Gadget of the Week: Local tech reads to get future-ready

New tax year, new you? Maybe. But definitely new tech trends, new business realities, and a fresh opportunity to outthink the AI that’s gunning for your job.

In the spirit of change, this column focuses not on gadgets as such, but on the mindset that must got with one’s tools in 2025. In that light, while books may not be gadgets, they are the ideal tool to reset your mindset, sharpen your strategy, and get future-fit. At the start of the new tax year for most, while your accountant crunches the numbers and SARS waits in the wings, it’s a great time to read books that don’t just explain technology but help you navigate the chaos it creates.

Here are five great South African reads that will make you smarter, sharper, and more business-savvy.

_{Photo courtesy Tracey McDonald}

1️. African Artificial Intelligence. By Dr Mark Nasila (Tracey McDonald Publishers)
This is AI for Africa, by Africa. If you think AI is just a techie obsession, it is already reshaping banking, healthcare, retail, and even government services across Africa. But here’s the kicker: if we rely on imported AI, we risk getting solutions that don’t fit our challenges.

Mark Nasila, chief data and analytics officer at FNB Risk and one of South Africa’s leading AI brains, has produced a book that explores why Africa needs to build its own AI models: ones that understand local markets, languages, and economies. Through real-world examples and unexpected applications, the book highlights AI’s potential to drive progress across African economies. For anyone in business and in the business of tech on this continent, it is essential reading.

Tech takeaway: AI is not a one-size-fits-all game – Africa must innovate on its own terms.

_{Photo courtesy Pan Macmillan}

2️. The One Thing. By Bruce Whitfield (Pan Macmillan)
This is South Africa’s business playbook for an uncertain future. Post-election South Africa is one big experiment, as an era of coalition politics may lead to fresh economic thinking. Speaker, broadcaster and author Bruce Whitfield draws on insights from leading business figures, academics, and changemakers to identify a single transformative action that could drive economic and social progress.

In the process, he digs into what’s next, tapping into SA’s sharpest business minds to find one key idea that could drive growth. Contributors include Sean Summers, who was tasked with turning round Pick ‘n Pay, and Judy Dlamini, chancellor of Wits University. Business owners, investor, and ordinary people trying to understand SA’s future, will find short, sharp, no-nonsense insights.

Tech takeaway: Business needs clarity. Find your “one thing” and double down on it.

_{Photo courtesy Pan Macmillan}

3️. Side Hustles and Startups. By Heavy Chef (Pan Macmillan)

Because one income stream is never enough, we all need a practical guide to turning a killer idea into real opportunity. Aimed at anyone starting a side hustle for extra cash or trying to build the next big tech startup, this book lays it all out. Heavy Chef, one of SA’s top entrepreneur communities, pulls together battle-tested insights from successful founders, investors, and business strategists.

It provides a clear roadmap for aspiring entrepreneurs, with practical steps to help find one’s
passion and build a strong team. It also serves as a startup cheat sheet on how to:
 Validate your idea
 Secure funding
 Market your brand
 Avoid getting wrecked by tax and compliance
With South Africa’s job market shifting and more people turning to side gigs and freelancing,
this is a playbook for financial independence.

Tech takeaway: The future of work is multiple income streams. Get started now.

_{Photo courtesy AMAZON}

4️. Is This Place Too Small For Me? By Herman J. Bezuidenhout (Beztforex)
Most businesses get stuck, at a time when their founders should be thinking bigger in both business and life. They hit a comfort zone and stop innovating. Same goes for careers.
Herman Bezuidenhout challenges this mindset, offering a blueprint for expansion, whether one is running a company or just trying to level up one’s skills.

The book serves as both a personal and professional guide, encouraging readers to assess their goals across key areas – health, finance, relationships, self-development, business, and spirituality – while providing actionable steps to break free from limiting thought patterns. Bezuidenhout combines strategic insights with motivational guidance, urging business leaders to revisit their vision, refine their sales strategies, and embrace bold decision-making. By questioning the status quo, the book equips readers with the mindset and tools to drive personal transformation and achieve extraordinary success in their careers and organisations.

This book covers:

• Scaling smartly – Knowing when (and how) to grow
• Strategic thinking – Making bold but calculated moves
• Financial mindset shifts – Ditching small-time thinking

A business owner looking to go bigger will find it invaluable, while a professional ready for a career shift can use this book as an engine to help get moving.

Tech takeaway: If you’re not growing, you’re stagnating. Expand your vision.

_{Photo courtesy Exclusivebooks}

5️. Life Lessons. By Alan Knott-Craig (Tafelberg)
Now it is time to learn the brutal truth about business, success, and failure. Alan Knott-Craig has seen it all: leading, funding, and sometimes crashing 21 companies – including Cellfind, iBurst, Mxit, and HeroTel. He shares the hard-earned wisdom gained through both triumphs and setbacks, from Mxit’s collapse to rebuilding his career.

His journey is a masterclass in resilience, risk-taking, and reinvention. It is an honest look at what it takes to build – and bounce back from – success in business and tech.

Tech takeaway: Fail fast, learn faster, and keep moving forward.

Final Thought: Read smarter, plan better, win bigger
A new tax year isn’t just about filing returns. It’s about reassessing your goals, fine-tuning your strategy, and preparing for the future. Navigating AI? Building a side hustle. Scaling your business? These books will give you the edge that AI-generated insights can’t.

The best way to outthink AI is to start reading like a human.

• Arthur Goldstuck is CEO of World Wide Worx, editor-in-chief of Gadget.co.za, and author
  of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to AI. Follow him on Bluesky on @art2gee.bsky.social.