Cape Town • South Africa
Medical doctor who moved into technology in 1989, and has worked on South Africa's economic transformation ever since.
"Spin the wheel for others
with no expectations —
it always comes back with interest."
In 1985 he kept a list of doctors who could be trusted to treat injured student protesters, shared through the Concerned Doctors Action Committee and the UDF. In 1990 his company supplied the ANC delegation's computers for the Groote Schuur talks.
In 1987 he co-founded HNR Computers, one of the early Black-owned businesses in the IT industry. He later chaired Vodacom Group (1997–2000), the national Black Information Technology Forum and the .za Domain Name Authority.
He stayed in business, in his words, “for a cause and not for economic reasons”. HNR Computers was a way to challenge the mostly white-owned businesses of the apartheid era.
Career Journey
Twelve years as a doctor, then software, company boards and, more recently, digital learning. A few milestones:
Qualified at UCT in 1977. Hospital posts in Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, then a general practice in Athlone, Cape Town, from 1982 to 1989.
Headed WordPerfect's South African office until Novell bought the company in 1994, then became Marketing Director at Novell South Africa.
Chaired Vodacom Group, working full time, from October 1997 to March 2000. He describes it as his first major experience of organisational change management.
Chaired the .za Domain Name Authority, which manages and regulates South Africa's .za domain names, for 12 years (2003–2015).
"Spin the wheel for others with no expectations — it always comes back with interest."
— Hasmukh Gajjar, on his personal philosophy
Today
He currently leads a small digital media company and a new non-profit.
Turn your smartphone into a classroom. Grew out of Free Your Mind Technologies (2010) and how-to videos in English and isiXhosa made from 2012. In 2017 Vodacom asked for videos, and Mobilearn became a boutique digital media company. Vodacom is still a key client.
Founder & CEO • Turn your smartphone into a classroom
Since 2021 he has managed the online version of UCT Department of Medicine's refresher course for the Fellowship of the College of Physicians. That led in 2024 to Medilearn Africa, a new, small non-profit company that aims to connect health workers through knowledge sharing.
Founding Director, 2024 • Non-profit company
Get in Touch
For questions about his work, or to get in touch, email or phone him directly.
Based in Cape Town, South Africa.Send an Email