Episodios

  • First Distribution on the latest and greatest cloud technologies

    First Distribution on the latest and greatest cloud technologies
    Jun 27 2025
    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;
    • How businesses can ensure they are able to keep pace with new technologies so they are not left behind;
    • How South African businesses are using the newest AI tools in Azure to build new products and services;
    • How to approach responsible AI development in the cloud;
    • How cloud AI tools can help with code modernisation;
    • How small businesses can take advantage of cloud technology; and
    • Emerging cloud technologies to keep an eye on.
    This discussion is not to be missed.
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    11 m
  • First Distribution on data governance in hybrid cloud environments

    First Distribution on data governance in hybrid cloud environments
    Jun 27 2025
    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 should keep where;
    • What Dora legislation is and how it affects the hybrid data strategies of South African organisations;
    • Other legislation impacting data governance in South Africa;
    • The tools Azure provides to help data architects structure distributed data in ways that do not have a negative impact on performance;
    • Data governance for disaster recovery; and
    • The impact data governance decisions have on an organisation’s cloud costs.
    Don’t miss an informative discussion!
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    13 m
  • First Distribution on cloud cost management in Microsoft Azure

    First Distribution on cloud cost management in Microsoft Azure
    Jun 26 2025
    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 in cost centre management;
    • How to manage costs in more complex hybrid cloud environments; and
    • The AI tools Azure offers to aid businesses in managing their costs.
    This episode is not to be missed.
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    13 m
  • AfriGIS’s Helen Hulett on how tech can help resolve South Africa’s water crisis

    AfriGIS’s Helen Hulett on how tech can help resolve South Africa’s water crisis
    Jun 18 2025
    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 support businesses in need.
    In this episode of TCS+, Hulett also unpacks:
    • Her background and why she took the role of chief sustainability officer at AfriGIS;
    • What the field of geospatial information science involves and why it makes sense to apply it to this crisis;
    • AfriGIS’s involvement in the Resolve Water project;
    • How serious the water crisis really is in South Africa and what it will take to address it;
    • The impact of the Resolve Water project so far, and how it’s using GIS technology to achieve its goals – including mapping, real-time data analytics and collaborative partnerships; and
    • The role of artificial intelligence.
    The interview with Hulett, who is passionate about the topic of water security in South Africa, is not to be missed.
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    26 m
  • The future of mobile money, with MTN’s Kagiso Mothibi

    The future of mobile money, with MTN’s Kagiso Mothibi
    Jun 6 2025
    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 customers, too?
    • What’s driving the growth in MoMo services in South Africa and why;
    • What MTN’s fintech portfolio houses today and the company’s plans to expand this in the coming years;
    • The recent launched of MoMo Pay, how it works and how MTN is onboarding merchants;
    • What pain points MoMo Pay addresses in the payments ecosystem; and
    • What the future holds for the fintech business in South Africa – and how product innovation locally is being deployed in other MTN markets across the continent.
    Don’t miss an exciting interview!
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    38 m
  • AI is more than hype: Workday execs unpack real human impact

    AI is more than hype: Workday execs unpack real human impact
    Jun 4 2025
    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 what AI is, and understanding helps reveal its potential to allow humans to be more productive and efficient. AI is not a silver bullet; its value is realised when it’s embedded, understood and utilised effectively.
    The conversation highlighted several use cases, both personal and within business. Examples ranged from leveraging tools like Grok, ChatGPT and Gemini for productivity, and even a 10-year-old programming Alexa to tell a puppy it’s mealtime. Another use case included using AI for creating a training curriculum and visuals. Moodley and Malan noted that AI is already embedded in daily life through GPS, search and recommendations.
    For businesses, a key trend is using AI to improve employee productivity by automating repetitive and mundane tasks, giving people more time for higher-value work. Industries show different levels of adoption, from logistics using AI for warehouse safety, to healthcare for diagnosis and treatment development, and insurance for fraud detection and client profiling. This shift shows value emerging as industries figure out where AI provides maximum benefit.
    A significant portion of the discussion focused on the critical need for ethical and responsible AI use. With organisations facing pressure to adopt AI, establishing AI governance is foundational.
    This involves potentially creating AI governance roles, executive sponsorship, governance committees and risk matrices to manage data privacy, bias and transparency. The Workday executives stressed the importance of AI functioning within a larger technology framework, requiring organisations to address data quality, security and accessibility.
    Critically, the concept of keeping the human in the loop was emphasised, ensuring humans make final decisions based on AI-surfaced insights. Workday itself champions transparency, providing fact sheets or model cards to explain its AI models and how data is leveraged and bias mitigated.
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    41 m
  • Switchcom Distribution, and Huawei eKit in the hands of installers

    Switchcom Distribution, and Huawei eKit in the hands of installers
    May 26 2025
    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.
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    22 m
  • Schneider Electric's Clive Roberts on driving digitisation in the CPG sector

    Schneider Electric's Clive Roberts on driving digitisation in the CPG sector
    May 22 2025
    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 solutions such as industrial UPS systems.
    Sustainability is a key concern, particularly for EU-headquartered companies. Manufacturers are actively working to reduce their scope-1, -2, and -3 emissions through initiatives like integrating distributed energy resources, optimising energy use and implementing variable process control.
    Changing consumer behaviours, driven by social media and e-commerce, are demanding rapid access to goods and direct engagement with brands. This requires efficient supply chains and agile digital systems for both inventory and logistics management. Manufacturers will need flexible production and advanced tracking capabilities to meet the demand for visibility and diverse product options.
    Economic recovery post-Covid-19 relies on the continued adoption of digital transformation to enhance efficiency and predictability in manufacturers’ processes. Schneider Electric is focused on providing hardware-agnostic integration, supported by organisations like the Universal Automation Organisation, to help manufacturers integrate existing equipment for unified control and accelerate digital transformation initiatives.
    Government policies, like the sugar tax, directly influence product innovation and reformulation, often requiring significant investment. Despite challenges, growth opportunities exist for companies that prioritise product quality, traceability and building consumer trust, potentially also allowing them to command premium prices.
    Roberts emphasised the value of early engagement with companies like Schneider Electric for expert guidance. He stressed that sustainability should be integral to operations and invited stakeholders to explore Schneider Electric’s offerings. The anglophone African food and beverage sector is a dynamic industry, and embracing technological advancements, prioritising consumer needs and ensuring product integrity are key to future success, he said in the interview.
    Don’t miss it!
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    40 m