TechCentral TechCentral (main feed)

Interview: Uber's Alon Lits and Justin Spratt

Loading player...
Thank you for listening to the TechCentral podcast. In this episode, Uber Technologies GM for sub-Saharan Africa Alon Lits and the company's head of business development for the same region, Justin Spratt, chat about the past, present and future of Uber in Africa. Listen as Lits explains how Uber got its start in South Africa, how it tackled its expansion across Africa south of the Sahara and what comes next. In the wide-ranging conversation, Spratt and Lits share insights into how the business has grown and some of the challenges it has faced along the way - not least the violence involving metered taxi drivers. The discussion talks about disruptive technologies - Spratt is not keen on the word "disruption" as he believes it has come to attract negative connotations - and how Uber is changing the way people live and travel. The discussion touches on subjects such as Uber's culture, working with regulators and the business opportunities still to come, including the potential impact of autonomous vehicles. It's a fascinating discussion. Don't miss it!
3 Oct 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…
11 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