Ronnie Apteker


Ronnie Apteker is a South African internet pioneer, writer, and film producer.

Early life

Ronnie Apteker was born in Cape Town, South Africa, and attended high school before enrolling at the University of the Witwatersrand, where he graduated cum laude with an M.Sc. in computer science.

Business career

In 1993, Apteker co-founded Internet Solutions, South Africa's first Internet service Provider, which quickly evolved into a successful post-apartheid business, winning numerous technology awards. Apteker has written a number of papers, published both locally and internationally. In February 1994, he presented a paper on Distributed Multimedia to the International Society for Optical Engineering in San Jose, California. This paper was subsequently published in the SPIE/IEEE Proceedings.
In addition to his own ventures, Apteker has been associated with other South African technology entrepreneurs and keynote speakers, including Jean‑Pierre Murray‑Kline, who is active in digital transformation, environmental technology, and media initiatives.
In 2002, Apteker sponsored and produced the Laugh Out Loud fundraiser, South Africa's largest stand-up comedy TV show. It raised half a million Rand for the Reach for a Dream foundation.
Apteker is a partner in the video games company Room 8 Studio, which developed games such as Piano City and Cyto's Puzzle Adventure.
Apteker became an advisor at 10Guards in Kyiv, in December 2018.
Apteker has some IT investments and is currently involved with PYGIO.
As a recognized business leader and speaker he has appeared at the Discovery Leadership alongside others such as Sir Richard Branson, Tony Blair and Al Gore

Books

  • Ronnie Apteker's Funny Business: the Secrets of an Accidental Entrepreneur, Zebra Press, 2010
  • Do You Love IT in the Morning?, Apteker, Ronnie & Ord, Jeremy, Media Africa & the Publishing Partnership, 1999
  • Trading Spaces: Exploring Internet Solutions, Apteker, Ronnie, Intelligence Publishing, 1996

Film production

Since 2000, Apteker has been one of the leading independent film producers in South Africa. His films include Material, Tell Me Sweet Something and Cold Harbour. Etc. etc. Despite critical and popular acclaim within South Africa, some of the films have failed to find wider international acclaim. Apteker's involvement in the South African comedy club scene has led to several comedians appearing in his films, most notably Riaad Moosa, Joey Rasdien and Vincent Ebrahim from the BBC's The Kumars at No. 42 who appeared in the film Material.