The filing-drawer mystery that revealed a much bigger business truth
The filing-drawer mystery that revealed a much bigger business truth
The filing-drawer mystery that revealed a much bigger business truth
Gary Oberholzer
The filing-drawer mystery that revealed a much bigger business truth
Commuters were puzzled this week after office drawers appeared in public spaces across Joburg — a mystery the HOT 1027 Breakfast team eagerly fuelled on air, hinting that the stunt pointed to a bigger truth about how South African SMEs manage their tech.
That truth came into focus when Farhad Suleman, Managing Executive: Enterprise Business at Cell C, explained to Jeremy Maggs why so many small and mid-sized firms are still running on shaky digital foundations. South African entrepreneurs, he said, often rely on consumer-grade tools — retail Wi-Fi routers, improvised cloud storage, desktop documents and ad-hoc apps — not because they want to, but because they’ve never had the right ICT partner walking the journey with them.
These habits aren’t signs of failure. They’re survival tactics. But they leave businesses vulnerable. Reliable connectivity, Farhad noted, is still the number-one SME need, because it underpins everything else: cybersecurity, collaboration tools, cloud storage, e-commerce, remote work and daily operations. “You can’t reach the cloud if you can’t stay connected,” he said
Cell C Business has built its network strategy specifically around that challenge, giving SMEs access to more than 28,000 base stations through its multi-operator core network. The aim is simple: always-on reliability that allows businesses to grow without being overwhelmed by complexity. Once the foundation is solid, cloud services and digital tools can scale naturally — tailored to industry, team size and the business’s stage of growth.
A central differentiator, Farhad added, is human support. Too many online services leave SMEs alone with faceless ticketing systems and no practical guidance. Cell C Business positions itself as an ally, not a vendor — building bespoke cloud and connectivity solutions that evolve with the business instead of being simply sold to it.
For business owners feeling held back by drop calls, slow internet, unreliable payment devices or cybersecurity concerns, Farhad’s message was reassuring: these problems are solvable, widespread, and nothing to be embarrassed about. The first step is having an honest assessment of where your systems stand today.
Because as Cell C’s campaign underscores, nothing should stop your business — least of all technology that’s meant to help it grow.
If any of the habits highlighted by the stunt feel uncomfortably familiar — shaky connectivity, improvised cloud storage or outdated systems — Cell C Business can help. Through its “Nothing Should Stop Your Business” campaign, Cell C offers reliable connectivity, secure cloud tools and human support designed to strengthen SME foundations. Learn more at https://www.cellc.co.za/business.
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