People of Vox

The Small Consistent Actions that Change Lives

Posted on 4 February 2026 by Vivienne Fouche

People of Vox: Brian Rossouw

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 find out more about Brian Rossouw, who is Vox’s Regional Sales Manager for Mpumalanga and Limpopo. When you meet Brian, you notice straight away how warm and funny he is, with an incredibly positive attitude.

As Vox’s Regional Sales Manager for Mpumalanga and Limpopo, Brian’s daily work sits where sales leadership meets customer experience. In addition to chasing targets and working on quotations, his daily purpose includes solving problems and creating consistent momentum, for both customers and his team members.

Before joining Vox three years ago, Brian worked in retail and telecommunications. He’s experienced a number of curveballs and challenges during his lifetime, but instead of using former hardships as an excuse to throw in the towel or feel sorry for himself, he has let those experiences shape his approach to work and leadership.

Let’s meet Brian and find out more about his amazing work ethic.

Juggling His First Job with His Final School Exams

Brian actually began his adult working life while he was still writing his matric final examinations. “When I was growing up,” he says, “my family was extremely poor, and my mom sometimes struggled to make ends meet. But, you know, God has always been good to us and I believe that He always had a plan for us. I knew that just as soon as I was able, I was going to start working to try and help her and my siblings.”

An opportunity arose when Brian was offered a short-term contract job as a picker-packer for a company that supplied frozen fish to restaurants. He explains: “It was a bit problematic because of the clash with my final school exam period, but I took the job to help my family. It was challenging – I was working the night shift in freezers that were about 10 degrees Celsius below freezing point! – but I managed.

“During the day, I would study and write my exams, and then I would work the night shift until about four or five o’clock in the morning. I’d get back home, study a bit or sleep if I could, depending on my exam schedule…. It was tough, but I made it through!”

After matric, Brian was able to find more permanent work and later landed up selling tech accessories in stores.

Young Brian | Vox | The Small Consistent Actions that Change Lives — Young Brian already knows the importance of having fun at work!

“These early jobs were tough but formative,” he says. “They taught me resilience, humility and the value of small, steady steps. Taking consistent small actions is a personal philosophy for me, which I like to describe with the acronym ACSA: ‘Attitude and Consistent Small Actions’. I believe this mantra will help with achieving success in any realm in this world but I find it especially helpful within the sales arena.”

Brian believes everyone has the potential within them to change the world for the better. He elaborates: “And if you don’t have the power to change the world, at least change your world for the better!”

Human Connection: The Competitive Advantage

Brian describes himself as someone who creates ‘magic’ for customers when things go wrong. He treats each problem like an opportunity to deliver exceptional customer experience and to show his team how to close the loop properly.

For Brian, attitude includes emotional resilience and the ability to keep going when prospects are difficult or rejection happens. “I believe that attitude is a choice: you own how you feel and react, and resilient people outlast obstacles,” he says. “Consistent small actions are the daily disciplines that compound into success: making calls, following leads, refining quotes and improving process detail. “

Brian wants those he leads to cultivate emotional resilience, and he also believes in leadership as a teaching opportunity.

“I want to model the behaviour that I expect from my team members: doing the work, being present for others, and demonstrating how to handle objections and close deals. I’m proud to be in the role I once looked up to, and I enjoy helping others to climb the same ladder.”

Brian’s day starts early: he’s in the office at 07:00, reviewing sales interactions, quote volumes and order accuracy for every team member. From 08:00 Brian meets the team, unpacks individual performance and looks for the precise actions that will turn a weak day into a better one tomorrow. He spends the rest of the day in meetings, solving customer queries, planning strategic projects for multi-dwelling units and liaising with stakeholders. His role combines hands-on sales with coaching and troubleshooting.

For Brian, the best part of his job is the people he works with. He says: “People matter above all: customers, colleagues and the communities around them. I find people fascinating – how everybody is different and has a different story to tell. And in the work environment, human connection is a competitive advantage. While it’s true that AI and automation is bringing uncertainty, my advice remains the same: build adaptable skills, stay curious and focus on the human capabilities that technology cannot replace.

“My favourite success story is about a team member who could not write one quote in four months; after coaching, encouragement and steady accountability, this person became a top performer nationally. That is the essence of consistent small actions – you don’t need overnight successes; instead, you need persistence.”

Why Vox? The Human Difference

Brian believes that the combination of customer care and front-line coaching is what sets Vox apart, together with its people.

“Vox employs a direct sales force, with employees out in the field who represent Vox, not outsourced contractors,” he says. “This human connection matters. Customers speak to someone who knows the product, owns the process and cares about the outcome. For me, this is a defining advantage: it makes Vox personal, accountable and responsive.”

He also values how Vox embraces newcomers, explaining that when he joined the company, product managers and colleagues reached out to help him learn. He says: “This culture of openness and ownership impressed me, because not every company welcomes new starters with that level of support. My colleagues are incredibly generous and will always go the extra mile.”

One of Brian’s most memorable Vox experiences was a team event in Nelspruit where colleagues from across Mpumalanga gathered for training, laughter and community. After a day of face-to-face coaching and team building, the group sang together late into the evening. He explains: “It was a spontaneous moment of unity that moved me deeply, and reinforced my conviction that beyond metrics and targets, shared human experiences build a stronger company culture.”

Ending on a Positive Note…

Outside the office, his family life gives Brian his solid foundations. He lives with his wife Fanisia, and two young daughters, Klara and Donné, who are around three and one years old currently, and spends most evenings with his family after work.

He explains: “Most days, I work until just after four o’clock, and then I go and pick up the two most beautiful children in this world – and lucky enough they are also my children, otherwise that could be a bit awkward!” he laughs.

“I can’t imagine a life without my children – when it comes to kids, you just can’t fake those feelings. They are little now, but when my daughters are bigger, it’s my ambition to travel with my wife later in life, and we would like to alternate time between developing and developed countries on a three-month global trip,” he says.

Brian is also community-minded. He once chaired a Round Table chapter and helped raised significant funds – over R10 million – for local charities in Mpumalanga, which is a reminder that his leadership extends beyond the sales floor.

He adds: “My ultimate aspiration at Vox is simple but also ambitious: I’d like to be known as the person who brings positivity to every room, and as a leader who inspires others day after day. And I definitely don’t believe in ‘pity parties’ – throw yourself a pity party if you must, but make sure it’s on a tourist visa and doesn’t take up permanent residency!”

And with that blend of honesty and humour, Brian sums up his attitude to life: acknowledging life’s difficult moments while always keeping his eyes on solutions.

Brian Rossouw 1 Cropped | Vox | The Small Consistent Actions that Change Lives — ‘All glory to God’ says Brian gratefully

Overcoming Challenges to Become a Valued Vox Leader

Posted on 23 January 202612 March 2026 by Vivienne Fouche

People of Vox: Caleb Rutters

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 Caleb Rutters, who works in the Stores Department as Team Leader: Vox Warehouse in Gauteng. Having been born and bred in Westbury, Gauteng, Caleb has faced and overcome challenges to become another valuable and award-winning Vox employee.

Caleb is proud to work in Stores and believes the equipment and logistics that his team manages every day is critical to the functioning of the company overall. He knows that behind every satisfied customer, there’s a chain of processes and people who made the required delivery possible. He might be proud to work for Vox Stores, but Stores – and Vox in general – is equally proud of him!

The Vox Stores department, which operates nationally across Cape Town, Durban and Samrand in Gauteng, is a central service point within the company, created to handle queries, give direction and ensure smooth coordination across the organisation. That’s why Caleb describes it as being vitally important to the daily functioning of Vox.

We find out more about his daily working life, and what he enjoys when he’s off duty.

The Internship that Began a Career

Westbury, where Caleb grew up and went to school, is known as being a challenging urban environment to live and work in. The area is characterised by deep-seated problems that are rooted in the past history of the country, as well as by gang warfare over turf in the present. However, the media stories don’t always reflect the enduring spirit and aspirations of its people – and Caleb is one of its visible success stories.

Aged just 18 years old, and with his matric exams still fresh in his mind – having finished school only three months before – Caleb was still wondering how he could start moving forward in life, when a stroke of luck arrived at exactly the right time. He found out quite suddenly about an internship opportunity with Vox and followed up on it by replying to an email late one Friday afternoon.

His innate talent and can-do attitude clearly showed in that first outreach, because Caleb quickly found himself liaising with a person who was keen to hire him, and who would go on to become his manager.

He explains: “I matriculated in November 2013 and, after a short period at home – which I found quite stressful while I was looking for job opportunities, which were rather scarce – I began working at Vox in March 2014 as an intern. A mentor whom I’d known at school found out about the internship and suggested to me, as well as a few of my peers from school, that we should apply. After a successful interview, I was offered the internship, for which I was very grateful!

“Over time, I was then able to work my way up through the Stores team, and my pathway included becoming, in turn, a Junior Stores Assistant, Senior Stores Assistant, Stock Controller and then Team Leader. I believe that my growth can be attributed to on-the-job learning as well as the mentorship of my manager, Parthosam Jairaj, also known as AJ, who has been responsible for much of my development and to whom I’m very grateful for the initial opportunity.”

(Editor’s note: Caleb modestly leaves out the fact that his growth can also be attributed to his desire to reach for opportunities and always give of his best!)

Eleven years later, Caleb is now the team leader of Vox’s Stores and Warehouse Team in Samrand (Centurion), responsible for the daily choreography of stock, shipping and returns that keeps the hardware related to Vox’s internet connections moving across South Africa.

“I’m proud of how far Vox has come,” he says. “I started at the company before Fibre and LTE were commonplace in South Africa, when services still relied heavily on ADSL and VoIP. Seeing Vox develop into one of the country’s leading ISPs has been a source of pride and motivation, and I’m grateful to be part of its journey as a company.”

Caleb has also come a long way in his career with Vox, having twice been a winner of the ‘Voscars’ during 2018 and 2023. The Voscars is Vox’s internal employee awards, a programme designed to recognise and reward employees who go the extra mile for their customers, with winners receiving significant cash prizes.

It’s a fantastic achievement to win the Voscars once – winning it twice is knocking it out of the park!

The Busy-ness of the Daily Routine

As team leader, Caleb oversees a compact and efficient team of five employees, not including himself. The team is kept busy with stock allocation, shipping and capturing stock in the system, processing large-scale orders, handling returns and managing billing queries, including situations where routers haven’t been delivered and where orders must be reconciled.

Caleb explains: “Without accurate inventory, logistics and shipping, customer connections don’t happen! And no two days are the same, which I enjoy. I am grateful for the mentorship I’ve received from AJ, as well as the daily interaction with my colleagues, who make work feel like a close-knit family! People are definitely the part of the job that I enjoy most. I like to lead my team with a practical, hands-on approach and make a point of being the ‘go-to’ person my colleagues can rely on.”

A typical morning begins early: Caleb aims to be at work by 07:00, which means waking up at about 05:00. “My commute can be long and subject to the usual traffic unpredictability,” he says. “Once I’m at the warehouse, the day is a stream of queries, urgent orders and escalations. I enjoy problem solving and when we’re working together as a team, there is a lot of joking and camaraderie to uplift us during our duties.”

Having stock of necessary items available and to hand in an organised manner is necessary for Vox’s proper functioning, and so monthly stock counts are conducted on the first working day of every new month. Caleb adds: “Every item, in every location, is physically counted and matched against the system. The process is critical for finding errors and discrepancies, whether from theft, mistakes or data mismatches. Across all Vox’s Stores locations, over 120,000 individual items are counted every month. It’s a huge task, but it keeps the Vox balance sheet accurate!”

A major operational milestone came in May 2024, when Vox consolidated several smaller stores locations in Waverley into a single large warehouse in Samrand. Caleb helped oversee the transfer: checking, boxing, labelling, transporting and then unpacking and verifying stock. It was physically demanding work and involved overtime and weekend shifts, but it also showed the team’s ability to coordinate under pressure.

The move took about a month to settle, and Caleb says the increase in space has been useful. After the move to Samrand had taken place, Caleb was also promoted to his current position, which speaks volumes about his ability and talents in taking on an additional challenge.

Music in His Veins

Caleb’s life outside work is centred on family and music, and he has some travel ambitions as well. He says: “I try to balance my time between spending time with my daughter as well as my own interests. Music is a lifelong passion that’s rooted in my family history, because my grandfather played saxophone in a band, and music was a constant presence in the house. And so, as a hobby, I occasionally do some DJ-ing over weekends – I enjoy playing music for other people when I’m able to slot it in around family obligations.”

He adds that in the future, he would like to explore South Africa more widely and see Cape Town, as well as travel to the United States, especially New York and other American cities that are known for their music and nightlife.

An Empowering Philosophy

Caleb’s personal mantra is a simple encouragement that he tries to live by and share with others. He says: “It’s important to believe in yourself… even small steps forward still move you closer to something great.” It’s a practical philosophy that he tries to live by as he continues to make steady progress in his chosen career through diligence, persistence and a willingness to go the extra mile.

Caleb and all his team members are vital cogs in the machine that is Vox, with their tried-and-trusted daily routines – involving managing stock, coordinating moves and motivating their colleagues – helping to make the promise of fast, reliable internet a reality for Vox’s customers across South Africa.

Perseverance and Tenacity: A Golden Thread at Work, in Life

Posted on 15 December 202512 December 2025 by Vivienne Fouche

People of Vox: Spotlight on Dylan Lockwood

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 Dylan Lockwood, who works in the Sales Department as a Key Account Manager. He combines business discipline, insight and steady habits with the physical and mental discipline of ultra‑endurance sport, which helps him to tackle life with incredible energy and enthusiasm.

It’s not every day you meet someone prepared to take on a race that’s 100 miles long – and no, that wasn’t a typing error; the sentence is correctly saying ‘miles’ and not ‘kilometres’ (which is obviously what we in South Africa are more used to seeing). Let’s meet Dylan Lockwood, a Key Account Manager at Vox.

Dylan is one of an elite group of athletes who takes on the traditional ultramarathon challenge – and then runs significantly further! We find out more about what inspires and motivates Dylan, both at work and when he’s out running in nature.

“Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it.” ~ Oprah Winfrey

A Trusted Adviser to his Clients

Having spent his early years in Johannesburg, Dylan today is based in Sea Point, Cape Town, with almost three years at Vox under his belt. His colleagues admire him for balancing his work responsibilities with a deep commitment to endurance sports (more on this later).

While Vox is widely known for providing Connectivity and Voice solutions, Dylan’s role is to identify additional opportunities for his 70 or so enterprise clients, across the full Vox offering. In this way, he’s able to enhance their business experience overall, potentially introducing additional offerings such as firewalls, Wi‑Fi, audiovisual (AV), hardware and Microsoft licensing into the overall product suite.

He explains: “My job is to be the customer’s first point of contact, and their trusted adviser. I don’t need to be a specialist in every product offered by Vox, but I do need to understand the breadth of offerings well enough to guide clients and facilitate their access to the right product managers. My job combines technical understanding with relationship management.”

Two lessons stand out for Dylan: “Firstly,” he says, “don’t take things personally – in client service, it’s critical to separate out negative emotion from the work. Secondly, it’s important to build strong daily habits. For me, consistency is the backbone of success. I like to start the day reliably, prioritise the activities that move the dial and trust the process when complex deals take months to land.”

He’s very happy working for Vox today, but if Dylan had had access to a fortune teller when he was still studying, he would probably have been surprised to see the company’s distinctive bright green branding pulsing out from the traditional crystal ball.

glass ball 5979241 640 | Vox | Perseverance and Tenacity: A Golden Thread at Work, in Life — ‘I see working at Vox in your future…’

Life Before Vox: Not Quite a Linear Process

Dylan’s journey after school didn’t entirely follow his originally intended path. Having first studied for a BCom in Industrial Psychology, Dylan later completed an Honours degree in Business Management while working full time: “This experience taught me how to juggle heavy workloads and study commitments!” he says.

His early career was in corporate sales with the Bidvest Group, where he discovered his deep love for the sales arena. Bidvest then sponsored further studies at Wits Business School, and he used this learning experience to further enhance his commercial skills.

He realised quite early in his career that he wasn’t entirely happy living in Joburg, especially as his love of endurance sports began to grow. He explains: “I’ve been quite active and sporty since I was at school, and when I started working in my first full-time corporate job, I found myself looking for a challenge outside work. I began exploring endurance sports when a friend persuaded me to enter a half Ironman race (70.3 miles) in 2017.

“Initially I was nervous about not having had enough time to prepare, but I was able to complete the event, which involved an ocean swim, bike ride and half‑marathon run, and from then on, I was hooked on the idea of participating in a sport that really pushes you to define your limits! I got into trail running and mountain biking and while I was based in Joburg, I rode the 947 Ride Joburg cycle race a couple of times. This helped to grow my interest in moving to Cape Town, where so much of the lifestyle is focused on nature and the outdoors.”

A move to remote work then allowed him to move to the Western Cape: Dylan took a role as branch strategist for a consumer review platform, which allowed him to relocate. After a year of remote working, he wanted to return to a more corporate role, which is when he was able to join Vox.

What Sets Vox Apart?

Dylan highlights two things that he believes differentiate Vox in the ISP market: the ability to deliver full turnkey solutions and the calibre of people. He explains: “Vox can supply connectivity, telephony, licensing, cabling and hardware, in other words, everything that a new business might need, and this breadth of service – our ability to offer more than just Fibre – is a competitive advantage.

“The other thing that I think differentiates us from our competitors is the people. I’ve had the opportunity to work in such an amazing team, including my line manager, Vanessa, and our fantastic sales administrator, Fagmidah. I’m immensely grateful for all the help and support from all my colleagues, who have often gone out of their way to support me.”

Challenges Along the Way

Dylan is candid about learning to deal with a particular health challenge – he lives with a chronic hearing condition in the form of tinnitus, which causes a constant high‑pitched ringing in his ears.

“The condition struck when I was about 21, and it initially created a big challenge in both my sleeping patterns, and being able to focus in meetings. The doctors I saw told me that it was something I unfortunately had to learn to live with. Mindfulness meditation became an essential tool and over time I’ve learned to manage the condition, so that it now affects me significantly less.”

Fortunately, Dylan’s love of running and outdoor sports also plays a role in helping him to manage the condition, and here again he’s grateful to be based in the Western Cape.

From Triathlon Rookie to 100‑Mile Finisher

Today, the easy access to the Cape’s beautiful scenery has allowed Dylan to embrace the unique enjoyment of ultra-distance trail running.

He explains: “I was expecting to continue my triathlon journey when I moved to Cape Town, and especially my mountain biking interest. But when I moved here, being so close to the mountains, I realised that the Cape outdoors is probably more ‘runner friendly’ than ‘mountain bike friendly’, and this was when trail running in the mountains opened up a wonderful new experience for me, offering me a sense of truest freedom.”

Shortly before joining Vox, Dylan completed the UTCT 100-kilometre ultra-trail race. He’s since taken it to the next level, and after six months of intense training, he recently tackled the UTCT 100-mile (165 kilometre) trail race, which started at 17:00 on a Friday afternoon, and finished on Sunday morning of the same weekend.

The course loops around the Cape Peninsula in a figure‑of‑eight, starting and ending at Gardens Rugby Club, taking runners over Lion’s Head, Signal Hill and Table Mountain, through Llandudno, Kommetjie and Simon’s Town. Dylan recalls running through the night on Table Mountain with a head torch as being a surreal highlight, a part of the race he described as “brutal” but unforgettable.

This gruelling 36‑hour feat showcased the same perseverance that he brings to his work. He explains: “I find that what I’ve learned during the preparation for these races, as well as what I learn on the race day, overflows into my personal and professional life. As a whole, it just makes my life better and easier – it gives my mind the tools that it needs to work hard and persevere.”

It all comes together to weave a tale that embraces Dylan’s professional achievements together with his passion and determination to push boundaries. Looking ahead, his personal goals include completing a number of additional trail races, such as the world-renowned Otter Trail in the Garden Route; snowboarding in Japan; and ultimately becoming a dad. He also aims to be Vox Key Account Manager of the Year one day, which is a career target that keeps him motivated.

In running, as in life, there are people who go the distance, and then there are those who go beyond. Dylan goes way, way beyond – both in life and in running. He truly embodies the Vox spirit – bold, committed and unstoppable!

Constantly Going Above and Beyond Expectations

Posted on 28 November 202511 March 2026 by Vivienne Fouche

Meet our Experts: Spotlight on Peter Motaung

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 Peter Motaung, who works in the Fibre to the Business Department as a Service Manager. Peter is known amongst his colleagues as being a calm, positive leader who is simultaneously kind and caring, while still promoting accountability and responsibility among his team members.

“There are no traffic jams along the extra mile.” – Roger Staubach, American Professional Football Player

Having been with Vox for 17 years already, Peter has progressed through various technical and operational roles during his time with the company so far, which has helped him to understand Vox’s business holistically and comprehensively.

In short, he’s someone who’s always prepared to ‘go the extra mile’, and his colleagues can always count on him to assist and solve any challenges – one of the reasons he was the first ever winner of the ‘Voscars Awards’, Vox’s internal achievement acknowledgements!

We find out more about this humble and well-liked Vox all-rounder.

A Customer-Centric Focus

Peter explains: “I’m the service manager for Fibre to the Business, with a dedicated focus on fibre network operator (FNO) partner Frogfoot. My role centres on managing relationships and communication between internal project managers, suppliers and customers. Our aim is to ensure that we deliver quality service within timelines and meet the business’s financial expectations.”

A critical part of Peter’s day-to-day responsibilities involves keeping a firm focus on the client. He explains the core challenge succinctly: “Everyone has got a process. Everyone has a timeline, but I think that at the end of the day, our customers are at the centre of everything, and communication is key. Failure to communicate properly with your customers is like putting yourself into the ‘blackout’ situation of load shedding!”

He believes Vox is differentiated in the market by its customer experience: “Our customer experience is the defining factor for us. I firmly believe that we are reliable and transparent with our customers.”

Understanding the Business Holistically

Peter joined Vox as a Level One call-centre agent and quickly progressed through various technical and operational roles, including in the monitoring team and later in the ‘Fishbone’ department.

He explains: “This was an ADSL aggregation solution designed to combine multiple ADSL lines for higher throughput. ADSL is, of course, being phased out today, but when I worked in the Fishbone department, we aggregated multiple broadband lines and thereby allowed businesses to experience far higher connectivity speeds than were previously available. It was an innovative and extremely effective solution before Fibre became widely available.”

Peter also spent time in message and collaboration (email setup) and later joined the advanced team handling firewalls and virtual private networks (VPNs). He recalls those moves as formative and says: “The variety of departments gave me many different types of experiences of connectivity, which came together to help me understand the business end-to-end.”

Peter attributes much of his development to the people he has worked with and the leadership experiences he was exposed to during his journey, including interacting with long-serving seniors along the way. But the learning journey is nowhere near over, he says: “Despite my relatively long tenure at Vox to date, I think I still have a lot to learn, and I’m very much looking forward to it!”

Lifelong Learning

Peter first prepared for his journey within the Vox family through his early studies after school, when he completed his entry-level IT qualifications, namely A+ and networking (N+) courses, over two years.

The A+ certification is the industry standard for starting an IT career, preparing individuals for roles like becoming a help desk technician, field service technician and IT support specialist. In turn, the Network+ certification builds on the A+ certification and is suitable for people who want to specialise in network administration and support roles.

Peter followed a pragmatic approach to his learning by first studying to get his initial qualifications completed, and then growing his qualifications further while working. He first worked for a printing company after completing his tertiary education and then got a position at Vox after about two years.

He explains: “I was very fortunate in that Vox supported my further training, and I was able to complete an NQF Level 5 project management course through the relevant SETA (Sector Education and Training Authority). Vox gave me a great opportunity to start ‘unpacking’ what I had previously studied, and then take it further.

“I found studying while working to be both challenging and exciting, and the practical relevance of the courses made it easier. This was because even though I was studying, it didn’t really feel onerous because I could at any time bring an understanding of what I was studying into the day-to-day operations of my work, which I appreciated and enjoyed.”

Peter makes it plain that he regards himself as being a lifelong learner: “Staying relevant requires ongoing learning, and it’s my intention to continue studying in various ways,” he says enthusiastically. “I also enjoy mentoring interns and passing on practical knowledge.”

For those looking to learn from his own example, Peter says: “Be eager to learn, resilient, and passionate about leadership. Vox offers a vast array of products and divisions to explore.”

Giving Back to the Community

“A person is a person because of other people.” – South African proverb highlighting the importance of community

Away from work, Peter is involved in mentoring in a different way: he helps to run a football club for children in his hometown. He explains: “I grew up in the small Free State town of Arlington, and I cherish its closeness and the feelings of safety and community that I experience there whenever I go back for a visit. I take great pride in giving back to the town that raised me by trying to help and empower young boys through soccer.

“Together with my cousin, I co-founded an under-13 soccer team in Arlington, which I continue to support, both financially as well as with my time and energy, today. The club has about 25 boys aged roughly nine to 14 and is known as the ‘Young Masters’ – the boys themselves came up with the name, and it expresses their desire to excel and move forward with the sport. The club operates with a focus on discipline and keeping the kids engaged in healthy sports, and away from other, potentially negative influences.”

He adds that the club follows a practical approach by keeping the parents involved and ensuring that limited training days mean that schoolwork isn’t neglected.

“The club is guided by a regular coach who is helped by a number of volunteers. Everyone involved is motivated to work together to keep the youngsters off the street and out of trouble, and help them to become future leaders. I hope that one day my own young son, who is still under five, will want to join the Young Masters!”

Creating Order from Complex Situations

Both at work and away from it, as well as on and off the soccer field, Peter’s message is consistent and positive – his colleagues say, with great affection, that he carries out his work with a boundless energy and a commitment to doing things the right way.

His long tenure at Vox has given him broad technical and operational insight, and he frames his work with a genuine customer-first philosophy. He combines his professional focus with genuine community engagement through the Young Masters football club, which embodies his ongoing interest in learning and mentorship. You could say that Peter has truly ‘mastered’ the art of moving forward with positivity and grace.

“Having to deal with a complex situation, bringing disparate stakeholders together and coming up with a solution to exceed customers’ expectations, is something that I find both challenging and exciting – it’s what I enjoy most in life! And above all else, communication is always key,” he concludes.

Walking on Sunshine, Bringing the Smiles!

Posted on 7 November 20253 March 2026 by Vivienne Fouche

People of Vox: Spotlight on Thandeka Ayanda Nkumbi

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 Thandeka Nkumbi, who works in the Marketing Department as a Marketing Assistant and Content Creator. Having initially studied Journalism after school, she is now carving out a niche for herself one story and social media post at a time.

When you see Thandeka in the Vox Joburg office, a few things are likely to jump out at you – for example, how she always looks stylish, attractive and well-groomed; her beautiful smile; and how very busy and active she is!

Fashion | Vox | Walking on Sunshine, Bringing the Smiles! — What a beautiful smile… and so stylish

Her colleagues will confirm that our well-known and much-loved Marketing Assistant never seems to stop moving (10,000 steps a day is nothing!). But use a slightly different filter on the camera of your mind’s eye, and a different picture emerges.

Our ultra-feminine office powerhouse says that at home, she’s an ardent football fan who never misses an Orlando Pirates game. And astonishingly, there was a period, just a couple of years ago, when she was in hospital for almost a month with a freak injury, and had to learn how to walk again.

Today, she’s grateful for the opportunity to swap out her famous fashion at work for her soccer shirts at home, as well as the fact that the scar on her leg today means she can still walk those 10,000 steps with ease – but more on this later.

With her finger always on the beating pulse of Vox, Thandeka is at the centre of multiple activities at any given moment. She always knows who’s who in the corporate zoo, and quite frequently where they are as well – just saying….

We get to know more about one of Vox’s bubbliest and most energetic daughters – including news on how her role at work is starting to change. Her story is one of persistence, creativity and resilience, interspersed with many tongue-in-cheek comments and laughs along the way.

A Day in the Working Life…

Born and raised in Soweto (originally from Diepkloof), Thandeka joined Vox as an intern in September 2022 and was taken on permanently by December that same year. Well, at Vox we know how to spot our gems!

As a Marketing Assistant in the vibrant, colourful Vox Marketing department, she supports the team – and, in fact, the rest of the company – with a wide range of practical and logistical tasks on a daily basis. Thandeka’s work includes ordering and managing marketing collateral, onboarding suppliers, raising purchase orders, coordinating print production for flyers and brochures, and ensuring that materials arrive on time for sales activations and giveaways.

“When I arrive at the office, I first check my emails while having a cup of coffee,” she clarifies, “because a girl needs all the energy before zikhala (getting busy)! I load new POs and check on submitted ones, and establish if I have orders that I need to pack and send for shipment. Stock inventory is very important, and so we make sure we keep track of what we have, and if we’re out of stock, we get quotes and order more.”

Thandeka’s day‑to‑day work requires close collaboration with designers and external vendors and quite a lot of logistical coordination – in short, the kind of hands‑on activity that keeps Vox events and field marketing running smoothly. It also includes a lot of walking…

“I am a people’s person,” she says with a smile, “so I need to chill and talk to my colleagues – from Block A to C, I’m there during the course of my duties! And of course, there’s no way I am not spending time with Paul… my Work Husband.”

(Editor’s note: We hope Paul is reading this.)

Her days are never the same but being hands-on is always a part of it.

“Sometimes I need to organise a collection with the courier company and then I just know in advance that they’re going to send that driver who always argues with me! And then ooh, guess what, other times I have a date… at the storeroom featuring boxes, scissors, and marketing collateral!

“How much time I spend in the storeroom depends on the amount of stock I have, and what’s going on in the company. Some days I spend most of my time there; at others it’s just a short ‘date’ but regardless, I enjoy it. Back to my machine… oh, a supplier is looking for the PO; time for me to chase for approval… time to move. And suddenly it’s home time – ishayile, we try again tomorrow!”

She speaks lightheartedly but the fact is that at any given moment, Thandeka has a lot of irons in a lot of fires, and she always knows what’s cooking (marshmallows, anyone?), and where!

How Thandeka’s Vox Journey Began

Graduate 1 | Vox | Walking on Sunshine, Bringing the Smiles! — A proud graduation day!

Thandeka studied journalism at Rosebank College for four years, graduating in 2019 with the hope of pursuing sports communication and commentary. Fate, however – or to be specific, a global pandemic – had other plans when the COVID‑19 disruption of 2020 put those early goals on hold.

She says: “2020 was one of the toughest years for me, both personally and professionally, because we also had a death in our family during this time – the pain went very deep for all of us, and still does, to this day. Professionally, the pandemic stalled the early momentum from my journalism qualification and made job hunting very difficult – like many other people, COVID meant that my dreams were put on pause.”

However, she didn’t lose hope and was eventually able to start steadily rebuilding her path through part‑time teaching work from early 2021, with two different educational institutions: one for primary school children, and another for young adults trying to complete their matric certifications. Eventually, she was presented with an internship offer from Vox, which led to her permanent marketing assistant role at Vox in late 2022.

“I love being part of the Vox marketing team and appreciate the team’s fun and friendly nature – this group doesn’t have a filter! I like the way that we can tease one another while still being supportive. I especially value the sense of unity and family that Vox offers: despite cultural and personality variations, my colleagues always stick together and look out for each other, and this makes me proud to work for Vox.”

The team | Vox | Walking on Sunshine, Bringing the Smiles! — Thandeka with some of her Marketing Team colleagues

A Freak Accident

Despite settling in beautifully to her new job, the COVID pandemic was not the only challenge Thandeka would face in her early career – and there was a time in her life when she was definitely not walking on sunshine. In March 2023, she suffered an unexpected setback in the form of a sudden and severe injury to her leg when, on her way to see a family member after work one day, she slipped unexpectedly in heavy rain.

She was rushed to hospital and quickly transferred into the operating theatre as an emergency upon arrival, because her leg was found to be badly injured and a large skin‑graft procedure was required. She then spent almost a month – 29 days – in hospital, and endured weeks of follow‑up treatment and rehabilitation, needing time and patience to regain her confidence and mobility.

“It was something that was very hard to deal with, because one day I was really fine, and the next day I was lying in a hospital bed with VAC machines (Editor’s note: Vacuum Assisted Closure, which uses suction to help a wound heal) because the wound needed to close before the doctors could start with the process of the skin graft.

“I still experience pain and sensitivity at times, especially in cold weather or after long walks, but I’m grateful that I could recover without losing my mobility and independence,” she adds, “and get back on track with my job.”

And as of the first of September this year, Thandeka’s career path is morphing and changing once again!

Evolving into the Next Phase

Thandeka is thrilled to have been recently promoted to the role of Junior Content and Digital Creator, a role that shifts her focus toward social media, content creation and community engagement, for both Vox and sister company Hypa Fibre. Her journalism training obviously makes the content pathway feel like a natural fit.

She’s excited that her new role will be more of a return to what she studied originally, with her writing, storytelling and journalistic instincts applied to social channels, blogs and creative campaigns. And she’s enthusiastic about the creative and investigative aspects of content work: writing posts, producing blogs, and keeping the social presence active and responsive.

“In my new role, I plan to be highly present on social media, intentionally curious, and open‑minded. I want to learn, test new formats and help to improve Vox’s social offering,” she says enthusiastically. “Over the longer term, I expect my goals and daily tasks to evolve with experience.”

Thandeka expects to spend much more time monitoring social media platforms, studying competitor activity, tracking trends and producing regular content. While she’s super-excited about the promotion, she’s currently balancing both roles until a replacement Marketing Assistant is found.

Embracing Her Tomboy Side

Outside work, soccer plays a big part of Thandeka’s life and she rarely misses an Orlando Pirates game: “I’m obsessed, obsessed, obsessed with Orlando Pirates!” she laughs. But her love of the sport extends beyond fandom: she wants to give back by founding a football club aimed at children.

Soccer | Vox | Walking on Sunshine, Bringing the Smiles! — Team spirit!

“For me, sport is a community tool to keep young people engaged, build discipline and provide alternatives to drugs and destructive pastimes in townships,” she says. “I dream of one day running a soccer team to support youth development.”

Thandeka also loves music and enjoys car culture, especially BMW 325 drag racing. She describes herself as a tomboy in some respects, being comfortable in spaces traditionally dominated by men, and with many male friends. Travel is on her bucket list, with Namibia being her top destination.

Thandeka’s story to date – she’s young and it’s still very much unfolding! – is a portrait of a young professional who has navigated interrupted plans, family pain, and physical injury and recovery, while never giving up on working towards an opportunity that’s aligned with both her training and her passions.

She’s ready to tell stories – and so much more. Thandeka Ayanda Nkumbi is all set to help with shaping meaningful, community‑centred journeys that are grounded in reality – and sometimes soccer! – and guided by optimism and empathy.

She knows how to walk on sunshine! And she plans, both personally and professionally, to help others do the same.

Editor’s Update, December 2025:

Thandeka’s writing career is now in full swing! Please click here and here for the first samples of her wit and humour – and watch this space for more!

Fashion 2A | Vox | Walking on Sunshine, Bringing the Smiles! — Thandeka brings the sunshine wherever she goes!

The Quiet Hero of Service Delivery

Posted on 14 October 20259 March 2026 by Vivienne Fouche

Meet our Experts: Spotlight on Luntu Nqunqa

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 Luntu Nqunqa, who is Vox’s Service Delivery Manager for Eastern Cape and the Garden Route. This is the story of a Quiet Hero – someone who doesn’t look for the spotlight, but is nonetheless a leader and an inspiration to many.

Luntu is a modest and humble man, with an inspirational tale to share of perseverance, long-term loyalty and leading through mentorship. He was born in rural Baziya Village in the Eastern Cape, relatively close to Mthatha, and went to school in his home province.

After school, Luntu studied in Johannesburg and later found work in both the Eastern Cape as well as Gauteng, before eventually returning to the Eastern Cape a few years ago.

Today, he is happily based with his family in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). Luntu recently celebrated his 20^th anniversary working for Vox, on the first of June this year, a milestone of which he’s immensely – and justifiably – proud of.

Let’s find out more about another of our Vox heroes.

Keeping Vox Processes Running Smoothly

As part of the countrywide Service Delivery team, Luntu is one of the cogs in the engine that efficiently manages the installation and on-site support of Vox products and services to our customers. When we break it down, it’s a lot of diverse work and responsibilities, and a very busy life!

He explains: “In essence, the Service Delivery teams are the people who ensure that a new Vox customer actually gets their product sorted out and operational, including additional support after the installation has been completed.

“The Service Delivery department is divided into three silos, namely the Service Desk, Installations and On-Site Support. In our region, I oversee all three of these operational silos and the employees who work in each division; and I also manage and carry out regular visits to the three regional offices, namely Port Elizabeth, East London and George.”

port elizabeth za | Vox | The Quiet Hero of Service Delivery — Luntu’s job involves significant travelling across a widespread area

It’s a busy life with a lot of spinning plates and travel, to ensure that all aspects of the three Service Delivery divisions are covered – and still, that’s not all Luntu does every month!

He adds: “I’m involved in planning and sometimes carrying out site meetings, and I take care of customer relationships. I also have responsibilities around facilities management and the occupational health and safety of our employees, and I ensure that the fleet of vehicles that we use is in good running order – safety is of paramount importance. I’m also directly responsible for the development and certification of all the technicians in my area.”

Luntu today is known as a dependable and hands-on Manager looking after a key region of the company, but his light was already shining brightly early on during his time at Vox.

How His Career Began

After completing high school, Luntu studied Electrical & Electronics at Johannesburg Technical and Vocational College. He later completed an Operations Management Certificate from University of Cape Town and Prince 2 Foundation he was then able to find work in various technical roles.

These included work as a temporary technician assistant maintaining towers at the former Capital Radio 604, based in Mthatha and Durban, followed by a sawmill Electrical apprenticeship in the Eastern Cape, involving three years electrical training in a forestry environment, and finally as a Telkom employee, working as a technician installing and maintaining PBX and telecom systems in Queenstown in the Eastern Cape, and later in Johannesburg. During his final Telkom months, he was referred to Orion (later to become part of Vox) during some site work.

“I had the opportunity to join Orion on 1 June 2005 as a junior technician,” he says, “and I worked as a technician in Joburg from 2005 to 2010, when I was promoted to Team Leader. In this capacity, I managed Johannesburg Central and South and the surrounding regions.

“I then had the opportunity to relocate back to the Eastern Cape in 2014 , when I was tasked with building new teams in East London, Port Elizabeth and later George. From 2015 until today, I’ve been the Service Delivery Manager for Eastern Cape and the Garden Route.”

The Pursuit of Excellence

Since his return to the Eastern Cape in 2014, and his promotion to Service Delivery Manager, Luntu has built up the Eastern Cape and Garden Route teams from very few employees to a healthy number of trained and competent engineers, thereby allowing Vox’s business in the region to grow significantly due to increased employee capacity with the guidance from his Executive Head.

“My preferred strategy when I was building up the team initially was to hire in young and relatively inexperienced new employees, partly to give them a chance at employment and also so that I could mentor and teach them,” he explains.

“My personal philosophy includes valuing a person’s attitude and their approach to discipline over their raw skills. I believe that skills can be taught, but that a poor attitude, left unchanged, can undermine a team.”

Since then, he’s mentored many interns and junior employees, a number of whom have since advanced further within Vox.

“One of my proudest work moments,” he says, “was when, together with my team, I was able to defy the odds and lead a very challenging municipality installation, incorporating six PBXs and 400 extensions, to completion in just three days, instead of the anticipated week and a half. In doing so, we exceeded expectations and were able to make the seemingly impossible something that was in fact achieved!”

And it’s not going to stop there.

“I would like to develop specialist engineers in key Vox products within my team,” he says, “and continue uplifting interns and graduates with the opportunities to grow further within the company. I intend to maintain high operational standards across the Eastern Cape and the Garden Route region, making us a force to be admired across the organisation. I am grateful to enjoy excellent support from senior management, including my Executive Head – Operations, Frans Hoffman, and our CEO, Jacques du Toit.”

WhatsApp Image 2025 10 08 at 16.51.28 2fefb949 | Vox | The Quiet Hero of Service Delivery — Photo of Luntu from a Service Delivery Management Strategy and Team Building conference

Developing a Personal Brand

Luntu clarifies that he had some challenges along the way: “One of the periods that was difficult for me involved my time working at the sawmill. I struggled with the cold, wet nature of my working environment. But my time there was to ultimately form a positive part of my life overall, as it helped me to move forward in my career.

“In addition, my transition from Telkom to Orion/Vox brought some initial moments of self-doubt and cultural adjustment – I really wondered if I would be able to fulfil the mandate sometimes. I found Orion to be a more corporate, polished environment than I was used to, and I worried at first that I might not be able to fit in the way I wanted to.”

To overcome his feelings of self-doubt, Luntu set about maximising his learning opportunities. He explains: “I found mentors at work to model myself on, while embracing Vox’s customer-first and brand-conscious culture.

“I developed my own personal philosophy and decided to ‘Carry myself as a brand’, meaning that I took pains to ensure that I operated with professional humility, accountability and consistency. I want to leave a positive mark wherever I can.”

Today, Luntu’s colleagues and line managers would all agree that he has an amazing personal brand, which is founded on perseverance, kindness, respect and hard work – as well as a ‘Never-say-die!’ attitude.

A Dedicated Family Man

WhatsApp Image 2025 10 10 at 11.48.36 702d894e | Vox | The Quiet Hero of Service Delivery — Luntu’s wife Phiwa

Away from work, Luntu is happily married to his wife, Nokuphiwa (‘Phiwa’), and they have three children, namely their eldest son, Lwethu, who is 19 and studying at university; their only daughter Live, in grade 10, and their youngest son Lunako, who is 13 and starting high school in 2026.

Luntu and Phiwa were overjoyed recently when Lunako was awarded a prestigious full scholarship to start studying at St Andrew’s College in Grahamstown / Makhanda.

“By the grace of God,” says Luntu, “my boy had the opportunity to sit for the scholarship exams, and he then came in first place. We are so pleased that he has this opportunity, starting from next year, to complete his high school tuition at St Andrews College, with all expenses paid.”

Luntu takes great pleasure in supporting his kids in their endeavours, both academically and on the sports field, and is always present at school rugby and soccer matches when they are playing.

“I’ve always been a lifelong soccer fan, but I didn’t follow rugby – or even properly understand the game! – before my boys introduced me to it. Now when they are playing, I’m always there at school – I don’t miss a game!” he says enthusiastically.

“My oldest son, in fact, was the school’s first team rugby captain, and so that was another big thing for our family. It gave me great pride to see him learning the required managerial skills as well as being good at actually playing the game.”

Into the Future

Luntu’s journey from his birthplace in the rural Eastern Cape to Service Delivery Manager in his home province embodies abundant learning and personal growth, an ongoing sense of responsibility and pride in his work, and an overarching commitment to Vox’s values of caring for others, together with service and professionalism. It was not an easy journey at all.

“Vox is distinguished by our strong brand and marketing identity, and our emphasis on maintaining professional standards, for example in our service quality, the way we dress and how we maintain our fleet of service vehicles. I’m enormously proud to say that I work for Vox,” he says.

Luntu believes Vox’s success can be attributed to its respect for customers, responsiveness and strong leadership.

“I see customers having exceptional access to assistance within the company,” he notes, “and clients are easily able to escalate issues directly to senior leadership – we really do have an open-door culture this way. I have also noticed that we show a consistent approach to our customers, regardless of their size or location, which I think is very admirable.

“After 20 years at Vox, every day for me is still different and varied, and I still have ambitions to see where and how we can improve. My goal is to turn my area of responsibility into a centre of excellence, where anyone across the company can call on us for any required expertise or problem-solving, at any time,” 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!

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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