What's Next with Aki Anastasiou

• Ashif Black on the key benefits of choosing inDrive over other ride-hailing services

  In this episode, we sit down with Ashif Black, Country Representative of InDrive South Africa, to explore how the company is reshaping the ride-hailing industry with fairness, transparency, and freedom of choice. Ashif shares the story of InDrive’s origins, how its unique negotiation model empowers both drivers and passengers, and why low commissions and fair pricing are central to its mission. He also highlights the platform’s expansion across South African cities and the value it brings to communities through affordable, accessible, and transparent mobility. The conversation also touches on safety, global presence, and innovation, with Ashif explaining how InDrive ensures driver and passenger protection, leverages insights from its operations in over 800 cities worldwide, and adapts technology to local needs. Beyond rides, InDrive is expanding into courier, delivery, and intercity services, while creating new opportunities for youth and drivers in South Africa.

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  20:43

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  20:43
• MAZIV’s Dietlof Mare on the Vodacom transaction and South Africa’s fiber future

  In this episode, we welcome Dietlof Mare, CEO of MAZIV, the company behind South Africa’s largest open-access fiber networks, including Vumatel and Dark Fibre Africa. With the Competition Appeal Court’s approval of MAZIV’s landmark merger with Vodacom, the company is entering a defining chapter in its mission to connect more South Africans. Dietlof shares insights on the challenges of fiber rollout, the scale of investment required, and the impact that expanded connectivity can have on communities and the broader economy. The discussion also explores how the transaction unlocks capital and infrastructure needed to accelerate fiber expansion, particularly into underserved areas. Dietlof highlights the importance of balancing competition with public interest, while ensuring open access remains at the core of MAZIV’s model. With plans to reach millions more homes and businesses, he unpacks how enterprise fiber, 5G backhaul, and community connectivity will play a critical role in South Africa’s digital future.

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  25:52

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  25:52
• Zoho’s Andrew Bourne on AI, innovation, and business growth in South Africa

  In this conversation, Andrew Bourne, Regional Head for Zoho in Southern Africa, unpacks what makes Zoho unique in the global tech space. He explains how Zoho serves over 113 million users worldwide, with a strong local presence in South Africa, offering region-specific integrations and billing in rand. Andrew highlights Zoho’s user-friendly, scalable environments—from no-code to pro-code—and its cost-efficient approach by owning every layer of its tech stack and building solutions entirely in-house. The discussion also dives into Zoho’s long-standing use of AI, emphasizing how its advanced assistant, Zia, transforms business operations. From churn prediction and sentiment analysis to powerful analytics insights and custom AI agents, Zia empowers businesses to boost productivity and make data-driven decisions. Andrew also stresses Zoho’s privacy-first approach, cost optimization, and flexibility, positioning its AI ecosystem as an enabler of innovation and growth for organizations of all sizes.

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  20:11

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  20:11
• LSD Open’s Deon Stroebel on cloud modernization and business innovation

  In this discussion, Deon Stroebel, Chief Innovation Officer at LSD Open, explains how the company helps organizations modernize through cloud-native solutions, Kubernetes, containers, and automation. With over 25 years of experience, LSD Open has guided leading businesses in banking, telecoms, and media through successful digital transformation journeys, ensuring modernization drives measurable ROI while avoiding common pitfalls of cloud adoption. Deon also shares insights on the importance of modernization, the human role in technology, and why businesses should embrace AI responsibly. He emphasizes how AI, automation, and cloud technologies can augment people rather than replace them, enabling greater efficiency, scalability, and innovation. By pairing human expertise with advanced tools, organizations can unlock faster growth, reduce risk, and remain competitive in an evolving digital landscape.

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  29:45

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  29:45
• Martha Lamola on innovation and operational excellence at Vodacom Business Ventures

  In this episode, Aki Anastasiou speaks with Martha Lamola, Operations Director for Vodacom Business Ventures and Partnerships, about how Vodacom is driving innovation while ensuring operational excellence across its enterprise ventures. Martha explains how Vodacom combines “basic brilliance” with forward-looking technologies to deliver trusted solutions that businesses can rely on. She highlights how trust, infrastructure, and innovation work together to build long-term partnerships with clients. The conversation explores real-world examples of Vodacom’s impact, such as IoT-driven solutions in energy management and agriculture that are transforming industries in South Africa and beyond. Martha also shares insights on the future of enterprise telecommunications, including the role of cloud migration, AI, cybersecurity, and 5G in shaping growth opportunities across the continent.

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  16:14

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  16:14

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