EY-Parthenon Real-World Strategy Dialogues – Telkom’s Dr Mmaki Jantjies on driving innovation in an evolving digital age

In the fourth episode of EY-Parthenon’s Real-World Strategy Dialogues – a podcast series by EY-Parthenon – Dr Mmaki Jantjies, Group Executive for Innovation and Transformation at Telkom South Africa, discusses how they plan for an ever-evolving business environment.

Dr Jantjies is an experienced executive who is responsible for driving strategic growth through R&D and innovation initiatives at Telkom.

She holds a PhD in Computer Sciences from the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom and is an adjunct Associate Professor of Information Systems at the University of the Western Cape.

Dr Jantjies was also South Africa’s representative to the W20 in the G20, focusing on the digital inclusion of women.

She is an NRF South African rated scientist, a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, and a member of the South Africa Young Academy of Scientists.

The interview

In this interview, Dr Jantjies discusses how she approaches South Africa’s ever-evolving and often unpredictable business landscape.

She explains that the evolution of AI has become a huge opportunity for businesses like Telkom, and her team has embraced the latest AI innovations to better serve Telkom customers.

Dr Jantjies then discusses how Telkom has invested heavily in R&D and talent development – including through partnerships with South African universities – as part of its commitment to remaining a key player in the country’s socio-economic transformation efforts.

She speaks about the key strategic imperatives that Telkom has prioritised to continue being successful in South Africa, too,  and their strong commitment to giving employees more opportunities to thrive.

Dr Jantjies concludes the interview by revealing her guiding principles and strategies for navigating the significant responsibility of her role at Telkom.

Watch the full interview with Dr Mmaki Jantjies below.