Leadership

Founding leadership

The Council is being convened by people who have spent their careers on both sides of the table — building technology businesses and opening trade routes for them.

Chairman

Dr Roger Latchman

Dr Latchman chairs the Innovation Council Southern Africa. He serves as Chairperson for South Africa of the International Trade Council, a position that places him at the intersection of local industry and the international trade networks the Council intends to open for its members.

His work spans trade facilitation, investment promotion and business development across South African industry, with long-standing relationships in both the private sector and government. He brings that convening capacity to Innov8SA's central task: getting six constituencies that rarely share a table to work on the same problems.

As Chairman he leads the Governing Council, oversees the Council's public positions and drives its global engagement mandate.

Trade & investment International networks Governance

Director

Yugasen Naidoo

Yugasen Naidoo is a Director of the Council. He is Director and Chief Executive of PraxisKZN (Pty) Ltd, a South African enterprise software and AI consulting firm established in 2010, with offices in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town, Microsoft Gold and IBM partnerships, and B-BBEE Level 1 certification.

His work covers enterprise systems, applied AI and agentic software, and delivery into the South African public sector — including the procurement realities that decide whether local technology firms ever reach scale. That experience shapes the Council's practical agenda around market access and procurement readiness.

As Director he helps set the Council's technology direction, its research and intelligence programme, and the digital platform that will carry member services.

Enterprise software Applied AI Public sector delivery

Council seats

Seats are open on the founding council

The Governing Council is being composed across all six constituencies, and further executive and non-executive positions — including working group chairs for each focus area — are open to founding members.

If you lead a technology company, a fund, a faculty or a public technology programme and want to help set the Council's opening agenda, put your name forward.

Express interest in a council seat →