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TechCentral’s motoring show, Watts & Wheels, is officially back, with the first full episode of season 1 widening the lens beyond new cars to look at the forces reshaping South Africa’s automotive industry. The first episode of season 1 – you can catch our “season 0” episodes here – opens with a sharp focus on South African Auto Week, where the pressure on local vehicle manufacturers dominated discussions. Original equipment manufacturers are facing a tough balancing act as imports rise while local assembly plants wrestle with costs, scale and uncertainty. From policy to products, the show then shifts gears to tyre maker Bridgestone, which has launched new tyre offerings for the South African market. In an interview, Jacques Rikhotso, CEO of Bridgestone South Africa, unpacks how changing vehicle technologies – including heavier EVs – are influencing tyre design, durability and safety. Chinese brands also feature prominently. A dramatic crash test involving the Chery Tiggo 9 Pro highlights the rapid strides Chinese manufacturers are making in safety engineering. Meanwhile, BYD continues to push the boundaries of EV infrastructure, announcing plans for a 1MW ultra-fast charging network, championed by BYD executive Stella Li. Adventure meets electrification with a discussion on Volvo EX30 Cross Country, which recently tackled the iconic Sani Pass – a symbolic moment for EV capability in rugged African conditions. On the new-car front, the team runs through arrivals and upcoming launches including the BYD Dolphin Surf and the forthcoming Volvo EX60. The review spotlight falls on the Lexus GX550, described as the “anti-EV”: a traditional, petrol-powered luxury off-roader that doubles down on ruggedness rather than electrification. Rounding out the episode is an interview with Andrew Kirby, CEO of Toyota South Africa, and we speculate on the electric vehicle models Toyota is likely to introduce into the local market in 2026. TechCentral

Africa’s digital transformation continues to accelerate, driven by growing cloud adoption and rising interest in artificial intelligence. Yet many organisations still face challenges in converting these ambitions into measurable business outcomes. According to Cliff de Wit, group chief innovation officer at Accelera Digital Group, the success of AI-driven initiatives depends as much on culture and governance as it does on technology. In this episode of TechCentral’s TCS+ podcast, De Wit outlines the practical steps leaders can take to reduce organisational friction, strengthen data foundations and enable cloud-led innovation at scale. “Cloud is no longer an IT decision. It is the foundation on which every modern AI strategy is built,” says De Wit. And technical readiness alone is not enough. “The biggest barrier is not the tech, it’s whether the organisation is prepared to manage change at the pace AI requires.” In this episode, De Wit discusses: • The concept of organisational drag and how it affects AI progress; ● Approaches to strengthening culture and governance within digital programmes; ● The role of the C-suite in accelerating cloud and AI adoption while demonstrating clear return on investment; ● What an AI-ready data foundation looks like and why it is essential; ● How strong data management practices unlock new sources of business value; and ● Why African organisations are increasingly well positioned to advance rapidly through cloud-first strategies. The discussion provides practical guidance for business and technology leaders seeking a clearer understanding of how cloud, data and culture intersect to enable enterprise-wide AI transformation. Don’t miss it! TechCentral

Newly minted small businesses often struggle to establish themselves as reliable service providers among their more established competitors. To help cloud-focused business thrive, Amazon Web Services has created the AWS distribution model to support small businesses and help them grow. In this episode of TCS+, Cloud on Demand’s Xenia Rhode and Developmenthub’s Odwa Ndyaluvane explain how the AWS distribution model benefits partners in the same ecosystem. In this episode, Rhode and Ndyavulane discuss: • An overview of the AWS distribution model and its ecosystem partners; • Who Developmenthub is and how the company started; • The support Cloud on Demand, an AWS select partner, provides to Developmenthub; • The business outcomes that Developmenthub has achieved through the partnership; • The business development support available within the partner ecosystem; • The new market access opportunities Cloud on Demand was able to avail to Developmenthub; and • New revenue streams that Developmenthub was able to tap into because of the Cloud on Demand partnership. Don’t miss the discussion. TechCentral

South Africa’s big three telecommunications operators have all reported numbers in recent weeks, and the theme is clear: competition in prepaid has intensified sharply. Telkom’s resurgence has put pressure on both MTN and Vodacom, with MTN acknowledging it has “discernibly” lost prepaid market share. This is one of the topics covered in this wide-ranging and exclusive TechCentral Show interview with MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita, who sat down earlier this week with TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod to discuss this and other major topics, including: • The impact of online gambling on the telecoms sector; • The need for further consolidation in South African telecoms, and why Mupita won’t completely rule out a deal with Telkom, provided the “stars align”; • Vodacom’s acquisition of a co-controlling stake in Vumatel parent Maziv and how MTN will respond; • The impact of low-Earth orbit satellite connectivity on the telecoms industry and how MTN plans to work with companies like SpaceX/Starlink and Amazon Leo – and whether he sees them as competitors or partners (or both); • The spectacular turnaround in Nigeria and whether it’s durable; • The future of MTN’s involvement in Iran, and the lessons learnt from the group’s exit from other Middle Eastern markets; • Plans to shift MTN Group’s focus to East Africa in the coming years; and • Why he’s fascinated by the impact that AI could have on telecoms in Africa. Don’t miss a great discussion on the future of MTN and telecoms in Africa! TechCentral

Returning to the TechCentral Show is ICT regulatory expert Dominic Cull, founder of Ellipsis and regulatory advisor to the Internet Service Providers’ Association. Cull recently attended communications minister Solly Malatsi’s policy colloquium in Pretoria – the first under a non-ANC communications minister. Cull says there is a discernibly different tone from Malatsi compared to his predecessors: more openness, more willingness to engage stakeholders and a stronger focus on evidence-based policymaking. However, while the intent is encouraging, South Africa’s ICT policy environment remains inconsistent, slow and fragmented. In the podcast, Cull discusses: • Malatsi’s policy colloquium and what came out of it • The state of ICT policy and regulation in South Africa • The biggest policy bottlenecks holding back growth in the ICT sector • Why government doesn’t fully grasp the economic impact of digital infrastructure • The latest on the next spectrum auction • The EU’s decision to hand much of the 6GHz band to mobile operators – and why South Africa shouldn’t blindly copy it • What’s needed to fix the Rica legislation • Why Starlink isn’t coming to South Africa anytime soon Cull also shares the top priority areas he’d focus on in 2026 if he was minister of communications. It’s a great discussion – don’t miss it! TechCentral