The Better Connection. Everywhere You Go. Or simply just Y’ello. Brand identity matters, and MTN South Africa – one of South Africa’s most valued brands – is keenly aware of that fact.
Indeed, when a big consumer brand changes its brand positioning, it’s always a big deal – not only because of the work involved behind the scenes but also because it helps shift the narrative for that brand in small but important ways in the public consciousness.
For a handful of times in its storied, 31-year history, MTN has refreshed its brand image. And it’s just hit the “play” button on the latest overhaul.
In this episode of TechCentral’s TCS+ business technology podcast, MTN South Africa GM for residential and post-paid services Bertus van der Vyver unpacks the company’s latest brand identity and why it made the decisions it did.
In the podcast, Van der Vyver chats about:
• Whether brand ends up influencing strategy, or the other way around;
• How the new brand positioning – the payoff line is Together We Make Moves – aligns with MTN’s ongoing efforts around customer experience, network innovation and its service offerings;
• How consumers will experience the brand refresh;
• How the changes tie into MTN’s social and business commitments; and
• How MTN’s new brand identity will allow the company to differentiate itself in the market, including in relation to its competitors.
Don’t miss this fascinating conversation about the value and importance of branding. TechCentral
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31:11
TCS | How South Africa's Milkor became a global player in drone innovation
A company with its headquarters in Pretoria has designed and built an advanced drone that can attain speeds of 250km/h, reach altitudes of up to 30 000ft and travel more than 4 000km before having to return to its base. The company, Milkor, is a South African defence equipment and cybersecurity specialist that was founded all the way back in 1981.
Its newly developed Milkor 380 System unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) – in essence, a giant drone – has a cruising altitude of 10 000ft, a wingspan of 18m and a maximum payload of 220kg.
The drone has a flight time of up to 35 hours and can be used for border surveillance, maritime surveillance, strategic reconnaissance and information gathering operations, among other things.
To talk about the UAV, Milkor communications director Daniel du Plessis sat down with Duncan McLeod on the TechCentral Show recently and shared more details about its capabilities.
Other than the Milkor 380, the interview also covers topics including:
* Milkor’s founding in the 1980s, and how the company shifted focus in the democratic era – it got its start, and may still be best known for, manufacturing the world’s first six-shot 40mm grenade launcher, which is widely used around the world;
* The company’s other products – for land, air and sea operations – as well as what’s involved in conducting advanced R&D and manufacturing in a market like South Africa;
* The people who work for Milkor, and the sort of skills the company is looking for (and how it’s finding them);
* The role of UAVs in modern warfare and defence operations; and
* Why Milkor has entered the cybersecurity space.
Don’t miss a fascinating interview! TechCentral
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59:19
TCS | Discovery Bank CEO Hylton Kallner on tech, AI and the future of banking
Discovery Bank CEO Hylton Kallner believes technology is fundamental to the company’s success.
Kallner, an actuary who joined Discovery in its early days as a medical insurance company and who has held various senior leadership roles over the years, tells TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod about the group’s decision to launch a bank when it did. He shares how the business is doing – spoiler: it’s trending well ahead of schedule – and what comes next.
He tells the TechCentral Show about:
• How Discovery Bank is doing financially and how it’s tracking against its business plan;
• Its client base – who they are and who the bank is targeting as its clientele (the answer may surprise you);
• Why Discovery launched a bank into what was already a competitive market and what it’s doing differently to its rivals to attract people to switch;
• The learnings from Discovery Health and Discovery Vitality, and how Discovery Bank has leveraged these in its products and services;
• Discovery Bank’s technology stack, why it chose the IT solutions it did, and why it built much of its banking solution in-house;
• What’s next from Discovery Bank in terms of solutions; and
• The bank’s plans with AI – and why it believes AI could be a gamechanger.
Lastly, Kallner, a prolific reader, shares two of his favourite non-fiction books with the TechCentral audience.
Don’t miss a great discussion! TechCentral
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37:06
Across South Africa in an EV: how one man did it before charging stations
Shaun Maidment crossed South Africa in an electric car, a BMW i3, before there was a network of charging infrastructure along the national routes – and he has a heck of a story to tell about his adventure.
Charging infrastructure along South Africa’s national routes is now so commonplace that a cross-country trip in an EV is a daily occurrence.
But this was not always the case, and drivers in the early days of EVs in South Africa often had to rely on their wits and the kindness of strangers to keep their batteries charged on long-distance trips.
Maidment is one of South Africa’s original EV enthusiasts.
As the proud owner of what was once officially recognised as the highest-mileage BMW i3 in Africa – it now has 365 000km on the clock – he dared to travel across the length and breadth of South Africa long before charging infrastructure was commonplace.
Maidment tells the TechCentral Show’s Nkosinathi Ndlovu about:
• What inspired him in 2017 to take his first drive from Johannesburg to Cape Town in an EV;
• How he planned the trip, knowing that at the time there were not enough charging stations along the way;
• Some anecdotes from his travels, including the interesting people he met along the way;
• What his travels have taught him about the best way to drive an EV;
• How much mileage he is getting out of his i3 compared to when it was new; and
• His thoughts on the future of electric mobility in South Africa.
Maidment’s insights on EVs are based on years of personal experience. This episode of the show is not to be missed. TechCentral
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40:35
Meet the CIO | Kerissa Varma on what it takes to be a top CISO
Being a chief information security officer (CISO) in 2025 is a daunting role, but one that TechCentral’s guest in this episode of the Meet the CIO relishes.
Kerissa Varma, who was recently appointed as chief cybersecurity advisor in Africa for Microsoft, previously served as group CISO at Vodacom and before that as group CISO at Old Mutual. She understands what it takes to be a leading CISO.
She tells Meet the CIO about what’s involved in being a leader in enterprise cybersecurity, why she is passionate about developing female talent in the industry – she heads the South African chapter of Women in Cybersecurity – and what it takes to “make it” in what is very much still a male-dominated industry.
Varma chats about her experience as group CISO at Old Mutual and Vodacom. She also unpacks:
• How she became a leader in the enterprise security space;
• The role of a CISO in the modern enterprise – and why interpersonal skills are just as key as understanding technology;
• The top functions and priorities of today’s CISO;
• Strategies to fight the cybercrime scourge – including a look at how South African companies should be dealing with ransomware;
• Artificial intelligence and how it is transformation the infosec space – the impact, the threat and the opportunity;
• Quantum computing and the impact it could have in years to come;
• The gender imbalance in the infosec space and why it’s a concern to her;
• Skills development in cybersecurity in South Africa; and
• Her new role at Microsoft.
Don’t miss a fascinating conversation. And if you missed any of the previous episodes of Meet the CIO, you can find them here. TechCentral
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