Episodios

  • The Ronnie Apteker interview - his life in Ukraine

    The Ronnie Apteker interview - his life in Ukraine
    Jul 28 2024
    The 24th of February 2022 is a day Ronnie Apteker – and millions of his countrymen in his adopted home of Ukraine – will never forget.
    Apteker woke up early that morning – as millions of others did – to the sound of bombs and missiles raining down. After months of military build-up along Ukraine’s eastern flank, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin had ordered a full-scale invasion.
    In this special edition of the TechCentral Show, we chat to Apteker – a pioneer in South Africa’s internet industry – about his life in Ukraine amid the ongoing war.
    Apteker has a storied career as co-founder of Internet Solutions, one of South Africa’s first and most successful internet service providers. He is also well known as a producer and promoter of movies, including Material and Beyond the River.
    In 2015 Apteker bought an apartment in Kyiv and started a new life in the city, attracted by the country’s diverse tech scene and its incredibly beauty.
    He had established a new and promising life for himself in Ukraine – he married a local woman, Marta, with whom he has a young boy (affectionately called “the Bunster”). Both Marta and the Bunster are now refugees from the war, living in Poland.
    Never in a million years did Apteker expect he would be caught up in a major conflict, never mind the biggest land war in Europe since World War 2.
    Today his life involves moving between Poland and Kyiv, where he has friends as well as business interests in the tech sector which he continues to nurture despite the chaos caused by Putin’s aggression.
    In this sometimes emotionally raw interview, Apteker tells TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod about why he left South Africa to go and live in Ukraine, how the war started (he woke up early one morning to missiles raining down on Kyiv), what it’s like to live in a warzone, and how he’s coping with the daily hardships caused by the conflict.
    Apteker, who is known for his wicked sense of humour – in a previous life he was even briefly a stand-up comedian – admits it’s been exceptionally difficult to stay positive about the future, but that he’s managed to keep going even us Putin’s war machine grinds on.
    In the interview, Apteker chats about his daily life now and what it entails; the US election, and why Ukrainians fear another Donald Trump presidency; the new documentary film about the war that he’s been working on; his passion for moviemaking; and why love is the most important thing in the world.
    Don’t miss the interview.
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    1 h y 20 m
  • The Volvo EX30 electric car, reviewed by an owner

    The Volvo EX30 electric car, reviewed by an owner
    Jul 24 2024
    The Volvo EX30 is undoubtedly one of the most exciting electric cars to be launched in South Africa in 2024.
    The vehicle, whose price starts at R792 000, offers a combination of price, performance and luxury tweaks that has attracted considerable appeal among South African consumers interested in making the switch to electric mobility.
    But what is the Volvo EX30 like to drive?
    TechCentral recently had the opportunity to spend time with the twin-motor version of the EX30 to put it through its paces. Apart from a few minor niggles, including the quality of materials used in the dashboard, we can confidently say this is a very compelling option for those interested in buying an EV in the sub-R1-million price category.
    While it’s not as affordable as more entry-level EV models from the likes of China’s BYD, the vehicle offers many luxuries usually reserved for more expensive EVs, including a panoramic (non-opening) sunroof, high-end Harman Kardon audio and well-thought-out software features.
    It’s easy to see where Volvo has compromised to get the price down, but the decisions it has made in this regard have mostly been carefully considered.
    As for the driving experience, the power underfoot is extraordinary. The twin motor version TechCentral tested accelerated from 0-100km/h more quickly than a Porsche 911 – it really is a thrill to drive!
    This is a sentiment shared by Greg Cress, who owns the EX30 and has been driving it since March, when he took delivery from Volvo. Cress joined TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod on the TechCentral Show (TCS) recently to review the vehicle and to talk about the state of the EV market more broadly in South Africa.
    Cress, who works for Accenture – where he is principal director of automotive and e-mobility – told TCS about his experiences with the vehicle and what he likes about it and what he doesn’t.
    He unpacks his experiences so far, including with the regular software updates that Volvo has issued and why he settled on the EX30 over other EV options available in the South African market. He also shares details about a recent long-distance return trip he did from Pretoria to White River in Mpumalanga and how he found utilising the charging points along South Africa’s national roads.
    Then, in the second part of the TCS interview, Cress shares his views on the state of the EV market in South Africa, what is hindering its wider adoption and the outlook for electric mobility in the country.
    Don’t miss a hugely informative interview.
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    58 m
  • Nomvuyiso Batyi on what needs fixing in SA telecoms

    Nomvuyiso Batyi on what needs fixing in SA telecoms
    Jul 19 2024
    South Africa’s telecommunications industry is facing a barrage of threats, from crime and vandalism to power cuts and overreach by politicians.
    This is the word from Nomvuyiso Batyi, CEO of telecommunications industry lobby group the Association for Comms & Technology (ACT) and an industry stalwart who served as a councillor at communications regulator Icasa for eight years and as special adviser to the minister of communications. She was speaking to TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod on the TechCentral Show (watch or listen to the interview below).
    ACT, which represents the six big telecoms operators in South Africa – MTN, Vodacom, Rain, Liquid Intelligent Technologies, Telkom and Cell C – was founded two years ago as an interface between the industry and policymakers and regulators.
    In the interview, Batyi unpacks a range of issues affecting ACT members. She discusses:
    • Her first engagement with newly appointed communications minister Solly Malatsi, and her views on him;
    • What her day-to-day work involves;
    • Why government shouldn’t be setting deadlines for 2G and 3G switch-off in South Africa;
    • Import taxes on cellphones, and why luxury taxes on 4G devices should be scrapped;
    • How the load shedding problem has been replaced with the load reduction problem, and what the impact has been on operators;
    • The scourge of theft and vandalism, and why urgent action is needed to address the problem; and
    • South Africa’s upcoming spectrum auction, and why telecoms operators should get access to spectrum below 694MHz that has traditionally been reserved for broadcasting.
    Don’t miss the interview!
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    1 h y 2 m
  • Andy Higgins on the outlook for online shopping in South Africa

    Andy Higgins on the outlook for online shopping in South Africa
    Jul 16 2024
    Andy Higgins, founder of e-commerce solutions company Bob Group, knows more about e-commerce in South Africa than most people.
    Higgins founded Bidorbuy (now Bob Shop) at the height of the dot-com boom in the late 1990s, and over the past 25 years has actively participated in the industry as it has mushroomed from those nascent beginnings.
    In this episode of the TechCentral Show (TCS), Higgins has a look back at the growth of the industry, and what’s likely to propel its future expansion.
    In the show, Higgins unpacks:
    • How Bob Group has done since it was created nearly two years ago through the merger of Bidorbuy and uAfrica, and what the future holds for the business;
    • What is driving the rapid growth in South Africa’s e-commerce industry – did Covid lockdowns give it the spark for its current rapid expansion, or is there more at play?;
    • The rise of on-demand deliveries in South Africa and what it means for online retailers;
    • The rise of Chinese competitors – how much of a threat are Shein and Temu really, and is the South African Revenue Service right to crack down?;
    • The Competition Commission’s intervention in the market and whether it is warranted;
    • Whether Amazon’s South African launch was a flop; and
    • What trends to look out for as the market develops further in the coming years.
    Don’t miss a fascinating discussion!
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    36 m
  • VezoPay on new South African-made payment ring

    VezoPay on new South African-made payment ring
    Jul 1 2024
    A new smart payment ring has been launched in South Africa – and it’s built by South Africans for South Africans.
    In this episode of the TechCentral Show (TCS), TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod chats to VezoPay founders Jake Pinkus and Lawrence Baker about the launch of the ring – it’s available in three variants at launch – and what was behind the idea.
    In the interview, they not only explain why they decided to build a payment ring, but also why they’re entering what could soon become a highly competitive market globally, with both Samsung Electronics and Apple expected to launch their own smart rings later this year.
    Pinkus and Lawrence unpack:
    • How long they’ve been working on the payment ring, and where the idea came from;
    • How much research and development was involved, and who’s backing the innovation;
    • How the technology works, and what exactly is inside the ring;
    • The various options available at launch;
    • How it works without having to be charged;
    • How the security features work (without giving the game away);
    • How VezoPay is working with South African banks;
    • Whether the ring can be used for ticketing (concerts, Gautrain, etc);
    • How much it costs;
    • The potential competition from Samsung and Apple; and
    • VezoPay’s plans to expand beyond South Africa’s borders.
    Don’t miss the interview!
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    41 m
  • Kartik Mistry on Standard Bank Connect and SA's MVNO industry

    Kartik Mistry on Standard Bank Connect and SA's MVNO industry
    Jun 26 2024
    Kartik Mistry, recently appointed head of Standard Bank Connect, believes there is still strong growth ahead for South Africa’s mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) market.
    Standard Bank, which recently rebranded its MVNO from Standard Bank Mobile to Standard Bank Connect and shifted its network partner from Cell C to MTN South Africa, has launched a new value proposition in cellular communications for its customers.
    TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod is joined by Mistry on the TechCentral Show, where he explains the bank’s decision to partner with MTN and why it decided to engage directly with a mobile network operator rather than working through an “enablement” partner as it had done previously.
    Kartik, who has experience in both telecommunications – he has previously served as chief operating officer at Rain – and in banking, talks about the state of the MVNO market in South Africa, where Standard Bank Connect is positioning itself strategically, and why the market might be primed for consolidation.
    Don’t miss the discussion!
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    25 m
  • Dean Furman on who is winning the AI race

    Dean Furman on who is winning the AI race
    Jun 18 2024
    The big developer conferences by Microsoft, Google and Apple this year all focused on artificial intelligence, with each setting out a unique strategy to win in the AI race.
    But what did Microsoft’s Build, Google’s I/O and Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference tell us about each company’s strategy, and which company is leading in the race to commercialise generative AI?
    Dean Furman, a South African AI expert and keynote speaker, joins TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod on the TechCentral Show (TCS) to unpack the companies’ keynote presentations and what they tell us not only about their strategies but also where the technology is headed in the coming years.
    Furman, who also provides training on AI to corporate South Africa, chats about what the latest developments mean for businesses and consumers, and dives into what the technology means for productivity.
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    1 h y 1 m
  • MultiChoice declares war on piracy - the man leading the fight

    MultiChoice declares war on piracy - the man leading the fight
    Jun 10 2024
    MultiChoice Group has been involved in two major enforcement actions against piracy kingpins in as many weeks.
    Frikkie Jonker, of MultiChoice subsidiary Irdeto, is the man leading the charge against these pirate operations, and he tells the TechCentral Show (TCS) that, despite recent arrests, the broadcaster’s war on streaming piracy is just getting started. More arrests and other enforcement actions are on the cards.
    On 5 June, MultiChoice revealed it had succeeding in nailing the streaming piracy platform Waka TV in an operation that involved Western Cape police investigators. It described the dismantling of Waka TV as “a significant victory in the fight against internet streaming piracy”.
    The broadcaster said it was involved in a “meticulously planned raid” on 31 May, which led to the arrest of a “key suspect involved in one of the most extensive pirate operations in Africa”.
    A day later, on 6 June, the broadcaster announced that through Irdeto – and working with law enforcement agencies – it had acted against another pirate streaming operation, this one in Gauteng, where a suspect was arrested for the “illegal sale of internet streaming pirate devices that allowed individuals to access MultiChoice content”.
    Jonker, who is antipiracy director in broadcasting and cybersecurity at Irdeto, takes TechCentral’s audience into some detail about the two law enforcement operations and what transpired. And he explains why MultiChoice is stepping up its battle against content thieves and pirate streaming operations in South Africa and the rest of the African continent.
    In the interview, Jonker unpacks:
    • How serious content piracy has become on the continent;
    • Why it’s often associated with organised criminal syndicates, and why consumers are putting themselves at risk by signing up to pirate streaming platforms as well as encouraging further criminal activity;
    • Why MultiChoice is now warning that, in addition to targeting the pirate platform operators, it may go after consumers who sign up to these platforms, too; and
    • How the broadcaster is working with law enforcement authorities.
    Don’t miss a fascinating conversation.
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    31 m