A key part of Ashona Kooblall’s role as executive director and group financial officer at iOCO is value creation and driving strategy focus.
How is iOCO positioned relative to its competitors in the IT services market?
iOCO has undergone a strategic reset, emerging as a sustainable, more focused organisation with a strong emphasis on high-value services. Our recent financial results, including a 159.3 percent increase in EBITDA and improved gross margins demonstrate our ability to compete effectively in the market. We have streamlined operations, exited loss-making businesses, and adopted a decentralised model that enhances agility and more focus on the channel to market. Our Level 1 B-BBEE status further strengthens our positioning in South Africa, while our international expansion into EMEA reflects our growing global footprint.
How is iOCO adapting to evolving industry trends, such as cloud computing, AI, and cybersecurity?
A key part of my role is value creation and driving strategy focus. I really focus on the facts and data driven analysis. It’s not just internal data that I use, I really go deep into what our competitors publicly share and also what global companies do. I want us to regain our standing as SA's leading tech company and it will take intense focus and an aspirational growth mindset really going after high growth areas such as cloud, AI, data, software, OT, consulting and services. We have now consolidated our cloud offerings to ensure we don’t only sell cloud transformation, but we save our customers costs.
This is a huge deal for other CIOs and CFOs and we want the market to know we add value and drive efficiencies for our customers. AI is also growing in iOCO and internationally. By focusing on these high-growth areas, we’re not just keeping pace with trends – we’re helping shape them.
What are the perceived future trends of the industry?
We anticipate sustained demand for digital transformation, especially in sectors like banking, telecommunications, manufacturing and government; cybersecurity resilience as regulatory pressures and threats escalate; cloud transformation and efficiencies; AI-driven efficiency tools, particularly in data analytics and process automation. iOCO is well-placed to capitalise on these trends through future focused strategic initiatives and transformation.
How is iOCO attracting and retaining top talent in a competitive IT services market?
Our talent strategy hinges on three pillars: culture, growth opportunities and performance focus while having fun.
A decentralised model empowers teams to innovate and create their own story, really feeling the value-add of their own abilities and how they can shape iOCO, while our turnaround success fosters pride in the organisation.
iOCO is built on the smart and dynamic nature of our people, and I love that. We invest in upskilling, particularly in high-demand areas. Clear metrics and rewards align with our profitability goals.
Which specific market segments or service offerings are expected to drive future revenue growth?
I strongly feel, as I profile myself as a client, that clients are looking for cost efficiencies and processes efficiencies in their technology landscape and we as iOCO focus on helping our customers with that. Specifically efficiencies in how they run their platforms and tech products.
Key growth engines include:
- Cloud, AI and deep tech solutions to our customers
- Public sector: Tailored solutions for government digitalisation.
- Cybersecurity advisory: Addressing critical gaps in enterprise risk
- management.
- Digital transformation, software and operational technologies is still high in
- demand and a great growth area.
- International expansion: Building on our 31 percent EBITDA growth in EMEA
- markets.
What are the plans to increase shareholder value?
Overall, we continue to build on our entire value ecosystem, which includes employees, product, technology, customers and suppliers which ultimately drives value creation for shareholders. I personally am very invested in our people and culture mandate, as I firmly believe culture first before profit.
I firmly believe a CFO’s role is value creation in the organisation. I often left-field my business executives with ideas, and I love how they embrace it. It takes deep mutual respect for this to happen, and gaining buy-in is another fundamental winning formula as a CFO, as a trusted business advisor.
We’re committed to profitability by delivering six consecutive months of profit and 19 cents HEPS; strengthening our balance sheet by reducing debt (R613M term debt) and improving ROE to 40 per cent and strategic capital allocation by funding growth initiatives while maintaining R298M cash reserves.
Our share price growth (R1.32 to R3.15) reflects renewed investor trust.
As CFO, my focus remains on sustainable value creation, trusted business advisor, smart investments, and operational discipline to ensure iOCO’s momentum translates into long-term value.
