Instead of enthusing about the brilliance of new technologies, Zanele Nyoka, head of Information Services at South African Breweries (SAB), talks about how people interact with them. She talks about how a developer should assess what someone requires before imposing something on them, and how she will assess the skills of everyone in her 80-strong team to make sure each person is in a role that suits their temperament.

Nyoka, 45, joined the company’s beer and soft drinks divisions about eight months ago and believes her major task is to look after the people who look after the business at SAB.