Advisory Services
Data Strategy & Data Governance Consulting
Independent, senior-level data leadership for South African organisations.
Based in Johannesburg. Available nationally and internationally.
Most companies don't need a full-time Head of Data. But they do need senior judgment and governance oversight. This is especially true when facing decisions about data strategy, governance gaps, or data analytics investments that will shape the business for years.
As a data strategy consultant, I provide independent advisory and strategic decision support to CEOs, CFOs, and executive committees across South Africa. With over a decade of experience in data strategy consulting services, governance, and analytics strategy consulting, I work on a fractional or project basis. No permanent hire overhead.
This is not consulting theatre. It's senior judgment applied to your real decisions. Should you build or buy? Is your data architecture fit for purpose? Are you getting value from your analytics investment? Is your governance posture appropriate for your risk profile? I help you answer these questions with clarity and accountability.
Understanding Data Strategy: Goals Before Sources
Effective data strategy starts with clarity on objectives, not with collecting more data.
As organisations grow, the number of systems and software applications that generate or use data increases. Larger companies often have dozens of data sources—accounting systems, CRM platforms, production systems, marketing tools, HR systems, and more. Each system captures data for its own purpose, creating a complex landscape of disconnected information.
The challenge is not the volume of data sources. The challenge is knowing which sources matter for which decisions. This is why effective data strategy begins with clear goals—not with data collection.
The Right Approach: Goals First, Then Sources
Step 1: Define Clear Goals — What decisions need better information? What questions need answers? What outcomes matter most?
Step 2: Identify Relevant Data Sources — Once goals are clear, determine which existing data sources can provide the insights needed. Not all systems need to be connected. Only the ones that serve your objectives.
This goal-first approach prevents organisations from building complex data integrations that don't deliver value. It ensures that data strategy investments align with business outcomes, not just technical capability.
Who This Is For
This advisory is designed for senior leaders who need experienced, independent input on data decisions—without the complexity of a full-time hire or the bias of a vendor relationship.
Companies Facing Data Decisions
You're considering a significant analytics investment, a data architecture decision, or a governance programme. You need someone who has been through this before. Not to sell you a solution, but to help you ask the right questions and avoid costly mistakes.
Organisations with Internal Teams
You have data analysts, engineers, or a BI function—but no senior data leader to set direction, challenge assumptions, or represent data at the executive table. You need oversight and strategic guidance, not more hands on keyboards.
Boards and Audit Committees
You're responsible for oversight of data risk, regulatory compliance, or digital investments—but the board lacks deep data expertise. You need an independent voice who can translate technical complexity into governance language.
Mid-Sized Enterprises (50–2000 Employees)
You've outgrown ad-hoc spreadsheets and are investing in proper data infrastructure—but you're not large enough to justify a R2m+ annual salary for a Head of Data. You need senior capability on a fractional basis.
Why Companies Engage an External Data Strategy Consultant
There are specific situations where an independent, fractional Head of Data Strategy delivers more value than a permanent hire or a consulting engagement.
Independence
I have no software sales. No delivery teams to feed. No benefit from recommending complex solutions over simple ones. My only interest is giving you clear, unbiased guidance. When an approach is recommended, it's because it's right for your situation—not because it generates downstream revenue.
Risk Reduction
Data and analytics investments fail more often than they succeed. The reasons are predictable: unclear strategy, poor governance, wrong choices, misaligned incentives, and lack of executive sponsorship. Having an experienced Head of Data involved early reduces your risk. This means before contracts are signed and teams are built. Many organisations discover too late that they lack the [organisational readiness for advanced analytics](/data-strategy/ai-readiness-advanced-analytics/)—the governance, ownership clarity, and decision frameworks that make analytics investments sustainable.
Decision Clarity
Executives are often presented with competing proposals from vendors, internal teams, and consultants. Each has their own agenda. My role is to cut through the noise. What are you actually trying to achieve? What are the real options? What are the trade-offs? What would a senior data leader do if this were their company? This clarity is essential for [AI readiness](/data-strategy/ai-readiness-advanced-analytics/)—ensuring that advanced analytics investments align with organisational goals rather than technical capability alone.
Second Opinion
Sometimes you need an independent second set of eyes. This is especially true when making significant data architecture or governance decisions. I provide independent oversight, design authority, and risk and governance support. Whether reviewing proposals, challenging internal assumptions, or validating strategic direction, having a senior data leader as a second opinion helps catch issues before they become expensive problems.
Governance and Accountability
Data governance isn't just about compliance. It's about ensuring that data assets are managed as strategic resources. As an independent Head of Data Governance, I can establish frameworks, define ownership, and provide ongoing oversight. I work without the political constraints that sometimes limit internal leaders.
What I Do
This advisory operates at the intersection of data strategy, governance, and executive decision-making. The work spans several domains. It depends on what your organisation needs.
Data Strategy
I help define what "data" means for your business. I provide data initiatives alignment with business objectives and oversee data assets management. I prioritise your investments and set realistic expectations. I ensure your data strategy is coherent, achievable, and connected to how you actually make money.
Data Governance
I establish data ownership, data quality standards, and accountability. I build data governance frameworks that work in practice, not just on paper. I ensure compliance with POPIA, sector regulations, and internal policies. I provide governance oversight that makes governance a business enabler, not a bureaucratic burden.
Analytics and Insight Leadership
As a data science strategy consultant, I guide your data analytics team on priorities, methods, and stakeholder engagement. I provide data projects oversight and ensure that analytics work delivers business value, not just dashboards. I represent analytics at the executive level. I challenge whether you're measuring what matters.
Architecture and Platform Decisions
I provide Head of Data Architecture–level oversight on data infrastructure decisions and technology choices. This includes big data strategy consulting for organisations dealing with scale, volume, and complexity. I review proposals and challenge claims. I ensure architectural decisions align with business needs, not technology fashion. I help you make decisions you can own and defend.
Vendor and Roadmap Challenge
I act as an informed second opinion on proposals, roadmaps, and recommendations. I ask the questions your team might not ask. Or might not know to ask. I protect you from overcommitment and scope creep.
Long-Term Capability Building
I help you build internal capability over time. I establish frameworks that your team can own. I ensure that governance and strategy outlive my engagement. I focus on what you need to sustain long-term, not what keeps me engaged.
What I Don't Do
Clarity about scope is important. Here's what falls outside this advisory practice—and why.
No software sales
I'm not a reseller or partner for any technology vendor. When an approach is recommended, it's because it's right for your situation—not because of commissions or referral fees.
No implementation work
I don't build data pipelines, write code, or configure systems. If you need implementation capacity, I help you define requirements and evaluate delivery partners—but I stay in the advisory lane. This separation keeps my recommendations unbiased.
No staff augmentation
I'm not a contractor filling a seat. I work at the strategic and governance level—advising, challenging, and guiding. If you need someone to manage a team day-to-day, that's a different engagement (and I can help you define what that role should look like).
Engagement Models
Three primary ways to work together, depending on your needs and timeline.
Diagnostic Assessment
A focused, time-boxed assessment of your data landscape, governance posture, or a specific decision you're facing. Typically 2–4 weeks.
Outputs: Written assessment, findings, recommendations, and a clear view of what to do next.
Best for: Organisations needing a second opinion or a baseline before making significant investments.
Advisory Retainer
Ongoing access to senior data leadership on a monthly basis. Participation in steering committees, reviews, and strategic discussions.
Outputs: Regular engagement, documented guidance, and continuity of oversight.
Best for: Organisations running data programmes who need sustained senior input without a full-time hire.
Fractional Head of Data
Acting as your external Head of Data and Insight on a part-time basis. Setting strategy, chairing governance forums, and representing data at the executive level.
Outputs: Strategic leadership, governance frameworks, executive reporting, and team guidance.
Best for: Mid-sized organisations who need senior data leadership but can't justify a permanent C-level hire.
Industries
I work primarily with organisations in regulated and operations-heavy industries where data decisions carry significant risk and complexity.
These industries share common characteristics: complex data landscapes, regulatory requirements, operational dependencies on data quality, and high stakes for getting data decisions wrong. If your organisation operates in a similar environment, we should talk.
Why This Works
There are good reasons why an external, independent Head of Data delivers value that internal hires and consulting firms often can't.
Independent Perspective
Internal leaders are embedded in organisational politics. Consulting firms have billable hour targets and upsell incentives. I have neither. My only objective is to give you clear, honest guidance that serves your interests.
Senior Judgment
You get direct access to someone who has led data functions, made these decisions before, and seen what works and what doesn't. No junior consultants doing the work while a senior partner attends the steering committee. The person in the room is the person doing the thinking.
Grounded in Operational Reality
Most consultants work from reports, dashboards, and stakeholder interviews in meeting rooms. That's not how I operate. When decisions carry material risk, I go onsite. I observe real workflows, shadow staff, and see how data is actually created and used in practice. I interview people where they work, not in boardrooms. I find pain points by watching what happens, not just by asking what happens.
This matters because strategies that look sound on paper often fail in practice. The gap between what systems say and what people actually do is where most data projects go wrong. By grounding advisory work in operational reality, not charts and graphs, I catch issues before they become expensive mistakes.
No Delivery Bias
When you ask a systems integrator whether you need a complex implementation, they'll usually say yes. When you ask a software vendor whether their product is right for you, they'll usually say yes. I have no delivery capacity to sell, no products to push, and no incentive to recommend complexity. Sometimes the right answer is "don't do this" or "do less"—and I'm positioned to say that.
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Let's Have a Conversation
If you're facing a data decision, considering a governance programme, or simply want an experienced perspective on your data landscape—an initial conversation is available with no obligation.
This isn't a sales call. It's a conversation between peers about whether there's a fit. If there is, we can discuss scope and approach. If there isn't, you'll be told honestly.