Standard Bank SME Summit 2024

Project Description

Powering SMEs’ Future: Embracing Digital Enablement

The 2024 Standard Bank SME Summit in partnership with Business Day explored strategies and innovations aimed at levelling the digital playing field for South African SMEs. Through insightful discussions, expert panels, and practical workshops, we addressed the critical barriers to digital enablement and uncovered pathways to empower SMEs to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Click here to learn more about the Standard Bank SME Summit.

Gugulethu Mfuphi

MC and moderator

Gugulethu Mfuphi

Gugulethu is an award-winning broadcaster and a well-versed orator, with plenty of experience in front of the cameras, behind the microphone and addressing many diverse audiences. This skill, together with her sound grasp of the financial markets, economic data and current affairs and the impact this has on the business community, makes her the perfect candidate to speak to industry analysts, political leaders, and c-suite executives from across the African continent. She is currently the presenter of Kaya FM’s prime time, award-winning business show, Kaya Bizz. She has served as a conference chair, moderator and programme director at various industry gatherings that impact the business and investment landscape, including facilitating the second annual South Africa Investment Conference in 2019, hosted by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Deenash Pillay

Head of Small and Medium Enterprises South Africa

Standard Bank

Deenash Pillay

Mr Deenash Pillay is currently the Head of Small and Medium Enterprises South Africa at Standard Bank of South Africa. He is a servant leader and a seasoned banker with a career spanning over 30 years in the banking sector. Some of his previous roles include being the Head Small Enterprises Enablement, Senior Manager Small Enterprises, Franchising & Enterprise Development and Regional Manager, etc. Having occupied various senior roles in banking, he attributes his success to the engaged teams that he led, the employment of analytical insights, stewardship, ability to lead multidisciplinary teams in an Agile set-up, the innovation flare to solutions for small business growth. He is also passionate about implementing best practices to ensure operational excellence in the dynamic financial sector. His enabling educational background includes a Management Development Programme qualification and a BCom Degree in Retail Management through University of South Africa. In his personal capacity, Deenash is a devoted family man who enjoys spending quality time with his wife and kids, and a sport enthusiast with interest in Cricket, Rugby, and Soccer.

Makgosi Mabaso

Managing Executive: Consumer & Business Broadband Solutions

Telkom Business

Makgosi Mabaso

Makgosi, a seasoned tech professional with nearly two decades of experience, harbours a deep-rooted passion for technology, particularly in the telco sector. Despite diversifying into industries like Insurance and IT reseller, she finds telco’s intricacies most compelling. Her journey includes pivotal roles such as CIO at Faritec and IT Strategy Executive, before shifting gears to commercial roles.

Notably, she served as Chief of Staff at Telkom Group, offering strategic counsel to the GCEO and currently as Managing Executive for Telkom Business and Home Solutions. Makgosi remains dedicated to fostering leadership and empowering women through coaching and mentorship, leveraging her extensive corporate insights.

Norman Nyawo

Head of Merchant Solutions

Standard Bank South Africa

Norman Nyawo

Norman is a seasoned expert in the Card Payments industry with over 14 years of experience. Norman has a deep understanding of the Payments Ecosystem, with an expertise in Card Issuing and Acquiring, Payment Processing and Product Development in this space. Throughout his career, Norman has developed a solid reputation of driving innovation, building strategic partnerships, and delivering results-driven solutions for Merchant Solutions. Currently Norman serves as the Head of Merchant Solutions for Standard Bank South Africa.

Yaeesh Moosa

Head of Marketplace

Takealot.com

Yaeesh Moosa

Yaeesh Moosa is the Head of Marketplace at takealot.com, South Africa’s leading online retailer. With a foundational background in engineering and industrial process design, Yaeesh has specialized in eCommerce, particularly in marketplace dynamics, for the past 5 years. His focus on developing exceptional seller experiences has been pivotal in enhancing the platform’s user engagement and satisfaction. Yaeesh’s unique blend of technical expertise and digital commerce acumen makes him a valuable contributor to discussions on the evolution of online marketplaces.

Tshepo Magoma

Country Director

Centre of Business and Entrepreneurship Development (CBED)

Tshepo Magoma

Mr. Magoma serves as the Country Director for the Centre of Business and Entrepreneurship Development (CBED) which was triggered by the need to empower Africans for Africa’s sustainable growth and development through entrepreneurship training. He is extremely interested in the opportunities that the continent’s digitization is bringing about and specializes in disruptive innovation and 4IR. He is an advocate for youth entrepreneurship and has worked widely in the NGO sector across Africa. He has also been a speaker, facilitator, and panelist at many local and international events, including the African Union, European Identity Week, Africa Research Group, The Innovation Hub, ISPA iWeek, and the World Youth Forum in Egypt. He consults with various organizations, largely driven by his expertise and experience working in African small and medium enterprises, specifically the social enterprise sector.

Talifhani Banks

Group CEO

Analytics X

Talifhani Banks

Talifhani Banks studied Statistics at the University of Pretoria and has worked for Massmart, Pick n Pay, Grohe, and Autozone before going full-time into entrepreneurship.

In 2017, Talifhani started Analytics Advertising with the aim of helping large entities manage Cloud, Data, and Software. In 2020, Talifhani saw an opportunity to develop a platform that would connect communities through their own cuisines, grocery products, and fresh produce.

After conducting research and development for Spaza Eats, the company launched in 2023. It has now been a year since the launch, and they are growing rapidly.

They are currently operating in Gauteng, Cape Town, Durban, and key areas in Limpopo, Eastern Cape, Free State, and Northwest.

Talifhani likes to think of himself as innovative, strategic, and analytical in his decision-making.

Nazareen Ebrahim

Founder/CEO

Naz Consulting International

Nazareen Ebrahim

Nazareen Ebrahim, a visionary in media, technology, and communications, boasts 20 years of unparalleled expertise. At the helm of Naz Consulting International, she pioneers the future of business with cutting-edge AI tools to revolutionize productivity and marketing. As the AI Ethics Lead at Socially Acceptable, Nazareen champions the cause of responsible digital citizenship through her extensive public education efforts. Additionally, as a director of the Minara Chamber of Commerce, she spearheads technology and PR strategies, solidifying her status as a distinguished leader in the industry. She is also an advisory board member at the South African AI Association.

Nomsa Nteleko

Chief Executive Officer, OS Holdings and Chief Commercial Officer

Amathuba AI

Nomsa Nteleko

OS is an award-winning technology firm that specializes in business, ERP, internal controls and financial management systems. I have developed a management team that strives to ensure that OS Holdings is a leader in the industry. We have a culture of excellence, growth, innovation and education; this is to keep abreast with the technology changes and ensure that we become the trusted advisor to our clients.

Gregory Lee

Associate Professor

Wits Business School

Gregory Lee

Dr. Gregory Lee is a digital transformation expert, with a specific focus on the transformation of work and workplaces through robotic process automation and analytics. He has co-published and edited a great number of books on the general topic of digital business, as seen below. Greg is also a leading figure in analytics, including big data analytics, for HRM and talent functions. Greg is a member of the Digital Business team at Wits Business School.

Aside from digital business, Greg has written seminal books on the topic of analytics in HRM (HR Metrics: Strategic and Quantitative Tools for People Management, Knowledge Resources), business analytics and data (Business Statistics Made Easy in SAS, SAS Institute), and organisational design, development and people management (Designing Organisations for People-Led Sustainable Competitiveness, Silk Route Press).

Greg has founded the run several entrepreneurial ventures including an analytics firm specialising in workforce analytics, an ecommerce venture and a technology consultancy focusing on automation.

He has published in top academic journals such as Human Resource Management Journal, the European Journal of Operational Research, International Journal of HRM, & many others.

Palesa Nombula

Data Scientist

Sasol

Palesa Nombula

Palesa Nombula is an accomplished professional with a robust background in astrophysics, complemented by over seven years of experience in machine learning, data analytics, digitalisation and artificial intelligence. Her exemplary work in these fields has garnered multiple academic awards and recognition as one of the top 200 Mail & Guardian Young South Africans in 2020. Additionally, she is celebrated as one of the Inspiring Fifty Women in South Africa for her significant contributions to STEM, inspiring the next generation of innovators and scientists.

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