Podcast appearances and mentions of duncan mcleod

TechCentral's guests in this episode of the TechCentral Show believe Blue Label Telecoms and its affiliate (and soon to be subsidiary) Cell C present a compelling investment case. Philip Short, global portfolio manager at Flagship Asset Management – which counts Blue label as its sole South African investment – and Dylan Bradfield, portfolio manager at Sharenet, tell TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod that they believe the turnaround taking place at Cell C is real, and will have a meaningful impact on Blue Label shares. Blue shares, which have already rallied strongly – which have more than doubled in the past six months – could still have plenty of room to run, according to Short. In this episode of the TechCentral Show, Short and Bradfield unpack: • Blue Label's announcement earlier this month that it is considering a JSE listing for Cell C; • Why Cell C's restructured operating model and strategy makes sense, and why that's good news for Blue Label shareholders; • The role of Cell C CEO Jorge Mendes in the turnaround – and what the opportunity is for the mobile operator with its new “asset-light” model of running its network – management of its radio access network has effectively been outsourced to partners (and competitors) MTN and Vodacom; • Which operators would be most vulnerable to a resurgent Cell C; • The importance of Cell C's strategy around mobile virtual network operators and the significance of its relationship with Capitec; • The move by Blue Label to sell Comm Equipment Company to Cell C – good move or not? • Whether Cell C can compete with Telkom, Vodacom and MTN in the business market, something Mendes has signalled his desire to do; • What the listing of Cell C could look like, what management's focus should be before the listing and what kind of valuation the business could attract; and • How much more value could be unlocked for Blue Label shareholders. Don't miss a fascinating discussion! TechCentral

4Sight Holdings has turned the corner and has signalled this with a recent move from the AltX to the main board of the JSE. CEO Tertius Zitzke is our guest in this episode of the TechCentral Show. He tells TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod about the turnaround he's leading – not to mention the mess he inherited when he took over leadership of the business in December 2019, months before Covid hit. 4Sight has been operating largely below the radar, but the investment community has begun paying attention – and, although the shares been moving sideways for the past year, over three years they have climbed by 250%. In this episode of the TechCentral Show, Zitzke unpacks: • What motivated the decision to move to the JSE's main board; • His background, including his leadership AccTech Systems, its acquisition by 4Sight and how he became CEO of the group; • Why the business was listed originally, and how its focus has changed under his leadership; • How the turnaround was achieved – and what still needs to be done; • Where 4Sight fits into the ICT market in South Africa; • The recent acquisition of XFour Group and plans for more acquisitions; and • What's next for 4Sight. Don't miss an interesting discussion! TechCentral

Stephen Grootes spoke to Duncan McLeod, Founder and Editor at Techcentral about the proposed policy direction for satellite operators in South Africa, which aims to establish a new licensing framework and potentially allow companies like Elon Musk's Starlink to operate in the country through an equity equivalent regulatory change. In other interviews, we hear about sustainable luxury art with Roberta Coci, one of the co-founders of RMB latitudes, who chats about the event's mission to create a more inclusive and accessible African art ecosystem. The Money Show is a podcast hosted by well-known journalist and radio presenter, Stephen Grootes. He explores the latest economic trends, business developments, investment opportunities, and personal finance strategies. Each episode features engaging conversations with top newsmakers, industry experts, financial advisors, entrepreneurs, and politicians, offering you thought-provoking insights to navigate the ever-changing financial landscape.    Thank you for listening to a podcast from The Money Show Listen live Primedia+ weekdays from 18:00 and 20:00 (SA Time) to The Money Show with Stephen Grootes broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj and CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show, go to https://buff.ly/7QpH0jY or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/PlhvUVe Subscribe to The Money Show Daily Newsletter and the Weekly Business Wrap here https://buff.ly/v5mfetc The Money Show is brought to you by Absa     Follow us on social media   702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702   CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/Radio702 CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lester Kiewit speaks to Duncan McLeod, the editor of TechCentral, about what Elon Musk’s Starlink programme will mean for the country if it is allowed to operate in South Africa. Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is a podcast of the CapeTalk breakfast show. This programme is your authentic Cape Town wake-up call. Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is informative, enlightening and accessible. The team’s ability to spot & share relevant and unusual stories make the programme inclusive and thought-provoking. Don’t miss the popular World View feature at 7:45am daily. Listen out for #LesterInYourLounge which is an outside broadcast – from the home of a listener in a different part of Cape Town - on the first Wednesday of every month. This show introduces you to interesting Capetonians as well as their favourite communities, habits, local personalities and neighbourhood news. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit. Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays between 06:00 and 09:00 (SA Time) to Good Morning CapeTalk with Lester Kiewit broadcast on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/xGkqLbT or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/f9Eeb7i Subscribe to the CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/sbvVZD5 Follow us on social media CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Boasting 1.6 million subscribers after less than three years in the market, Capitec Connect has quickly become South Africa's largest MVNO – and it has an ambitious plan for further growth. Dalene Steyn, head of Capitec Connect, tells the TechCentral Show (TCS) that the MVNO – or mobile virtual network operator – market in South Africa is poised for further expansion as banks, retailers and other brands muscle into the mobile business through wholesale partnerships with network operators. According to Steyn, although Capitec Connect is not a loss leader for the bank, the focus for now is building a critical mass of subscribers from Capitec Bank's customer base – Capitec Connect users must be bank clients to sign up for the service. In the interview, Steyn tells TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod about: • Why Capitec Connect recently cut its prices, matching another MVNO, Afrihost AirMobile, as the cheapest MVNO provider in South Africa – spoiler: it's all about building scale; • Why Capitec is pulling ahead in the MVNO market and how big the bank wants to be in mobile – and why it's so important to its business; • Capitec Connect's plans to introduce post-paid contracts later this year and how this aligns with its push into business banking services; • The company's plans for device financing; • Its relationship with Cell C, whose network it uses to provide mobile services to its clients, and why it's pleased with the relationship; and • The unconfirmed market talk that Capitec might buy a strategic equity stake in Cell C. Don't miss the discussion! TechCentral

Schalk Visser has worked in telecommunications for more than 20 years, first at Telkom, then at Vodacom and now at Cell C, where he has served as chief information and technology officer since 2020. Visser, an engineer, joined Cell C 13 years ago – during the tenure of former CEO Alan Knott-Craig – as an executive in the company's programme management office, where he helped lead a renewal of its radio access network. TechCentral's guest in the latest episode of the publication's Meet the CIO podcast, Visser tells host Duncan McLeod about his career journey in telecoms before delving into his work in helping transform Cell C's technology stack – with a focus on recent years as the operator moved to shut down its own radio access network in favour of partnerships with other mobile operators. In the interview, Visser chats about: • Where his interest in technology began; • His time with Telkom and Vodacom, including his experience helping build Vodacom's network in Mozambique; • The changes that have occurred at Cell C in recent years and why they're significant – including a look at the network partnership with MTN and Vodacom, and what that's allowed the company to do differently; • His day-to-day role as head of technology at Cell C; • The role of technology in supporting what is essentially a technology business; • The changes he has brought to Cell C's technology stack and why; • The recent ransomware attack – what happened, and what's been done to address it; and • What's exciting him about what's coming down the line in telecoms technology. Don't miss a great interview! TechCentral

Cape Town-based fintech start-up Stitch last month caught the attention of many people when it announced it was raising R1-billion (US$55-million) in a significant series-B funding round. Co-founder and CEO Kiaan Pillay is our guest in this episode of the TechCentral Show, where he tells TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod about the funding round, which was led by QED Investors with participation from a range of new and existing investors. The latest round brings Stitch's total funding to date to nearly R2-billion, or $107-million. In this episode of the TechCentral Show, Pillay unpacks: • His background and why and how Stitch was founded; • How well-known South African comedian Trevor Noah became one of the participating funders in the latest funding round; • What Stitch is doing differently to other fintech and payment start-ups that has allowed to raise the quantum of funding that it has; • The significance of Stitch's recent acquisition of Exipay – and why it's important for Stitch to be a player in the in-person payments market; • Stitch's plans in the cryptocurrency space; and • Why the company is focused (for now) on the South African market. Don't miss a great discussion! TechCentral

Shortly after the Covid-19 pandemic hit, Tiffany Dunsdon – at the time CEO of JSE-listed Adapt IT – found herself having to fend off an unwanted takeover bid from Huge Group. Dunsdon did not feel the deal made much sense for Adapt IT – a fast-growing enterprise software services provider whose share price, like many others at the time, had been knocked lower by the uncertainty caused by the pandemic. The Huge Group approach was opportunistic, said Dunsdon. So, instead of entertaining the approach from Huge Group, she set about engineering a very different deal: one involving Canadian-listed Constellation Software: Constellation subsidiary Volaris Group would buy out Adapt IT and delist it from the JSE. Dunsdon, who was recently appointed as acquiring group leader at Omegro – a portfolio company within Volaris Group that houses Adapt IT – joins Duncan McLeod on the TechCentral Show for an update following the conclusion of the sale. In this episode of the TechCentral Show, Dunsdon also discusses: • Adapt IT's performance since its acquisition and delisting; • The Huge Group hostile approach and how that played out inside Adapt IT; • The timeline of events that led to the acquisition by Volaris Group; and • What's next for Adapt IT and Omegro. Don't miss the conversation! TechCentral

New GX Capital, one of the principal investors in Vumatel and Dark Fibre Africa parent CIVH, recently announced it was launching a R2.4-billion clean-tech investment fund in partnership with RMB Ventures. To unpack the details of the new fund and why it's being established, New GX Capital founder and CEO Khudusela Pitje joined TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod in the latest episode of the TechCentral Show for a wide-ranging conversation. In the interview, Pitje chatted about the fund – called the Airnegize Capital Fund – and its plans to invest in renewable energy and water and gas infrastructure across Africa. New GX Capital and RMB Ventures have described the fund as “one of the largest of its kind on the continent”. The fund has secured R2.4-billion in initial commitments, with the companies targeting a further R1.6-billion before financial close in the coming months. In this episode of the TechCentral Show, Pitje expands on: • His career background and the formation of New GX Capital; • The role his father, the late HM Pitje, a businessman and former mayor of Mamelodi, played in his life and career choices; • His role in helping build Dark Fibre Africa and CIVH; • Why he feels the decision by the competition authorities to block the acquisition by Vodacom of a 30% co-controlling stake in Maziv – a subsidiary of CIVH that houses Vumatel and DFA – was wrongheaded; • The role New GX Capital plays today, as well as its investment philosophy; • What led to the creation of the Airnegize Fund with RMB Ventures; and • The role and future of black economic empowerment in South Africa. Don't miss a fascinating conversation! TechCentral

A company with its headquarters in Pretoria has designed and built an advanced drone that can attain speeds of 250km/h, reach altitudes of up to 30 000ft and travel more than 4 000km before having to return to its base. The company, Milkor, is a South African defence equipment and cybersecurity specialist that was founded all the way back in 1981. Its newly developed Milkor 380 System unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) – in essence, a giant drone – has a cruising altitude of 10 000ft, a wingspan of 18m and a maximum payload of 220kg. The drone has a flight time of up to 35 hours and can be used for border surveillance, maritime surveillance, strategic reconnaissance and information gathering operations, among other things. To talk about the UAV, Milkor communications director Daniel du Plessis sat down with Duncan McLeod on the TechCentral Show recently and shared more details about its capabilities. Other than the Milkor 380, the interview also covers topics including: * Milkor's founding in the 1980s, and how the company shifted focus in the democratic era – it got its start, and may still be best known for, manufacturing the world's first six-shot 40mm grenade launcher, which is widely used around the world; * The company's other products – for land, air and sea operations – as well as what's involved in conducting advanced R&D and manufacturing in a market like South Africa; * The people who work for Milkor, and the sort of skills the company is looking for (and how it's finding them); * The role of UAVs in modern warfare and defence operations; and * Why Milkor has entered the cybersecurity space. Don't miss a fascinating interview! TechCentral

Discovery Bank CEO Hylton Kallner believes technology is fundamental to the company's success. Kallner, an actuary who joined Discovery in its early days as a medical insurance company and who has held various senior leadership roles over the years, tells TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod about the group's decision to launch a bank when it did. He shares how the business is doing – spoiler: it's trending well ahead of schedule – and what comes next. He tells the TechCentral Show about: • How Discovery Bank is doing financially and how it's tracking against its business plan; • Its client base – who they are and who the bank is targeting as its clientele (the answer may surprise you); • Why Discovery launched a bank into what was already a competitive market and what it's doing differently to its rivals to attract people to switch; • The learnings from Discovery Health and Discovery Vitality, and how Discovery Bank has leveraged these in its products and services; • Discovery Bank's technology stack, why it chose the IT solutions it did, and why it built much of its banking solution in-house; • What's next from Discovery Bank in terms of solutions; and • The bank's plans with AI – and why it believes AI could be a gamechanger. Lastly, Kallner, a prolific reader, shares two of his favourite non-fiction books with the TechCentral audience. Don't miss a great discussion! TechCentral

The Competition Commission is girding itself for a fight with Big Tech companies like Google and Meta Platforms after publishing its provisional findings in its investigation into the impact that Big Tech has had on the South African news media sector. To unpack the provisional report, which was published on Monday, Competition Commission senior analyst and technical lead Donnavan-John Linley joined the TechCentral Show to discuss the findings. He chats about how the commission is attempting to assist local publishers deal with the rise of competing social media platforms owned by US tech giants and why the regulator is determined to intervene in the market to support the funding of journalism in South Africa in the digital age. Linley tells TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod about: • Why the Competition Commission decided to initiate its probe into digital platforms and the impact these platforms are having on South Africa's news media; • The findings contained in the provisional report and why the commission reached the conclusions it did – including its recommendation that Google pay as much as R500-million/year in “compensation” over a three- to five-year period in an effort to level the playing field; • The likely reaction from Big Tech to the commission's proposals, and what might happen if they don't agree to play ball; • The risk of provoking a backlash from the Donald Trump administration – already Trump has accused the EU of using antitrust fines levied on US tech companies as a form of taxation and threatened retaliation in response; • How the proposed compensation of the local news media might work, and who would be eligible to receive the funding from Google; • The impact of artificial intelligence on the South African media industry and how the commission has dealt with this in its provisional report; and • Whether the commission's findings amount to regulatory overreach – are the proposals it has made really warranted, or is the media industry simply experiencing capitalism's “creative destruction” that will ultimately drive innovation in news media? Don't miss a great interview! TechCentral

South African logistics firm Bakers SA recently deployed the first electric trucks to its fleet of more than a thousand vehicles. Working with Stellenbosch-based EV charging and software company Zimi Charge, Bakers' deployment points a potential future in South Africa in which planet-warming trucks are replaced with electric alternatives. Michael Maas, CEO of Zimi Charge, recently joined Duncan McLeod on the TechCentral Show to talk about the company's solutions, its deployment for Bakers SA and its expansion plans. In this episode of the show, Maas unpacks: • The projects with Bakers SA, what Zimi Charge supplied and how it works in practice; • The background to Zimi Charge and its focus on deploying both EV charging stations and building the software stack around them; • The current state of EV charging infrastructure in South Africa and what more needs to be done to support the growing number of EVs on South African roads; and • The market opportunity for Zimi Charge. Don't miss a great discussion! TechCentral

China's DeepSeek rocked US technology stocks last month after the company appeared to have developed an artificial intelligence model akin to OpenAI's most advanced ChatGPT models at a tiny fraction of the cost. Stocks like Nvidia, Google and Microsoft cratered on the news as it raised serious questions about whether the tens of billions – if not hundreds of billions of dollars – that Big Tech is pouring into AI infrastructure makes sense and whether China is further ahead than many people had realised. To unpack the potential implications of DeepSeek and the rise of Chinese AI models, TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod spoke to South African AI expert and keynote speaker Dean Furman to unpack the subject is greater detail – including what it could mean in the South African context. In this episode of the TechCentral Show, Furman discusses: • Whether China – and DeepSeek specifically – just upended the economics of AI; • Whether American Big Tech firms should be worried; • DeepSeek's strengths and weaknesses in relation to AI tools from the likes of Google, Meta Platforms and OpenAI; • Chinese government censorship of DeepSeek's results and whether this matters to users outside China; • The significance of DeepSeek's models being released using an open-source licence and what this means for the future development of AI; and • How far the world is from AGI, or artificial general intelligence. It's a fascinating discussion – be sure not to miss it! TechCentral

Stephen Grootes talks to Duncan McLeod, Founder and Editor at Techcentral, about the proposed restructuring of MultiChoice to comply with South African broadcasting regulations, following Groupe Canal+'s acquisition bid.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Enviro Automotive has launched South Africa's most affordable electric car yet, the Dayun S5 Mini SUV – and TechCentral has taken the vehicle for a test drive. In this episode of the TechCentral Show, we are joined by Environ Automotive executives Gideon Wolvaardt and Francois Malan to unpack the new Chinese EV and why they believe the S5 Mini is a gamechanger for South Africa's motoring industry. The four-seater compact SUV features a 31.7kWh ternary lithium battery, offering a range of about 300km and a top speed of 115km/h, making it ideal for urban commuting. The vehicle has a modern interior equipped with a touchscreen infotainment system, multifunction steering wheel and a digital instrument panel. Convenience features include central locking, electric windows and air conditioning that can be operated remotely via an app, allowing drivers to start the vehicle before entering. In this episode of TCS, TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod takes the car for a test drive and shares his views on the build and ride quality – and much more! TechCentral

John Maytham speaks with Duncan McLeod, founder and editor of TechCentral, about ICASA’s proposed new satellite licensing framework and its implications for South Africa’s broadband landscape. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adam Craker has strong views on what's needed to turn around South Africa's fortunes and fix its biggest city, Johannesburg, which has fallen into a state of disrepair. The CEO of iqbusiness, a digital integrator in the Reunert stable formed recently though the merger of IQbusiness and +OneX, is our guest in this episode of the TechCentral Show. Craker – whose career has seen him working for the likes of Accenture, Merchants, Dimension Data and Super Group – tells TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod about his plans for iqbusiness post-merger, how it fits in with Reunert's overall growth plans and why the transaction made sense. He also unpacks: • His take on the government of national unity and why he remains bullish about South Africa's prospects; • The news that government is considering listing some of South Africa's state-owned enterprises on the JSE; • His biggest concerns about the country's future; and • What needs to be done to save Joburg – and the role of the Jozi My Jozi initiative. Don't miss a great conversation! TechCentral

Datafree Technologies, the company behind popular zero-rated messaging tool MoyaApp, has an ambitious plan to build a R1-billion/year business by tapping to the APN market provided by the mobile operators. In this episode of the TechCentral Show (TCS), Datafree chief commercial officer Kruben Pillay tells Duncan McLeod about the company's plan to build a software-as-a-service-based APN – or “access point name” – to sell to businesses. An APN is a gateway that allows a mobile device to connect to the network and the internet. Datafree describes itself as a specialist in “mobile data optimisation” that “identified the opportunity to empower inclusive mobile connection by removing the data cost barrier to engage mobile audiences”. To do this, it uses reverse-billing technology for data, not dissimilar to the way toll-free numbers work for phone calls. Although many people use or are at least aware of MoyaApp, much less is known about Datafree. In this episode of TCS, Pillay tells McLeod more about the business. He also unpacks: • His history in the telecommunications industry, including his time at Vodacom and Telkom; • How MoyaApp is doing; • Datafree's R1-billion/year APN opportunity; and • How APNs work, why companies use them (and why they sometimes run into issues) and Datafree's APN services for business. Don't miss the interview! TechCentral

Stephen Grootes speaks to Duncan McLeod, TechCentral's Founder and Editor, about South Africa's Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, appealing the Competition Tribunal's decision to block Vodacom's R13.2-billion deal to acquire a stake in Remgro's fibre businesses.    In other interviews on the Money Show, Ntlhane Makena, head of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Business Rescue practice at ENS talks about the surprising spike in company liquidations in October, following a notable decline in the first nine months of 2024.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stephen Grootes speaks to Duncan McLeod, TechCentral's Founder and Editor, about South African Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Parks Tau, appealing the Competition Tribunal's decision to block Vodacom's R13.2-billion deal to acquire a stake in Remgro's fibre businesses.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duncan McLeod, Editor of TechCentral, provides insights to John Maytham on South Africa's ongoing digital migration challengesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to a special episode recorded guerilla style at the Ivors Classical Awards 2024! You may have heard our previous two pods with Ivors Special Award winners, Roxanna Panufnik and Gavin Bryars - this is a very different beast…Featuring special guest presenter James Flannery who steps into Seb's shoes and makes his podcasting debut, this is a rampage around the BFI with odd snippets of chat and composers a plenty.You might catch journalist Stephen Pritchard, composers Duncan McLeod and Roxanna Panufnik, violinist Tasmin Little and friends of the pod Lizzie Ball and Hattie Butterworth amongst others. Brace yourselves, buckle up and enjoy this weird and wonderful evening at the Ivors! Stephen Pritchard's excellent article for Bachtrack featuring Seb & Verity; https://bachtrack.com/feature-freelance-life-orchestra-pit-seb-philpott-verity-simmons-november-2024You can find us on the socials here;Instagram @threeinabarpodTiktok @threeinabarpodThree In A Bar on YoutubeAnything you'd like to share with us? Any guests you'd love to hear or anything you'd like us to do better? Drop us a line at hello@threeinabar.com Click here to join the Members' Club on Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Maytham speaks to Duncan McLeod, Editor of TechCentral, about MultiChoice's sharp profit decline from R1.5 billion to just R7 million. McLeod highlighted the immense pressure the company faces from streaming giants like Netflix, which have disrupted the traditional satellite pay-tv model.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

José Soares, director of IT at The Capital Hotels, Apartments and Resorts, fell in love with computers when his dad brought home a Sinclair ZX81. Through a series of upgrades – from the Commodore 64 to early Apple machines and eventually his first PC – Soares developed a passion for gaming and technology. Meet the CIO is presented by Wipro That passion led him to co-found a mobile gaming company and eventually to pursue a career in IT management. Our guest in the latest episode of Meet the CIO, Soares tells TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod about the journey that led him to The Capital Hotels group. Soares also discusses: • The assets owned by the group and why it's focus is a little different to other companies in the hospitality industry; • What the group's IT stack looks like, and the big projects Soares is leading; • How the internet and modern technology have transformed the hospitality industry; • His strategic priorities as head of IT; • The role of artificial intelligence in the hospitality industry, and how The Capital Hotel is approaching AI; • The qualities that make for a good CIO; and • The importance of developing the next generation of IT talent. Don't miss a great conversation! TechCentral

The world of telephony might not be particularly sexy, but it is an industry that has changed fundamentally in the past 20 years. And David Meintjes and Rob Lith of Telviva, a South African company specialising in cloud-based unified communications solutions for businesses, has been at the forefront of the technology changes that have swept through the industry in that time. In this episode of the TechCentral Show, the pair tells TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod about the journey from the early days of the business – when it was known as Connection Telecom – to the cloud-based telephony specialist it is today, as Telviva. In the interview, Meintjes and Lith chat about: • The evolution of Connection Telecom, its original mission, and how the business evolved into the unified communications as a service (UCaaS) provider it is today; • How the telephony market in South Africa has changed beyond recognition over the past 20 years; and • Telviva's international expansion plans and its strategy around acquisitions. There's plenty more in this interview with two ICT industry legends – don't miss it. TechCentral

South Africa's rooftop solar installation industry has a bright future and is on track for its second-best year on record, despite the suspension of load shedding in March. That's according to Andrew Middleton, co-founder and CEO of GoSolr, one of South Africa's largest rooftop solar installation companies, who spoke to TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod on the TechCentral Show (TCS) earlier this week. According to Middleton, citing figures from Eskom, 749MW of rooftop solar capacity has been installed in South Africa this year, taking the total to 5.9GW. Some 162MW of new rooftop solar was added in the third quarter, down 267MW from the same three months in 2023, when load shedding was frequently at stage 4 or higher. The figures are contained in the latest quarterly report published by GoSolr on the state of the industry. In his interview with TCS, Middleton unpacks: • The impact of the suspension of load shedding on the rooftop solar industry; • What's driving consumers to consider solar at home today; • The impact of the adoption of electric vehicles on the demand for home solar – and what sort of solar installation consumers who own or are thinking of buying an EV need to consider; • The state of play in the municipalities around feed-in tariff structures – an update on Cape Town, Johannesburg, Tshwane, Nelson Mandela Bay and more; • The future role of embedded generation systems in communities – the way forward and the hurdles that might be encountered; and • Why government was wrong to withdraw the tax rebate on solar panels and to impose higher taxes on their importation. Don't miss this insightful conversation about the state of South Africa's rooftop solar industry. TechCentral

Stephen Grootes speaks to Councillor Nicole van Dyk about City Power's contentious disconnection policy affecting prepaid users, including solar power customers. In other interviews on this episode of The Money Show, Duncan McLeod, TechCentral's Founder and Editor, discusses the controversy surrounding the Competition Tribunal's veto of Vodacom's Maziv acquisition. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stephen Grootes speaks to Duncan McLeod, TechCentral's Founder and Editor, about the controversy surrounding the Competition Tribunal's veto of Vodacom's Maziv acquisition. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nasdaq-listed Equinix has completed construction of the first phase of a new data centre in Johannesburg, part of a R7.5-billion commitment to building cloud infrastructure in South Africa and the rest of the continent over the next five years. The company's South African MD, Sandile Dube – a former country manager at Hewlett Packard Enterprise and a former executive at Dimension Data (now NTT Data) – tells TechCentral Show host Duncan McLeod about the new Johannesburg data centre, which is located in Isando on the East Rand, and what type of clients it's hoping to attract. In the interview, Dube chats about: • Equinix's African investment plans and where it intends to build data centre facilities and why; • The Isando data centre and what it offers; • The Equinix company and its investment focus – including its investments in West Africa; • Whether there is an overbuild of data centres taking place in South Africa. Can market demand sustain the level of investment taking place?; and • How Equinix differentiates itself in an increasingly crowded market. Don't miss a great interview! TechCentral

Communications minister Solly Malatsi, a DA MP and the first non-ANC politician to hold the key technology portfolio in the democratic era, has been in the job for three months – sufficient time to get a broad handle on the big issues. In this first interview with the TechCentral Show, TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod asks Malatsi a range of questions about the sector, including his views on how he plans to address some of the more intractable problems in his inbox. The interview, which was recorded on Friday, 4 October – shortly before he announced he was issuing a policy direction to communications regulator Icasa that could see a big change to empowerment rules governing licensing in the sector – covers a wide range of topics, from Elon Musk's Starlink to the ongoing feud between the SABC and Sentech. Other topics covered in the interview include: • The minister's engagements with Starlink and the recent meeting in New York between Musk and President Cyril Ramaphosa; • His views on black economic empowerment and why his top priority is reducing the cost of data and ensuring more South Africans can connect affordably to the internet and online services; • His plan for private sector participation in the Post Office, and whether the company is really worth saving; • The war between the SABC and Sentech, and how it can be resolved; • Future funding models for the SABC and the future of TV licences in South Africa; • The problems at the State IT Agency, and what the focus should be of government's central IT procurement and services provider; • The planned merger of Sentech and Broadband Infraco and why he believes it needs to happen; • Government's 40.5% stake in Telkom and what should happen to it; • The road to digital migration and whether there is still a need for terrestrial television in 2024; • 2G and 3G switch-off in South Africa and whether this should be mandated by the government; and • The legislative programme for the department of communications & digital technologies. Don't miss the interview! TechCentral

South African scientists have launched a cost-effective air-quality monitoring system built using internet of things and artificial intelligence technologies. Bruce Mellado, professor of particle physics and director of the Institute for Collider Particle Physics at Wits University, is one of the key people behind the new initiative, which is aimed at improving air quality in South Africa and eventually other markets around the world. He recently joined Duncan McLeod on the TechCentral Show to discuss the project. Mellado, who also director at the iThemba Laboratories for Accelerator Based Sciences – a unit of South Africa's National Research Foundation – takes TechCentral through the devices, how they were built and how they're being deployed in South Africa to detect reportable problems with air quality. “We decided to create, for the first time in South Africa, a cost-effective air-quality monitoring system based on sensors, IoT and AI. We have named this system Ai_r.,” Mellado wrote in a recent article for The Conversation and published on TechCentral. “Our team of 25 people includes more than 20 years of experience as particle physicists in working with sensors, communications and AI,” he wrote. “There are only 130 big air-quality measuring stations in South Africa. They only measure the air quality in the vicinity of the station. This is why we need cost-effective, dense networks made up of Ai_r systems set up all around these stations, to measure air quality in a much wider area. Our vision is to place tens of thousands of these devices all over South Africa.” In this episode of TCS, Mellado chats about: • The latest developments in particle physics, some of the work he is involved in and how a particle physicist got involved in an air-quality monitoring project; • Where the idea for the Ai_r device came from, its development and how it works; • The role of IoT and AI in the device, and why the development team made the technology choices it did; • The data that's been collected so far, and what it can be used for; • How much the solution costs, and how you can buy one to monitor your air quality at home. Don't miss a great conversation! TechCentral

Jorge Mendes has been in the hot seat at Cell C for just over a year, and the turnaround at the long-troubled mobile operator is starting to gain traction. In this episode of the TechCentral Show (TCS), Mendes sits down with TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod for a detailed interview in which he provides an update on what's happened in the past year at Cell C, paints of a picture of the state of the business today, and sets out what comes next for the mobile operator. To signal the management team's intentions, and to declare the business is on a new strategic footing and is in the market for the long term, Cell C recently refreshed its brand identity and signalled its intention to take back market share from its bigger rivals. In this episode of TCS, Mendes tackles a range of questions, including: • Why he left what seemed to be a plum job at Vodacom to take on the difficult challenge of turning around Cell C; • What went through his mind in the first few days on the job; • Cell C's plan to recapture the title of third largest mobile operator from Telkom – and to take the fight to MTN and Vodacom; • Why Cell C has struggled to compete, how it accumulated huge amounts of debt and why the new strategy is its best but last chance of success; • The state of Cell C's finances – and especially its balance sheet – following the recent recapitalisation led by its largest shareholder, Blue Label Telecoms; • His relationship with Blue Label founders and co-CEOs Brett Levy and Mark Levy; • The role of regulatory support, especially in call termination; • Why Cell C handed back the spectrum it secured in the 2022 spectrum auction, and its plans for participation in future auctions; • The role of mobile virtual network operators and wholesale services in Cell C's recovery plan; and • Cell C's strategy to capture more of the lucrative contract market. There's plenty more in the interview with Mendes – don't miss the conversation! TechCentral

Ray White speaks to Duncan McLeod about SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service awaiting regulatory approval in South Africa.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duncan Mcleod of TechCentral explains the US federal judge ruling that Google had violated antitrust laws. Google has disputed the ruling. What now?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TechCentral editor Duncan Mcleod reacts to new DCDT minister and what the GNU cabinet means for the comms and digi sector.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duncan McLeod, the founder and editor of the tech news website TechCentral, joins John Maytham on the Afternoon Drive show to share insights on the Tech world As Apple prepares to integrate artificial intelligence into its new phonesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Old Mutual Chief Group Economist Johann Els and Bruce Whitfield delve into the latest gross domestic product figures that showed 0.1% contraction in the first quarter of 2024 - which was worse than economists expected. 2024 was off to a disastrous start, with local consumer demand weak and mining output shrinking by 2.3 percentage points. Platinum group metals, coal, gold and manganese ore were the worst performers. Dr Rutendo Hwindingwi, Founding Director at Tribe Africa advisory & author of Rumble in the Jungle Reloaded, joins Bruce Whitfield to delve into the latest developments shaping business narratives across the African continent. Warren Ingram, co-founder of Galileo Capital and a personal finance expert, together with Bruce Whitfield, explores strategies for safeguarding against market panic. Stock market and currency volatility are inevitable for investors. However, significant events like elections or market crashes can exacerbate this volatility, turning the market's ups and downs into a wild rollercoaster ride with stomach-churning drops.  Bruce Whitfield is joined by Duncan McLeod, Founder and Editor at TechCentral, to provide more insight into the Canal+ R30bn bid for MultiChoice. An independent board set up by MultiChoice has determined that the R125 per share offer by French media giant Canal+ is “fair and reasonable” to shareholders of SA's video entertainment group. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bruce Whitfield is joined by Duncan McLeod, Founder and Editor at TechCentral, to provide more insight into the Canal+ R30bn bid for MultiChoice. An independent board set up by MultiChoice has determined that the R125 per share offer by French media giant Canal+ is “fair and reasonable” to shareholders of SA's video entertainment group.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duncan McLeod, founder and editor at Techcentral on MTN Group's Nigerian arm facing hurdles with losses reported in Q1 2024 due to inflation and currency devaluation. Regulatory pressures slow subscriber growth. Despite challenges, MTN Nigeria remains resilient, focusing on strategic initiatives to address its negative capital position.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duncan McLeod, the founder and editor of Techcentral, joins host Bruce Whitfield to examine the interim relief granted to eMedia by the Competition Tribunal in its dispute with MultiChoice regarding sublicensed sports on Openview.   The Constitutional Court's pivotal ruling in favour of Capitec Bank on VAT recovery from irrecoverable loans clarifies the VAT act's interpretation, providing banking sector certainty. This decision's implications will ripple through tax authorities and vendors as they adapt to the court's principles. Charles De Wet, Tax Executive at ENSAfrica explains the nuances…   Watch enthusiast Adriaan Rootman, talks about his love for timepieces and how he makes a living from selling them. Rootman's fascination with watches began as a child witnessing how his father treated his own wristwatch. He details how he was able to turn his passion into a business…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duncan McLeod, the Founder and Editor of Techcentral, joins host Bruce Whitfield to examine the interim relief granted to eMedia by the Competition Tribunal in its dispute with MultiChoice regarding sublicensed sports on Openview.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duncan McLeod, Founder and Editor at Techcentral, discusses Canal+'s firm offer for MultiChoice, the owner of DStv, considering a secondary listing on the JSE.   Evan Walker, Portfolio Manager at 36ONE Asset Management, engages in a discussion with Motheo Khoaripe about the implications of the groundbreaking retail collaboration between the Shoprite Group and other major retailers, as they unveil the W23 Global Venture Fund   Muhammad Docrat, a Portfolio Specialist at Ninety One Asset Management, analyses  the rising probability of oil prices reaching $100, attributing it to supply shocks disrupting the market. These disruptions are creating turmoil in the oil market, necessitating a deeper examination of the factors influencing supply dynamics   Ian Mann, a regular book reviewer and MD at Gateways Business, along with Motheo Khoaripe, reviewed Morgan Housel's "Same as Ever: A Guide to What Never Changes." The book delves into timeless principles shaping human behavior, economics, and decision-making. It likely offers accessible insights into navigating uncertainty in finance and life, drawing on historical examples and psychological truths. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duncan McLeod, Founder and Editor at Techcentral, along with Motheo Khoaripe, discuss Canal+'s firm offer for MultiChoice, the owner of DStv, considering a secondary listing on the JSE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We spoke with Jowie Mulaudzi, CEO of the Ports Regulator of South Africa, about the National Ports Authority's request for tariff hikes, despite ongoing efficiency challenges at the ports.   Duncan McLeod, founder and editor of TechCentral, discussed the dramatic 60% plunge in Ellies's stock, following the announcement of its planned entry into business rescue. Our featured shapeshifter was Jonathan Oppenheimer, a prominent South African businessman and conservationist. As the executive chairman of Oppenheimer Generations, Jonathan is deeply involved in various facets of his family's private, commercial, and thought leadership endeavors. He joined us to share insights into these diverse activities.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I've known Duncan for many years now and he's definitely one of the good guys. We first met when I was commissioned to write a piece for The World of Interiors about the amazing home in west London he shares with his wife, Lyndsay Milne McLeod, and their son, Oban. Duncan's kindly invited me back to the house to record this episode. He tells me about how growing up on building sites brought him close to his father, the importance of magic in architecture and why he believes you should always design a house as if you're playing hide-and-seek in it. Duncan certainly isn't the first guest to shed a tear or two on this podcast and I think this is a really lovely, heartfelt conversation.For more:Check out Studio McLeod's latest workVisit our website for images of places discussed, and to read our interview with Duncan McLeodSign up to The Modern House newsletter for weekly interiors inspirationProduction: Hannah PhillipsEditing and mixing: Oscar CrawfordGraphic Design: Tom YoungMusic: Father Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duncan McLeod, Founder and Editor at Techcentral analyses news of the  Competition Watchdog ordering Takealot to make massive changes to ease competition.   Luke Kannemeyer, Managing Director at Sweepsouth discusses the latest report that show that Inflation, blackouts and brain drain leads to massive domestic worker job losses and debt while close to 70% are not UIF registered. Amelia Beattie,  CEO at Liberty Two Degrees take through the company half-year results See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Natascha Viljoen, CEO of Anglo American Platinum on their half year results.    Duncan McLeod, founder and Editor at Techcentral on Elon Musk dropping the bird logo on Twitter, replacing it with X .   On How I Make Money, we spoke to Lerato Mokonyane, private chef, on how she makes her livelihood through her love of food.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a movie called The Mission from 1986 with Robert De Niro, where two different approaches are taken to meet the natives and bring the message of Christ. In the first attempt, a priest played by De Niro tries the sales approach and in his heavy handed messaging, he irritates the people, gets tied to a cross, thrown into a river, and sent over a waterfall. Then the second man, Jeremy Irons, comes and plays his oboe. That's all he does. A beautiful song, simple in its melody, softly plays in the jungle - a song never heard by the people before. The music intrigues the people, and even though they smash his oboe, they don't smash his face. They take him into their village. The beauty of the song breaks down a wall. And suddenly there is an inroad to friendship, and more importantly, into the life of Christ, because it was beauty, not a sales pitch, that led to interest, and ultimately, a relationship. And beauty is how you bring the message of Jesus Christ to people. It is the beauty of the story, of the person and living God that he is, of who he is, what he is - that's what needs to be shared, and it can't be shared in a sales pitch. The feeling that a sales approach gives is this: “Oh, so I am just a project to you? A notch in your belt? A credit for your way to heaven?” It's the same feeling of the Verizon salesman pushing unwanted products when you just want your phone fixed. Evangelism that feels like a one-night stand only lasts as long as a one-nighter. There's no beauty, and there's no relationship. It's just a temporary feel-good, like eating pixie stix.This is what hurts more than saves: “Did you really just pretend to be friendly just to make me convert?” It feels dirty. It makes me want to run. Conversion can't be treated like the old Highlander TV show, where Duncan McLeod slays his enemy and then he takes on their power. There is no sales commission or power gained if you convert someone to understand that Jesus is God. We are to preach the Gospel and “heal the sick,” and much of healing comes from befriending people - as in real befriending. Becoming friends means having no ulterior motives, no commission, no bonus. Becoming friends does not mean hoping they will be baptized and then you move on. This has the relationship depth of a star football player at a college frat party ranging over the drunk and willing freshmen. Virtuous and real friendship requires the gift of self with no motives of a kickback. (Not coincidentally, this is exactly how we should approach God and the Mass.) An ulterior motive gets outed quickly if you are only becoming friends with the hopes of converting a person, and then it feels like one party got duped into that one-nighter. Flattery and a few free drinks might get someone laid, but it doesn't get them love. There's no substance to it. There's nothing underneath it. Conversion by trickery or strategy of any kind is not what God asks us to do. Did Jesus do any of that? I read the Gospel often and I don't see him tricking anyone. I see relationships forming and lasting, or if not lasting, an authentic experience happens where sin is outed and transformation begins. In fact, I always see that Jesus is non-competitive, non-gimmicky, but he challenges them at the same time - and that authentic challenge what attracts people to him. He's not acting like a salesman, asking about someone's mother just to establish rapport. Nor is he playing the game of the Romans, who go out and conquer people by the sword and then spin propaganda, crafting a message about how they brought “peace” to all that they threatened. Jesus doesn't play the stupid games that we do. He isn't a salesman. He's not a bully or a genie either. He's authentic. And that is what we are absolutely dying to find. Something real. Something beautiful that is just offered for his own sake. Something and someone who isn't selling is what we want. And we want more than just something free, like free beer, we want beauty that touches our soul. In America, our idols known of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” pretend to give us this, but in this pursuit, we turn everything being into a sale, from sports to healthcare to news. Even religion becomes a sale with the prosperity Gospel and therapeutic Deism. Loving Jesus doesn't need to be cool. It's not supposed to be, until you suddenly understand who he is. Then he's way cooler than anything you've ever known or seen. Which is why he is cool. He's cool because he's not trying to be cool, he just is a living witness of how beautiful life can be, even when sin makes it ugly. This is why the Woman at the Well story, and Peter's “drop the nets” moment, and saint stories like those of St. Augustine and St. Teresa of Avila (and all the rest) make us step back and look at our own lives. We wonder what happened when those people met Jesus as the living God. And until it happens to you, it will seem fishy, suspicious, and too good to be true, because we are accustomed to being sold and told lies. This is why attempts to make Christianity cool come off so badly to me. Most Christian music and evangelization feels forced. It's the Robert De Niro kind of forced-feeding versus Jeremy Irons playing the oboe. Recall that people didn't want to kill Jesus for being cool. No, he rejected all that the world considered cool. The world's fads of money and power bored Jesus. It was for this very fact that they hated him. He didn't want what everyone else thought gave their lives meaning. The real threat of Jesus to the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Romans was not that he was becoming popular. It's that he inverted their whole world and made a mockery of their earthly wants and desires. Power, money, pleasure - he needed none of it. While everyone is trying so hard to be cool, Jesus is just praying and being friends with people. No concert needed, no TED style talks, no cultural hooks like hot-monogamy, no parades, nothing but being himself. Being a follower of Jesus is not meant to be cool. It's meant to make you conform your life to Christ, know you are a sinner, take up your cross, and very likely be reviled by the culture, and after all that still be joyful enough to give away money to the church and the poor. See, it doesn't make sense, does it? But it does make sense. Once you turn into the light, you can see all of it. The world is suddenly illuminated. It's not supposed to be cool. It's supposed to be beautiful.You want to follow him, because Truth is beautiful, and then you don't really care about how it looks to the world. However, the wrong kind of friendship, the salesperson kind, is not going to bring the sheep back to the fold. It's the same result as chasing sheep with a fiery torch. Hellfire scare tactics don't work, and nor do sugary friendships, nor does flirty bait-dating. People are dying to find something authentic. And here's the kicker: once they find Jesus to be authentic and follow him, they can no longer die. A religion that enters into competition has to sell itself to win, and the moment that begins, it's a product and no longer a way of life. The moment that selling begins, it is no longer Christianity. Evangelization is not about selling. It's about complete transformation. If selling is required, then it needs a story, and how tempting it can be to craft a story around a product, just a wee bit here and there, and then pretend that the product matches a story instead of the product matching reality. The extreme push of corporations to sell mindfulness products today has the same rank odor on it that the door-to-door Jehovah's Witnesses and beach evangelizers at spring break always had. I have walked into many customer-facing situations where the story told by the salesperson did not match the reality of what the product could do. When reality can't live up to a sales and marketing story, the jig is up. These are what you call “difficult conversations” where you have to explain, as nicely as possible, that the salesperson was lying, or at least committing certain sins of omission by not volunteering accurate information. However, a sales story that matches reality can be seen in the proof of the product. It can be seen in the continued used of the product. It can be heard in testimonies of those using the product. It can be seen in things built using the product. Proof of use and effectiveness can be seen and heard across the world for something that really works. Like for example, the Old and New Cathedrals of Salamanca, Notre Dame, St. Patrick's Cathedral, St. Peter square, St. Paul's cathedral, and a million small churches. Like works of art and literature and songs and stories of saints. These are beautiful things, created in homage to a savior that heals. When I hear “Gentle Woman” and “Ave Maria” and “Immaculate Mary” every year in December on the holy day of Immaculate Conception, I have to sit in the back row because it brings tears to my eyes. It's just so beautiful. I can hardly take it. I recall this happening with other songs, where the beauty penetrates so deeply that I can hardly stand it, as if my heart could be broken and healed in three minutes. It has happened to me with “No Woman, No Cry” from Bob Marley and the Wailers. The same with Andrea Bocelli's “Con te Partiro.” Surely we all have songs that can cut us deeply and bring tears of sadness or joy. To hear the songs in Church, however, about Mary and Jesus, is still different because the Mother of God and God Incarnate are the ultimate healers. Every December, or whenever the Marian songs are sung, I can know the beauty and goodness of the Blessed Virgin Mary through song, through the glorious gift of music that God gave to some people. We all have gifts, but musicians have one of the most beautiful ones and they can share it with us to lift us up, just like the birds of the morning who call to one another from the trees, as if God is saying to the world through these amazing creatures, “Good morning.”Birds aren't selling their song. They are offering it up. They are giving their song to the world. They are using the gift that God gave them to reveal the beauty of all creation. In other words, Creation is a product I can believe in, because I can see it, and it's beautiful. An account manager with steady customers who believe in a product are a far more steady stream of income than customers that were tricked into purchase orders and contracts by a charismatic salesman. God isn't a salesman. The tricks we play on people aren't needed with real beauty. The cute smile, the witty rejoinder, the steak dinner, the sleek demo, the free stuff - shirts and pens and mouse pads and all the other crap salespeople unload on customers as if they were kids at parade - none of that sustains trust if the underlying product doesn't work or isn't authentic. A huge backlash is happening right now in the post-Vatican II liturgy that tried to “modernize” the Catholic Mass to keep up with the trendy ways of the world. This was a mistake that may slowly be corrected. It's become increasingly clear to all that the irreverent productions were attempts by Catholics to compete with Protestant services. But once your faith tries to be cool, it's dying. Who would want it, when it's entertainment, because like every show or product that needs a lot of marketing to keep it going, it's not really needed. Beauty doesn't need to compete. Faith cannot win in the space of entertainment, because it's more than entertainment. Because it is not made for that space. That space is the complete opposite of what faith and the Mass is about. We have football stadiums and rock shows and music festivals and strip joints and TED Talks and drive-in movie theaters. All of those are more “fun” than Catholic Mass, but they are all selling something completely different. And none of those things last, as sports leagues come and go, bands break up, music festivals peter out, strip joints get condemned, and TED Talks is on its last days. Drive in movie theaters are barely hanging on. There are a thousand and one options for entertainment which all come and go over the decades. Even Elvis, the King, and the Beatles, will be but a blip in a history book soon. They are completely in the rear-view mirror already. Given our short attention span that moves on from one form of entertainment to another, this makes the fact that a Church could be the dominant and lasting centerpiece of life for 2,000 years rather mind-blowing. True, there wasn't the option of NFL football games and music festivals and Burning Man. But those things that draw millions of worshippers today will be long gone before the Church is gone. Why? How did it hang on for so long? It's not like the Catholic Church was the only religion in existence. Why didn't one of the other “religions” of the ages before Christianity rise up to replace it? After all, if it was so obviously a bunch of false superstitions of fearful farmers, then why couldn't something other than Christianity have swept it away? This is a question that doesn't get asked out loud. The answer is they haven't replaced Christ because…they are not beautiful. Christ's music makes life sing. He is the way, the healer, the maker of all music, the one who makes the invisible be visible. The reason we love art and music and stories is the same reason we love Jesus, and the reason is because we see the beauty of all creation in him: Jesus said to Thomas, "I am the way and the truth and the life.No one comes to the Father except through me.If you know me, then you will also know my Father.From now on you do know him and have seen him." (Jn 14:6-14)Once you hear the music of the original reasons to believe, it begins to make sense. All of the clanging gongs and noise are trying to convert you by beating you over the head, and many Catholics have tried the approach of Robert De Niro in The Mission. For those approaches that used guilt and ugliness, the Church was thrown in the river and sent downstream. And now is the time where we can hear the oboe finally, now that we've heard enough of the noise, so that we can be curious enough to take a second look. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.whydidpetersink.com

Guest: Tech Central's founder/editor Duncan McLeod, surrounding South Africa's struggling digital migration underway.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.