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  • This is the main feed for all of TechCentral's shows and podcasts, including TCS - The TechCentral Show and TCS Impact Series. Never miss anything we produce and publish by subscribing to this feed.
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Episodes
  • TCS | The Ronnie Apteker interview - his life in Ukraine

    TCS | 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. TechCentral
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    1 hr and 20 mins
  • TCS | The Volvo EX30 electric car, reviewed by an owner

    TCS | 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. TechCentral
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    58 mins
  • TCS+ | CYBER1 Solutions and iiDENTIFii on combating identity theft in 2024

    TCS+ | CYBER1 Solutions and iiDENTIFii on combating identity theft in 2024
    Jul 22 2024
    Identity theft is a massive and growing problem that requires smart risk mitigation strategies.
    That is one of the key messages coming out of a TechCentral TCS+ interview with executives from CYBER1 Solutions and iiDENTIFii.
    CYBER1 Solutions security architect Christiaan Swanepoel and iiDENTIFii co-founder and chief technology officer Marco Wagener unpack the subject in greater detail in the interview.
    They discuss:
    • The background to iiDENTIFii and its relationship with CYBER1 Solutions;
    • The current trends in identity theft, and why this type of theft is a growing concern for businesses;
    • How iiDENTIFii’s software can play a big role in fighting the scourge of identity theft;
    • What companies are doing right and wrong in fighting the problem;
    • How businesses can enhance their identity verification process to mitigate against the risk of identity theft;
    • iiDENTIFii’s solutions, and how they integrate with existing corporate systems; and
    • The role that cybersecurity tools can play in protecting personal identities;
    Swanepoel and Wagener also share their insights into future trends in the identity verification market and how businesses can prepare themselves.
    This is an important discussion for anyone involved in IT, but especially for those involved in cybersecurity – don’t miss it! TechCentral
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    41 mins
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