What's Next with Aki Anastasiou

In this episode of What’s Next, Aki Anastasiou speaks to Jan-Jan Bezuidenhout – Chief Executive Officer at Metrofibre about his journey from investment banking and private equity into leading one of South Africa’s fastest-scaling fibre operators. Jan-Jan shares how curiosity, decisive leadership and a generalist mindset have shaped his career, and why building an agile, entrepreneurial culture remains central as Metrofibre continues to expand.

The conversation explores Metrofibre’s plans to merge with sister companies Octotel and RSAWEB, creating a formidable national competitor in fibre-to-the-home and enterprise connectivity. Jan-Jan also outlines the company’s focus on expanding into underserved communities, the impact of broadband access on economic opportunity, and how maintaining customer-centric service excellence is key to long-term success.

Digital materials testing is transforming how South African roads, bridges, airports, and municipal infrastructure are built and maintained.

Nico Engelbrecht, Business Manager for SGS South Africa Industries & Environment, explains how construction laboratories have evolved from manual testing and paper-based reports to digitised systems, automated reporting, and advanced inspection technologies.

The discussion explores SGS Matrolab’s scale, independence, technical expertise, and commitment to science-based results. Engelbrecht explains how laboratory information management systems, digital data collection, and drone-based inspections help engineering clients work more efficiently and make informed decisions.

He also discusses SGS’s involvement in major South African infrastructure projects, including bridge construction on the Eastern Cape’s Wild Coast. Looking ahead, Engelbrecht expects laboratories to become strategic partners that help clients manage risk, improve quality, and use advanced analytics and predictive insights. He also shares practical advice for young engineers entering the materials testing industry.

0:00 Intro
1:30 How materials laboratories have evolved
3:05 Supporting Southern African infrastructure
5:41 What differentiates SGS Matrolab
7:15 Digital systems and drone inspections
8:09 Integrity, competence, and accountability
11:18 The future of materials testing

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#MaterialsTesting #Infrastructure #Engineering

AI cyberattacks are forcing businesses to rethink cybersecurity as criminals increasingly use the same powerful technology available to defenders.

Morné Laubscher, Chief Technology Officer at Logicalis, and Nabeel Rajab, Cisco Security Solutions Manager, explain how artificial intelligence is reshaping the cybersecurity battle for South African organisations.

They discuss why traditional security approaches are struggling against AI-powered threats, particularly as businesses accumulate multiple disconnected security tools and huge volumes of data. Rajab walks through how a modern ransomware attack can move from a malicious link to compromised devices, networks, and critical company data without immediately being detected.

The conversation also explores how AI can connect security signals and automate responses at machine speed. Laubscher explains why identity has become a major security frontier, while Rajab outlines the importance of zero trust and operating on the assumption that a breach could already have occurred.

They also discuss managed cybersecurity services and how businesses without large internal security teams can access specialist skills and technology.

0:00 Intro
1:41 How serious is the cyber threat?
4:01 Why traditional cybersecurity is failing
5:16 Fighting AI attacks with AI
8:13 Identity and zero-trust security
9:42 How a ransomware attack works
15:05 Detecting and stopping attacks with AI
20:29 What businesses should do now

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#Cybersecurity #ArtificialIntelligence #Ransomware

HONOR’s robot phone and Magic V6 show how the smartphone maker is pushing foldables, AI, and mobile content creation into new territory.

Fred Zhou, CEO of HONOR South Africa, and Lionel Chen, Product Marketing Manager at HONOR South Africa, discuss the company’s rapid local growth and the technology behind its latest devices.

They unpack the newly launched HONOR Magic V6, including its ultra-thin foldable design, 6,660mAh battery, fast charging, flagship processor, improved hinge, and productivity features. Zhou also explains why booming AI infrastructure demand is placing pressure on global memory supply and contributing to rising smartphone prices.

The conversation then turns to HONOR’s robot phone, which combines AI with a built-in multi-axis gimbal camera designed for content creators. Chen explains how HONOR’s partnership with ARRI brings professional cinema colour science, LUTs, and video capabilities to the device, which is also expected to reach South Africa in future.

0:00 Intro
1:06 HONOR’s growth in South Africa
4:30 HONOR Magic V6 unveiled
8:18 Why smartphones are getting more expensive
14:40 Inside the Magic V6 design
19:08 HONOR’s new tablets and laptops
21:23 The HONOR robot phone and ARRI partnership

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#HONOR #MagicV6 #Smartphones

AI software development is allowing companies to build applications significantly faster, while fundamentally changing how engineering teams work.

Jaco van der Merwe, CEO of DVT, explains how artificial intelligence is transforming software and data engineering, with some projects already showing productivity improvements of around 50% and certain contained use cases moving even faster.

He distinguishes between AI augmentation, where people use tools to improve their existing workflows, and AI-native development, where agents generate specifications, architecture, code, and automated testing while humans oversee the process. van der Merwe also discusses the importance of governance, preventing AI drift, and managing token costs so that productivity gains do not create unnecessary expenses.

The conversation explores how roles such as business analysts and software engineers are evolving, why strong technical fundamentals still matter, and what junior developers should learn as AI becomes embedded in software development. van der Merwe also explains why cheaper, faster development could make previously unaffordable business ideas viable.

0:00 Intro
2:56 How AI is changing software engineering
5:12 AI augmentation vs AI-native development
7:06 Inside DVT’s AI-built teams
8:59 Governing AI-generated software
11:52 Managing AI token costs
17:14 How software engineering skills are changing
23:12 The future of software development

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#ArtificialIntelligence #SoftwareDevelopment #AgenticAI