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Joan Joffe, the founder of Joffe Associates who would later play a pivotal role in the launch of South Africa’s mobile industry, began her IT career writing machine code on an ICL (then ICT) mainframe.
Joffe, who introduced the IBM PC to South Africa in the early 1980s (much to IBM South Africa’s chagrin), has a storied career going all the way back to the late 1950s.
Indeed, one of the first projects in which she was involved was developing the very first computerised payroll system for the SA Railways (now Transnet).
In this latest episode of the popular TCS Legends interview series, Joffe tells TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod about her early career, what led to her striking out on her own with Joffe Associates, and how she eventually became marketing director for Vodacom during its start-up years.
What many people might not know about Joffe is that she even had a stint as a technology journalist at one point in her career, writing a column for FinanceWeek, a now-defunct business magazine.
In this episode of TCS Legends, Joffe chats about:
• Her studies at Wits University;
• Her early programming career;
• Her time in the US, where she worked for Wells Fargo Bank and Standard Oil;
• Her time as a saleswoman for HP selling pocket calculators and how that led to her securing an HP dealership and the formation of Joffe Associates;
• The launch by Joffe Associates of the IBM PC in South Africa and Joffe’s clashes with local IBM management at the time;
• The sale of Joffe Associates to Datakor, and why it was a disaster;
• The Vodacom opportunity and what was involved in lauching South Africa’s first mobile operator;
• The battle over Vodacom’s advertising agencies;
• Working with Vodacom’s founding CEO, Alan Knott-Craig;
• Meeting Nelson Mandela;
• The early skirmishes with MTN; and
• The launch of the Vodacom Foundation.
Joffe, who succeeded in a male-dominated industry, went on to become a founding member of Nozala Investments.
She has also served on the boards of various organisations, including the CSIR, Datacentrix and a number of non-profit organisations.
Among other accolades and awards, she is a recipient of the Wits University Lifetime Award for Entrepreneurship.
Don’t miss this fascinating interview with a pioneering woman in South Africa’s IT industry – and a true legend of the sector.
*** TCS Legends is powered by Mitel. For all your Unified Communications and Customer Experience needs, visit Mitel.com. ***

The healthcare industry in South Africa is in a state of flux, not least because of the introduction of the much-derided national health insurance (NHI) law. Technology can, however, play a big role in helping address the myriad complex issues facing the sector.
That’s the view of Henry Adams, country manager at InterSystems South Africa and an expert on the healthcare industry, who was speaking recently in an interview with TechCentral’s TCS+ business technology talk show. Watch or listen to the episode below.
In the episode, Adams succinctly unpacks:
• The role played by InterSystems in the local healthcare industry, including the company’s background and focus areas;
• The lack of integration of healthcare systems in South Africa, the role of electronic medical records, and why no national health insurance scheme can possibly work without addressing interoperability;
• What impact the NHI will have on the sector;
• The role of electronic medical records and why they are key to any reform of South Africa’s healthcare industry – plus, what’s the best way of protecting these records and ensuring compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act;
• What a fully integrated system for healthcare providers and their patients might look like and what it would take to build it;
• The guidelines and legislative support needed to bridge the gap between government and the healthcare industry; and
• The role InterSystems believes it can play in helping address some of the challenges facing South Africa’s healthcare industry.
Visit InterSystems South Africa’s website for more information – and be sure not to miss a fascinating discussion that affects all South Africans.

A strong and reliable Wi-Fi network is no longer a perk but a fundamental necessity. Just like access to good coffee and comfortable chairs, businesses are expected to provide a seamless Wi-Fi experience for employees, guests and tenants. A frustratingly slow or spotty connection can bring your entire operation to a crawl, hindering productivity and damaging your reputation.
Wi-Fi experts at Vox
Vox understands the critical role Wi-Fi plays in a successful business and how its Wi-Fi offering can be a major differentiator. The guest today in this episode of TCS+ is Craig Blignaut, product manager for Wi-Fi at Vox. Blignaut brings a wealth of knowledge about the needs of businesses and the technology that keeps them connected.
Planning for success: proactive Wi-Fi solutions
Blignaut discussed the importance of having a well-defined Wi-Fi strategy from the very beginning: proper planning prevents problems later. Vox takes a proactive approach by using specialised software to create virtual models of your office space. This software considers building materials like brick, glass and metal, allowing it to predict how Wi-Fi signals will travel and where obstacles might cause issues.
This virtual planning isn’t just about signal strength; it also helps determine the best placement for access points and switches, as well as how to route cables in the most efficient way. It even considers factors like employee traffic patterns to optimise network performance and capacity in areas where it’s needed most.
Just like any other piece of equipment, Wi-Fi needs regular check-ups to ensure optimal performance. Vox offers a comprehensive Wi-Fi audit service that includes both on-site and remote testing. This ensures your access points are delivering the data, bandwidth and capacity you need to function smoothly. The audit also considers factors that can fluctuate over time, such as the number of users on the network, peak usage times, and even changes to your building’s structure or materials.
Staying secure
Security is another crucial aspect of any Wi-Fi network. Outdated systems are vulnerable to breaches, leaving your business data and your users’ information at risk. As Wi-Fi technology improves, so, too, should your security protocols. Vox recommends using strong encryption like WPA3 to keep your network safe from unauthorised access and data loss.
Managed Wi-Fi solutions: the power of remote support
In addition to supplying enterprise-grade equipment, Vox offers a managed Wi-Fi solution that provides off-site management and remote support. This means you have a team of experts behind the scenes, constantly monitoring your network and proactively addressing any issues that may arise. Vox’s AI-powered software can even anticipate and troubleshoot potential problems before they occur, preventing disruptions before they start.
The bottom line
Don’t settle for a sluggish, unreliable Wi-Fi network. A poor connection can frustrate employees and guests alike, hindering productivity and creating a negative impression of your business. A Vox Wi-Fi audit can identify areas for improvement and ensure you’re getting the most out of your network. Imagine a world where your employees can download large files, stream video conferences and access cloud-based applications without a hitch.
Ready to upgrade your Wi-Fi experience?
Contact Craig Blignaut at Vox or your Vox account manager to discuss your options and take your business Wi-Fi to the next level.
• Visit www.vox.co.za or e-mail info@vox.co.za
• Book a Wi-Fi survey or audit
• Guest Wi-Fi solutions from Vox
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Softline co-founder and former CEO Ivan Epstein is TechCentral’s guest in the latest episode of TCS Legends.
Epstein, who co-founded Softline in 1988 with Alan Osrin, chats to host Duarte da Silva – who also happens to have been the first guest on TCS Legends – about the early days of Softline, its listing on the JSE and its eventual sale to Sage.
It was a heady time in South Africa’s nascent IT sector, and Epstein relates interesting titbits from that time, including what was involved in the JSE listing and the eventual sale to Sage.
It’s a fascinating story, not only about a successful South African business, but also the people behind it.
TCS Legends is powered by Mitel. For all your Unified Communications and Customer Experience needs, visit Mitel.com.

MTN South Africa last week announced that PayShap, South Africa’s rapid payments platform, is being integrated into its Mobile Money (MoMo) platform.
Bradwin Roper, chief financial services officer at MTN South Africa, is the guest in the latest episode of the TechCentral Show (TCS). He unpacks the PayShap development and what it means, and explores MTN’s fintech strategy and the future of mobile money in South Africa.
In this episode of TCS, Roper chats about:
* The significance of MTN becoming the first non-banking platform to offer access to PayShap;
* Why and how it’s working with Investec and technical service provider Electrum to deploy the solution;
* What MTN customers will be able to do with PayShap;
* The growth of mobile money in South Africa, and the work that MTN is doing to grow the ecosystem; and
* Lessons South Africa can draw from other emerging markets, notably India and Brazil, in mobile money and rapid payments.
Don’t miss the interview!

David Frankel played a pioneering role in the commercial development of the internet in South Africa as co-founder and CEO of Internet Solutions.
Since then, he’s gone on to a successful investing career in the US, where he is co-founder and managing partner at Boston- and New York-based Founder Collective, a seed-stage venture capital fund whose successful investments have included Uber Technologies, Brontes (sold to 3M) and PillPack (sold to Amazon).
Frankel, widely regarded as one of the most successful entrepreneurs to come out of South Africa’s technology industry, joins TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod on TCS Legends to chat about:
• His career, and how the Internet Solutions opportunity came about;
• What it was like in the early days of the internet in South Africa;
• The fight he led, with Mark Todes, against Telkom’s attempts in the 1990s to monopolise the internet industry – and how the industry won the battle;
• The cast of characters at Internet Solutions, including brothers Ronnie and Alon Apteker, that made it a special place to be at the time;
• Whether he was really offered the job of CEO of Dimension Data;
• His studies at Harvard Business School;
• The creation of Founders Collective, and why Boston is a great place for a tech-focused venture capitalist to be; and
• His views on South Africa in 2024 and his continued connection to the country.
Don’t miss this insightful interview with one of South Africa’s leading entrepreneurs, exploring the role he played in the heady days of the internet in South Africa and what it took to build a successful investment career in the US.

We apologise for the audio quality issues in this episode.