BBQ sat down with Managing Executive of Public Enterprise at Vodacom Business, Poppy Tshabalala to discuss her current role and some of her successes to date.
Tshabalala is an experienced ICT Executive with a demonstrated history of great leadership in the ICT industry. She is a proven ICT and Business Strategist, a highly recognised Digital Transformation specialist, Consulting and Sales expert across Government in Telecommunications and Higher Education.
Tshabalala has a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Computer Science degree from UCT and a Master of Science (MSc) in Engineering Business Management from Warwick University. Over the course of her career she has held senior executive positions in the Public and Private sector. These range from Accenture, Eskom, Limpopo Department of Roads and Transport, Small Enterprise Development Agency (seda), Department of Trade and Industry, Microsoft as well as UNISA. The mother of two has also served in prominent positions. She served at the board of the Road Agency Limpopo and Chaired an ICT Steering Committee at the Department of Science and Technology. Furthermore, Tshabalala was also on the Audit Committee of the National Credit Regulator and a board member of TENET, an agency of Higher Education Technology Network. Currently she is a member of WITS ICT Committee of Council.
Vodacom Business
With her vast experience through so many sectors, Tshabalala was perfectly placed to lead Vodacom Business. When quizzed about her current role and what the scope of it is, Tshabalala says. “The Vodacom Business Public Enterprises Sales spans across all three spheres of Government (National, Provincial and Local), inclusive of all Agencies and State Owned Entities in the country.
“Vodacom Business is intentional in partnering with Public Sector business on the digitalisation journey. There is a designed alignment of Vodacom solutions to the needs of the Government. The results of where these solutions are implemented proves that there is a higher need for additional time and resources by Vodacom Business to invest in the Public Sector for maximum impact to Government on this journey.” There have already been some notable successes in Vodacom Business’ interactions with the government. According to Tshabalala this is because Vodacom has a deep understanding of the complexities, challenges and very specific mandates of government departments.
MySAPS App
The MySAPS app connects communities in a collective effort in the fight against crime. Since the launch of the app in 2019, the SAPS has received 6 700 tip-offs from community members.
Mpilo App
Vodacom Business supported the Department of Health’s objective of creating the Mpilo app, an interactive mobile communication platform aimed at strengthening the patient-care experience across Gauteng health facilities.
Stock Visibility Solution
By using Vodacom’s Stock Visibility Solution, the Department of Health can now monitor critical supply chains and stock levels of vaccines across 4 100 clinics in the country.
Smart Electricity Metering
Vodacom Business’s Smart Electricity Metering system was well received with 63 000 meters installed over three years in various parts of the country, improving revenue collection and bill verification from bulk suppliers. On top of that, “Vodacom has been an integral part of the government’s Provincial election process, working closely with the IEC on implementing a voters technology solution that was a first in the country,” says Tshabalala. In no small way does this demonstrate just how strong the partnership is between Vodacom Business and the government. It is a partnership, Tshabalala says they are proud of.
That is not where it stops for Tshabalala or Vodacom Business as they have also upgraded the Education Department’s eAdmission system to help with efficiency and best user experience. “In 2022,” Tshabalala says, “we partnered with the Department of Basic Education in rolling out our Virtual Classroom solution into various rural area schools across three provinces. “With quality education and digital literacy as the cornerstones of a future-ready nation, these partnerships are essential to our country’s future economic prosperity. Vodacom Business is proud to play part in this important ecosystem”
Future
Looking forward, Tshabalala says that while they are proud of what they have achieved with the government to date, she is very excited about what the future holds. “When we bring our collective capabilities and desire to do even better for South Africans together, we can move the country forward. Our long-standing partnership with the government means that over the years, we have acquired knowledge and experience within the public sector. We are proof that when humanity and technology work as one, we all go further together,” muses Tshabalala. Historical challenges have made it difficult for municipalities to stay on top of everything given the digital divide. Tshabalala hopes that the SmartCitizen Mobile App and other new technologies can assist municipalities, and provide a high level of transparency and accountability when it comes to providing fast reports on damages, leaks or breakdowns.
Lessons
Given Tshabalala’s vast experience and expertise in a number of industries, we thought it apt to speak about the lessons she has learned along the way. Looking back, Tshabalala feels the industry can certainly do with more women to offer fresh perspectives and value. “As a woman – and as all women should do – we must support, nurture, and empower the women in technology and constantly find ways to increase female representation, improving diversity and championing equality. As executives, we must open doors the way doors have been opened for us. Women are the largest untapped reservoir of talent in the world.”
Conclusion
Tshabalala’s career has taken several twists along the way. As discussed earlier, she has held high profile positions in the public sector for most of her career, but why now the private sector? “It looks like my career path was engineered for me to end up in Sales, after all. In my current role, all the companies in the Public Sector I worked for, are now my customers. The main reason for me to leave the Public Sector was to prove that the foundation of Government experience in ICT has equipped me to influence provision of relevant and impactful solutions and services as a service provider to the State. “Having been at senior levels in Provincial and National Government Departments as Chief of ICT, makes it easy for me to position and sell Vodacom products/solutions to the State, especially the beyond mobile ICT Solutions,” concludes Tshabalala.
Poppy Tshabalala
