Blue skies

In this story:

* Technology changes life experiences
* Innovation should enable and empower
* Leadership is about inspiring
* ICT fosters development through information

Clifford Foster is a software engineer. He built his career in consulting, engineering and technology companies in South Africa, and then IBM took him to a wet and grey London.

He's excited to be back in SA and not only because of the sport and incredible weather. “There are so many opportunities here it's a matter of knowing where to focus,” says Foster. “An example of this is M-PESA, which is a mobile phone to mobile phone cash-transfer service that's working in Kenya. We're involved with Safaricom in this project, which will have one million customers by January 2009.”

You can hear Foster's enthusiasm as he talks about technology that changes life experiences. In Kenya, the lack of conventional bank branches and credit machines in rural areas leaves people with few options of transferring money. Before mobile payments became a reality, the only choice people had was to send money via the post office or to use friends or relatives who were travelling in the direction you wanted the money to go, and ask them to deliver the money for you. This made things difficult because the post office in Kenya charges high rates, many people don't have a permanent address so wouldn't have access to this option. Sending money with personal messengers can be slow and unreliable.

“I think visually. I stand in front of a white board and start drawing when I have problems. I think in terms of a network. Every time when I hear something new I find the idea latching onto another part or idea. Much like a spider's web.

“What attracted me back from the UK was not just the opportunity of working in this country, but the whole of sub-Saharan Africa. The real challenge is knowing where to focus the majority of my energy. Every time I talk to someone, a new opportunity arises. So the real quest is finding where best I help IBM leverage capability to realise these kinds of opportunities. The question is how to make communities and countries self sufficient and to drive innovation so it is enabled and empowering, rather than directed top down.”

Foster's role in South Africa focuses on three core areas. Firstly, Foster needs to ensure Big Blue is recognised as the top ICT company to work with in South Africa and that IBM nurtures innovative concepts and projects in this region. Then he has to ensure IBM continues to attract the right people in a region with significant skills shortages. “There is a lot of demand and right now demand is outstripping supply of some of the skills required to drive technology initiatives. This is all about enabling passion and ensuring people who work here have brilliant careers, and that they are happy and satisfied.”

One of Foster's dreams is to create another world-class innovation centre for Africa, outside of SA.

Clifford Foster, the new chief technologist for Big Blue

“Leadership is about inspiring. It is not management. Management is the responsibility for the day-to-day activities of individuals. Leadership is about inspiring through example that others are passionate about following.”

One of Foster's dreams is to create another world-class innovation centre for Africa, outside of SA. IBM launched its Africa Innovation Centre in the company's Sandton offices in June 2008, and promised to increase investments in the sub-Saharan Africa region by at least $120 million during 2008 and 2009. IBM's innovation programme emphasises the participation of a multi-disciplinary base of Africans - spanning thought leaders in government, the academia, and business - in an open, collaborative format with a global perspective.

“The best advice I was ever given changed my career quite fundamentally. It was from a mentor and leader who said to me: 'Quality at source.' This person was ruthless at ensuring that everything I produced was of an incredibly high quality. This is something I carry with me and hope to instil in the people I work with.

“An important part of our role in this region is to support universities, business partners and clients to nurture and mature robust solutions, and by so doing make a strong and positive contribution to this region's economy,” says Foster, adding that technology can help drive development and growth through information. “The link between ICT and development is through information. Information sharing is one of the greatest catalysts for the formation of communities and a hub for innovation. A robust infrastructure is a precursor to this. If you look at the expansion of telecoms throughout Africa, this gives the means for innovation, and is a catalyst for communities to develop, to grow new businesses. It enables innovation that gives rise to new business opportunities. Technology is the mechanism that makes all of this happen.”

* Mandy de Waal is a columnist and writer. A former broadcast journalist, de Waal writes about technology, convergent media, corporate rot and whatever else takes her fancy. Read the riffs on her blog. Follow her on Twitter.