Organisation

Protect Your Business Operations

Posted on 10 March 2026 by Vivienne Fouche

…with Cybersecurity Measures and Real-time Backups

Remember the Transnet cyberattacks of July 2021? They brought huge parts of the country’s supply chains to a standstill for weeks and were a grim reminder of the damage that a cybersecurity breach can cause, not only to a company, but to a country itself. The fact that such a level of disruption can take place at a national level is a stark reminder of how critically important cybersecurity is today, for larger and smaller businesses alike.

Transnet – the nation’s ports, rail and pipelines operator – became a victim of a huge ransomware attack on 22 July 2021, which took offline its IT system, several of its websites and its vital container terminal operating system. Trucks backed up outside Durban harbour on land while ships did the same at sea, as turnaround times to collect or offload containers turned from hours into days because of the manual processes that had to be implemented.

Finally, four days later on 26 July, the company was forced to throw in the towel, and Transnet Port Terminals sent a letter declaring ‘force majeure’ – because of ‘an act of cyberattack, security intrusion and sabotage’ – at several key container terminals, including the Ports of Durban, Ngqura, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. Under international law, force majeure refers to an irresistible force or unforeseen event beyond the control of a state, making it materially impossible to fulfil an international obligation.

Protect operations with cybersecurity measures and real-time backups — Ships at the Port of Durban

For South African businesses and the country itself, this was a further disaster for the economy, coming on the back of the COVID-19 global pandemic in 2020 and the wave of civil unrest that had taken place in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng earlier that month.

We take a closer look at the importance of implementing cybersecurity measures, including real-time back-ups, to help organisations keep their operations running during major disruptions.

Like the Boy Scouts Always Said: ‘Be Prepared!’

Whether it’s a cyberattack, natural disaster, system failure or even human error, organisations must always be prepared to respond and recover, fast. A business that isn’t prepared will risk prolonged downtime, financial losses and reputational damage – all of which happened in the Transnet cyberattack

Cybersecurity measures will help to protect against attacks before they can happen, using immutable backups as well as secure vaults to recover from ransomware. Real-time backups and replication use technologies to ensure minimal data loss.

The benefits of enhanced business resilience include minimising downtime and thus preventing financial losses; protecting your business’s reputation, which helps to maintain customer confidence and ensure future customers; and meeting regulatory compliance requirements, both legal and industry-specific.

Unexpected disruptions can bring businesses to a standstill at any time, with no warning. While global pandemics and civil unrest obviously remain out of the control of business, implementing effective cybersecurity measures, including real-time backups, can keep businesses of all sizes still running during major disruptions.

Organisations that fail to implement these measures face severe risks. We just have to think back to late July 2021 to be reminded of the importance being able to keep operations running during cyberattacks – for businesses of all sizes. ‘Too big to fail’ is not an effective security strategy.

Vox offers cybersecurity solutions to assist our business clients in protecting their systems and processes, and their data – click here to find out more about our offerings.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are real‑time backups and how do they keep operations running during a cyberattack?
Real‑time backups capture and replicate data continuously or at very short intervals so the most recent data is available for recovery. During a cyberattack—especially ransomware—real‑time backups reduce data loss and speed up recovery, helping operations resume faster. For managed real‑time replication, speak to Vox about our Real‑time Backup & Replication solutions.

How do immutable backups protect against ransomware?
Immutable backups are write‑once, read‑many copies that cannot be altered or deleted by attackers, ensuring a clean copy of your data is always available for restoration. Pairing immutable backups with secure vaulting is a best practice for resilient ransomware recovery—Vox’s Immutable Backup Vaults can be configured to meet regulatory and business requirements.

Are backups alone enough to ensure business continuity?
Backups are essential but not sufficient alone. Effective business continuity combines preventive cybersecurity measures (patching, endpoint protection, network security), incident response plans, and tested disaster recovery procedures alongside backups.

Are real‑time backups suitable for small and medium enterprises in South Africa?
Yes. SMEs benefit from real‑time replication and managed backup services because they minimise data loss and avoid prolonged downtime without the need for large in‑house teams. Vox offers scalable backup and managed security services tailored to SME budgets and compliance needs.

What is a secure vault and why is it important for backup strategy?
A secure vault is an isolated, protected storage location, often with immutability and strict access controls, designed to keep backup copies safe from unauthorised changes or deletions. Secure vaulting prevents attackers from destroying backups as part of an attack; Vox’s Secure Backup Vault solutions provide controlled retention and strong access policies.

Crunching the Business Numbers: Big Five, Big Four and Now Big Three

Posted on 24 February 202624 February 2026 by Vivienne Fouche

Why connectivity isn’t just a line – it’s the backbone of your business

Connectivity today is no longer just a simple line to the internet – it’s a robust network to ensure that daily operations run smoothly.

What’s in a number? What do we think of when we hear the phrases ‘Big Five’, ‘Big Four’ and ‘Big Three’? And what does ‘Big Three’ have to do with the successful running of your business?

The first answer is easy, at least for South Africans. Just say ‘Big Five’ and visions of lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo appear – some of Africa’s most iconic and dangerous wildlife species. We regard them so highly here in South Africa that they all live on our bank notes!

As for the term ‘Big Four’, we generally think about SA’s traditional four biggest banks. (Although do watch out for the competitor snapping at your heels – we all know the names.)

But what about the ‘Big Three’? What does that have to do with your business, and what does your modern business need to run effectively?

The Utilities Needed Today

From a purely utilities perspective, modern businesses have always required access to electricity and water as baseline conditions, which are necessary in the background for them to run effectively and be positioned for growth.

Today, these two important utilities must also include a third one, namely internet connectivity as well. Not only that, but a company’s connectivity must be both fast and stable – the days of ADSL lines are arguably now the dinosaur days, at least at the enterprise level.

Super-fast and stable connectivity is now a necessity, not a ‘nice to have’ – and it could arguably also have become the most important of the new ‘Big Three’ for your business.

Consider this:

No electricity for hours or days at a time? It’s always extremely inconvenient and annoying, but alternative power sources do exist, as businesses across South Africa discovered during the dark days of Eskom (pun intended). Certainly, sometimes the high cost of alternative power sources (generators, for example) definitely ate into the profits, but staying connected was the literal price of a company’s survival, when many company owners had to settle simply for staying in business until better days returned.
No water? It’s also deeply inconvenient, but again, plans can arguably be made for non-industrial businesses at ad hoc moments, for example enabling a remote work force where possible, and buying water for those left on-site as required.
No fast and stable internet? This is more complicated. Connectivity is the backbone of modern business, functioning as a foundational asset that links people, systems and data. When it’s not stable or fast enough, growth is made more challenging.

In short, we can argue that connectivity is the backbone of your business, and it’s critical for growth.

Simply Inconceivable Without Lightning-Fast Connectivity

Connectivity today is no longer just a simple line to the internet – it’s a robust network to ensure that daily operations run smoothly.

Business-grade connectivity requires a robust network to ensure that daily operations are seamless, from enabling real-time collaboration to Voice over Internet Protocol (VOiP) technology for your company’s internal and external communications, to processing payments… and the list goes on.

As outlined previously, enterprise-level companies also require significant speed.

We look at some of the reasons why business-grade connectivity is the new player in the utilities team.

Connectivity: The Backbone of your Business

Connectivity is the foundation for operational continuity: it prevents downtime, and provides ‘always-on’ infrastructure, which allows uninterrupted access to Cloud-based tools and applications, which are essential for modern business operations.

A properly set up network enables backup and redundant paths, as well as enhanced security measures (for example encryption and firewalls) which protect against costly downtime and cyber threats (see here for Vox’s cybersecurity solutions).

In addition, modern connectivity also enables digital transformation, including maximising the power of AI and the Internet of Things (IoT) for automation, real-time data analysis and proactive maintenance. Moving operations to the Cloud requires high-speed, low-latency connections to ensure data is accessible and secure. In addition, investing in high-speed, scalable connectivity such as Fibre ensures that your infrastructure can grow as your business expands.

Modern connectivity enables productivity and collaboration by allowing for remote / hybrid work, while also ensuring that departments can remain connected for seamless collaboration on projects and data.

And finally, from the perspective of the customer, fast, secure and stable connections ensure that websites and e-commerce platforms operate smoothly, preventing lost sales due to slow load times or downtime.

Reliable connectivity also allows for immediate customer service, such as live chats and social media support, which can improve satisfaction and loyalty, while high-speed, secure connections provide real-time access to customer data, enabling targeted and personalised marketing.

In today’s digital-first world, a strong internet connection isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. Robust connectivity allows your entire organisation to communicate and function effectively. Whether you’re running a small local office or managing a distributed remote team, your ability to stay connected determines how effectively you can serve clients, collaborate and see business growth.

Contact Vox for Business Fibre that will help you grow your business.

One Final Note

There are many reasons why Internet networks fail, including congestion, physical damage to the Fibre, area outages, planned or emergency maintenance, router issues, DDoS attacks, malware on devices, outdated software on customer equipment, and more.

Did you know that Vox offers state-of-the-art failover solutions, to ensure that your business connectivity is always on? Failover options keep your services running when faults or outages happen.

Vox offers passive-active as well as active-active failover options – click here to find out more. It’s just the Vox way of ensuring that our role in your business’s ‘Big Three’ utilities doesn’t ever need to go down!

Vox Proudly Attains Google Verified Peering Provider Status

Posted on 16 February 202616 February 2026 by Vivienne Fouche

Vox Proudly Attains Google Verified Peering Provider Status

A significant accolade in the local ISP landscape

Vox is proud to announce that it has become a Google Verified Peering Provider, one of a select group in the South African ISP arena. The Verified Peering Provider (VPP) Programme identifies a group of internet service providers (ISPs) that have demonstrated diverse and reliable connectivity to Google. ISPs are awarded a Verified Peering Provider badge based on technical criteria related to their connectivity depth with Google.

“The Verified Peering Provider Programme is a recent accreditation from Google that recognises ISPs with high-quality, optimised connectivity into Google’s global network,” says Chris Burrell, Head of Network at Vox. “The Programme identifies providers that meet stringent technical and capacity standards, including diverse peering links to Google, ensuring faster access, improved performance, and greater reliability for customers using Google services.

“The Verified Peering Provider Programme is basically a ‘trusted partner’ list. Networks on it can connect directly to Google to access the content in a way that’s fast, safe and of the highest quality. You could think of it as a shortcut to get premium, direct access to Google services and content.”

Vox Customers using Google services such as YouTube, Gmail, Google Workspace, Google Meet and applications hosted on Google Cloud infrastructure will experience improved performance, reduced latency, and greater service reliability.

We unpack how the Google Verified Peering Provider Programme works and the benefits customers can enjoy.

‘Let’s Shake Hands…’

Burrell notes that in today’s Cloud-focused world, Google customers need simple and highly available connectivity solutions to reach publicly available Google resources such as Workspace and other internet-facing applications.

He explains: “Peering is like two networks shaking hands and saying, ‘Let’s share traffic/content directly with each other, instead of sending it through a middleman.’ It makes internet usage, including websites, videos, voice and Cloud apps, faster and more reliable for users, providing higher quality of experience.

“Many customers connect to Google Workspace, Google Cloud, or Google APIs using Direct Peering or via Route Server infrastructures at Internet Exchanges. These solutions provide network operators interconnectivity to Google.

“However, not all Google customers today are able to manage the complex connections of Peering, or they don’t meet the relevant requirements to maintain the high-quality standards required by Content providers. Against this context, using a Verified Peering Provider to connect to Google simplifies connectivity to Google’s network, and removes the complexity of managing Direct Peering connectivity.”

By leaving Direct Peering to the ISPs, the Verified Peering Provider programme enables Google customers to access all Google services without the complexities of Direct Peering. Verified Peering Providers manage Direct Peering with Google over dedicated private connectivity with redundancy requirements for each enrolled provider.

When Google customers connect to a Verified Peering Provider to reach Google, they are choosing a provider that has verified diverse connectivity to Google, which enables highly available access to Google services.

Benefits of the Google Verified Peering Provider Programme

As Burrell outlines, Google evaluates networks that would like to be peering partners: “Vox went through a stringent application and technical review process showing that we meet their performance, network stability, reliability and capacity standards,” he says. “As a result of our successful application, we are able to offer our customers a number of benefits.”

This includes the following:

Simplified connectivity: There is no need to meet Google’s peering requirements; instead, customers can leave the complexities of peering arrangements to Vox as a Verified Peering Provider.
High availability: The Google badge shows that the ISP has a highly redundant connectivity to Google.
Enterprise grade connectivity: Customers can connect to Google through internet products designed for enterprises; further, they can access Google with or without the need for border gateway protocol (BGP) or an autonomous system number (ASN). In addition, customers can work directly with the ISP’s customer services teams and operational escalations

Burrell clarifies that Vox’s Verified Peering Provider Programme is suitable for enterprises and businesses running Google Cloud apps, ISPs or partners reselling internet services, and any tech-savvy user streaming, collaborating or relying on Google services.

He adds: “Because Vox is a Verified Peering Provider, this ensures Google traffic is routed over well-engineered, high-capacity direct interconnects, reducing unnecessary transit paths and improving consistency. It’s part of Vox’s ongoing investment in network quality and reliability.

“Vox is truly proud of this accolade, because it’s a mark of trust from Google, and not every local ISP will be able to qualify. It shows that Vox meets high technical standards and can deliver premium internet performance for Google services, making service better for our existing and future customers,” concludes Burrell.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Google Verified Peering Provider?
A Verified Peering Provider is an ISP that has met Google’s technical and capacity standards for direct peering, offering optimised and reliable access to Google’s services.

How will this improve performance for Google services?
Direct peering reduces the number of network hops and potential bottlenecks, resulting in lower latency, faster load times and more consistent performance for apps like YouTube and Google Workspace.

Do Vox customers need to change anything to benefit?
No. Vox manages the peering relationship with Google. Most customers will see improved performance without changing their configuration.

Is this available to all Vox customers?
Benefits depend on routing and service configurations, but the VPP status enhances overall connectivity for enterprise and business customers across Vox’s network.

Can resellers and other ISPs use Vox as a Verified Peering Provider?
Yes. Resellers and partner ISPs can work with Vox to provide their customers with optimised access to Google services via Vox’s peering infrastructure.

Does this replace direct peering for larger customers?
No. Organisations that already operate direct peering can continue to do so. VPP provides an alternative path for customers who prefer Vox to manage peering complexities.

How does Vox ensure redundancy and reliability?
Vox maintains diverse, redundant links and operational processes that meet Google’s VPP requirements, ensuring high availability and predictable routing for Google-bound traffic.

Harnessing Technology’s Power to Transform Lives

Posted on 5 December 202511 March 2026 by Vivienne Fouche

Meet our Experts: Spotlight on Theo van Zyl

At Vox, we value, support and actively engage people with the levels of expertise that we require to keep us moving forward as a company. In this edition of ‘Meet our Experts’, we find out more about Theo van Zyl, who heads up the Wireless Department. Theo reflects on a lifelong relationship with communications technology, his journey into product leadership and his ambitions for extending connectivity across South Africa.

“The thing was called ‘fire’, and it was brought back to the cave by Og the inventor, who said he found it eating a tree. You had to keep it in a little cage of stones, he said.” ~ From ‘How It All Began…’ by Terry Pratchett

Question: What do Theo van Zyl, Head of Wireless at Vox, and Og the Inventor, also known as ‘the first caveman to cultivate fire’ and brought to us by author Terry Pratchett, both have in common?

Answer: They are both obsessed with the latest technology of the day, and how it can be used to help people and improve their lives.

(Editor’s note: You can read the short story of Og and his lifelong quest to master early technology here. Be warned: you will probably laugh out loud.)

Moving onto a more serious note…

People have been fascinated by the technology of the day for as long as we’ve been human, and for Theo, a life-long and highly practical love of technology began when he was still a child. Today, as Vox’s Head of Wireless, he is focused on building nimble teams and customer-first products, as well as bringing affordable connectivity to South Africa’s citizens, no matter where they are in the country.

We speak to Theo and find out more about how technology is front and centre in his life, both at work and at home, on a daily basis.

Telecomms in His Veins

Theo was still in primary school when his passion for electronics and communication began, and he describes fixing radios and building circuits as a child.

“My interest started with the ‘How and Why’ book range, especially electronics,” he explains. “As a child, I built electronic projects that did actually work, and I was always dismantling electronic equipment to understand the underlying processes. As a teenager, I made pocket money by repairing and building electronic circuit boards.”

That early curiosity matured into technical depth across analogue telephony, telex, data modems and later fibre, LTE and satellite. He also studied e‑commerce at Unisa and was involved in early online billing and payment gateway projects. His breadth of experience shows through in his product approach: he is comfortable with legacy systems and keen on combining them with modern ideas.

A Multi-Disciplinary and Empowering Team Leader

With more than three decades’ experience, including some 15 years heading up another ISP, Theo is a veteran of the telecommunications industry.

He explains: “From running around fixing analogue data copper line services, I have also spent time as a lecturer in data communications, mathematics and electronics. I then moved into practical roles in electronic data interchange, IP network design and product management across multiple disciplines – which is what I love the most, and where I’ve now been for around 25 years.”

He says: “Today, my job focus includes defining product strategies and managing the life cycles of products, leading the Wireless product team members, and ensuring that company strategic and financial goals are met. A key piece of the puzzle in delivering an end-to-end product portfolio includes cross-functional collaboration with areas across the business, including systems, marketing, PR, sales, channels, finance, networks and service delivery.”

Theo aims to keep his team at a manageable size so he can stay engaged with each area without losing control. He leads a compact team, organised around specialist areas, as follows: “Craig oversees Wi‑Fi for both consumer and enterprise; Chris and Kaylee look after LTE, 5G and APN products; Kathleen manages satellite services; Nikita handles microwave wireless; and Kolofelo manages manual feasibilities and operational tickets.”

Theo Craig Kathleen CROPPED | Vox | Harnessing Technology’s Power to Transform Lives — L to R: Craig, Theo, Hendrik (Q-Kon account manager for Vox Satellite) and Kathleen

Theo and Chris Boshoff CROPPED 2 | Vox | Harnessing Technology’s Power to Transform Lives — L to R: Chris and Theo

Daily work for Theo is very collaborative. He coaches and empowers his team, preferring to avoid micromanagement, and values bringing the broader team together to get multiple perspectives on a problem: “Micromanagement kills creativity,” he says. “I prefer to give people the freedom to try, possibly fail, and learn. I actively support piloting and experimentation, provided it doesn’t breach regulatory or company policy!”

Vox and Theo: The Perfect Fit

With Theo’s leadership characterised by empowerment, rapid decision‑making and a tolerance for well‑informed risk, he was understandably drawn to Vox’s culture and strategy, which embraces being nimble and cultivating a low‑red‑tape environment that gets things done quickly.

“Here at Vox, if the boss says do it, then you do it because you know you have the go-ahead!” he notes, contrasting Vox with organisations that can take 18 months to bring a product to market.

“This ability to act rapidly, combined with a collaborative culture where colleagues readily help each other, is what I value most. At Vox, things happen fast. I believe we are better positioned than many competitors because we can move quickly, learn speedily from experiments that don’t work, and then try another approach if need be.”

Theo positions product management as an end‑to‑end responsibility: “As our esteemed CEO, Jacques du Toit, is known to clarify, ‘You need to be the CEO of your own product’, meaning end to end, across every cost, every vendor, every customer interaction.

“This means being hands-on across finances, marketing, vendor relationships, costing, sales enablement and customer experience. Customer experience is also a priority: if internal processes let customers down, product teams must own the problem, resolve a customer’s issues, and implement improvements into future workflows.”

Affordable LEO Connectivity for Wider Access

“Technology is teaching us to be human again… the ability to witness and experience the lives of others anywhere around the world, often in real-time, awakens in us our innate empathy for each other.” ~Simon Mainwaring, businessman and author

Theo has a vision of being part of the rollout of affordable connectivity to rural and underserved communities through Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellite services. He describes this as being a major personal and professional ambition: getting low‑cost, operational LEO services into South Africa so that rural citizens can access connectivity comparable to urban Fibre or LTE users.

“I believe Vox is uniquely positioned to pursue this and capable of delivering services, with the success of GEO services bearing testimony to this. I am confident that Vox can achieve our goal of bringing connectivity to all rural citizens over time,” he says.

“I am passionate about the amazing possibilities that LEO satellite services could bring to the people of South Africa, bringing excellent connectivity to anyone across the country, no matter how remote they might be. My ambition is to launch an affordable LEO service so that rural South Africans can access connectivity the same way people in towns do.”

Hobbies and Hacking (You Can’t Make This Stuff Up…)

Away from work, Theo is an enthusiastic electronics hobbyist and home automation enthusiast. In the past, he’s also embraced amateur radio activity: he holds a ZR licence and recalls sending data between computers over radio long before dial‑up became widespread.

He has spent the last decade building smart home systems that incorporate voice‑enabled control for gates, lights, pool pumps, alarms and energy monitoring using remote cloud management, and is proficient at integrating different ecosystems such as Alexa and Google. For Theo, it’s not just a hobby but shows his passion for telecommunications in the workplace now brought into the home environment: “Home automation is not a gimmick for me – it’s about integrating ecosystems to make life easier and more efficient.”

He’s walking the talk, in other words. He’s also been known to carry out at least one ethical hack in his time….

Theo once accessed a public Wi‑Fi system that was not secure when he was eating out at a restaurant in Brooklyn, Pretoria. Realising that their Wi-Fi was vulnerable, and being a regular at the restaurant, he quickly hacked into their system while browsing through the menu: “I printed a warning on the restaurant’s printer and alerted the waiter at my table about the need to separate their guest and internal networks…”

(Editor’s note: So, not your average customer when waiting tables then!)

professional caterer writing clients orders notepad bill 1 | Vox | Harnessing Technology’s Power to Transform Lives — “Excuse me, but I think you just said that you hacked the restaurant’s Wi-Fi system, did I hear you correctly?”

The astonished waiter alerted the manager on duty and needless to say, the next time Theo went to eat there, the Wi-Fi network was significantly upgraded and stronger – although knowing Theo, he could probably have got in again if he’d really wanted to…

The incident underscores his practical focus on security and the real risks of poorly configured public Wi‑Fi.

It also underscores the fact that Theo really does know what he’s talking about – he combines deep technical knowledge with a pragmatic, people‑centred and fundamentally caring approach to launching and scaling services in a rapidly evolving connectivity landscape.

“I am grateful that my experience in the industry, starting with analogue telephones, telex machines, data modems and growing into today’s technology gave me exposure to areas that I never thought I would ever be involved in,” he says. “At Vox I can leverage on that experience and influence and create products that are customer centric and deliver real value, to help change and improve people’s lives.”

And just like the short story mentioned at the beginning: Isn’t technology and progress amazing?! Here at Vox, we are grateful for people like Theo who help us to keep moving forward. Never change, Theo!

“…several up-and-coming young apemen had got the idea and they invented Civilisation – eventually. The village grew. Some of the open plain was turned into fields. Pretty soon hunters like Hal were beginning to look a bit foolish. That’s how it all began.” ~ From ‘How It All Began…’ by Terry Pratchett

Costs of a Data Breach to Your South African Business

Posted on 1 October 202521 October 2025 by Vivienne Fouche

Money, reputation, customers: A cyberattack is costly in multiple ways

It’s estimated that cyberattacks will cost the South African economy R2.2 billion in 2025. That’s according to a recent Vodacom Business report, which revealed that 80% percent of South African businesses had experienced a cyberattack during 2024.

These are incredibly high numbers.

Firstly, the fact that 8 out of every 10 local businesses was attacked last year underscores the persistence and determination of cybercriminals as they attempt data breaches.

As for the resultant costs of a data breach – R2.2 billion – these add up in a number of different ways, both directly and indirectly.

Firstly, there’s the ransomware that must be paid if the cybercriminals succeed in breaching an organisation and encrypting its data. The attackers then demand a ransom to provide the decryption key and restore access, sometimes threatening to leak stolen data if the payment isn’t made.

Even if the organisation pays the ransom, this is not always a guarantee that the decryption key will be handed over. It seems that there isn’t always ‘honour among thieves’.

In addition, there will be incident response and recovery costs to pay, with significant expenses for hiring in consultants to carry out recovery efforts, forensic investigations and system restoration.

But these direct costs aren’t the end of the story – indirect costs are also incurred as a result of a successful cyberattack.

This includes through operational downtime, leading to lost productivity and revenue; reputational damage, causing potential new customers choosing to go elsewhere; and legal and regulatory costs, with companies facing possible fines from regulatory agencies for failing to protect sensitive data (and there may even be lawsuits from affected parties).

Costs of a Data Breach in South Africa

Over the past two years, advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning have equipped cybercriminals to orchestrate and successfully execute sophisticated cyberattacks. From phishing, malware, ransomware, identity theft, hacking, social media fraud to social engineering, cyber threats are no longer simply a technology problem but a business problem.

South Africa is no exception – we were recently ranked as being the number 1 target for cyberattacks in Africa. No matter its size, every business is a possible target for cyberattackers[1].

Other frightening statistics include the following:

40% of ransomware attacks in Africa recently occurred in SA; and
We also claimed 35% of infostealer incidents across the continent.

Factors contributing to SA’s #1 position as most attacked country in Africa include:

A lack of cybercrime investment;
Ineffective law enforcement prosecution; and
Lack of awareness.

Cybersecurity incidents on government bodies, such as the South African Weather Service and the National Health Laboratory Service, and well-established brands like Dis-Chem, show how vulnerable local organisations can be in the face of these rising threat levels.

How to Reduce the Expected Cost of a Data Breach

Organisations that proactively reduce their attack surface and improve recovery capability materially lower the potential cost of a breach. Focus on four priority areas:

Prevent

Deploy layered defences (endpoint protection, firewall, email security and web filtering).
Train staff regularly on phishing, social engineering and secure practices.
Apply strong access controls and multi-factor authentication.

Detect

Implement continuous monitoring and logging to identify anomalous behaviour quickly.
Use managed threat detection services where in-house capability is limited.

Respond

Maintain a tested incident response plan with defined roles, communication templates and escalation paths.
Engage forensic and legal partners on retainer to reduce response time.

Recover

Ensure immutable, tested backups and documented recovery runbooks.
Use segmented network design and least-privilege policies to limit lateral movement.

Protecting Your Organisation from Cyberattacks

A firewall is your network’s first line of defence against the cybersecurity threats of the public internet. You could think of firewalls as the gatekeepers to the public internet for your network users, filtering out threats and enabling them to connect safely to the sites and applications where they need access to do their work.

Existing as both hardware and software, firewalls are designed to restrict access to your organisation’s sensitive data while helping you monitor your network for suspicious activity.

Too many organisations still see cyberattacks as an irrelevant global problem, not a high-risk local threat. It’s imperative to make sure that your company has the necessary defence mechanisms in place, starting with identifying the risks and implementing an incident response plan.

Contact Vox and Sophos to find out more about how we can assist you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the typical data breach cost for South African businesses?
Data breach cost varies widely, but South African firms face direct and indirect losses including ransom payments, recovery, legal fees and reputational damage, often totalling tens of thousands to millions of rand.

How does ransomware affect data breach cost?
Ransomware dramatically increases data breach cost through demanded payments, extended downtime, forensic investigations and possible double extortion, as well as the risk that paid ransoms do not yield reliable decryption.

Are small businesses in South Africa at risk of cyberattacks?
Yes, small businesses are frequent targets. This is because limited budgets, weak defences and lack of awareness make them vulnerable, increasing the likelihood of high data breach cost and reputational harm.

What are the most common cyber threats facing South African businesses?
Phishing, malware, ransomware, identity theft and social engineering are most common, driven by AI‑enhanced tactics and posing major challenges for cybersecurity South Africa across sectors.

How much does operational downtime add to the overall data breach cost?
Operational downtime can multiply losses through lost revenue, reduced productivity and contractual penalties, often matching or exceeding direct remediation costs in severe incidents.

Is paying a ransom a reliable way to restore data?
No. Paying a ransom is risky, because attackers may not provide decryption or may demand more, and paying can increase overall data breach cost and legal or ethical complications.

What indirect costs should businesses anticipate after a cyberattack?
Anticipate indirect costs like reputational damage, customer churn, regulatory fines, legal claims, increased insurance premiums and long‑term loss of market trust, all contributing substantially to data breach cost.

What practical steps reduce data breach cost and improve cybersecurity in South Africa?
Implement firewalls, regular backups, employee training, incident response plans and patch management; invest in monitoring and third‑party partnerships to lower data breach cost and strengthen cybersecurity South Africa defences.

[1] Source: Newzroom Afrika

When Dynamite Comes in Small, Very Passionate Packages

Posted on 7 August 20253 March 2026 by Vivienne Fouche

Meet our Experts: Spotlight on Shirley Cross

At Vox, we value, support and actively engage people with the levels of expertise that we require to keep us moving forward as a company. In this edition of ‘Meet our Experts’, we find out more about Shirley Cross, who works in the Project Management Office as the National Programme Manager. Her dedication as a Vox manager, and her passion for both the company and life itself, make her a force to be reckoned with!

Here is a multiple-choice question – please choose the correct answer from the following options below.

Vox National Programme Manager in the PMO Office, Shirley Cross, has been with the company for:

30 days
5 months (30 weeks)
5 years (30 months)
30 years.

Well, you guessed it: the correct answer is D – 30 years! – and Shirley’s anniversary date is today, 07 August 2025. Happy Work Anniversary, Shirley – huge congratulations!

It’s a truly fantastic achievement and an awesome sign of your dedication towards Vox as an employer. We thought this magnificent milestone deserved a special mention here on our ‘People of Vox’ platform, and so we made sure to set aside time to find out more about this small lady (Shirley is very petite!) with the gigantic work ethic.

Shirley joined the company in 1995 as an office administrator, becoming one of only 15 staff members at that time. She’s since seen Vox grow to its current position as one of the country’s leading internet service providers (ISPs), with a mission to bring great connectivity at a fair price to all South Africans.

Today, Shirley is a vital, and very busy, cog in the well-oiled machine that is the Vox Project Management Office, which is an integral part of the company.

PMO: A ‘Perfectly Managed Operation’

Shirley clarifies that the PMO is responsible for ensuring that customer projects are delivered on time and with the highest level of care. She explains: “When I refer to a ‘project’, I’m specifically talking about a customer order that originates from a salesperson. Once the order is vetted, it’s assigned to a project manager, who becomes accountable for coordinating all parties involved to fulfil that order. In essence, we operate in a dynamic and fast-paced order fulfilment environment.”

She adds that the PMO is structured into various teams across the country and organised according to a tiered system.

“This tiered structure not only supports efficient service delivery but also creates clear growth opportunities for our project managers,” Shirley explains. “A project manager can progress from handling consumer-based orders or corporate single-site installations in a fast-turnaround environment, to managing complex, high-value enterprise-level or Tender projects. For example, someone may begin by supporting individual customers, then move on to SMEs, and eventually to large-scale enterprise clients.

“We invest heavily in training to develop our project managers, ensuring they uphold our Project Management Standards and are fully prepared at every stage of their career journey. At the same time, we place strong emphasis on delivering consistent service excellence, whether we’re serving an individual or a large enterprise. What’s important to me is that every project manager understands they have room to grow and is equipped with the right tools to succeed.”

Embracing Both Challenges and Family

And speaking of growth, Shirley is now the National Programme Manager.

“Amongst other things, my focus now includes ensuring that our project managers across the country are fully empowered to deliver such excellent service that Vox customers will never want to leave,” she shares enthusiastically.

“I started out in Durban, where I grew up. Back then, we were just a small team, and everyone pitched in wherever they could. I remember the late nights, sitting on the floor folding invoices by hand, franking them to post to customers. Those were also the times we’d share all the juicy stories! and I truly cherished those moments – it was such special times. I worked across several departments, from planning to debtors and creditors, until eventually I felt it was time for a new challenge. After a few conversations with our director at the time, he gave me the incredible opportunity to transfer to Johannesburg. And that’s when my real journey began.”

Shirley and Eugene resized | Vox | When Dynamite Comes in Small, Very Passionate Packages — Shirley and Eugene Smit

But the move wasn’t without its difficulties, as Shirley explains: “I found it challenging to be without my family at first, especially during the first six months, but after the first year of persevering, I was definitely happy to call Johannesburg my home. I have loved being part of this vibrant city ever since. The initial challenges in my move from Durban to Johannesburg have most definitely been worth it for me.”

Family is very important to Shirley, and with some of her family members now also in Gauteng, and others remaining in Durban, she takes time to stay in touch through regular visits. She’s one of five siblings and they remain close.

Shirley and her mum resized | Vox | When Dynamite Comes in Small, Very Passionate Packages — Shirley and her mum

“My family is my number one support,” she smiles. “I call them my cheerleaders! I wasn’t blessed with kids, myself, but within my family I adore my nieces and nephews – and their children in turn – to bits.”

And of course she has her ‘surrogate kids’ at work also.

The ‘Family at Work’

Shirley and colleagues resized | Vox | When Dynamite Comes in Small, Very Passionate Packages — Shirley and her colleagues in 2025

“I enjoy liaising with the different age ranges within the Vox PMO,” says Shirley. “I make a point of actively engaging with their mindsets, their thoughts and experience, including the younger members in our PMO management team. I believe that people from different generations can think very differently from each other, and it’s a strength when people in the same company can benefit from the knowledge and thought processes of different generations – it’s another form of diversity.

“I’m so happy to have different ages within my working environment, so that I learn from the younger generations as well as having the youngsters learning from me – they give me significant strengths and insights. It’s good to have that balance in your team and that’s what I have.”

Shirley says that it takes time for her to trust people but when she does, “Our friendship will then be for life! For example, Diana Prenner, who is the Vox Marketing Manager for PR and Events, has also been at Vox for a significant time frame, and we’ve been friends almost from her first day, which means we’ve now been friends for about 20 years!”

Shirley and Diana | Vox | When Dynamite Comes in Small, Very Passionate Packages — Shirley and Diana

It seems like Vox really does have ways in which the work environment is like a family… Away from work, my sources tell me that Shirley is an excellent cook, although she’s too modest to mention this herself. She is also a whizz at party-planning and loves making a celebratory occasion – for people of all ages! – even more special with beautiful decorations, matching balloons and giftbags, all set out according to a pretty décor theme.

Party planning resized | Vox | When Dynamite Comes in Small, Very Passionate Packages — Shirley’s party planning!

She does say that she takes pains to be active in mind as well as body: “I love word games – it’s always been my biggest hobby,” she says. “I used to play Scrabble and other board games with my family very regularly – we played at weekends. I still try to play board games as often as I can.

“I also go hiking, with my family and friends outside work. We find different places to go to, about twice a month, and I enjoy stretching my legs and getting out into nature. I’m sticking to the five kilometre routes for the moment but might start building up my distance over time. And I have relatively recently started playing padel on a more regular basis, which I was first introduced to by some of my work colleagues.”

Shirley and padel resized | Vox | When Dynamite Comes in Small, Very Passionate Packages — Getting into the social sport of padel

[Editor’s note:]

Hang on, so not so much ‘away from work’ then – the Vox PMO department is famous for working together and playing together! 😊]

Staying with the Vox ‘family’, Shirley is most appreciative of the Vox Executive team: “I’m so proud to be part of a company where the top management are always ready to show appreciation for their employees and for work well done. From Nathaniel Govender, Vox’s Executive Head of the Project Management Office, to Vox CEO Jacques du Toit and the entire executive team, they are always ready and willing to show us that they are involved with, and care deeply about, Vox employees.

Shirley and Nate | Vox | When Dynamite Comes in Small, Very Passionate Packages — With Nathaniel Govender

“Certainly it’s true that we get paid to do our jobs, but the gratitude and the respect that they give us as people is worth its weight in gold. I am passionate about my job and Vox, and it’s wonderful to know that in turn, the Vox Executive Team is passionate about looking after its employees. This knowledge means the world to me, and is one of the reasons why I have stayed at Vox for 30 years,” she concludes.

And so from Vox to Shirley, we say once again: Congratulations on this stunning achievement. Your long hours, patience, perseverance and leadership are a shining example of dedication, passion and commitment.

We close with a congratulatory message from Shirley’s manager, Nathaniel Govender, who says: “Congratulations on your 30th work anniversary, Shirls! Witnessing your remarkable growth and unwavering maturity as a leader has been truly inspiring. Seeing your transformation over the years has been a genuine pleasure, and your journey continues to motivate and uplift everyone around you. Your dedication is a testament to the incredible professional and person you are. It sets a great standard for those following and leaves a legacy you can be exceptionally proud of. Here’s to many more years of success and positive impact!”

Heading Up the PMO with Leadership, Presence and Empathy

Posted on 31 July 20259 March 2026 by Vivienne Fouche

Meet our Experts: Spotlight on Nathaniel Govender

At Vox, we value, support and actively engage people with the levels of expertise that we require to keep us moving forward as a company. In this edition of ‘Meet our Experts’, we find out more about Nathaniel Govender, who is the Executive Head of the Vox Project Office (PMO). Known to friends and colleagues alike as ‘Nate’, he is softly spoken and gentle of manner, but always driven to achieve.

Perseverance, persistence and overcoming personal challenges are all part of the journey for Nathaniel. From starting out as a call centre agent in Vox to achieving the level of one of the company’s directors, he is proof that at Vox, talent is always empowered to rise to the top.

Despite some significant difficulties along the way, Nathaniel has never allowed obstacles to suppress his optimistic outlook on life, or dampen his determination for too long.

We take a look at his story and unpack what drives him.

Ensuring a Strong Career Foundation

Nathaniel is another of Vox’s longstanding employees, having joined the company in 2005 and then going on to clock up 20 years of loyal and innovative service. Today, he says, his role centres on providing strategic leadership and operational oversight for all customer orders in progress – in other words, the ‘projects’ that give the PMO its name – which are sold across the company.

“I’m responsible for defining the vision, structure and governance of the Project Management Office, while also leading its execution. Ultimately, I hold full commercial accountability for the financial performance of all active orders within Vox,” he explains.

Before joining Vox, Nathaniel’s career evolved through a range of operational and leadership roles that gave him a strong foundation in customer service, technology and project delivery.

He clarifies: “While based at a previous company, I started out as a Call Centre Agent, where I developed a deep understanding of customer needs and frontline operations. I was later promoted to Call Centre Manager, taking on team leadership, performance management and process improvement responsibilities, and from there, I transitioned into the role of IT Manager.”

As IT manager at this organisation, Nathaniel led the implementation and support of critical systems, aligning technology with business objectives. These experiences, which included customer service, operational leadership and IT, equipped him with a holistic understanding of business operations, which he was later to carry forward into more strategic roles, culminating in the founding of the Projects Office at Vox.

However, the trajectory of Nathaniel’s relatively smooth career path was to hit a significant bump when, in late 2004, he experienced a cruel setback in his professional life.

Never Give Up…

“I’d love to say that my journey into Vox was a carefully planned progression driven by a passion for operational excellence, customer delivery and technology,” notes Nathaniel wryly, “but the truth is a bit more unexpected. While serving as an IT Manager, I arrived at work one morning to find the office locked and the business liquidated – and just like that, I was out of a job!”

Determined to continue moving forward despite this blow, Nathaniel searched online for the top IT companies in the country, and DataPro (later to become part of Vox) stood out for him.

“I took a chance and sent my CV to the generic info email address,” he outlines, “and to my surprise, I received a reply from the CEO the very next day, referring me to their Helpdesk Manager. That’s how my journey with Vox began: starting over as a Call Centre/Helpdesk Agent. Since then, I’ve grown through the business, eventually founding and leading the Project Management Office in 2016, where I was able to combine everything I’ve learned along the way.”

Nathaniel clarifies that one of his main challenges with the PMO is managing complexity at scale. “Each project involves multiple stakeholders, tight deadlines, shifting priorities and technical variables, often all at once,” he says.

“No two days are ever quite the same, but a typical week for me includes maintaining visibility across multiple active orders while simultaneously keeping teams aligned and customers satisfied.”

Nonetheless, he faces and deals with any challenges in a balanced manner and is highly skilled at staying on top of things while presenting a calm and reassuring manner.

Overcoming Obstacles

And staying with the topic of challenges, Nathaniel is open about having to overcome some personal obstacles along the way in achieving his current position at Vox.

“One of the biggest was obviously starting over from the bottom, after previously holding a senior role, when I re-entered the workforce as a Call Centre/Helpdesk Agent at Vox. It was a humbling experience, both professionally and personally, but it taught me resilience, adaptability and the value of perseverance. Another challenge was proving myself in a new environment without relying on titles or past roles. I had to rebuild professional trust, credibility and influence from scratch.”

To rebuild his credibility within a new organisation, Nathaniel focused on consistently delivering results, being solution-oriented, and never losing sight of long-term growth: “Even when the day-to-day challenges felt like a step backward! However, when I look back, I see that these experiences built the foundation for my leadership today. They made me more empathetic, grounded and driven to create opportunities for others to grow, no matter where they start.”

When we delve deeper into Nathaniel’s personal history, his ability to rise up from challenges makes sense.

He explains: “I grew up in the small, lively town of Tongaat on Durban’s north coast, proudly South African through and through! My heritage is a colourful mix of Indian and Cape Coloured roots, and I was lucky to be raised in a warm, tight-knit community where family came first, hard work was second nature, and there was always a plan B (and sometimes a plan C) thanks to plenty of resilience and resourcefulness.

“That upbringing shaped my character and taught me to never take opportunities for granted. It instilled in me a deep commitment to leading and serving with empathy, staying grounded, and embracing continuous learning and adaptation: qualities that have guided my career and continue to define my leadership journey today.”

Outside work, Nathaniel has always had a passion for the outdoors and sport.
“Growing up, I spent countless hours playing with friends, and that love for activity has stayed with me. These days, I’m an avid padel enthusiast and currently on track to qualify with my Padel MBA, something I’m incredibly excited about!”

(Editor’s note: We mentioned at the beginning of this article that Nathaniel has a gentle manner, but perhaps the one exception is on the padel court, where he is known to take no prisoners! He remains softly spoken though – a gentleman always… )

Moving Forward

There’s an old saying that goes: ‘Every cloud has a silver lining’, and perhaps it’s not too fanciful to imagine this silver lining shining quietly over Nathaniel on that long-ago day when he arrived at his place of work, only to find the doors shut and barred. After all, if not for that rudest of terminations, he might never have landed up working for Vox, which, he says, has been a uniquely rewarding experience.

“What truly sets Vox apart from other ISPs in South Africa is its entrepreneurial spirit, agility and hunger to challenge the status quo,” notes Nathaniel. “We’re not weighed down by too much red tape or legacy thinking. Instead, Vox is constantly looking for ways to disrupt traditional models, whether it’s through bundling services in new ways, leveraging emerging tech, or delivering faster, more responsive support.”

Nathaniel is part of this innovative thinking within the company, and he really enjoys helping others in the workplace to also achieve their true potential.

He explains: “I take immense pride in mentoring and growing people, helping others step into leadership and taking ownership of their work. I’m passionate about building leadership capacity and empowering the next generation of leaders.

“Creating a culture where people can grow, take ownership, and innovate with confidence is important to me – I really enjoy seeing ideas and people transformation come to life. There’s real satisfaction in building something sustainable, not just in terms of projects, but in terms of culture, capability and customer trust,” he concludes.

Who You Gonna Call?

Posted on 22 July 202522 July 2025 by Vivienne Fouche

People of Vox: Spotlight on Greg Gyngell

If there’s something strange

In your neighbourhood

Who you gonna call?

Greg Gyngell!

If there’s something weird

And it don’t look good

Who you gonna call?

Greg Gyngell!

Right, well with apologies to the Ghost Busters franchise (do you have an ear-worm now?), it’s time for another peek into the life and times of another of our green-blooded Voxies. In this episode, we shine the spotlight on a man who is normally the MC within the training environment, and so he’s actually used to turning the spotlight on everyone else…but he agreed to be interviewed without too much of a fuss.

And a good thing too, because he’s got some really interesting stories to tell!

“I’m Greg and I look after the Training Department,” says Vox’s well-known and well-loved Soft Skills Trainer. “I’ve been at Vox for about 13 years now and together with my team, I do anything and everything that is related to training, including some video production work.

“I’m always available to do anything else that might be asked of me, and wherever I can assist, I’m happy to step in. No day is ever the same, and that’s exactly how I like it!”

Greg leads a team of four Trainers across the country and reports directly to Head of Human Resources, Pam McLeod. Let’s take a look at how he champions the cause of training throughout the company – another great example of how life and a career at Vox never has to be linear.

Starting Out in Film and Entertainment

“When I left school I had only two real passions,” explains Greg. “I wanted to be a pilot – I was one of those kids who built little aeroplanes and hung them off the ceiling – and in my teenage years I got very involved in movies.

“Flight school was unfortunately just too expensive, so when I realised that flying wasn’t a career option, I went into the local film industry. I was involved in making some incredible movies in South Africa and was able to meet some amazing people.

Greg learned his craft from the ground up and thoroughly enjoyed being in the movie world, but it wasn’t to be forever.

He clarifies: “The industry in South Africa went through a phase in which international big budget films were being shot here, but the production houses were bringing over their own crews. I went freelance for a while but realised quite quickly that it was unfortunately time to leave the movie industry in the quest simply to earn a living.

“I also dabbled in radio, and DJ-ing at clubs, both of which were obviously great fun. Eventually I landed up at a large cellular company and became entrenched in the mobile phone arena. After some time with this enterprise, my intuitive knowledge and understanding of gadgets and technology, together with my ability to explain things and talk to people, collided in a fortuitous manner and I ended up in my first training position with them, where I stayed for quite some time – over a decade, in fact.”

The end result was a man who understood the value of entertainment, technology and training, as well as being flexible in his outlook on life – not to mention the importance of having fun! The stage was set for Greg to come to Vox.

‘You’d better call…’

We can thank a retrenchment exercise that took place at his previous employer for Greg’s eventual arrival at Vox. He explains: “In the wake of being unfortunately retrenched, one of my former work colleagues phoned me and told me that that @lantic – one of the businesses that was later to be merged into the group of companies under the Vox umbrella – was planning to set up a training department, and they were interested in talking to me. And so I had an interview and was offered a six-month contract.”

At that stage, Greg and his wife Claire were actually planning to emigrate to New Zealand, but in the light of this new development, they decided to stay for a while longer.

Greg continues: “At the end of the six months, I was then offered a permanent position, because my previous background in the film industry, and how I could use it within the training division to create videos when required, was seen to be advantageous. My technical outlook, combined with my training soft skills plus the film experience, all merged neatly into a new position within Vox. And so the rest, as they say, is history!

“I like to tell people that my love for Vox as a company meant that, even though we’d been accepted into New Zealand, we stayed in South Africa and have never looked back since. Everything came together at the right time and I’ve now been at Vox for about 13 years. My passion is training, but at Vox, as I mentioned, I’m able to look after a number of other things as well.”

A Strong Team of Trainers

As far as the Vox Training is concerned, Greg coordinates with his four Trainers every day. “We all work remotely,” he explains. ”Alex McDonald is the Systems Trainer and looks after all systems-related training, including for our partners, while Victor Kemp is in charge of our Technical Training, including our Mikrotik router training; our e-learning system and ‘Friday Bytes Live’. Our other two team members are Ryan Varga, our Sales Trainer, who also takes care of our leadership and mentoring system; and Craig Jewell, who looks after Soft Skills, presenting courses that include themes around customer service, time management and adaptability.”

“One of the Training Department’s innovative initiatives is the ‘Friday Bytes Live’, when Voxies come together every Friday morning to hear and learn about different areas of the company using a fun, interactive quiz approach. Victor runs with this every week, and we have prizes up for grabs to incentivise everyone further.”

Greg clarifies that the Training department is in charge of the general training needs of around two and a half thousand people, as well as the monthly Induction training for all new Vox employees.

“I’m the main person at the helm of the induction training,” he says, “and here I run training over a few days at the beginning of every month, when every department in the company sends a representative to introduce the different aspects of Vox to all our new employees. Induction training takes place in person at our Johannesburg head office, and we also facilitate online participation.

“One of the primary elements of Induction is simply chatting! I’m like the MC, if you like, and I try to make new people feel comfortable while I also liaise with the presenters. I’ve always been a big fan of comedy, and so we inject humour into these training days as much as possible. Another large element of Induction training – besides putting the programme together in advance and running with the required logistics – is to keep the sessions on track from a time perspective.”

It’s certainly a mixed bag, bringing a significant variety to Greg’s working days and weeks, which he appreciates. Over and above that, he says: “Another thing that I really enjoy about my job is that, while training is my first love, I am also able to get involved in so many other different things.

“For example, I’ve been able to assist with elements of our recruitment system as well as working on study skills. And funny enough, I love doing the mandatory stuff – the admin challenges that most other people dislike. For example, I really enjoy organising and setting up the meetings required to kickstart a training session.”

‘If there’s something weird…’

Greg Background 2 resized | Vox | Who You Gonna Call? — Greg’s home office reflects his creative approach to life and training

To balance out his day-to-day organisational requirements, Greg’s creative side once again comes to the fore with his off-duty interests. A speed freak, he doesn’t own a car but instead rides a motor bike, and is also a huge Formula 1 fan, as seen in his office space, where the roof is painted with black and white checkered squares to look like an F1 flag – something that any Voxie who’s ever been on a Teams call with him will recognise instantly!

Staying in Greg’s home office, there are shelves filled with Lego versions of Formula 1 cars and drivers, as well as Funko Pop and Skylander collectable figurines, reflecting his taste in music, movies (think James Bond and The Matrix!) and video games. Other interests and hobbies include sports shooting, cooking and coffee – Greg intends to roast significant quantities of his own coffee beans in the future. As a self-confessed coffee snob, he limits himself to just two coffee cups per day, which is just enough to help him keep up with his busy pet Border Collies (just one more daily cup of coffee wouldn’t be fair on the dog…).

Add in his wife of 20 years, Claire, and his two teenage children, and it’s a busy and enjoyable life, he says gratefully.

“For me, there is always something different to do at work. I’ve been exposed to working on new projects because of my line manager, Pam, as well as our CEO, Jacques du Toit – something that I appreciate enormously, and which speaks to the organisation’s culture of being innovative and flexible.

“This, I think, is what sets Vox apart from the other ISPs, together with the passion and heart for the business that our senior executives always display. There is a significant number of people within the company ‘who live and breathe green’, and I am passionately one of them,” he concludes.

And anyone who has a training need of any kind within Vox knows exactly who to call – Greg Gyngell!

AI and Enterprise Wi-Fi: New Frontiers of Possibility

Posted on 18 July 202518 July 2025 by Craig Blignaut

Artificial intelligence (AI) makes it possible for machines to learn from experience, adjust to new inputs and perform human-like tasks.

Using technologies such as deep learning and natural language processing, computers can be trained to accomplish specific tasks by processing large amounts of data and recognising patterns in the data. The Wi-Fi arena is no different in that AI can also make the processing of tasks speedier and more efficient – we are now in the era of AI-driven networking.

AI Wi-Fi refers to wireless networks that make use of artificial intelligence to optimise connectivity, performance, connected user experience and security. This technology uses machine learning (ML) algorithms to analyse network hardware, traffic, user behaviour and environmental factors in real-time. The AI initiates closed loop automation to adjust the network settings, such as resource allocation, to improve performance.

This article discusses how AI can be used in Enterprise Wi-Fi networks, and how AI is benefitting Vox and our Wi-Fi customers.

AI-Driven Business Intelligence for Enterprise Networks

Artificial intelligence in Wi-Fi networks today can assist significantly with the configuration of the network, as well as with support thereafter, including being able to spot issues before they become a serious problem.

Vox has partnered with Wi-Fi networking equipment specialist, Ruckus Networks, for approximately the last decade, and within our partnership we proudly offer its AI Managed Wi-Fi offering for enterprise networks, which presents AI-driven business intelligence for enterprise networks.

As a cloud-based service for network intelligence and service assurance, Ruckus AI Managed Wi-Fi with Analytics is powered by machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI). This in turn helps customers get the most from their network, for example by identifying network assurance incidents, classifying them by severity, tracing root causes and making specific AI recommendations for remediation. It automatically monitors network health relative to configurable thresholds.

Benefits of AI-Driven Enterprise Wi-Fi

AI can dynamically adjust Wi-Fi parameters like channel selection and contention window size to optimise network performance, ensuring smooth and efficient data transmission. In addition, it simplifies life for IT departments and technicians, as AI dramatically reduces the time to resolution for service incidents.

It can also eliminate some Help Desk tickets by addressing issues before they affect users, allowing the organisation to be proactive in this regard and solve problems before they arise. Additionally, by addressing the root cause for one incident, organisations can avoid other incidents that might arise from that cause.

Most importantly, it alleviates the need for an organisation’s IT department to manage the Wi-Fi network – Vox will manage this. Organisations can view real-time dashboards and, if required log tickets via the Vox enterprise support desk, because Vox has comprehensive visibility into network operations, which accelerates troubleshooting.

By proactively addressing issues and optimising network performance, AI can contribute to a better overall user experience, with faster speeds, reduced buffering, and fewer connection problems. In addition, AI can simplify network management, by automating many of the tasks associated with managing a complex Wi-Fi network, thereby reducing the burden on IT staff.

Faster Feature Updates Due to Cloud-Based Licences

A question that might spring to mind is the following: ‘How does South Africa compare to the developed world with regards to our access to AI within the Wi-Fi arena?’ and the answer may surprise you on the upside.

In essence, because today we have the option of moving to a cloud-based licence, all users globally are able to benefit from feature updates to cloud platforms, as they could all be on the same version due to simultaneous software updates. In this regard, South African companies will not necessarily be running behind users in other parts of the world, thanks to the cloud.

Vox is very pleased to be able to bring our customers the latest Wi-Fi networking feature updates as soon as they are made available to us from our upstream providers and placed onto the relevant platforms. Because Vox is accessing features as they are rolled out by the supplier, this means in turn that our customers benefit as and when new features and updates become available.

Knowing that we are able to offer our clients first-world AI-enabled Wi-Fi technology, in partnership with Ruckus Networks, is something of which we are truly proud.

Our Queen of Customer Service and Caring

Posted on 30 June 202520 February 2026 by Vivienne Fouche

People of Vox: Spotlight on Bandi Maduna

At Vox, we believe our employees are the beating heart of our company, with merit and value built into all our available positions. In this edition of People of Vox, we meet Bandile (Bandi) Maduna, who works in the Johannesburg Head Office premises as a Receptionist. Bandi doesn’t just get compliments from satisfied customers – sometimes they go out of their way to bring her coffee and muffins, and even flowers! Now that really says something.

There’s something special about amazing customer service, especially when you’re on the receiving end of it. As the world saves time by moving towards service via chatbots, smart apps or telephonic voice prompts, there are still times when talking to a person is the ultimate end-goal.

Here at Vox, our Johannesburg Head Office Receptionist Bandi (Bandile) Maduna is famous for her warm and wonderful way with people.

In this edition of ‘People of Vox’, we shine the spotlight on Bandi and how she has perfected customer service into an art form.

When the Warm Words Keep on Coming

The secret to Bandi’s successful ways with people isn’t a secret at all.

In fact, it’s very simple: she just really likes dealing with people and is always inclined to give them her very best efforts. In turn, she seems to bring out the best in the people she’s dealing with.

Bandi explains: “I deal with phone calls that come in, as well as walk-in queries and deliveries. I could find myself assisting on insurance and payment issues, as well as follow-ups on the status of a technician call-out. I’m always happy to help by trying to move a customer’s challenge along.

“This could include helping the customer to pay on the Vox portal, or following up to find out if a technician is en route. I really enjoy dealing with our customers and trying to help them with their queries or challenges, to move towards an outcome.”

In essence, one of Bandi’s strengths is making people feel that they are being heard. Perhaps this is why she gets the compliments that she does.

Here are just two of the warm words that customers went out of their way to pass on via email:

I must compliment your lady at the front desk, Bandi. She was most friendly, calm, efficient and immediately put me in touch with the person I needed to speak to. In my opinion, Bandi is an amazing ‘first face’ to engage with when arriving at your office. I thanked her on my way out, and I hope you pass this message on to her.

AND

I was welcomed by the switchboard operator, Bandi, in the most professional, warm, welcoming, efficient manner. Bandi was extremely polite and assisting. I give lots of praise to this wonderful employee of yours.

And then there was the time when a satisfied customer dropped in to bring Bandi coffee and a muffin – topped only by the person who once brought Bandi flowers!

When people in today’s busy world go out of their way to say ‘thank you’ like this, taking time and effort, you know that the service must be well deserved.

A True People Person and Life-Long Learner

Perhaps Bandi’s skills are also rooted in her deep understanding of ‘Ubuntu’ – the belief that ‘a person is a person through other people’ – with its underlying principles of interconnectedness, kindness, and the importance of community and relationship.

“I regard myself as being a typical Zulu,” she says. “I was born in Ladysmith in Kwazulu-Natal, and I grew up with a deep respect for Ubuntu – for giving back and being part of your community. When I joined Vox, in 2009, I think this came through in my first job, where I was a tea lady. I spent my days going from desk to desk at set times with a trolley so that I could bring some of the Vox office workers beverages at regular intervals – tea, coffee, water – and in that way allow them to concentrate on their jobs.”

It would not be too long before Bandi, who is versatile and always open to new challenges and responsibilities, was able to start moving into different positions within the company. She completed a course in facilities management, and became a facilities team leader in 2014 and was able to showcase her leadership skills in this role.

Bandi’s people skills began truly coming to the fore in 2016, when she spent time at the front desk as a reliever for the then-receptionist – proving to be so good at this that she was able to begin working in a full-time position in reception the following year. Another highlight was when Bandi became the personal assistant to the chief financial director, which again spoke to her skills with people as well as her organisational abilities. Today, she still assists the current Vox CFO, Gert Koen, by doing various insurance claims for him as part of her duties.

Bandi adds: “I’m always eager to gain knowledge and learn new things. I am open to new challenges, and I like being versatile. I’m very grateful to Vox for giving me opportunities to use my skills in different ways. Vox has also paid for me to do two different one-year courses, to help me with my learning aspirations and my workplace skills. I have completed an administration course through Damelin, as well as a project management course through Boston City Campus.”

While she regards herself being as a lifelong learner, Bandi also notes that it hasn’t always been easy. “You could say that I am a BBT – ‘born before technology’ – and I did find parts of my project management course very challenging, when it was online during Covid,” she explains.

“I was ready to give up, actually, and here I am so grateful to our HR Director, Pam McLeod, who supported and encouraged me to keep going. I am also very grateful to Trudy Truscott for believing in me; she took me from being a tea lady to a facilities manager and receptionist, and she is still my line manager today. She has been very supportive at all times.”

Creative with Her Hands

Away from work, Bandi remains busy in her spare time with her hobbies, which include cooking, crocheting, knitting and making soap.

“I like using my hands,” she says. “Recently, I began taking some of my unused plastic bags to make them into a crocheted welcome mat for the entrance to my home. And I enjoy making soap from scratch, which I often scent with ingredients such as cinnamon and lemon juice, and give to my friends and family as gifts from time to time.

“I also like taking part in ‘isipheko’, which is a traditional custom of bringing food or other provisions to a family or community during celebrations or periods of mourning, and which is also part of the spirit of Ubuntu.”

Bandi says she has experienced this same spirit of warmth and community working at Vox, which is another reason why she has been with the company now for 16 years.

“I am grateful to be part of an organisation that takes care of its clients as well as its employees. I find Vox as a company to be very reliable, with a strong ethos of caring and humanity. I think this is very much a distinguishing feature of Vox, and I’m proud to be associated with this constant theme of caring, mixed in with humour and humanity.

“I love working for Vox – I always like to say that ‘My blood is green!’ and am very grateful for all the opportunities that the company has given me,” she concludes.

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