In 2018, Jonas Bogoshi was searching for his next major assignment.
With nearly 30 years of experience in the information and communications technology sector under his belt, he was confident he would be a key asset to any organization he decided to join.
He has worked for numerous multinationals, local system integrators and equipment manufacturers, including leading Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed companies, where he has held both technical and managerial positions. He has also contributed to developing and implementing numerous new innovative technologies that were taken to market.
But his main priority was to join a business that inspired him.
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During his job search, Bogoshi had a fortuitous conversation with Serame Taukobong, CEO of the South African telecommunications provider Telkom and board member of its subsidiary, Business Connexion Group (BCX).
“What he said to me was something that really made me think,” Bogoshi tells The CEO Magazine. “He told me about the impact Telkom and BCX have on society, the impact their services have on the lives of millions of people. He described an opportunity to go from being successful to being significant.”
Following that conversation, Bogoshi was selected to lead BCX as its CEO – a position he has held for the last six years. Throughout those years, he has been able to apply the vast breadth of his past professional experiences toward strengthening BCX.
“Part of my role has been to make sure we integrate the two aspects of BCX – telecommunications services and ICT solutions for businesses – and make sure we remain a leading systems integrator in South Africa and across the African continent,” he says.
Deepening Democracy
BCX and its parent company Telkom are more than just businesses – they are critical components of South Africa’s economic and political infrastructure.
The recent South Africa 2024 National Elections were managed with the support of BCX, specifically regarding connectivity and cloud services at the Results Capture Centres and the Results Operation Centres.
“The Electoral Commission of South Africa runs elections on our infrastructure,” Bogoshi says. “That’s why we at BCX often say we are deepening democracy in South Africa.”
It is, he adds, a prime example of significance over success.
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Beyond providing services to government, BCX systems are used in the storage and sale of fuel across South Africa, as well as by 50 percent of the pharmacies in the country to dispense medication and manage stock. In total, BCX systems enable more than 180 million retail transactions every month.
“We are actually the backbone of the IT infrastructure of retail in South Africa,” Bogoshi says. “We keep the country healthy.”
Therefore, Bogoshi believes BCX solutions are important for its clients across the various industries as they enable them to participate meaningfully in the progression of the South African economy.
“The solutions that BCX takes to the market are an opportunity to modernize the technology landscape of the country and further enhance the experience of millions of South Africans impacted by these solutions,” he says.
The Digital Vortex
While 92 percent of BCX’s business comes from South Africa, the company has a strong presence throughout the continent, and Bogoshi is working to expand that footprint further.
“The rest of the continent represents a huge opportunity for expansion for BCX,” he says.
“We have looked around the continent, have looked at key markets and are investing to grow in those markets. Our existing business is growing, but economic growth in many African countries is much higher than the global average. That’s good for us.”
“The rest of the continent represents a huge opportunity for expansion for BCX.”
Another advantage to expanding investment on the African continent is its projected population growth.
“This presents a huge opportunity to provide enterprise clients with solutions that serve this emerging client base,” he says.
BCX also serves consumer-based enterprises that have already embraced digitalization.
“These enterprises are finding ways to create new solutions for clients. They are investing in key technologies,” Bogoshi says. “And we have created capabilities, we have acquired companies and we have created internally a number of solutions for them.”
Lasting Legacy
Along with ensuring its clients see BCX as the business partner of choice in their chosen markets, Bogoshi says that he would love to be able to watch BCX become nectar for the next generation of talent.
“If I look back and see that we were able to attract, develop and train high-caliber, next-generation skills, I will feel that I’ve achieved my goal.”
Beyond that, his success in the role is also defined by the positive impact BCX has on the lives of people in the geographies where it exists.
“Yes, we have to make sure that we give good returns to our shareholders,” he says. “But, if we can impact society in a positive way – because ultimately the decisions that we make impact societies, impact individuals and even impact the planet – that, for me, will represent success.”
Through strategic partnerships with major global technology providers, like Cisco, Alibaba, HP, Huawei, Microsoft and Amazon Web Services, Bogoshi is positioning BCX to be a hyperscaler for the African continent.
“We have invested in big data and analytics, AI, both machine learning and pure automation and cybersecurity – today we are one of the leading cybersecurity solutions providers on the African continent,” he says. “We’ve even personalized micro-services to help our clients move deeper into the digital world.”
Bogoshi sees BCX as operating in the center of what he calls the “digital vortex” – a collection of industries that are adopting digital solutions more quickly than others, including retail, health care and financial services.
“Those are the industries that are in the vortex of the digital revolution, and we have created industry-specific solutions to go after those industries,” he explains.
Strategy for Uncertain Times
BCX’s investments into the digital vortex are part of a wider strategy Bogoshi is implementing at the company, shaped by the fast-changing political and economic circumstances of the last several years.
“We have all realized that we are living in uncertain times, and the only constant is change,” he says. “When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it affected our industry both positively and negatively, and it had an impact on the kind of capability we create and also our outlook of life in general.”
“We have invested in big data and analytics, AI, both machine learning and pure automation and cybersecurity – today we are one of the leading cybersecurity solutions providers on the African continent.”
Initially, BCX had to contend with supply chain disruptions and the various difficulties workers faced as a result. But the pandemic also accelerated demand for digital solutions. Whereas online shopping was uncommon in South Africa before the crisis, it is now growing at double digits, raising demand among BCX’s clients and raising its solutions from a nice-to-have to an essential. This transformation has had a major impact on the company.
“We have learned to be able to adapt as quickly as possible, whether it’s working from home or adapting our business in terms of where we invest to enable our clients to continue to do business,” Bogoshi says. “We have improved our ability to sense what’s going on outside the organization and let that inform our strategy.”
Growth to Scale
Bogoshi summarizes the current strategy as positioning BCX to be the partner of choice for clients in all areas where the company operates. This includes its vast blue-chip client base, with whom BCX has built deep relationships, some even going back decades.
“When we build long-term relationships, we build partnerships and we grow in line with their growth. That, for me, is important.”
It also means continuing to scale beyond large, legacy clients, and even beyond South Africa’s major cities.
“We’ve got a presence in large cities in South Africa, like Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria, but we also support clients in smaller towns,” Bogoshi says. “When you have an enterprise organization that is present across the country, and the client is looking for somebody who can provide services for them, both in large and small towns, we are the company they go for.”
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The strategy has been paying off. “If I look over the last few years, all the contracts we have won are where people are looking for scale,” he enthuses.
It’s also reaping rewards for everyone working at all levels of BCX. One of Bogoshi’s proudest achievements since coming on as CEO has been the company’s recognition as a top employer by South Africa’s Top Employers Institute for the past three years.
“Over the years we have developed and acquired deep industry and technology expertise. For example, something that is not common is that some of our people come from local municipalities and they help us develop solutions to be relevant to clients on the ground where they operate.”
He adds that the opportunity he was most keen on when he joined the organization was to make sure that the employees in all parts of the business feel as if BCX is their home.
“I tried to make sure we create a compelling value proposition for all employees, and I must say that we have done quite a lot on that part.”
Challenging the Status Quo
In addition, Bogoshi says that much work has been done on streamlining the business.
“Of course, that means reducing costs, but more importantly, it’s about moving away from traditional measurements of success,” he says.
Where typical metrics are based on meeting or exceeding service-level agreements, Bogoshi explains that BCX is now asking itself questions such as whether it’s helping its client to meet their business objectives and business outcomes.
“There are a few things that are very important at BCX,” he reveals.
“I tried to make sure we create a compelling value proposition for all employees, and I must say that we have done quite a lot on that part.”
“First and foremost, BCX prioritizes client centricity. We ensure that our clients are a consideration in everything we do, from how we organize ourselves to where we invest.
“The second thing is innovation. We must ensure that we are challenging the status quo and continuously improving. It is important to understand the world and where it is going to be agile in responding to changes.”
The last piece of the puzzle, according to Bogoshi, hinges on the company’s culture.
“Because we are a people organization, what this has meant is that we must have an empowering culture. We must empower our employees to deliver the services where the rubber meets the road. Not only must we empower them, we must enable them to do their work, and also trust them,” he adds.
Rolled into one, he says it is these core areas that will be the deciding factor as to whether the company succeeds in the emerging digital world.
