Behind the Lens, Beyond the Limits
SouthAfrica’screativeindustrycontinuestostandatthecrossroadsof
traditionandtransformation—adynamicspacewherestorytelling,cultural nuance,andboldvisionconverge.Inthisspecialfeature,“SouthAfrica’s10 ProminentDirectorstoWatch,”weshineaspotlightonagroupofindividuals whosedirectionisnotjustbehindthelens,butalsoinshapingnarrativesthat move,challenge,andinspire.
Thesedirectorsrepresentmorethanartisticexcellence;theyreflectthepulseofa nationthatisrapidlyevolving.Fromfilmandtelevisiontoadvertisinganddigital content,theirworkspeakstoglobalstandardswhilestayingdeeplyrootedinlocal authenticity.Eachdirectorfeaturedherebringsauniquevoice—whetherit’s pushingboundariesthroughgenre-defyingformatsorusingcinemaasatoolfor socialdialogueandchange.
Whatmakesthisfeaturecompellingisnotjusttherecognitionofpast achievements,butthepromiseofwhat’stocome.Thesearevisionarieswhoare notonlyredefiningstorytellinginSouthAfricabutarealsocontributingtoa larger,globalconversationaboutrepresentation,identity,andinnovationinmedia.
Asyouexploretheirstories,projects,andperspectives,you’lldiscoveratapestry oftalentthatisasdiverseasitisdetermined.Attheheartofeachdirector’s journeyliesacommitmenttotruth,creativity,andculturalimpact—qualitiesthat willundoubtedlyshapethefutureofstorytelling,bothwithinSouthAfricaand beyond.
Weinviteyoutogettoknowtheseremarkableindividualsandwitnesstheriseof anewgenerationofdirectingexcellence.Thespotlightiswell-deserved—andthe worldiswatching.
-Alaya Brown
Luka Kokot Envisioning Innovations that Empower Business Transformations
Balancing Strategy and Execution: The Director’s Guide to Leading Teams Strategic Data Use: Empowering Directors to Make Informed, High-Impact Decisions
Art
Business
Business
Digital
Co-designer
Marketing
Bryan Ha ngh
CEO Featuring Cycan cycan.co.za
Craig Nowitz
CEO
Dan Vahaba
CEO Jevron Epstein
CEO Lerato Dontache
CEO
Syntech syntech.co.za Company
Payer.io payer.io
GenEx
genexins tute.com
NxaTel nxa.tel
Luka Kokot Director of Business Innova on & Technology Investments BroadVision broadvision.com
Pieter Grobbelaar
CEO
Stanley Rabasotho
CEO Thato Matsipe
CEO Tobias Doyer
CEO
360in1 Consul ng 360in1.co.za
MCPM Technologies mcpm.tech PeoIT peoit.co.za GrainSA Group grainsa.com
Brief
With a career spanning execu ve coaching, corporate innova on, and strategic consul ng, Bryan has been instrumental in guiding businesses through growth, change, and digital evolu on.
Under Craig's leadership, Syntech has evolved into a trusted name, delivering high-performance products, strategic partnerships, and excep onal customer experiences.
With a strong background in financial technology and digital innova on, Dan has been instrumental in shaping Payer.io’s strategic vision, product development, and market expansion.
With a focus on innova on and excellence, Jevron leads GenEx in delivering cu ng-edge learning solu ons that empower individuals and organiza ons across various industries.
Lerato has been instrumental in driving innova on, digital transforma on, and customer-centric services within the telecom sector
In his role, Luka drives the company's efforts to iden fy, evaluate, and invest in emerging technologies that align with BroadVision's strategic goals. His focus is on fostering business innova on and enabling transforma ve change through technology
With a proven track record in leadership, technology, and business development, Pieter has played a pivotal role in helping organiza ons op mize their opera ons and drive sustainable growth.
Stanley is commi ed to leveraging technology to create valuedriven solu ons that enhance opera onal efficiency and longterm success.
With a strong background in innova on, strategic leadership, and business development, Thato has played a pivotal role in shaping PeoIT’s vision and expanding its influence in the tech industry
UnderTobias' leadership, GrainSA Group con nues to support farmers, agribusinesses, and stakeholders by providing market insights, advanced farming techniques, and advocacy for sustainable agricultural prac ces.
LUKA
KOKOT
Envisioning Innovations that Empower Business Transformations
LUKA
LUKA
practicaluseofAI.WithadegreeinElectricalEngineering andaMasterofSciencefocusedonthemanagerial applicationsofArtificialIntelligence,heexemplifiesanew waveoftechnologistsfocusednotonlyontechnical implementation,butstrategicbusinessenablementthrough AI.Hisuniqueapproachblendsdeepsystemsthinkingwith apracticaldrivetosolvefragmentationacrossenterprise environments.
BeforejoiningBroadVision,hewasinvolvedinseveral high-impactprojectsacrossSouthAfrica.Hegained firsthandinsightintothetechnologicalchallenges businessesface,especiallyinnavigatingdatafragmentation andunderutiliseddigitalsystems.Thisexperience, combinedwithhisacademicgrounding,ledtothe conceptionofBroadVision’sAI-assistedmiddleware.
oday,hecontinuestofocusonadvancingthattechnology, whiledrivingBroadVision’sextensivemissionofdelivering innovative,future-readyITsolutionsthatempower businessesacrosstheglobe.
Lukareflectsonthejourney:“BroadVision began 25 years ago with a mission to support SMEs in South Africa, providing reliable and tailored IT solutions. Over time, the company rapidly expanded its footprint across the African continent and globally, evolving into a strategic partner for enterprises with offerings like our 24/7/365 helpdesk, our highly regarded CIO-as-a-Service model, and now our unique middleware solution which continues to gain traction.”
WhileBroadVisionwasonthevergeofbecomingaglobal strategicpartner,LukawasappointedasDirectorof BusinessInnovation&TechnologyInvestmentsin London—anintentionalmovetostrengthenitspresencein theUKandEurope.Thisrolehasbeeninstrumentalin introducingitsAI-assistedmiddleware.
Lukashares,“This solution is designed to tackle one of the most persistent challenges in today’s organisations: fragmented systems and siloed data. Our software ingests, consolidates, and distributes data across platforms, layering AI and analytics to deliver actionable insights via real-time dashboards. It’s a transformative tool that turns disconnected data into strategic intelligence.”
ScalabilityisattheheartofBroadVision’sapproach.Asthe clients’businessesgrow,itssolutionevolveswith them—ensuringlong-termvalueandadaptability Ultimately,itempowersstakeholderstomakemore
Luka continues to focus on advancing that technology, while driving BroadVision’s extensive mission of delivering innovative, future-ready IT solutions that empower businesses across the globe “ “
informed,data-drivendecisionsthatmovetheir organisationsforward.
SolutionsMakingaGlobalImpact
BroadVision’smostrecent—andarguablymost impactful—innovationisitsproprietaryAI-assisted middlewareplatform.Asthenamesuggests,itactsasa bridgebetweenfragmentedsystems,consolidatingdata fromacrossanorganisationandtransformingitinto actionableinsightsthroughAI-poweredanalyticsand dashboards.
Whatsetsthisinnovationapartisitsfoundationinapplied researchandoriginalproblem-solving.Lukaandhisteam conductedstructuredinterviewswithSMEleadersto uncoverarecurringtheme:whilegenerativeAItoolslike ChatGPTwerewidelyknown,veryfewoffered contextualised,organisation-specificinsights.This informedthedesignofBroadVision’sAIplatform,which goesbeyondgenericresponsestodeliverbespoke, operationally-alignedanalytics—ararityintoday’sAI market.It’sthisblendofuser-centricthinkingandAI innovationthathasattractedattentionfromglobalpartners andindustryexpertsalike.
Inresponse,BroadVisiondevelopedthismiddlewareto addressacriticalgap—helpingorganisationsovercomedata fragmentationandleverageAIinawaythat’struly meaningfultotheiruniqueoperations.It’safuture-ready solutiondrivenfromthecompany’sLondonoffice—one thatisexpectedtoplayakeyroleinreshapinghow businessesleveragetechnologytomakesmarter,faster decisions.
“ “
TheStrategiesofSuccess
“Our expansion isn’t just about geography—it’s about relevance,” Lukaexplains.“We’re focused on building platforms that deliver measurable intelligence to organisations. AI should enable better decisions, not just faster ones. Our middleware is designed around that principle, and it’s reshaping how companies manage complexity ”
IntermsofBroadVision’sAI-assistedmiddleware,the primaryfocusremainsonthehospitalityindustryforthe timebeing.Thissector,inparticular,holdsavastamountof underutiliseddata,makingitanidealenvironmentforits technologytodeliverrealvalue.
Reflectingfurther,Lukacomments,“From there, our strategy includes expanding into new verticals and geographies through the opening of new offices, recruitment of targeted sales teams, and the continuous enhancement of the platform to cater to a wider range of industries. Ultimately, our global approach is rooted in purposeful innovation, strong local partnerships, and scalable solutions tailored to real-world business needs.”
TheCoreValues
Lukathriveswithaleadershipapproachthatemphasisesthe functioningofthecompany'scorevalues.InLuka’s perspective,theseareclearanddeeplyembeddedin everythingthecompanydoes:Integrity,Transparency, ClientFocus,Excellence,Collaboration,and—most importantly—Innovation.Innovationisnota
department—it’samindset.UnderLuka’sdirection, BroadVisionembedsacultureofappliedAIacrossits serviceportfolio,ensuringthattechnologyisalwaysaligned withclientoutcomes.Thisapproachreflectsagrowing recognitionofhisworkinredefininghowAIisintegrated intobusinessenvironments.
Hereveals,“Our mission is twofold. Firstly, we strive to be recognised as one of the world’s leading technology companies—synonymous with quality, reliability, and excellence. Secondly, we’re committed to redefining how the IT industry operates by introducing fresh, forward-thinking approaches that challenge outdated norms.”
Attheheartofitallistheproficientteam.Itpropels BroadVisionandkeepsitattheforefrontoftheindustry throughpassion,commitment,andcreativity.
ExhibitingProficiency
CultivatingastrongcompanycultureatBroadVisionstarts withbuildingtherightteam.Luka’sapproachishighly intentionalaboutensuringthateverynewhirealignswith thevaluesfromdayone.Helooksforself-awareteam players—individualswhonotonlytakeprideinthequality oftheworkbutalsounderstandtheirrolewithinthebroader visionoftheteam.
Lukaexpresses,“When you have people who are both collaborative and take full ownership of their output, you create a culture that is naturally dynamic, ambitious, and committed to excellence. This mindset doesn’t just exist at the team level—it’s embedded across all layers of the organisation.”
Theteamdoesn’tbelieveintraditionalmanagementforthe sakeofhierarchy.Itsleadersaredeeplyinvolved,leading fromthefront,settingthepace,andactivelycontributingto itsglobalgoals.Theirengagementiscriticalinfosteringa high-performanceculturethatsupportsbothinnovationand long-termgrowth.
LeveragingtheInnovationsofTechnology
BroadVision’struestrengthliesinhowitharnessesAIand automationtodrivestrategicvalueforitsclients.Over time,thecompanyrealisedthatmanyofitscore functions—suchasdataanalysis,trendidentification,and deliveringinsightstoexecutiveteams—alignperfectlywith whatAI-poweredmiddlewarecanachieveatscale. Integrity, Transparency, Client Focus, Excellence, Collaboration, and—most importantly—Innovation. Innovation is the driving force behind BroadVision’s success.
“ “
Luka’s leadership is de ned by an ability to align cutting-edge AI development with clear business outcomes—building a culture where innovation is purposeful and impact-driven.
Thisrealisationsparkedamajorpushtodevelopanddeploy itsproprietarymiddlewareplatformfurther.Byautomating theconsolidationandanalysisoffragmenteddata,the softwareenablesstakeholderstoaccesscriticalinsightsin realtime,empoweringmoreinformeddecision-making.
Ineffect,thecompanyisembeddingAIandautomationnot onlyintothetoolsitoffersbutalsointothestrategicroles withinteamsthatholdwithintheclientorganisation.This allowsthecompanytogobeyondtraditionalITservice deliveryandtrulyactasinnovationenablersforthe businesssupport.
ThePearlsofWisdom
Asanadvicetothebuddingaspirants,Lukashares,“The first step in any successful digital transformation journey is to understand your current landscape—what systems and processes you have, and more importantly, what you value about them.”Heasserts,“Often, the things we think we 'like' are simply familiar manual processes. But familiarity doesn’t equal efficiency. In many cases, these processes need to be reimagined or even creatively dismantled to make way for smarter, more scalable solutions.”
Todothiseffectively,businessesneedapartnerthatnot onlycomprehendstechnologybutalsounderstandshowto alignitwiththeirspecificgoals.Someonewhocanguide youthroughtheavailableoptionsandhelpyoucharta coursethatisbothstrategicandrealistic.
Aboveall,it’sessentialtoembracechangeasapositive force.Technologyisevolvingrapidly,andsoarecustomer expectations.Stayingaheadofthecurveisnolonger optional—it’sacompetitivenecessity.“Businesses that
invest in the right digital strategies now will be the ones delivering exceptional value in their industries tomorrow,” headds.
EnvisioningtheFuture
BroadVisionisinaperiodofrapidgrowth,bothintermsof geographicalpresenceandtechnologicalinnovation. Currently,thecompanyisoperatingfromofficesin JohannesburgandCapeTown(SouthAfrica),Mahé (Seychelles),andLondon(UK).Overthenextyear,the plansreflectexpansionwiththelaunchofofficesinNew York(USA)andDubai(UAE).Theselocationswill strategicallypositionthecompanytoserveglobalclients betterandpromoteitsAI-assistedmiddleware.
ItsproprietaryAIplatformisacentralfocusofthefuture vision.Whileitwasinitiallydevelopedandtestedwithin thehospitalityindustry,whereit’salreadygenerating significantinterestandsuccess,thecompanyperceives potentialapplicationsacrossmanyothersectors.
Datasilosexistinnearlyeveryindustry,andSMEsin particularoftenstruggletointerpretthisdatainacohesive, actionableway.Thecompany’sgoalistobethebridgethat connectsfragmentedsystemsandempowersbusinesses withreal-timeinsights.
Inthenextfiveyears,BroadVisionaimsforitsAItoolto becomesynonymouswithcutting-edgesoftware innovation.“Clients can expect ongoing product evolution, tailored industry-specific enhancements, and a growing global footprint—anchored by a team dedicated to solving real-world problems through smart, scalable technology,” expressesLuka.
AsBroadVisioncontinuesitsjourney,onethingremains clear:inanerawhereinnovationandresiliencegohandin hand,tailoredITsolutionsaren’tjustaluxury—they’rethe foundationofsustainablesuccess.
BALANCING STRATEGY and EXECUTION: The Director’s Guide to LEADING TEAMS
Itisthewayofbusinesstodaytoberapid,andthe
leadersfindthemselvesboggeddowninthestrategyexecutiontrap.Itisnotanelectiveskillfordirectors butanecessitytohavethevisiontokeepthingsin perspectiveinthelongtermandstillperforminthenear term.Outstanding-performingdirectorsareneitherthinkers nordoers,butintegratorswhotranslatevisioninto outcomesbyaligningpeople,processes,andpriorities.
StrategicVision:CreatingaDefiningandInspiring Direction
Goodstrategyiswhereallgreatperformancebegins. Directorsareresponsibleforlookingwherethebusinessis headedandbeingabletoarticulatethatinawaythat inspiresandmotivatestheirteams.It'safeelfortheforces ofthemarket,customers,competitors,andnew opportunitiesemerging.
Butitmustbeclear Vagueobjectivesleadtofuzzyaction. Avisionofstrategythatcapturesheartsandmindswill answerthreequestions:Wherearewegoing?WhyshouldI care?Andhowdowegetthere?
Oncestated,thatvisionwillbethestrengthofleadership thatwillpropeldecisionmaking,investment,andculture.It hastobedetailedenoughtocommunicate,butboldenough toignitetoaction.
ExecutionDiscipline:TranslatingPlansinto Performance
Whileagoodstrategyiswhereonebegins,itiswhere follow-upismonitoredthatcounts.Mostcompaniesfailnot becausetheirthinkingisfaulty,butsimplybecausethey lacksystemsanddisciplinetoachieveonaregularbasis.
Directorsmustlooktoseetherightframeworksget established—objectives,timelines,KPIs,andfeedback loops.Structureisinsufficient;accountabilitymustbethere. Leadersmustprovideteamswithresultsownership, empowerautonomybutmaintainalignmenttostrategic goals.
Hardimplementationalsomeanseradicatingblockages. Thereshouldbeenoughproximitytotheworkbythe directorssotheyunderstandwhereblockagesarefeltand removeitinarapidway.Leannesscanbethatwhichgives thedifferencebetweenreachingaspotandmissinga milestone.
AlignmentAcrossTeams:TheGlueBetweenStrategy andExecution
Oneofthemostimportantresponsibilitiesofthedirectoris tomakesurethatthereisalignmentatalllevelswithinthe company.Itdoesn'tmatterhowgoodastrategyisifteams areworkinginsilosorhaveoppositepriorities.
Whichiswhycross-functionalteamworkmustbe intentional.Strategicobjectivesmustcascadedownclearly departmentbydepartment,teamandindividualgoalstiedto broaderbusinessoutcomes.Directorsmustregularly remindthe"why"behindtheworksoemployeesknowtheir workdrivesthemissionforward.
Regularcheck-inandgoal-settingmeetings,company-wide OKRs,andactiveperformancedashboardscanhelpdrive alignmentandkeepteamsoncourse.
EmpoweringExecutionWithoutMicromanagement
Directorswalkathintightrope:theymustdriveresults withoutmicromanaging.Effectiveleadersestablishspace forteamstobeempoweredwithdecision-makingand creativeaction,butalsowithassistancewhenthingsgo wrong.
Empowermentstartswithtransparency—clear responsibilities,expectations,andoutcomes.It'ssupported withroutinecoaching,constructivefeedback,andopendoorpolicy.Directorsmustleadthroughinfluence,not control,creatingpsychologicalsafetythatleadsto innovationandperformance.
Whenleaderstrustpeopleandsystems,executionislessa matterofcoercionandmoreamatterofintent.
MeasuringWhatMatters:TrackingProgress
Strategically
Tobridgethegapbetweenstrategyandexecution,directors mustdefineandmeasuretherightoutcomes.Thatis,they mustlookatkeyperformanceindicators(KPIs)thatnot
onlytrackactivitybutalsosignalrealprogresstoward strategicgoals.
Fartoooften,however,businessesaremeasuringeasily measurablebutuselessvanitymetricsinsteadofwhattruly drivesvalue.Directorsmustlookpastvanitymetricsand drilldeeperintothetoppredictorsthatleadtosuccess.
Havingtherightinformationavailable,directorsarethenin apositiontomakereal-timecoursecorrections,rejoiceon achievement,andadjustprioritiesasconditionschange withouteverlosingsightofthelong-rangevision.
Adaptability:LeadingThroughUncertainty
Intoday'suncertainbusinessenvironment,rigidityisthe nemesisofexecution.Strategieshavetobeadaptable,and boardsarereadytoshiftgearswhenthemarketplace dictatesit.
Thisdoesnotmeanconstantlyflipping.Itisembedding adaptabilityinthestrategyplan—throughscenario planning,contingencyresources,andopenchannelsfor input.Thebestdirectorsknowthatspeedneversacrifices discipline—itaddstoit.
Throughthecontinuousassessmentofwhatworks,what doesn't,andwhathasshifted,directorscankeepthe companymovingforwardevenwhenthepathisnota straightline.
DirectingbyExample:TheDirector'sInfluence
Ultimately,directorssetthetone.Theirvisionandintentto executetrickledownthroughthecompany.Iftheyleadby example,withstrategy,focus,tenacity,andintegrity,those becometheculture.
Thispresenceofleadershipismostcriticalduringtimesof change.Adirectorwhoremainsstrategic,yetsensitiveto theneedforexecution,gainstrust,credibility,andteam alignment.
Conclusion:TheDirectorasStrategistandSteward
Finally,thebestthingadirectorcandoisfindawayto connectactionandvision.Strategytellsyouwhereyou're headed;executiondrivesifyouarriveornot.It'snot either/or—it'sbothdoneingreatway
Bydevelopingtangiblestrategies,motivatingteams, drivingalignment,andmaintainingthedisciplinetohold themselvesandothersaccountable,directorsturnpromise intoprogress.Andintheprocess,theydon'tjust direct—sustainableinfluenceensues.
Tanping Wang Senior Director, ML and AI Development
Jacqueline Karlin Senior Director of AI Product PayPal
Venkatesh Shivanna
Shardul Desai
Sandeep Jha
Eleonore Fournier-Tombs
Kailash Thiyagarajan
Naresh Dulam
Strategic Data Use: Empowering Directors to Make Informed, High-Impact Decisions
Withcomplexityanduncertaintythenewlandscape,dataisthenew
compassbywhichleadersnavigate.Decision-makingbydirectors nolongerdependsongutfeel—there'smoretoit;itrequiresadeep, strategicalignmentwithdata.Thetransitionfromreactivetoproactive leadershipistousedatanotasastaticasset,butasadynamicsourceof knowledge,speed,andgrowth.
DataasaLeadershipAsset
ThosedaysareoverwheninformationwaskeptintheITdepartmentoronly utilizedforquarter-endreporting.Directorsnolongerhavetheoptionofseeing informationasabackroomfunction.Directorstodayneedtoseedataasa strategicasset—somethingthatiscrucialtoinformstrategy,trackperformance, detectrisk,anddiscoveropportunity.Fromfinancialplanningtocustomer insighttopeopleanalytics,dataprovidesdirectorswiththeclaritytheyneedto driveconfidentlyinreal-time.
Strategicapplicationofdataenablesleaderstotranscendintuition-driven decision-making.Itenablesvalidationofassumptions,minimizesbias,and allowsforforecastingconsequences.Whendirectorsadoptadata-firststrategy, theyelevatenotjusttheirownperformancebutalsotheboardroom'soverall strategiccapability.
DrivingDecision-MakingwithReal-TimeIntelligence
Velocityandprecisionarehallmarksofhigh-stakesdecision-making.Directors whomakedecisionsbasedonoldorunfinishedinformationriskgettingleft behindbyquicker,morenimblecompetition.Real-timedashboardsand embeddedanalyticssolutionsnowprovidedirectorswithreal-timeinsightsinto mission-criticalmetrics—facilitatingquickchanges,quickerapprovals,and betterdecisions.
