About Us

DigiCo was founded in 2020 by Garth Mackintosh, Johan Visser and the DNI Group, with a vision to bring together interrelated assets with strong intellectual property, technology and operational expertise.

The Group has expanded from 3 businesses to 10 through a deliberate acquisition strategy to find scalable, collaborative businesses from which cross-selling opportunities can be unlocked.

Today, DigiCo employs approximately 300 people globally and delivers its solutions and products in over 30 markets around the world.

DigiCo is blessed with a world-class blend of technologists and entrepreneurs who are all motivated and incentivised to scale the Group’s operations.

"Our vision is to augment businesses to empower global growth."

We are committed to building, acquiring and augmenting businesses with complementary strategic focus, driving positive impact in communities, and shaping a culture of agile innovation and empowerment to increase stakeholder value.

“DigiCo embraces a world filled with disruptive, progressive and scalable technologies. In this context, DigiCo is building and scaling to help deliver solutions that enrich and create value for our global consumers. At the centre of DigiCo’s vision is convenience and inclusion for the previously excluded members of our communities.”

Johan Visser, founder and CFO

Our core values

Innovation

Constantly seeking new ways to augment and improve.

Empowerment

Fostering a culture of autonomy and accountability for experts to drive our businesses.

Positive Impact

Ensuring our products and services enable positive change in communities and economies.

Strategic Growth

Strategically expanding territorial reach, product diversity and market share through complimentary assets and tech leadership.

Thought Leadership

Developing human resources to become thought leaders in our industry with cutting edge technology.

Relevance

Providing products and services that are impactful, relevant and future-proofed.

Scale and profitability

Pursuing highly profitable business models that scale for sustainable growth.

Stakeholder value

Using our core values framework to enhance stakeholder value consistently.

Investors

Management:
Ross Venter, Johan Visser and Ziyaad Manie, are also co-shareholders and aligned to driving the global growth aspirations of DigiCo

OUR TEAM

Technology Executives

ROSS VENTER

CEO – DIGICO

A Master’s graduate, Ross has been instrumental in developing the MMS channel in South Africa, especially around its adoption in the credit provision, lending, and banking sectors.

Ross was CEO of IMI Mobile SA when it was eventually sold to Cisco. He then joined DigiCo as CEO where he has been instrumental in driving the strategic growth and business development for the Group.

JOHAN VISSER

CFO – DIGICO

Johan is a CA(SA) and has more than 20 years’ experience in corporate & strategic finance.

Johan worked in London for 8 years in senior finance positions for some of the world’s leading companies (Warner Music International, Lastminute.com) before joining Clickatell as FD for 3 years.

He then joined ViaMedia as CFO before helping to found Digital Ecosystems in 2016.

ZIYAAD MANIE

CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER – DIGICO

Ziyaad graduated from UCT and is a CFA holder.

Prior to joining DNI (DigiCo’s majority shareholder), Ziyaad spent over 7 years working at RMB in investment banking. He covered Mergers & Acquisitions (“M&A”), Leveraged Finance and Family Office Group Solutions.

At DNI/DigiCo, Ziyaad is in charge of Group strategy, funding and M&A. He sits on 20 boards across the Group and privately. Ziyaad has helped the DNI Group source over R1bn in equity, raised over a R2bn in debt funding and execute approximately R1.5bn in acquisitions.

Airvantage

MICHAEL ROFFEY

EXEC AND CO-FOUNDER – AIRVANTAGE

Michael completed his BCom Accounting degree at Wits University in 2001. He qualified as a chartered accountant CA(SA) in 2004. Michael is a co-founder of Airvantage.

He has been involved in the telecommunications industry for more than 15 years and has previously sold 2 telecommunications businesses to JSE listed companies. Airvantage products and services are today available in over 10 countries across emerging markets.

MARK COLLIE

EXEC AND CO-FOUNDER – AIRVANTAGE

Mark completed his BCom at RAU (now University of Johannesburg) in 2002, specialising in finance.

Mark is the co-founder and executive director of Airvantage, a fintech provider of mobile financial and value-added services for mobile network operators. In 2009, he founded Icon South Africa in partnership with Icon UK. Under his leadership, the company was appointed by FIFA to design, produce and install the signage and branding for the FIFA Confederation Cup 2009 and the FIFA World Cup 2010. He was previously the operations director of Wideopen Platform, the leader in large format outdoor advertising in South Africa which he sold to Primedia Limited in 2006.

TANDI KUPER

CEO – AIRVANTAGE

Tandi completed her BCom degree through the University of South Africa in 1997 specializing in Accounting and Business Economics.

She started her career in lending and credit industry and has over 15 years’ experience. She was a member of the management committee and one of the top 50 executives for the listed Transaction Capital Group. She has managed debtor books which comprised of asset classes including cellular micro-lending, asset based finance, unsecured debt such as credit card, loans and overdrafts. These books were in excess of USD1 billion.

Tandi has over 10 years’ experience in the tech industry having joined Airvantage in its infancy and has now been promoted to CEO as of 2022.