Aishwarya Singh unpacks NTT DATA’s powerful agentic AI ecosystem
In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Aishwarya Singh discusses the value that AI brings to South African organisations.
Singh is the Senior Vice President and Head of Microsoft Global Practice and Digital Collaboration Services at NTT Data.
In this role, she is focused on transforming employee and client experiences through Agentic AI.
She believes strongly in the role NTT Data is playing in driving powerful transformations for its clients across areas like employee engagement, client experience, operational efficiencies, and innovation.
Before working at NTT Data, she was a partner at McKinsey, before joining NTT Ltd (now part of NTT DATA) as a Global SVP.
She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Electronics and Instrumentation from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, and a PGPM from the Indian School of Business.
In this What’s Next interview, Singh discusses the power of agentic AI.
She unpacks the key elements that set agentic AI apart from traditional generative AI.
Singh then reveals the company’s groundbreaking Smart AI Agent Ecosystem and how it is a big step forward for the entire AI sector.
She explores responsible AI deployment and the practical integration steps that CIOs can take to ensure data security, negate bias, and minimise job losses.
Singh also shares how NTT DATA helps enterprises use agentic AI to modernise legacy systems and improve employee and customer experiences to deliver assured outcomes — even in complex environments like South Africa’s finance, healthcare, and public sectors.
She provides tips on how to begin your organisation’s agentic AI journey, and concludes the discussion by discussing what’s on the horizon for agentic AI over the next 12–18 months.
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23:55
Altify CEO Sean Sanders on the platform’s alternative investment and private credit offerings
In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Altify Founder and CEO Sean Sanders discusses why Altify’s alternative investment offerings are a game-changer for South Africans.
Sanders is a serial technology entrepreneur with over 15 years of industry experience.
He started as an intern at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in 2008, before completing internships at Actis and RMB Private Bank.
Sanders then built up an impressive portfolio of experience, having worked as a tech analyst at Sabvest, a portfolio manager at General Pacific Management Services, a fixed-income portfolio manager for Draper Grain Investments, and an investment manager at venture capital firm Knife Capital.
He also has several start-ups under his belt, including founding online university application system Application Portal; event-driven proprietary trading firm Sataya; and crypto-asset advisory firm Blocktree Capital.
In this interview, Sanders unpacks the Altify platform and highlights its offerings.
He explains to viewers what an alternative investment is and how it differs from traditional investment solutions.
Sanders then discusses Altify’s private credit investment offering.
He closes the interview by discussing the minimum amount South Africans can invest with Altify.
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20:15
Standard Bank’s Timothy Matlala unpacks the importance of public-private partnerships
In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Timothy Matlala discusses how Standard Bank is working with the public sector in South Africa.
Matlala is the Head of Public Sector, Business, and Commercial Banking at Standard Bank and has worked in finance for over 15 years.
He entered the industry as a Business Manager at Standard Bank South Africa and then briefly worked as a Relationship Manager at Nedbank before returning to Standard Bank.
Matlala has remained at Standard Bank ever since, holding notable positions like Senior Manager, Head of Province Business Banking for Limpopo, Head of Business Development for the Public Sector, and Head of Enterprise Development.
His stellar performance across these roles eventually resulted in his promotion to his current position in 2021.
Matlala holds an MBA from the Henley Business School and a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management, Business Administration, and Management from MANCOSA.
In this What’s Next interview, Matlala outlines why banks need to reconsider how they engage with the public sector.
He then explains how Standard Bank supports municipalities without overstepping the divide between the public and private sectors.
Matlala then reveals how Standard Bank’s public sector offerings are unique, before unpacking the scope of his department - including how lending and liquidity management fit into the business model.
He concludes the interview by discussing the biggest opportunities for public-private partnerships in South Africa.
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31:21
AFSUG’s Amanda Gibbs and Duke Mathebula unpack SAPHILA 2025
In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Amanda Gibbs and Duke Mathebula discuss what the SAPHILA 2025 event will cover.
Gibbs is the Chief Executive Officer at the African SAP User Group (AFSUG) and boasts 28 years of industry experience.
In her current role, which she has held for three years, Gibbs oversees a network of SAP customers and partners and helps them realise the full benefits of their SAP Investments while shaping the future of SAP software development.
Mathebula is the Chairman at AFSUG and is an industry expert with over 25 years of experience.
Across this quarter century, he has held multiple key roles that have given him the knowledge and skills to execute the duties of his current position.
In this What’s Next interview, Mathebula explains what AFSUG is, noting its importance in the current SAP market, and Gibbs outlines the organisation’s goals and vision for the future.
She then unpacks the upcoming SAPHILA 2025 event, an IT conference for key decision-makers and professionals in the SAP ecosystem.
Mathebula reveals which individuals outside the SAP industry should attend SAPHILA 2025, and Gibbs explains how interested parties can register for the event.
They conclude the interview by sharing their message for anyone who has never attended a SAPHILA event.
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20:36
Amoeba TSC COO Ashley Smith discusses the Saldanha Bay Smart City project
In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Ashley Smith discusses the industry success of Amoeba TSC.
Smith is the Chief Operations Officer at Amoeba TSC, where he leads digital transformation initiatives across fibre networks, ISPs, and field operations.
With over 30 years of experience in telecommunications and technical leadership, he focuses on driving innovation, automation, and sustainable growth using locally developed, industry-proven technologies.
Before joining Amoeba TSC, Ashley served as Group CTO at EDGE Telecoms Holdings, where he launched South Africa’s first disaggregated broadband solution.
In this What’s Next interview, Smith unpacks Amoeba TSC – including what it does and its key areas of expertise.
He then unpacks the role Amoeba TSC plays in the telco industry – including the typical type of client it serves.
Smith also reveals the key milestones and achievements in Amoeba TSC’s journey.
He concludes by discussing the Saldanha Bay Smart City project – including why it was created, and what its core objectives are.
What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou is South Africa’s most popular technology show. The who’s who of South Africa’s technology and business world are interviewed on the show.
South Africa