TCS+

In this episode of TCS+, Adil El Youssefi, newly appointed CEO of the colocation business at Cassava Technologies and CEO of Africa Data Centres, chats about the challenges and opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa.

El Youssefi delves into:

• His background prior to being appointed into the role and how it has influenced his career as a technologist;

• His personal connection to the African continent and why growing its digital economy excites him;

• The data traffic boom taking place in Africa and the drivers behind it;

• The industries fuelling the demand for data centre capacity on the continent;

• The infrastructural challenges dampening data centre growth and the different ways they are being surmounted; and

• What the future of data centres looks like in sub-Saharan Africa;

Don’t miss the discussion!

Folding phones are advancing at light speed. For consumers, the appeal is self-evident: on one hand, folding phones give them the option to have a larger, tablet-like interface that offers enhanced productivity and a better user experience. On the other hand, the fit-in-your-pocket design when folded maintains easy portability.

Samsung pioneered the folding phone category in South Africa with the first-generation Galaxy Fold in 2019. The Z Fold series is now in its seventh generation, with the Galaxy Z Fold7 and Galaxy Z Flip7 launched earlier this month.

In this episode of TechCentral’s TCS+, Zahir Cajee, mobile experience lead for product and commercial services at Samsung South Africa, talks through the design elements and software features in the newest foldables.

Cajee delves into:

• What smartphone manufacturers like Samsung are trying to achieve with foldable phones;

• The market segments Samsung’s Z Fold and Z Flip phones appeal to;

• The latest features in the new Z Fold7 and Z Flip7;

• The Z Fold7’s new 200-megapixel camera;

• Samsung’s thinking behind the introduction of the lower-cost Samsung Flip7 FE;

• The AI features in the new Galaxy Watch8; and

• When the new devices are going to be available and how much they’ll cost.

Don’t miss the discussion.

IT security breaches are on the rise in South Africa and worldwide, and with AI tools at their disposal, criminals are scaling up their attacks.

With the risk of attack so high, organisations are forced to look beyond beefing up security – they must prepare for the unfortunate event where their systems are, in fact, breached. One way to do this is to learn from those organisations whose systems have been breached in the past.

This episode of TechCentral’s TCS+, the third in a series of three with First Distribution on how to manage cyber crises – watch episodes 1 and 2 here – sees Microsoft portfolio manager at First Distribution Kejen Pillay back to share more insight on this topic.

Pillay discusses various lessons from:

- The TransUnion breach of March 2022, where 5.2 million records were compromised and a US$15-million ransom demanded;

- The CIPC hack of February 2024 and the media furore that ensued; and

- The National Health Laboratory Services breach of June 2024.

Don’t miss this important discussion.

In cybersecurity, prevention is always better than cure. However, organisations have to prepare for the worst-case scenario, one where their systems are breached by cybercriminals.

This is the second in a series of three podcasts on how to manage cyber crises effectively when they happen. The first episode – watch it here – centred on defining what a cyber crisis is and the different ways cybercriminals exploit an organisation.

In episode 2, Kejen Pillay, portfolio manager for Microsoft at First Distribution, discusses the strategies and tools organisations use to craft an effective crisis response plan.

Pillay delves into:

• The elements of an effective crisis response plan;

• The Microsoft tools businesses can use to prepare for a cyber crisis;

• Backups and other tools that aid in the speedy recovery of operations following a cyber crisis;

• The importance of training non-IT staff on what to do in a cyber crisis;

• How AI tools can help protect organisations; and

• Advice for organisations wanting to begin crafting their cyber crisis response plan.

Don’t miss the discussion.

In today's hyperconnected society, a cybersecurity crisis isn’t just a technical glitch; it's a profound disruption that can bring businesses, governments and even entire countries to a halt.

For organisations to protect themselves effectively, they must understand what cybercriminals are capable of, where the vulnerabilities in their own systems are and – most importantly – be prepared for the worst-case scenario where their systems are breached.

In this episode of TechCentral’s TCS+, Kejen Pillay, Microsoft portfolio manager at First Distribution, discusses the anatomy of a cyber crisis and how businesses should prepare for it.

Pillay delves into:

• The difference between a cyberthreat and a cyber crisis;

• How cybercriminals are using AI tools to develop increasingly sophisticated methods of attack;

• How organisations can keep pace with the rapid changes in the threat landscape to keep their systems secure;

• The difference between a crisis management plan and an incident response plan;

• Some common errors businesses make when responding to a cyber crisis; and

• What South Africa’s leading organisations are doing to prepare for a cyber crisis.

This informative show is not to be missed.

Data is like oxygen in the digital era, and people are using more of it. In 2025 alone, global mobile data usage is projected to reach 200 exabytes per month. That is 200 billion gigabytes of data consumed monthly by everything from high-definition video streaming to online gaming and IoT.

This trend has implications for infrastructure – in the home, in business and even in shared outdoor spaces. For the people consuming the data, connecting with ease as they migrate between different environments is paramount; but so is the privacy and integrity of their personal data.

In this episode of TCS+, Vox Wi-Fi product manager Craig Blignaut discusses the trends in data consumption, their drivers and how Wi-Fi technology is evolving to meet people’s needs.

Blignaut delves into:

• Why data has become the lifeblood of modern society;

• How newer technologies like generative AI are shaping trends in data consumption;

• The different ways people gain access to the internet;

• How Wi-Fi has contributed to making the internet cheaper and more accessible;

• How an enterprise’s Wi-Fi experience contributes to how visitors experience a company’s brand; and

• The role is AI playing in enhancing network connectivity.

Don’t miss an informative discussion.

Samsung Electronics recently launched the latest line-up of its popular Galaxy A-series of midtier smartphones, with the A26, A36 and A56 replacing the older A25, A35 and A55 models.

One of the most notable new features of the A-series is a curated artificial intelligence module, dubbed Awesome Intelligence, that brings powerful AI features previously exclusive to its top-tier Galaxy S-series phones to its midrange devices for the first time.

Unique to the A-series is a new safety feature called Samsung SOS+, a free-to-use, 24/7 subscription service exclusive to owners of the new Galaxy A56, A36 and A26 devices.

In an emergency situation – and on-demand – the service immediately geolocates the user and sends private security and medical emergency services to their location at the press of a button.

In this episode of TCS+, Justin Hume, vice president for mobile at Samsung Electronics South Africa, tells TechCentral about how SOS+ works in the new Galaxy A-series line-up.

Hume delves into:

• The inspiration behind SOS+ and why Samsung has chosen the A series to pilot the service;

• How the service works and its benefits for A-series smartphone users;

• Why the service is currently limited to users of the A56, A36 and A26 devices and Samsung’s plans for expanded roll-out;

• Key features that set the SOS+ service apart; and

• Why Samsung has chosen Aura as its partner in providing the SOS+ service.

Don’t miss a fascinating discussion!

For years, mobile telecommunications was dominated by a handful of large operators, or MNOs. Now, with almost 30 MVNOs, or mobile virtual network operators, serving niche consumer bases in banking, retail and education, among other sectors, the MVNO market is thriving.

However, brands looking to take advantage of this boom and add mobile services to their offerings are not guaranteed success. There are several critical decisions regarding strategy, process and choosing the right technology platform that are key to building a critical mass of loyal MVNO customers.

In this episode of TCS+, Daniel Swart, chief commercial officer at MVNX, an MVNO enablement specialist, discusses the opportunities and threats facing MVNOs in South Africa today.

Swart Delves into:

• The services MVNX, as an MVNO enabler, offers to brands looking to launch MVNO services in South Africa;

• How South Africa’s MVNO market has developed since its inception in 2006 with the entry of now-defunct Virgin Mobile;

• The markers of success separating successful MVNOs from those that have struggled to gain a foothold in the market;

• The benefits MVNO brands reap from using an enablement platform to launch and distribute their mobile services;

• The importance of understanding the competitive dynamics of the MVNO market and how new MVNOs should position themselves;

• The regulatory aspects of running an MVNO; and

• International MVNO trends Swart believes are likely to be emulated in South Africa.

This discussion is not to be missed.

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.

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!