TechCentral

Steven Boykey Sidley has been a chief technology officer at a Fortune 500 company, a private equity investor, a videogame designer, a jazz musician and, for the past four years, a professor of practice at the University of Johannesburg. He is a partner at Bridge Capital, heading its futures advisory, and the author of eight books – two of them on bitcoin and crypto – with another due in October.

TechCentral deputy editor Fanie van Rooyen spoke to him about the moment money finally became native to the internet, why the South African Reserve Bank appears to be walking in the opposite direction, and what AI is quietly doing to science and schooling while everyone argues about chatbots.

Specops Software’s Darren James explains why identity checks alone no longer stop determined attackers.

Traditional approaches to access security no longer hold up in hybrid, cloud-first environments – and AI is widening the gap.

In this episode, host Kevin Smith speaks to Darren James, senior product manager at Specops Software, about the distance between how organisations secure access and how people actually work.

Businesses have poured money into identity-based controls – passwords, multi-factor authentication, zero-trust initiatives – yet breaches keep rising, because attackers increasingly exploit trusted identities rather than technical vulnerabilities. An intruder holding legitimate credentials looks like an authorised user and can operate undetected.

That points to a shift in security thinking: verifying the user’s identity is no longer enough. Access decisions must also account for the device being used, its security posture and whether trust should hold for the length of a session.

Working through a real-world breach, James shows how a single compromised account escalates into a serious incident, and where a more contextual approach to access control could break the attack chain before damage is done. The discussion reframes zero trust as an ongoing process rather than a one-time authentication event, and makes the case for layered verification.

He also looks ahead to automated attacks and the rise of non-human identities – service accounts and AI agents among them. As organisations lean harder on autonomous systems, identity-centric models will face pressures they were never designed for.

The executive takeaway is this: the cybersecurity battleground is shifting from identity verification to continuous trust. In an era of AI-driven threats and hybrid work, organisations need to stop asking “who is accessing the system?” and start asking, continuously, “should this access still be trusted?”

Don’t miss the discussion.

Specops Software’s Darren James explains why identity checks alone no longer stop determined attackers.

Traditional approaches to access security no longer hold up in hybrid, cloud-first environments – and AI is widening the gap.

In this episode, host Kevin Smith speaks to Darren James, senior product manager at Specops Software, about the distance between how organisations secure access and how people actually work.

Businesses have poured money into identity-based controls – passwords, multi-factor authentication, zero-trust initiatives – yet breaches keep rising, because attackers increasingly exploit trusted identities rather than technical vulnerabilities. An intruder holding legitimate credentials looks like an authorised user and can operate undetected.

That points to a shift in security thinking: verifying the user’s identity is no longer enough. Access decisions must also account for the device being used, its security posture and whether trust should hold for the length of a session.

Working through a real-world breach, James shows how a single compromised account escalates into a serious incident, and where a more contextual approach to access control could break the attack chain before damage is done. The discussion reframes zero trust as an ongoing process rather than a one-time authentication event, and makes the case for layered verification.

He also looks ahead to automated attacks and the rise of non-human identities – service accounts and AI agents among them. As organisations lean harder on autonomous systems, identity-centric models will face pressures they were never designed for.

The executive takeaway is this: the cybersecurity battleground is shifting from identity verification to continuous trust. In an era of AI-driven threats and hybrid work, organisations need to stop asking “who is accessing the system?” and start asking, continuously, “should this access still be trusted?”

Don’t miss the discussion.

For most of business history, buying technology meant owning it. Capital was set aside, servers and laptops were hauled into the building alongside the software licences, and the business then sweated those assets for as long as it practically could.

In the age of AI, that logic is starting to break. Kit bought today can be obsolete in two or three years, chips are in short supply and the companies pulling ahead are no longer those that own the most but those that can adapt the fastest.

In this episode of TCS+, Shane van der Merwe, head of technology finance at Merchant West, explains why the shift from owning technology to simply accessing it is gathering pace.

Van der Merwe unpacks:

• What is driving businesses to let go of owning their technology stack;

• Why hardware — the physical "tin" — has been the last thing to move to a subscription model, long after software did;

• Whether this is a corporate trend only, or whether cash-conscious SMEs are moving too;

• How the rise of AI is accelerating the move away from owned kit;

• The global chip-supply squeeze, and the tiering that can leave South Africa further back in the queue;

• Whether being in the cloud is a competitive advantage in itself;

• What obsolescence really costs a business, even on equipment that is already "paid off";

• How the shift from capex to opex changes the balance sheet — and what happens to the IT team;

• What a Merchant West solution looks like end to end, including how Popia-compliant data destruction is handled when old kit is returned;

• The circular-economy angle, in which returned devices are given a second life rather than being scrapped; and

• How getting this right frees up cash and keeps a business competitive in its core operations, not just its IT.

Don't miss the discussion.

This promoted content was paid for by the party concerned. TechCentral

For most of business history, buying technology meant owning it. Capital was set aside, servers and laptops were hauled into the building alongside the software licences, and the business then sweated those assets for as long as it practically could.

In the age of AI, that logic is starting to break. Kit bought today can be obsolete in two or three years, chips are in short supply and the companies pulling ahead are no longer those that own the most but those that can adapt the fastest.

In this episode of TCS+, Shane van der Merwe, head of technology finance at Merchant West, explains why the shift from owning technology to simply accessing it is gathering pace.

Van der Merwe unpacks:

• What is driving businesses to let go of owning their technology stack;

• Why hardware — the physical "tin" — has been the last thing to move to a subscription model, long after software did;

• Whether this is a corporate trend only, or whether cash-conscious SMEs are moving too;

• How the rise of AI is accelerating the move away from owned kit;

• The global chip-supply squeeze, and the tiering that can leave South Africa further back in the queue;

• Whether being in the cloud is a competitive advantage in itself;

• What obsolescence really costs a business, even on equipment that is already "paid off";

• How the shift from capex to opex changes the balance sheet — and what happens to the IT team;

• What a Merchant West solution looks like end to end, including how Popia-compliant data destruction is handled when old kit is returned;

• The circular-economy angle, in which returned devices are given a second life rather than being scrapped; and

• How getting this right frees up cash and keeps a business competitive in its core operations, not just its IT.

Don't miss the discussion.

This promoted content was paid for by the party concerned.

ADG’s Cliff de Wit on why the next management challenge is overseeing teams of autonomous software agents.

Not long ago, organisations were experimenting with generative AI to draft e-mails, summarise documents and answer questions. Today agentic AI is changing what the technology is for.

In a conversation on TechCentral’s TCS+ podcast, Cliff de Wit, MD for South Africa and group chief innovation officer at Accelera Digital Group (ADG), argued that the real story is not machines replacing people but a fundamental shift in how work gets done — and where humans create value.

Rather than completing individual tasks on command, AI agents can be given an objective and left to determine how best to achieve it. De Wit illustrated this with a know-your-customer (KYC) use case in which agentic AI is already automating complex workflows and accelerating business outcomes.

AI is no longer simply a tool that assists workers. Increasingly, it is a digital workforce in its own right.

In a country with one of the world's highest youth unemployment rates, concerns about automation are understandable. But De Wit challenges the idea that AI should be viewed purely as a job-replacement technology.

"The human skills involved in business are fundamentally changing, but the basics of business still remain," he said.

Businesses will still need people to solve problems, exercise judgment, build relationships and drive innovation. What changes is how those outcomes are achieved: as routine and administrative work is automated, workers move up to activities where uniquely human skills matter most.

The sharper risk is distributional. Without investment in education, training and digital skills, AI's productivity gains could widen existing inequalities — not because jobs disappear, but because opportunity concentrates among those who know how to work with the technology. AI literacy may soon matter to employability as much as computer literacy did during the digital revolution.

Organisations are already deploying agents into operational environments, in some cases slotting them into workforce structures alongside human employees. Leaders are no longer managing only people; they are managing mixed teams.

De Wit believes businesses are better prepared for this than they think. Companies have long used governance frameworks and risk controls to oversee human decision-making, and many of the same principles adapt to digital workers. Whether a decision is executed by a person or a system, accountability, escalation and oversight remain essential.

Which decisions should be delegated, then, and which should stay under human control? De Wit's answer comes down to risk, and he sets out a framework for categorising it. The future, on his reading, is unlikely to be fully autonomous. Successful organisations will run human-in-the-loop models in which AI handles execution while people supply direction, judgment and accountability.

De Wit is optimistic. Many local organisations are still experimenting, but a growing number are moving past pilots to solve real problems and generate measurable value.

For leaders, the question is no longer whether to adopt AI, but how to do so responsibly, effectively and inclusively. The future workforce will consist neither solely of humans nor solely of machines — it will consist of humans who know how to lead, govern and orchestrate digital labour.

And that future is arriving faster than many realise. Don’t miss a great discussion!

ADG’s Cliff de Wit on why the next management challenge is overseeing teams of autonomous software agents.

Not long ago, organisations were experimenting with generative AI to draft e-mails, summarise documents and answer questions. Today agentic AI is changing what the technology is for.

In a conversation on TechCentral’s TCS+ podcast, Cliff de Wit, MD for South Africa and group chief innovation officer at Accelera Digital Group (ADG), argued that the real story is not machines replacing people but a fundamental shift in how work gets done — and where humans create value.

Rather than completing individual tasks on command, AI agents can be given an objective and left to determine how best to achieve it. De Wit illustrated this with a know-your-customer (KYC) use case in which agentic AI is already automating complex workflows and accelerating business outcomes.

AI is no longer simply a tool that assists workers. Increasingly, it is a digital workforce in its own right.

In a country with one of the world's highest youth unemployment rates, concerns about automation are understandable. But De Wit challenges the idea that AI should be viewed purely as a job-replacement technology.

"The human skills involved in business are fundamentally changing, but the basics of business still remain," he said.

Businesses will still need people to solve problems, exercise judgment, build relationships and drive innovation. What changes is how those outcomes are achieved: as routine and administrative work is automated, workers move up to activities where uniquely human skills matter most.

The sharper risk is distributional. Without investment in education, training and digital skills, AI's productivity gains could widen existing inequalities — not because jobs disappear, but because opportunity concentrates among those who know how to work with the technology. AI literacy may soon matter to employability as much as computer literacy did during the digital revolution.

Organisations are already deploying agents into operational environments, in some cases slotting them into workforce structures alongside human employees. Leaders are no longer managing only people; they are managing mixed teams.

De Wit believes businesses are better prepared for this than they think. Companies have long used governance frameworks and risk controls to oversee human decision-making, and many of the same principles adapt to digital workers. Whether a decision is executed by a person or a system, accountability, escalation and oversight remain essential.

Which decisions should be delegated, then, and which should stay under human control? De Wit's answer comes down to risk, and he sets out a framework for categorising it. The future, on his reading, is unlikely to be fully autonomous. Successful organisations will run human-in-the-loop models in which AI handles execution while people supply direction, judgment and accountability.

De Wit is optimistic. Many local organisations are still experimenting, but a growing number are moving past pilots to solve real problems and generate measurable value.

For leaders, the question is no longer whether to adopt AI, but how to do so responsibly, effectively and inclusively. The future workforce will consist neither solely of humans nor solely of machines — it will consist of humans who know how to lead, govern and orchestrate digital labour.

And that future is arriving faster than many realise. Don’t miss a great discussion!

For small and medium enterprises, technology must do one thing above all else: get out of the way. Unlike large corporations with dedicated IT departments, SMEs run lean – and every hour spent wrestling with systems is an hour not spent on the business itself.

In this episode of TechCentral’s TCS+, brought to you by iStore Business, Sudesh Pillay, executive head of iStore Business South Africa, and Tamia Nontsikelelo, founder and CEO of womenswear label Tol’Thema, explore how SMEs can make smarter technology decisions and why the Apple ecosystem is increasingly the answer.

They discuss:

The pressures SMEs face and why low-maintenance, cost-effective technology is critical to their survival and growth;

How Tol’Thema uses iPhone and Mac in the day-to-day running of the business, and the practical value they deliver to customers;

Why historically fragmented SME IT is giving way to integrated ecosystems, and what is driving the shift;

The total cost of ownership case for Apple hardware, and why the premium price tag isn’t the whole story for budget-conscious businesses;

How Apple’s on-device AI, built into its silicon, helps SMEs future-proof their hardware investment;

The support iStore Business provides to ease hardware transitions and reduce the disruption of moving staff onto a new operating system;

Why native security and data protection features matter enormously to small businesses with no dedicated IT or compliance function; and

Which software and AI subscription costs SMEs can avoid by making better use of tools built into the Apple ecosystem.

Pillay also explains what happens when an SME’s needs outgrow out-of-the-box solutions, and how iStore Business provides the specialist support to scale with them.

Don’t miss this practical conversation about technology that works for South Africa’s small businesses. TechCentral

For small and medium enterprises, technology must do one thing above all else: get out of the way. Unlike large corporations with dedicated IT departments, SMEs run lean – and every hour spent wrestling with systems is an hour not spent on the business itself.

In this episode of TechCentral’s TCS+, brought to you by iStore Business, Sudesh Pillay, executive head of iStore Business South Africa, and Tamia Nontsikelelo, founder and CEO of womenswear label Tol’Thema, explore how SMEs can make smarter technology decisions and why the Apple ecosystem is increasingly the answer.

They discuss:

The pressures SMEs face and why low-maintenance, cost-effective technology is critical to their survival and growth;

How Tol’Thema uses iPhone and Mac in the day-to-day running of the business, and the practical value they deliver to customers;

Why historically fragmented SME IT is giving way to integrated ecosystems, and what is driving the shift;

The total cost of ownership case for Apple hardware, and why the premium price tag isn’t the whole story for budget-conscious businesses;

How Apple’s on-device AI, built into its silicon, helps SMEs future-proof their hardware investment;

The support iStore Business provides to ease hardware transitions and reduce the disruption of moving staff onto a new operating system;

Why native security and data protection features matter enormously to small businesses with no dedicated IT or compliance function; and

Which software and AI subscription costs SMEs can avoid by making better use of tools built into the Apple ecosystem.

Pillay also explains what happens when an SME’s needs outgrow out-of-the-box solutions, and how iStore Business provides the specialist support to scale with them.

Don’t miss this practical conversation about technology that works for South Africa’s small businesses.

Communications regulator Icasa’s draft rapid deployment regulations – a critical intervention for the sector – risk failing unless the regulator brings municipalities into the process, according to Nomvuyiso Batyi, CEO of the Association of Comms & Technology (ACT).

Speaking on the TechCentral Show with TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod, Batyi said Icasa had consulted network operators and fibre companies but not the South African Local Government Association, which represents the municipalities that will have to apply the rules.

“You cannot just develop regulations without talking to all the parties,” she warned, arguing that Icasa should follow energy regulator Nersa’s approach to municipal engagement.

Asked when final rules might realistically be in place, she said 24 months – provided Icasa works through local government first.

On enforcement she was more optimistic. Section 21 of the Electronic Communications Act, amended in 2014, already empowers Icasa to set uniform procedures for permits and approvals at a reasonable fee, she said. “A lot of people may have missed the amendment.”

The gap is dispute resolution: the draft assumes disputes between licensees, leaving operators without recourse when a municipality refuses a way leave. At Icasa’s public hearings this month, ACT proposed binding municipal deadlines, deemed approval and damages claims for failing to respond to requests in time from telecoms providers.

ACT also objects to the detail in Icasa’s proposed national infrastructure database. Batyi supports mapping in principle but said the granularity sought would expose competitively sensitive information and create construction mafia and cybersecurity risks.

Beyond rapid deployment, Batyi listed four priorities on her plate: the newly finalised Rica framework agreement on Sim card verification, licence renewals by 2028, Icasa’s end-user and subscriber charter regulations and the Electronic Communications Amendment Bill – which she described as “embarrassing” in its current form.

ACT represents Vodacom, MTN, Telkom, Cell C, Rain and Liquid Intelligent Technologies. – © 2026 NewsCentral Media TechCentral