Tjaart Bester

I am a visionary Technology Leader with over 12 years of experience scaling tech
ventures and driving success in major South African corporates. My core
passion lies with the intersection of high-technology, customer-centric
business strategy, and people-first leadership. My unique blend of technical
and business skills has allowed me to drive change in all the roles I’ve
entered. I’m seeking a challenging and engaging senior leadership role with
an ambitious company, where my deep technical foundation and visionary
business strategy will foster measurable, scalable growth.

I have spent the last 12 years scaling technology ventures and driving success within the South African tech industry by blending deep technical expertise with visionary business strategy. In my current role as Chief Technology Officer at Advannotech, I have led a complete pivot of the business, transforming it from a traditional security-systems provider into one of South Africa’s most awarded IoT companies. I built and commercialized a proprietary IoT platform in just six months, which now serves as the foundation for our strategic partnership with Telkom SA. Throughout this journey, I have managed the commercial side of tech by securing over R 7 million in expansion funding and leading negotiations for a revenue pipeline exceeding R 120 million.

This executive leadership is built on a strong history of project delivery and team building. During my time at IoT.nxt, I served as a Technical Product Manager where I managed a multidisciplinary team of 21 resources to deliver fifteen projects with a combined value of over R 100 million. I was also responsible for establishing the company's first grass-roots innovation team, reporting directly to the CTO to define the long-term technical roadmap. My ability to bridge the gap between engineering and business first developed during five years at Airbus Space & Defense, where I performed systems engineering for military-grade electro-optomechanical systems and crafted business plans for contracts valued at over R 500 million.

My career started with the hands-on technical details of electronic design at iPulse Systems, where I managed the hardware layout and supply chain for new product designs. This foundation in precision engineering, paired with my academic background—a B.Eng and Honours degree in Electronic Engineering from the University of Pretoria—has allowed me to move from designing circuit boards to steering company-wide strategy. I am also a Certified Scrum Product Owner, which helps me govern product development lifecycles within complex, agile environments.

I am a certified Certified Scrum Product
Owner (CSPO) and hold an Honours degree in Electronic Engineering