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Willem van Biljon
Advisor at takealot.com
Willem van Biljon is a prominent South African entrepreneur and technologist, currently serving as the co-CEO and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Takealot.com, South Africa's largest online retailer. He has a rich background in technology and entrepreneurship, with significant contributions to the development of major software systems.
Early Life and Education
Born in 1961, van Biljon was raised and educated in South Africa. He graduated from the University of Cape Town with a degree in Computer Science, which laid the foundation for his extensive career in technology.34
Career Highlights
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Mosaic Software: Van Biljon co-founded Mosaic Software, which developed the Postilion payment system, recognized as one of the top payment processing platforms globally. The company was sold to S1 Corporation in 2004.13
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Amazon EC2: He played a key role at Amazon Web Services (AWS), where he was part of the team that developed Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2). His responsibilities included product management and marketing for this pivotal cloud service.234
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Nimbula: In 2006, van Biljon co-founded Nimbula, a cloud computing software company that was later acquired by Oracle Corporation in 2013.23
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Takealot.com: In June 2014, he joined Takealot as co-CEO and CTO. His leadership is credited with helping the company secure significant funding and expand its market presence in South Africa's e-commerce sector.156
Contributions and Impact
Van Biljon is recognized for his strategic vision and technical expertise, which have been instrumental in transforming Takealot into a leading player in the online retail space. Under his leadership, the company has experienced rapid growth and innovation.15
His work has not only impacted local markets but also contributed to global technology advancements through his involvement with major international firms like Amazon and Oracle.
Willem van Biljon continues to influence the tech landscape in South Africa through his roles at Takealot and various advisory positions within the industry.4
