Technology Entrepreneur | Innovation Strategist | Future of Work Speaker | Digital Transformation Specialist | Founder
Annette Muller is a South African technology entrepreneur, innovation strategist, business advisor and international speaker whose career has centred on building technology-enabled businesses and helping organisations navigate innovation, digital transformation and the changing world of work.
Recognised as one of Africa’s pioneering female technology entrepreneurs, Annette has built, scaled and advised innovation-led businesses while working with some of South Africa’s leading corporate organisations.
She first gained prominence as the founder of DOTNXT, one of South Africa’s early strategic innovation management consultancies. Founded in 2011, DOTNXT was created to bridge the gap between strategy and execution, helping organisations move innovative ideas from concept into practical implementation. Its clients included major South African businesses such as Nedbank, Primedia, Cell C and Graham Beck.
Through DOTNXT, Annette was involved in developing and launching innovative digital initiatives, including projects for Rand Merchant Holdings’ AlphaCode and SatrixNOW. The consultancy was subsequently sold to an international firm.
Annette went on to found Flexyforce, a B2B cloud-based technology platform designed to help organisations manage flexible and external workforces. The technology addresses the increasingly important world of freelancers, contractors, independent professionals and SME suppliers, automating elements such as onboarding, contracting, administration and payments. Flexyforce lists Annette as its Founder and CEO.
Her work has positioned her at the intersection of technology, entrepreneurship, workforce transformation and the Future of Work. She has long advocated for more flexible approaches to employment and organisational design, recognising early how digital technology would allow businesses to access talent beyond traditional permanent employment structures.
In 2014, Annette was recognised by Forbes as one of the 10 Female Tech Founders to Watch in Africa, acknowledging her contribution to Africa’s emerging technology and innovation ecosystem.
Annette holds a Business Science degree in Finance and Marketing, Honours Cum Laude, from the University of Cape Town, and has attended the Hyper Island Digital Master Class in New York.
As a speaker, Annette combines the perspective of an entrepreneur who has actually built and sold businesses with her experience working alongside corporates, start-ups and innovation teams. Her presentations explore how leaders and organisations can adapt to technological disruption, new ways of working, entrepreneurship and rapidly changing business models.
Her approach is particularly relevant in an era shaped by AI, automation, distributed teams, the gig economy and flexible talent models, where organisations are being challenged to reconsider what the workplace and workforce of the future will look like.
Keynote & Speaking Themes
- The Future of Work
- Technology, Innovation & Business Transformation
- Building the Workforce of the Future
- Entrepreneurship & Scaling Businesses
- Digital Transformation
- Innovation – Moving from Strategy to Execution
- Flexible Work & the Gig Economy
- The Changing Relationship Between Talent and Organisations
- Women in Technology & Entrepreneurship
- Building Future-Fit Organisations
- Leadership in a Rapidly Changing World
Career Highlights
- Founder & CEO – Flexyforce
- Founder of DOTNXT
- Built and subsequently sold an innovation consultancy to an international firm
- Recognised by Forbes – 10 Female Tech Founders to Watch in Africa
- Business Science – Finance & Marketing, Honours Cum Laude, UCT
- Attended the Hyper Island Digital Master Class, New York
- Worked with leading South African corporate organisations
- Involved in digital innovation projects including AlphaCode and SatrixNOW
- Experienced international keynote speaker
- Technology entrepreneur with experience across innovation, Future of Work, digital transformation and flexible workforce models
Annette is particularly well suited to leadership conferences, technology and innovation summits, Future of Work programmes, entrepreneurship events, women’s leadership conferences and executive strategy sessions. Her strength is her ability to approach disruption from the perspective of a founder and operator — connecting emerging technology and changing workforce models with the practical realities of building and transforming businesses.
