legal Recoveries Advisor at Telesure.
In the years which followed, Naicker progressed to senior management roles in the claims environment – culminating in him being appointed as the CEO of SIAS in 2010.
In this What’s Next interview, Naicker discusses his journey to becoming the CEO of MiWay – explaining how the insurance industry has evolved over the past 20 years.
Naicker then discusses the highlights of his tenure as MiWay CEO, as well as the biggest selling points of MiWay as an insurance provider in South Africa.
He also unpacks the major trends he is seeing in the local insurance industry, and provides his top advice to South African insurance clients.
Naicker concludes the interview by revealing his biggest goals for 2025 as MiWay CEO. -
In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Metacom CMO Marius Visser discusses the company’s impressive range of SCADA, IoT, and router products.
Visser is a 22-year veteran of the communications industry, who joined Metacom in 2010.
Before this, he worked at MTN for six years as a Solution Consultant and Business Development Manager.
He also worked at Psitek for six years as an Executive for its Access to Voice department.
Visser then joined Metacom as the Executive of Business Development for Europe and Africa.
He has since been promoted to Chief Marketing Officer, and was also appointed to the company’s board as a shareholding director in 2023.
Visser is passionate about offering innovative connectivity solutions that meet the needs of Metacom’s clients.
He details the company’s newest router range, which it launched last year, and discusses how popular these products have been.
Visser then discusses the MC7000 enterprise router – outlining why it is the best enterprise router on the market.
He also reveals the emerging technologies that Metacom is keeping an eye on for its future innovations.
Visser shares several examples of how Metacom has helped its clients succeed, too, thanks to its superior connectivity solutions.
He concludes the interview by discussing the initiatives and products Metacom is going to launch in 2025. -
In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Ryan Switala discusses the technologies Liberty is using to improve its life insurance products.
Switala is the Head of Simple Life Solutions at Liberty and has worked at the company for 18 years — beginning as an Actuarial Specialist in 2006.
He then held several notable positions at Liberty before being appointed to his current role — including Head of Risk for Product Development, Actuarial Consultant for Group Reinsurance, and Chief Specialist for Partner Integration.
In this What’s Next interview, Switala discusses how Liberty’s digital transformation strategy is helping make life insurance more accessible to its clients.
He unpacks the powerful technologies that are being used to streamline the customer journey and make life insurance easier to understand for the average South African.
Switala then expands on Liberty’s use of AI and machine learning to deliver ever-evolving, highly personalised client experiences.
He concludes the interview by sharing the most exciting digital innovations that Liberty plans to incorporate into its life insurance offerings. -
In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Shenge Buthelezi discusses Vodacom’s extensive MVNO offerings.
Buthelezi is the Managing Executive of Wholesale and Carrier Services at Vodacom South Africa.
He has worked at Vodacom for over 16 years and has held several important roles in the company’s Wholesale and Carrier Services business unit during this time – including Executive Head, Programme Manager, and Account Manager.
In his current role, Buthelezi leads this business unit and is focused on fostering, maintaining, and growing strategic partnerships that grow revenue and profitability for Vodacom South Africa.
In this What’s Next interview, Buthelezi discusses what makes Vodacom Business South Africa’s most trusted enterprise telecommunications provider, in South Africa.
He then focuses on the company’s MVNO offering and the signing of its first MVNO partner: Mr Price Mobile.
Buthelezi explains why Vodacom has entered the MVNO industry and why the network provider is a great partner for companies that want to launch their own MVNO.
He highlights that Vodacom has built a mobile virtual network enablement platform to support its MVNO offering.
Buthelezi concludes the interview by discussing the many exciting opportunities Vodacom’s wholesale business is working on moving forward. -
In this Driving Sustainability with Aki Anastasiou interview, SolarAfrica Energy’s Brandon Horn discusses Electricity 2.0 – a new virtual power solutions suite for South African businesses in the commercial and industrial sectors.
Horn is the Head of Commercial at SolarAfrica Energy and boasts over 16 years of experience working for multinational corporations in local and international markets.
This has included working at Puma Energy, Brent Oil, and Centurion Systems.
In this Driving Sustainability interview, Horn explains why volatile electricity price increases are an upcoming crisis for South Africa, and reveals the major drivers behind these rises.
He then unpacks what businesses can do to combat electricity tariff increases, before discussing SolarAfrica’s Electricity 2.0 suite – including why a business will choose it over other power solutions.
Horn outlines how a business can start wheeling energy through Electricity 2.0, and what businesses must look out for when choosing an electricity wheeling provider.
He concludes the interview by noting how to get in touch with SolarAfrica to learn more about Electricity 2.0. - Laat meer zien
