TechCentral

In this thought-provoking episode of TechCentral's TCS+, Mpho Chitapi sits down with Dr Josefin Rosén, principal trustworthy AI specialist in SAS's Data Ethics Practice and co-author of the influential report Constraint to Capability: Flipping the Narrative on AI in the Global South.

What unfolds is a rich conversation that challenges long-held assumptions about Africa's role in the global AI ecosystem — and reframes governance, ethics and constraint not as obstacles but as strategic advantages.

The discussion explores how deeply regulated environments sharpen one's appreciation for integrity, accountability and human impact — principles that are now indispensable in the design of trustworthy AI systems. This sets the tone for a broader conversation on why governance-by-design, representative data and bias mitigation are not "nice-to-haves" but foundational to sustainable AI adoption, particularly for public-facing systems operating in diverse and unequal societies.

A central theme is "flipping the narrative" — moving away from the idea that the Global South must simply catch up, and instead recognising its unique opportunity to shape AI differently. Rosén offers compelling insights into Africa's position as the youngest continent, cautioning that demographic advantage alone does not automatically translate into leadership. The discussion interrogates what must change — across policy, education, data strategy and governance — for Africa's youth dividend to become real AI leadership, and why the window to do so is open but narrow.

Listeners are taken deeper into Africa's distinct AI opportunity set: smaller, more context-specific language models; mobile-first innovation; and the potential to build systems that are locally relevant, linguistically inclusive and ethically grounded from inception. Rosén underscores that when AI systems — especially those interfacing directly with the public — are not sufficiently representative of the people and environments they serve, trust erodes quickly. Integrity, reliability and contextual relevance are therefore not abstract principles but practical necessities for AI systems that aim to endure and scale responsibly.

The episode closes by exploring practical use cases and forward-looking responsibilities, asking who must do what next — from policymakers and universities to business leaders and technologists — if Africa is to seize this moment. The conversation leaves listeners with a powerful message: the future of AI in the Global South will not be determined by scale alone but by the choices made now around governance, representation and trust.

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Artificial intelligence isn’t just changing how work gets done, it’s rewriting the rules of business. Organisations are scrambling to redefine processes and job descriptions, while employees are grappling with new tools and new ways of thinking that are transforming the way they approach their daily tasks.

In this episode of the TechCentral Show, Antony Makins, acting CEO at TForge and chair of the special group on AI and robotics at the Institute of IT Professionals South Africa, unpacks the skills revolution unfolding alongside the AI one.

Makins delves into the patterns emerging across organisations and the broader labour market as AI adoption accelerates.

He also explores the mindset shift it’s imposing on the workforce, and which roles are being hit hardest by AI-driven changes to how we work.

He delves into the opportunities that exist despite the very real threat AI poses to jobs – and what government can do to create an enabling environment for workers to adapt to a labour market increasingly shaped by AI, machine learning and data analysis.

Don't miss it the conversation! TechCentral

Artificial intelligence isn’t just changing how work gets done, it’s rewriting the rules of business. Organisations are scrambling to redefine processes and job descriptions, while employees are grappling with new tools and new ways of thinking that are transforming the way they approach their daily tasks.

In this episode of the TechCentral Show, Antony Makins, acting CEO at TForge and chair of the special group on AI and robotics at the Institute of IT Professionals South Africa, unpacks the skills revolution unfolding alongside the AI one.

Makins delves into the patterns emerging across organisations and the broader labour market as AI adoption accelerates.

He also explores the mindset shift it’s imposing on the workforce, and which roles are being hit hardest by AI-driven changes to how we work.

He delves into the opportunities that exist despite the very real threat AI poses to jobs – and what government can do to create an enabling environment for workers to adapt to a labour market increasingly shaped by AI, machine learning and data analysis.

Don't miss it the conversation!

Safety is a core concern for e-hailing operators as it ensures that platforms engender trust among drivers, passengers and the general public. Bolt recently commissioned market research firm Ipsos to conduct research into the perceptions of rider safety in South Africa's e-hailing market.

In this episode of TechCentral's TCS+, Simo Kalajdzic, senior operations manager at Bolt South Africa, discusses findings from the report and how Bolt has used them to inform decision-making regarding its approach to safety on its platform.

Kalajdzic delves into:

* The rationale behind Bolt's commission of the report;

* Why market research firm Ipsos was chosen to conduct the research;

* Key findings from the report and the products Bolt has developed using those insights;

* The key drivers fuelling e-hailing adoption in South Africa and where safety ranks compared to other factors like reliability and cost;

* Scenarios that lead to South African's choosing e-hailing over other transport types;

* How e-hailing compares to other modes of transport in terms of safety perception;

* What survey respondents said about e-hailing's impact on drunk driving in their respective cities;

* Those features of e-hailing apps that make users feel safer compared to other types of transportation; and

* What users can do to maximise their safety levels when using the platform.

Safety is a core concern for e-hailing operators as it ensures that platforms engender trust among drivers, passengers and the general public. Bolt recently commissioned market research firm Ipsos to conduct research into the perceptions of rider safety in South Africa's e-hailing market.

In this episode of TechCentral's TCS+, Simo Kalajdzic, senior operations manager at Bolt South Africa, discusses findings from the report and how Bolt has used them to inform decision-making regarding its approach to safety on its platform.

Kalajdzic delves into:

* The rationale behind Bolt's commission of the report;

* Why market research firm Ipsos was chosen to conduct the research;

* Key findings from the report and the products Bolt has developed using those insights;

* The key drivers fuelling e-hailing adoption in South Africa and where safety ranks compared to other factors like reliability and cost;

* Scenarios that lead to South African's choosing e-hailing over other transport types;

* How e-hailing compares to other modes of transport in terms of safety perception;

* What survey respondents said about e-hailing's impact on drunk driving in their respective cities;

* Those features of e-hailing apps that make users feel safer compared to other types of transportation; and

* What users can do to maximise their safety levels when using the platform. TechCentral

The fourth episode of TechCentral’s electric motoring show, Watts & Wheels, covers a packed news agenda, two vehicle reviews and an in-depth look at the 2026 South African Car of the Year semi-finalists.

The episode opens with the latest EV news, including fresh import duty statistics from Donald MacKay of XA Global Trade Advisors and a closer look at BAIC’s claims of local manufacturing – with the hosts questioning just how “made in South Africa” its vehicles really are, given a reported seven-to-one difference factor in jobs created.

Also in the news segment: Zero Carbon Charge's latest fundraising efforts, the launch of Uber Go Electric – a notably affordable option powered by Valternative – and the latest developments in autonomous driving technology.

The show features two review segments this week. First up is the Riddara RD6 electric bakkie, followed by a hands-on driving experience with one of Valternative’s electric Uber vehicles – Duncan McLeod plays Uber driver and gives a lift to a grumpy Prince William. The Valternative segment is complemented by an interview with the company’s CEO, Mahomed Jeewa, who discusses the firm’s ambitions in the electric ride-hailing space.

A major talking point is the announcement of the 2026 Car of the Year semi-finalists. The hosts run through the full list, highlighting the growing presence of Chinese brands among the contenders – a notable shift in a competition won last year by the BMW X3. They close by pondering who might take the 2026 Car of the Year crown.

The episode wraps up with the popular Hot or Not segment, in which the hosts give their verdicts on the Riddara, Uber Go Electric and the Volvo EX60, which has been confirmed for a South African launch later this year.

The fourth episode of TechCentral’s electric motoring show, Watts & Wheels, covers a packed news agenda, two vehicle reviews and an in-depth look at the 2026 South African Car of the Year semi-finalists.

The episode opens with the latest EV news, including fresh import duty statistics from Donald McKay of XA Global Trade Advisors and a closer look at BAIC’s claims of local manufacturing – with the hosts questioning just how “made in South Africa” its vehicles really are, given a reported seven-to-one difference factor in jobs created.

Also in the news segment: Zero Carbon Charge's latest fundraising efforts, the launch of Uber Go Electric – a notably affordable option powered by Valternative – and the latest developments in autonomous driving technology.

The show features two review segments this week. First up is the Riddara RD6 electric bakkie, followed by a hands-on driving experience with one of Valternative’s electric Uber vehicles – Duncan McLeod plays Uber driver and gives a lift to a grumpy Prince William. The Valternative segment is complemented by an interview with the company’s CEO, Mahomed Jeewa, who discusses the firm’s ambitions in the electric ride-hailing space.

A major talking point is the announcement of the 2026 Car of the Year semi-finalists. The hosts run through the full list, highlighting the growing presence of Chinese brands among the contenders – a notable shift in a competition won last year by the BMW X3. They close by pondering who might take the 2026 Car of the Year crown.

The episode wraps up with the popular Hot or Not segment, in which the hosts give their verdicts on the Riddara, Uber Go Electric and the Volvo EX60, which has been confirmed for a South African launch later this year.

Technology sits at the heart of modern capital markets, and nowhere is that more evident than at the JSE. In the latest episode of Meet the CIO, TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod sits down with Tebalo Tsoaeli, the bourse’s CIO, to unpack how technology underpins Africa’s largest stock exchange – and how it is evolving for a more digital, global and real-time future.

Meet the CIO is brought to you by NTT DATA, where global experience meets local impact.

Tsoaeli has spent his entire career in financial services technology, starting out as an application developer at Rand Merchant Bank before holding senior technology roles at Standard Bank, Investec, Nedbank, FirstRand and Sanlam. He became CIO of the JSE three years ago, bringing deep experience in large-scale, mission-critical systems to one of the most tightly regulated technology environments in the country.

In the conversation, Tsoaeli reflects on his early exposure to computing and how a formal grounding in computer science shaped his career path. While he is clearly a technologist at heart, he explains how his role has evolved beyond pure IT delivery to focus on strategy, resilience, regulatory compliance and enabling market growth.

A major theme of the discussion is the JSE’s technology stack and how it has changed over time. Tsoaeli explains how the exchange now works closely with Amazon Web Services, moving away from a purely on-premises model to leverage cloud infrastructure for scalability, resilience and performance. He also addresses the question many market participants ask: can the cloud really be trusted with mission-critical exchange workloads, especially in a world where outages at global providers can have far-reaching consequences?

Latency and real-time trading are central concerns for any exchange, and Tsoaeli provides insight into how the JSE’s infrastructure supports the full trading lifecycle – from pre-market activity through live trading to post-trade clearing and settlement. He also touches on the exchange’s networking architecture and how it is designed to deliver predictable, low-latency performance for brokers and market participants.

The episode also explores the JSE’s strategic technology partnership with Nasdaq. Tsoaeli explains how this relationship operates at a technology level and what it has delivered so far, including support for market modernisation and international interoperability. Closely linked to this is the modernisation of the JSE’s Broker Dealer Accounting system, a project Tsoaeli describes as critical to improving efficiency, resilience and future-readiness.

Given the highly regulated nature of financial markets, security and compliance are never far from the conversation. Tsoaeli outlines how the JSE balances innovation with stringent regulatory requirements, and what this means for data protection, operational risk and trust in the market.

Looking ahead, the discussion touches on cross-border capital flows, dual listings and the potential role of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning in trading and market operations – along with the risks that come with them.

Finally, Tsoaeli shares his perspective on what success looks like for the JSE’s technology journey over the next three to five years, how he sees the role of the CIO evolving, and – in a lighter moment – his favourite productivity hack. TechCentral

Technology sits at the heart of modern capital markets, and nowhere is that more evident than at the JSE. In the latest episode of Meet the CIO, TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod sits down with Tebalo Tsoaeli, the bourse’s CIO, to unpack how technology underpins Africa’s largest stock exchange – and how it is evolving for a more digital, global and real-time future.

Meet the CIO is brought to you by NTT DATA, where global experience meets local impact.

Tsoaeli has spent his entire career in financial services technology, starting out as an application developer at Rand Merchant Bank before holding senior technology roles at Standard Bank, Investec, Nedbank, FirstRand and Sanlam. He became CIO of the JSE three years ago, bringing deep experience in large-scale, mission-critical systems to one of the most tightly regulated technology environments in the country.

In the conversation, Tsoaeli reflects on his early exposure to computing and how a formal grounding in computer science shaped his career path. While he is clearly a technologist at heart, he explains how his role has evolved beyond pure IT delivery to focus on strategy, resilience, regulatory compliance and enabling market growth.

A major theme of the discussion is the JSE’s technology stack and how it has changed over time. Tsoaeli explains how the exchange now works closely with Amazon Web Services, moving away from a purely on-premises model to leverage cloud infrastructure for scalability, resilience and performance. He also addresses the question many market participants ask: can the cloud really be trusted with mission-critical exchange workloads, especially in a world where outages at global providers can have far-reaching consequences?

Latency and real-time trading are central concerns for any exchange, and Tsoaeli provides insight into how the JSE’s infrastructure supports the full trading lifecycle – from pre-market activity through live trading to post-trade clearing and settlement. He also touches on the exchange’s networking architecture and how it is designed to deliver predictable, low-latency performance for brokers and market participants.

The episode also explores the JSE’s strategic technology partnership with Nasdaq. Tsoaeli explains how this relationship operates at a technology level and what it has delivered so far, including support for market modernisation and international interoperability. Closely linked to this is the modernisation of the JSE’s Broker Dealer Accounting system, a project Tsoaeli describes as critical to improving efficiency, resilience and future-readiness.

Given the highly regulated nature of financial markets, security and compliance are never far from the conversation. Tsoaeli outlines how the JSE balances innovation with stringent regulatory requirements, and what this means for data protection, operational risk and trust in the market.

Looking ahead, the discussion touches on cross-border capital flows, dual listings and the potential role of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning in trading and market operations – along with the risks that come with them.

Finally, Tsoaeli shares his perspective on what success looks like for the JSE’s technology journey over the next three to five years, how he sees the role of the CIO evolving, and – in a lighter moment – his favourite productivity hack. TechCentral

The cloud revolution has challenged businesses of all sizes by changing how IT teams go about implementing projects and managing infrastructure. IT service firms have been doubly challenged, having to sell a new computing paradigm to their clients while also practising what they preach and adopting cloud-first technologies in-house.

Consnet is an IT solutions firm that leveraged the Amazon Web Services distribution model to accelerate its own journey into the cloud, enabling the company to do the same for its customers.

In this episode of TCS+, Dion Kalicharan, MD at Consnet, and Xhenia Rhode, AWS partner development manager at Cloud On Demand, speak about the benefits of leveraging the support structures in the AWS partner network.

Rhode and Kalicharan delve into:

• What the AWS distribution model is and how it benefits partners in the ecosystem;

• Consnet’s 21-year history, the services it provides and how its journey into the cloud began;

• How Consnet being supported by Cloud On Demand gave it the know-how to support its own customers on their cloud adoption journeys;

• The technical and training support that helped guide Consnet to upskill its teams and gain cloud expertise;

• How Cloud On Demand “marked Consnet’s homework” by double-checking the quality and efficiency of its cloud deployments; and

• How Cloud on Demand strategically meets its partners where their needs are.

Don’t miss this informative conversation! TechCentral