Masebolelo Gaeganelwe, CIO, South African Forestry Company (SAFCOL)

It’s already at the next stage of taking some of this country’s natural resource treasures into the new era of oversight, care and maintenance and over the cusp in keeping historical treasures alive for generations to come.

At the helm of its ICT ‘Forestry 4.0’ vision is SAFCOL’s CIO, Masebolelo Gaeganelwe, whose strategy includes migrating some workloads to the cloud, automating business processes and enhancing network infrastructure to provide operational resilience. She continuously explores the benefits of data centre co-location, optimal connectivity solutions and emerging technologies such as IoT to transform every aspect of SAFCOL’s regions into intelligent data sources, from individual trees and machines, to hiking trails and waterfalls. Her role and the application of ICT extend to ensuring the welfare of visitors, supporting surrounding communities and the appropriate use of heritage sites.

“We as CIOs have earned a seat at the boardroom table and now bear the responsibility of helping our leaders understand the vision by translating technical concepts into business speak and sharing our insights on strategies for achieving a sustainable future. My role is evolving to become increasingly strategic, centred on influencing companies by being a conscientious leader who balances business success, ethical considerations, and a commitment to positively impacting the community,” says Gaeganelwe.

She says sustainability and growth are not going to be easy tasks, given the impact of socio-demographic challenges and economic and political pressure, all of which have affected the role of ICT to maintain not just SAFCOL’s, but every local enterprise’s ability to keep business alive and follow strategic intent, as well as contribute to uplifting the country’s citizens through connectivity.

“Such challenges mean effective risk management, adaptability to disruption such as the impact of power outages, and being nimble and able to do more with less. Threats are also opportunities for growth and innovation. For example, we are busy with implementing mechanised harvesting, which does not mean losing jobs but provides opportunity for innovation. Artificial intelligence is another opportunity because it needs people and with accurate data, it gives us the analytics for more decisive and intelligent decision-making.” One of Gaeganelwe’s passions is connecting the unconnected and while factors like the constant criminal element that challenge SAFCOL’s communication infrastructures, which includes using microwave technology, telecoms providers are steadily working on installing masts and connecting people.

“We have a relationship with MTN and other service providers through the RT15 contract, and we’re seeing new communications access points and connectivity being increasingly tangible.

Asked about her career, Gaeganelwe says: “My journey has been checkered, with many highlights. However, I consider myself fortunate to have structured my life to make time for what also matters to me, like my family, community and the NPOs I serve.” From one ICT professional to other rising ICT professionals, Gaeganelwe says: “This is a journey of continuous learning and it is vital to constantly develop and grow skills. Develop critical thinking and work effectively to deal with complex issues. As a leader, I have found that adaptability and composure under pressure have worked for me. Stay customer-centric, set a clear vision and trust your team to make decisions around the outcomes of the tasks you delegate them.”

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