TechCentral TechCentral (main feed)

Interview: GetSmarter CEO Sam Paddock

Loading player...
In this episode of the TechCentral podcast, Duncan McLeod chats via Skype to Sam Paddock, co-founder and CEO of GetSmarter, the Cape Town-based online education specialist that has just been acquired by Nasdaq-listed 2U in a deal valued at US$103m, or about R1.3bn. The deal, which closed two weeks ago, is one of the biggest acquisitions by an international company in South Africa's technology space in years. In the podcast, Paddock talks about how he and his brother, with support from their family, boot-strapped the business, and how they engaged first with local universities and then later secured partnerships with some of the world's leading universities, including Harvard and Cambridge. Paddock talks about how the 2U deal came about - through a chance meeting - and how the online education market has become a multibillion-dollar opportunity. Lastly, TechCentral asks Paddock for his views on what local start-ups, encouraged by GetSmarter's success, should be doing if they want to be as successful. It's a great interview - don't miss it!
17 Jul 2017 English South Africa Technology · Business

Other recent episodes

TCS+ | Inside MTN's big brand overhaul

The Better Connection. Everywhere You Go. Or simply just Y’ello. Brand identity matters, and MTN South Africa – one of South Africa’s most valued brands – is keenly aware of that fact. Indeed, when a big consumer brand changes its brand positioning, it’s always a big deal – not only…
10 Apr 31 min

TCS | Discovery Bank CEO Hylton Kallner on tech, AI and the future of banking

Discovery Bank CEO Hylton Kallner believes technology is fundamental to the company’s success. Kallner, an actuary who joined Discovery in its early days as a medical insurance company and who has held various senior leadership roles over the years, tells TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod about the group’s decision to launch…
23 Mar 37 min

Across South Africa in an EV: how one man did it before charging stations

Shaun Maidment crossed South Africa in an electric car, a BMW i3, before there was a network of charging infrastructure along the national routes – and he has a heck of a story to tell about his adventure. Charging infrastructure along South Africa’s national routes is now so commonplace that…
13 Mar 40 min

Meet the CIO | Kerissa Varma on what it takes to be a top CISO

Being a chief information security officer (CISO) in 2025 is a daunting role, but one that TechCentral’s guest in this episode of the Meet the CIO relishes. Kerissa Varma, who was recently appointed as chief cybersecurity advisor in Africa for Microsoft, previously served as group CISO at Vodacom and before…
10 Mar 43 min
All episodes