I am an entrepreneur, artist and sportsman with a background in actuarial science, artificial intelligence and geospatial technology. I founded AI Consult to help organisations identify untapped opportunities and use AI in practical, comes times unconventional ways to unlock more value.

My role spans sales and business development, solution design and working directly with clients to understand their challenges, identify where AI can have the greatest impact, and turn those opportunities into practical technology that is easy to use and implement.

What makes me a rising star is my ability to combine ideas from very different disciplines and apply them to real world problems. Through AI Consult, I am building solutions such as a platform that helps track and make sense of tuberculosis related government funding and information, as well as AI powered systems for a large padel business.

I see myself almost like a coach. A coach can identify small weaknesses or overlooked opportunities that are holding a business back, make the right adjustments, and help them achieve much larger results. That is what I am trying to do for organisations through AI Consult: find the opportunities others may not see and use technology to help them reach outcomes that previously felt out of reach.

I believe I was nominated because I bring creative thinking to business problems and do not approach them rigidly or in the way they have always been solved. My diverse background across technology, actuarial science, art, sport and entrepreneurship allows me to see patterns, connect ideas and find unconventional solutions that others may overlook.

My vision is to become a leader who helps South African businesses use new technology to compete globally while creating more opportunities locally.

South Africa has extraordinary talent, creativity and entrepreneurial energy, but I believe we often underestimate what we are capable of building here. AI gives us an opportunity to overcome traditional constraints, increase productivity and build globally competitive businesses from South Africa.

Personally, I want to build companies and products that solve meaningful problems, create skilled employment and expose more young South Africans to technology and unconventional career paths. I want to lead by example and show that you do not need to follow a traditional path to create something valuable, and that combining different skills, experiences and ways of thinking can become a real advantage/superpower.

Over the last few years I have deliberately pursued opportunities that were outside my comfort zone. I became commercially licensed to fly drones and worked on smart farming applications using drones, data and AI. Often the farms were in very remotes locations within Malawi, Mozambique, and Botswana. I then went on and completed a Master’s at Wits focused on geospatial artificial intelligence. I became the number one ranked pickleball player in Africa while studying. I later left a secure corporate career to start my own software business.

At the same time, I rediscovered a childhood obsession with Rubik’s Cubes and transformed it into an art practice, creating large scale works that are now exhibited and purchased by collectors.

I hope that inspires people to take their unusual interests seriously. Something that looks like a hobby, obsession or strange idea can become a career, business, artwork or meaningful achievement if you pursue it far enough and think outside the box. I also believe that reaching the top in one area does not mean your potential is capped there, and that the same mindset can be carried into completely different parts of life.

Recreational activities

1. Racket Sports addiction (Pickleball – #1 Ranked player in Africa in 2024, padel, beach tennis, badminton, table tennis, squash, tennis)
2. Working out & Running – have participated in a few of the running clubs in Cape Town such as ‘Not so fast’, ‘Running Late’, ‘Saunders Running Club’. Great way to meet new friends and people in your city who enjoy being active and in nature.
3. Beach – leisure at Saunders’ Rocks Beach is my favourite spot to enjoy the sunrise, sunset, and cool off in the hot summers.
4. Pottery – love making bowls and vases on the wheel and getting my hands dirty with clay.