TCS + | HP’s AI future - how on-device intelligence is redefining work in Africa
AI has advanced at breakneck speed in the last few years, with most knowledge workers using the technology to enhance their work in some shape or form.
Most of this computing has been happening in the cloud. However, the advent of the neural processing unit, or NPU, has made it possible to move AI computation to the edge, which not only improves speeds but also protects personal and company data.
In this episode of TechCentral’s TCS+, we were on location at the Maslow Hotel in Sandton where HP recently hosted its 2025 Future of Work event. The event brings together industry leaders, decision-makers and innovators and explores the evolving landscape of work in the age of artificial intelligence.
Ertug Ayik, vice president and MD for Middle East and Africa at HP, connects the dots between the company’s new AI-infused product line and broader concepts shaping the way in which work is being done.
Ayik delves into:
• HP’s shift from a product focused company to a solutions and services outfit;
• Why on-device AI processing capability has become a priority for HP;
• The advantages on-device AI have for performance, security and power efficiency;
• HP’s strategy for South Africa and the African continent;
• Key initiatives HP is driving across Africa; and
• What to expect from HP in the coming years.
Don’t miss the conversation! TechCentral
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TCS | Barney Harmse on building Paratus Group – and working with Starlink
Paratus Group executive chairman Barney Harmse joins the TechCentral Show to share the story of the telecommunications group’s rise from small beginnings in Angola and Namibia more than 20 years ago and how it became one of Southern Africa’s biggest ICT infrastructure players.
Paratus started life in Angola in 2003, evolving from a local internet service provider into a pan‑African telecoms powerhouse. Co-founded by Harmse with Schalk Erasmus, Rolf Mendelsohn, Martin Boese and Miles October, it grew rapidly and now has infrastructure across the region, including in Zambia, Botswana, South Africa, Mozambique, the DRC and Namibia.
This week, it officially launched the first privately owned mobile network operator in Namibia, which will compete directly with the state-owned incumbents.
Today the business works closely with the likes of Starlink, Google and Meta Platforms and plays a significant role in long-distance, metropolitan and access networks across the region. It also helped land Google’s Equiano cable on the Namibian coast.
In this lively interview with TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod, Harmse unpacks the Paratus story, touching on:
• What building telecoms infrastructure across the vast reaches of Southern Africa has entailed, including memorable moments along the way;
• The company’s financial backers, and its capital-raising plans – including a possible future listing in New York;
• Why it built a network of long-distance fibre across Southern Africa;
• Paratus’s relationship with Elon Musk’s Starlink, and why it’s a key role player in the launch of the low-Earth orbit satellite provider’s offering across the region;
• The launch of the mobile network in Namibia and why it’s a significant development in the Paratus story; and
• The opportunities still ahead for Paratus Group.
Don’t miss a great interview! TechCentral
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TCS | Maziv goes massive: CEO Dietlof Mare on Vumatel’s big roll-out plans
Maziv, the company that owns Vumatel and Dark Fibre Africa, plans to spend R12-billion over the next five years as its ramps its deployment of fibre infrastructure across South Africa.
Poised for a big injection of cash and assets from Vodacom, which is buying a 30% co-controlling stake in the business, it has unveiled big plans to deploy fibre in townships and other underserved parts of the country.
In this exclusive podcast interview, CEO Dietlof Mare unpacks Maziv’s ambitious plans with the TechCentral Show, telling TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod about:
• The painful three-and-a-half years it took to get the deal over the line with the competition authorities and how these delays undermined investment in new fibre builds in South Africa;
• Why regulators need to reflect on the time it took to conclude the transaction, and why they need to be quicker in adjudicating M&A activity to grow the economy;
• How the merging parties eventually secured the approval of the Competition Commission, which had initially recommended that the transaction be blocked on competition grounds;
• Vumatel’s deployment plans – where it’s going to focus next with its new fibre builds and why;
• The economics of rolling out fibre into townships and into low-income communities, a key focus for the business over the next five years;
• What the conclusion of the deal means for the sector, including the potential for further consolidation of fibre network operators;
• The policy and regulatory changes Maziv would like to see to help it speed up the deployment of fibre in South Africa; and
• How the Maziv business is expected to change in the coming years.
Don’t miss a great discussion about the future of broadband internet infrastructure in South Africa! TechCentral
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TCS+ | Arctic Wolf on cybersecurity in the age of AI
What does it really take to defend a business in an era of AI-driven attacks?
In this episode of TechCentral’s TCS+ ,Clare Loveridge, vice president and GM for Europe, Middle East and Africa (Emea), and Johnny Ellis, senior director of Emea channel sales, both at Arctic Wolf, go beyond the buzzwords to confront the uncomfortable truth: despite billions spent on security tools, cyber losses are still mounting.
Arctic Wolf’s answer is a different model, one that combines its artificial intelligence-powered Aurora Platform with human expertise in a concierge delivery approach. It’s a strategy that tackles the industry’s “effectiveness gap” head-on by integrating people, processes and platforms to deliver outcomes, not just alerts.
The conversation is blunt about the shifting threat landscape: AI has overtaken ransomware as the top emerging risk, and no single tool can fix it. What organisations need is visibility at every layer – from endpoints and cloud to people.
Equally compelling is Arctic Wolf’s commitment to channel-first partnerships in South Africa, ensuring trusted local expertise underpins global innovation.
From the acquisition of Cylance Endpoint to the launch of Incident Response 360, the company is pushing to redefine what operationalised security means. But the biggest takeaway is simple: cyberattacks are no longer an “if” but a “when” – and every organisation needs a plan.
Watch or listen to the full discussion to explore why Arctic Wolf believes security must move beyond tools to become a living, breathing business function – and how leaders can finally start sleeping better at night. TechCentral
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TCS | The story behind Nedbank’s R1.65-billion iKhokha deal
Nedbank announced last week that it was acquiring Durban-based fintech iKhokha in a R1.65-billion deal that could signal the start of further consolidation in the payments industry in South Africa.
Nedbank described the deal as a “significant milestone” in its strategy to target small and medium enterprises.
iKhokha co-founder and CEO Matt Putman is TechCentral’s guest in this episode of the TechCentral Show. He unpacks the deal with TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod, explaining how it came about and what it means for the company’s further growth.
Founded in Durban in 2012, iKhokha provides mobile point-of-sale solutions to SMEs. Its products include card machines and a mobile app that allows merchants to accept card payments, with added business management tools.
It was founded by Putman, Ramsay Daly and Putman’s father Clive.
Putman tells the TechCentral Show about:
• How the deal with Nedbank happened;
• The origins of iKhokha and its growth over the past 13 years, leading to the sale to Nedbank – a deal that is still subject to regulatory approval;
• How iKhokha will work with Nedbank (it will remain an independent brand within the banking group), including a possible expansion into new markets in Africa; and
• The exit of iKhokha’s backers, including Crossfin Technology Holdings, Apis Partners and the International Finance Corporation.
Don’t miss a great discussion! TechCentral
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