What's Next with Aki Anastasiou

In this episode of What’s Next, Aki Anastasiou sits down with Jorge Mendes – Chief Executive Officer at Cell C to discuss his journey from call centre agent in 1994 to leading one of South Africa’s major telecommunications operators. Jorge shares how his early customer-facing experience shaped his leadership philosophy, his passion for rebuilding businesses, and why he believes in being an ally to customers rather than simply selling connectivity.

He also opens up about the significant financial and operational challenges he inherited in 2023, and how Cell C has worked to restructure debt, strengthen network partnerships, rebuild trust, and reposition the brand for growth. It’s a candid conversation about resilience, accountability, and the ambition to turn a once-struggling operator into a competitive and proudly customer-centric telecoms player.

AI-powered tracking without GPS sounds impossible—until you see how it’s already transforming real-world operations. In this episode, Sigfox South Africa CEO Gregory Rood explains how next-generation IoT networks are redefining asset tracking in environments where traditional systems fail.

From vehicle recovery in high-risk areas to monitoring critical infrastructure and logistics, the conversation unpacks how low-power, wide-area networks combined with AI and machine learning can locate assets even when GPS and GSM signals are jammed. You’ll get a clear look at the technology behind Sigfox’s “Bloodhound” system, how it uses signal triangulation and data analytics, and why this matters for businesses operating in complex, high-risk environments like South Africa.

If you’re interested in innovation, security, logistics, or the future of connected systems, this episode offers practical insight into how businesses can track smarter, reduce risk, and operate more efficiently.

In this episode of What’s Next, Aki Anastasiou speaks to Robert Koen, Managing Director of Amazon Sub-Saharan Africa, about building Amazon’s online store in South Africa and the vision behind becoming the country’s most loved retailer. Robert shares insights into Amazon’s rapid growth, its focus on delivery precision, expanding product selection, and the importance of trust in winning over South African shoppers. He also highlights how partnerships and local innovation have helped the company reach customers across urban and rural areas alike.

Beyond the business, Robert reflects on his journey from delivering newspapers as a child to leading one of the world’s largest e-commerce brands in the region. He unpacks lessons from working abroad, the value of a learning mindset, and his passion for empowering South African entrepreneurs through platforms like Shop Mzansi. It’s a conversation about resilience, leadership, and unlocking opportunity at scale.

In this episode of What’s Next, host Aki Anastasiou speaks to Mmathebe Zvobwo, Director of Market Development for South Africa at Truecaller, about the alarming rise in spam and scam calls—and how technology is being used to fight back.

With South Africans receiving billions of spam calls annually and losing over R40 billion to scams, Zvobwo explains how fraud has become an industrialised global problem driven by automation, VoIP, and AI.

The discussion explores how Truecaller uses AI and its global community of over 500 million users to detect threats in real time, restore trust in communication, and protect users from increasingly sophisticated scams.

In this episode of What’s Next, Aki Anastasiou sits down with Yugen Naidoo, General Manager at Lenovo South Africa, for an inspiring conversation about leadership, resilience, and purpose. From humble beginnings in a small town on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast to leading Lenovo’s operations across Southern Africa, Yugen reflects on the formative moments that shaped his journey — including early activism, a passion for sport, financial setbacks, and the discipline that helped him rise through the ranks.

He shares candid insights into evolving from a transactional to a transformational leader, navigating the uncertainty of COVID-19, and building a high-performance, people-first culture. Yugen also unpacks Lenovo’s vision of democratizing technology through its pocket-to-cloud strategy. It’s a powerful reminder that success is built on small wins, resilience, continuous learning, and leading with integrity.