ITWeb Brainstorm South Africa

09/02/2025

Help us recognise and reward exceptional female-led initiatives. Nominate women who excel in using technology for the greater good! Deadline: 14 February!

Make sure you submit your nominations by 14 February.

08/02/2025

The Rising Star in Tech Award will spotlight a woman under 35 who is making impressive strides in using cutting-edge technologies.

The Rising Star in Tech Award will spotlight a woman under 35 who is making impressive strides in using cutting-edge technologies.

07/02/2025

The February edition of Brainstorm magazine is out now, featuring interviews with the winners of the prestigious “Decade of CIO Service” award – Louise van der Bank, CIO, AfriSam and Dr Stanley Mpofu, CIO, Wits - University of the Witwatersrand.

Also, don't miss insights from:

*Justin Thomas, head of fleet at Standard Bank Group, who discusses how the bank is catering to the fleet vehicle market, and how they’re using tech to solve business problems;

*Naveed Kashif, head of Mobile Networks Market Unit, Southern Africa, Nokia, explains how the network equipment vendor is trying to bridge the rural digital divide;

*Fazlyn Petersen, senior information systems lecturer, The University of the Western Cape, who talks about her passion for improving societal outcomes through tech; and

*Bronwyn Williams, futurist, provides her take on futurism and foresight.

And you’ll also find stories on how flies could be used to aid food security, how SA’s Marion Island might help us understand climate changes and what fog computing is all about.

Find it in leading retail stores or get your digital copy here: https://brainstorm.itweb.co.za/

04/02/2025

We need your nominations! Help us honour exceptional female leaders, entrepreneurs, mentors and rising stars. Submit nominations today!

Nominations for the 2025 Wired4Women Awards, across 13 categories, must be submitted by 14 February.

03/02/2025

ICYMI: Nominations are open for the Wired4Women Top Tech Student Award, sponsored by Openserve. Nominate a standout female student today for the chance to win a R30 000 cash prize and be celebrated for their hard work and achievements in tech.

We are calling on the academic and IT community to submit nominations for the Wired4Women Top Tech Student award.

17/01/2025

The Wired4Women Tech Forum is calling on the IT community to nominate exceptional female leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, and rising stars. Submit your nominations today! The awards are made possible by Telkom.

Help us celebrate exceptional women in tech, from students to CIOs. Nominate today.

14/01/2025

The ecommerce market in South Africa has become increasingly competitive, driven by growing demand and the entry of new players, making it essential for businesses to innovate and differentiate themselves to stay ahead.

To compare some of the biggest players, our writer placed orders with three outlets: Amazon.com, Temu and Takealot. The competition is fierce and is only going to get more competitive, find out how they fared by getting your hands on the digital copy of Brainstorm Magazine here: https://lnkd.in/d5jQPb2

06/01/2025

The Tech Forum and ITWeb Brainstorm South Africa are proud to announce the launch of the second annual Wired4Women Awards, made possible by Telkom.

Submit your nominations for exceptional women in SA’s tech by 31 January!

05/12/2024

On December 3, 2024, ITWeb Brainstorm, in partnership with First Distribution and Huawei, hosted a C-suite roundtable to discuss “The future of FSI in Africa: is non-stop banking a reality?”

The discussion explored the evolution of the financial sector and the need to stay competitive, even in the face of challenges like loadshedding. Ensuring that there is zero down time was also one of the key discussions

One question posed was whether the industry has yet achieved zero downtime. One participant said while systems will inevitably fail or go offline, it's essential to plan around these incidents and build resilience into services.

One roundtable participant emphasised the importance of continuous investment for institutions that want to thrive in a non-stop banking environment. The roundtable discussion also highlighted the importance of Zero Trust security to protect customers and institutions.

They also discussed the critical role of security in the financial services industry, with attendees emphasising the need for a comprehensive security policy and incident response plan to ensure resilience in the face of potential breaches. “Having a policy is just the first step,” noted one participant. “It's about being prepared to respond quickly and effectively in the event of an incident.”

The importance of adhering to regulatory requirements was also stressed, as was the need for a robust customer experience (CX) strategy that prioritises ease of use, availability, and a human touch to deliver an exceptional customer experience.

For more in-depth insights from this discussion, be sure to get your copy of the next edition of Brainstorm Magazine: https://lnkd.in/d5jQPb2Y

28/11/2024

On November 26, 2024, ITWeb Brainstorm South Africa, in partnership with Radware and Obscure Technologies, hosted a C-suite roundtable to discuss “Defensive strategies in the age of AI and advanced hacktivism”.

The discussion highlighted the importance of "security by design" to prevent hackers from infiltrating systems. It also emphasised the need to think like hackers and build systems that can withstand breaches and pe*******on. Furthermore, the challenges of securing remote work arrangements and migrating from legacy data systems to new ones were discussed, with a focus on the need for robust controls and mechanisms to protect new systems.

The salient point was made that the day you discover a hacker in your system is not the same day they got into your system; they could have been there for six months or more, searching for vulnerabilities to exploit, waiting to access your data.

One roundtable participant said that by involving employees in the testing process, you can identify vulnerabilities that might otherwise go undetected.

The potential of AI to enhance cybersecurity was also explored, but the need to understand how to use AI effectively and mitigate AI-enabled cyber threats was emphasised. The importance of staying ahead of cybercriminals and educating boards and leadership teams about cybersecurity was reiterated.

Additionally, the need for companies to thoroughly vet their technology partners and ensure they are genuine and trustworthy was highlighted.

Read more about this discussion in the next issue of Brainstorm magazine -https://brainstorm.itweb.co.za/

26/11/2024

On 21 November, 2024, ITWeb Brainstorm South Africa in partnership with Mustek and Huawei hosted a C-Suite Roundtable focusing on "Meaningful benefits Iaas poses for the retail and FSI industry - Smart City Solution Service".

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is revolutionising the retail and FSI by providing a robust and scalable infrastructure that enables businesses to thrive in today's fast-paced digital landscape. With IaaS, retailers and financial institutions can reap numerous benefits, including enhanced customer experience, improved operational efficiency and reduced costs etc.

In the context of Smart City Solution Services, IaaS can play a pivotal role in enabling cities to become more efficient, sustainable, and livable.

During the discussion, an executive highlighted the potential of smart cities to drive economic growth in South Africa. However, another participant raised a counterpoint, questioning whether provinces and municipalities possess the necessary resources and tools to successfully build and maintain a smart city. “Everything is happening in siloes. There’s infrastructure, security cameras, waste management and the integration is missing. How do we bring it all together to create a smart city?”

One of the executives said one of their clients in the financial services sector has opted for a private cloud over a public cloud. This sentiment was echoed by some participants, who confirmed that they too do not utilise public cloud services.

Experts shared practical insights and solutions, providing valuable takeaways. Dive deeper into the conversation in the next issue of Brainstorm magazine: https://lnkd.in/d5jQPb2Y

26/11/2024

On 21 November, 2024, ITWeb Brainstorm South Africa and Liquid Intelligent Technologies South Africa hosted a C-suite roundtable themed “How can mines increase productivity without compromising safety and security?”.

The mining sector plays a vital role in the country's economy, ranking 55th globally in terms of its contribution to GDP. This ranking underscores the significant impact of the mining industry on South Africa's economic landscape.

One roundtable participant noted that in the mining industry, safety comes first. It's more important than getting more work done or finding more minerals. The most important thing is keeping miners safe.

When it comes to increasing productivity without compromising safety and security in the mines, another participant said access to real-time decision-making data is needed, as this enables them to make informed decisions instantly.

Another participant said many companies are turning to managed services and outsourcing models. Rather than trying to be experts in every area, companies are opting to partner with specialised providers that can bring their expertise to the table. This collaborative approach enables mining operations to leverage best-in-class solutions while focusing on their core business.

The attendees also stressed the importance of having technology that can simultaneously boost productivity, enhance safety, and increase efficiency.

The roundtable discussion provided invaluable, real-life insights into the challenges and opportunities facing the mining industry, offering a platform for experts to share practical experiences and solutions.

For a more in-depth look at this discussion, be sure to check out the next issue of Brainstorm magazine - https://lnkd.in/d5jQPb2Y

25/11/2024

On 20 November, 2024, ITWeb Brainstorm South Africa in partnership with Oracle, hosted a C-suite roundtable, discussing ‘The impact of AI readiness’.

AI’s impact is undeniable, and it has become a business imperative. While it poses risks if misused, AI offers significant benefits when applied correctly, as highlighted by one roundtable participant.

“AI is only as good as the data it's trained on. As previously put it, `garbage in, garbage out’, if you feed AI low-quality data, you'll get low-quality results.”

Attendees shared their use cases and how AI has positively impacted their organisations. The discussion also explored how adopting AI is fraught with risks that demand a strong framework of policies and protocols to guide the ethical and responsible management of data and AI systems. Business leaders furthermore have to consider whether their organisation has the infrastructure necessary to leverage AI.

Cloud adoption was also part of the discussion; participants explored the challenges associated with cloud migration and took a deep dive on why most companies are migrating to the cloud.

Read the key takeaways and insights from industry leaders in the next edition of Brainstorm magazine: https://lnkd.in/d5jQPb2Y

21/11/2024

On 13 November, 2024, Vodacom and ITWeb Brainstorm South Africa hosted a C-suite roundtable in Cape Town, themed "Contextualising cybersecurity readiness in South Africa".

Executives explored the thought-leadership paper from Omdia and Vodacom Business that explores the current state of cybersecurity in South Africa, while also drawing insights from global trends and practices.

Key sections of the report cover the following:

Section 1: sets the context by looking at the scale of the cybersecurity problem in South Africa and beyond, showing how the country’s growth in digital connectivity has made it a focus for global cybersecurity attackers.

Section 2: provides frameworks for thinking about cybersecurity, why it is central to an organisation’s digital resilience, and the importance of meeting regulatory requirements.

Section 3: outlines how cyber attackers exploit vulnerabilities and what they are looking for to make an attack successful.

Section 4: looks at the scope and complexity of what cybersecurity covers and the organisational weaknesses that can undermine a successful cyber defence.

Section 5: lays out eight different areas, with recommendations for how to tackle the issues raised.

The discussion revealed a concerning gap in cybersecurity readiness among organisations, and participants stressed the need for elevated prioritisation and proactive measures.

The executives also spoke about how cybersecurity is a cornerstone of trust and a strategic growth enabler.

As one of the executives said: "By embedding robust strategies, organisations can safeguard their reputation, drive innovation, and unlock digital growth opportunities."

With South Africa ranking 14th on the World Cybercrime Index, the participants agreed that there's still much work to be done.



The roundtable also provided a valuable networking opportunity for attendees to connect with industry peers, facilitating collaboration and knowledge-sharing.



To read about this insightful discussion, look out for the next edition of Brainstorm magazine: https://brainstorm.itweb.co.za/

15/11/2024

On November 13, 2024, Gigamon and ITWeb Brainstorm South Africa hosted a C-suite roundtable, titled "Beyond blind spots: why CISOs must embrace 'deep observability'”.

Mark Jow, EMEA Technical Leader and Evangelist at Gigamon, got the ball rolling when he presented the key findings from the company’s annual global CISO survey.

The results revealed alarming trends: nearly half of respondents reported successful cyberattacks in the past 12 months, up from 30% previously. Moreover, almost a third of these organisations did not understand where the breach came from and why it succeeded, and thus admitting that they're not equipped to prevent it from happening again.

CISOs' concerns about data safety and security in cloud environments were also highlighted, with worries about visibility into data movement.

One attendee said that most organisations fail to prioritise cybersecurity, and emphasised the importance of investing in visibility analysis.

Another roundtable participant shared valuable lessons from personal experiences with cybersecurity breaches, including a successful incident and a near-miss.

The discussion also touched on implementing zero-trust approaches and solutions offering full visibility across an organisation's infrastructure.

Once again, people were identified as the primary vulnerability when it comes to cybersecurity.

Most of the participants agreed that as cybercriminals evolve, ongoing cyber awareness and training are essential to mitigate threats.

This insightful conversation provided valuable use cases and best practices for security and visibility. For the full story, check out the next edition of Brainstorm magazine: https://brainstorm.itweb.co.za/



06/11/2024

The November issue is out now!

Meet Nikos Angelopoulos the man behind taking MTN from telco to techco.

Also featured in this month's issue is Associate Professor at the Stellenbosch Universityty, Kathryn Smith, Bank Zero's CIO, Gita Daya and Surface Category Management at Microsoft, Adam Labancz
Get your digital copy here: https://brainstorm.itweb.co.za/archive/brainstorm