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Is your company thinking about modernising its IT infrastructure? Is it planning to migrate from an on-premises Microsoft SQL Server database to the cloud-based Azure SQL solution? Then this podcast is for you. In this two-part series, we delve into greater detail on what’s involved in a cloud database migration. First Distribution’s Microsoft Azure product manager Preegan Chetty is our guest in the studio for this episode. He unpacks: • The risks and opportunities involved in the migration; • What companies need to be aware of before they even embark on a migration to Azure SQL; • How Microsoft helps companies with their migration projects; and • The top motivating factors driving companies to migrate away from an on-premises SQL Server solution to Azure SQL. Don’t miss this informative discussion – and be sure to catch episode 2 in this series with First Distribution. TechCentral

Matric Live is a study tool to help students in grades 10-12 supplement their in-class learning with additional exercises – and even get exam practice via a digital platform. And it recently won the FNB App of the Year award amid stiff competition from the likes of Checkers Sixty60 and TFG’s Bash. In this episode of the TechCentral Show, Matric Live CEO Kagisho Masae and chief technology officer Lesego Finger tell TechCentral’s Nathi Ndlovu about their journey as a start-up and the growth Matric Live has gone through in the last few years. They delve into: • The inspiration behind the Matric Live app and the problem it seeks to solve for students; • The journey from app idea to full-fledged live system and the challenges faced along the way; • How the application is being monetised while keeping access to the platform free for its users; • The impact Matric Live has had on South African students; • Some success stories about students who have used the app; • Upcoming features to look forward to on the application; • The vision Masae and Finger have for the future of their business; and • The significance of winning the App of the Year award. Masae and Finger tell an inspiring story of battling against the odds and succeeding at solving one of the most foundational problems confronting South African society: the dissemination of quality education to all corners of the country. Don’t miss a great conversation! TechCentral

The operating environment in South Africa for ride-hailing services like Bolt is fraught with complexity, while the country’s crime problem only contributes to the challenge of getting passengers safely from A to B. This complexity is compounded by the nuances of operating in different areas. Municipal districts have different permitting requirements, while competitive elements from other transport sector players, like taxi associations, presents further challenges. Fulfilling a ride request in the Cape Flats at 11pm is a different proposition to one in Sandton at 2pm. Simo Kalajdzic, senior operations manager at Bolt South Africa, tells TechCentral’s business technology show, TCS+, about how Bolt is approaching these challenges. He delves into: • The overall problem that Bolt is trying to solve for South Africans; • Bolt’s strategic approach to safety on the platform; • The £100-million investment into safety Bolt has pledged at a global level; • The technological solutions baked into the Bolt app for both drivers and passengers; • The industry-wide collaborations Bolt has undertaken to address safety from an ecosystem perspective; • How drivers and riders are empowered to be safe on the platform; • Feedback from a recent stakeholder engagement meeting held in Cape Town; and • Bolt’s long-term vision for safety in the South African context. This episode is not to be missed! TechCentral

Well-known South African technology entrepreneur Stafford Masie is one of the key backers behind an audacious bid to buy a stake of up to 40% in the South African Rugby Union (Saru)-owned entity that owns the commercial rights to the Springboks brand. Masie, who chairs JSE-listed Altvest Capital – a key player in the consortium making the bid – joins the TechCentral Show with Altvest CEO Warren Wheatley to unpack the plan and what spurred it, and to explain why tech is central to the bid. The bid comes after member unions of SA Rugby last week rejected a plan to sell a 20% in the commercial rightsholder to US-based Ackerley Sports Group for US$75-million. Ackerley has until the end of the year to submit a revised offer, but Wheatley and Masie told TechCentral that they do not expect a deal with the American firm will succeed. The South African consortium is made up of Altvest as well as EasyEquities, RainFin and 27four Investment Managers. In a statement, the consortium explained that if its bid is successful, it will list the special purpose vehicle that has been created to do the deal on the JSE and allow investors to buy shares. This is not dissimilar to Altvest’s business model, which sees it taking stakes in companies on behalf of public shareholders who participate in the economic benefits thereof. “Worth thinking about for the tech community is that our platform allows for ‘crowdfunding’ in a regulated environment that allows for participation in a funding round to anybody with disposable income – from first-time users or customers, all the way through to regulated institutions and pension funds,” Wheatley explained. In this episode of TCS, Masie and Wheatley unpack: • The background to their consortium’s Springboks bid – and why the consortium members came together; • How the bidders will work with SA Rugby to commercialise the rights, assuming their bid is successful; • How the deal could affect broadcast partners; and • Why they believe the deal could be used as a platform for technology innovation in South Africa. It’s an interesting discussion – don’t miss it! TechCentral