South Africa

Ferial Haffajee is a South African editor and journalist. She is currently associate editor at the Daily Maverick and at Fin24 where she covers the Presidency, the commissions of inquiry into state capture, general economics and finance breaking news. Previously, Ferial was editor-in-chief at the Mail&Guardian and City Press, where teams working with her won numerous… read more »

Gabi Lowe studied a BA before embarking on a successful career in media and marketing. In 2011 she was catapulted into a totally new world, that of rare diseases, big pharma and transplantation, filled with massive challenges, learnings, losses and love. After an extraordinary four-year battle, Gabi Lowe lost her beautiful, talented 20-year old daughter,… read more »

Bruce splits his time between Cape Town and Johannesburg and is much in-demand – more than his commitments allow – as a Speaker, Moderator or Facilitator at corporate events. A multi-platform award-winning financial journalist, Bruce’s work on radio, television and in print gives him unique access to South Africa’s biggest power brokers in business and… read more »

Stephen McGown, an ordinary South African, was held hostage by Al-Qaeda in Mali for just short of 6 years. He was 36 years old at the time he was kidnapped from Timbuctoo along with a Dutch and Swedish national. During this period, Stephen lived far from civilisation, kept deep in the Sahara away from the… read more »

Professor Jonathan Jansen is a Distinguished Professor of Education at Stellenbosch University. Following seven years as Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the University of the Free State, he spent a year as a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. He is President of South Africa’s Institute of Race… read more »

Dr Adriana Marais, theoretical physicist, Head of Innovation at SAP Africa and aspiring extra-terrestrial, believes that we are living at a unique point in the history of life on Earth. Developments in science and technology are taking place at an unprecedented rate, and the expansion of our society beyond this planet is within reach. In… read more »

Saray is an award-winning mountaineer and on 16 May 2019, she became the first black African woman to summit Mount Everest. Through this remarkable achievement, the demand for her to share her stories with audiences wherever they may be, has understandably rocketed. The speeches invariably bring audiences to their feet in praise of her success. A Mandela… read more »

An acclaimed lawyer and expert on the Constitutional Court and Constitution Hill. Lwando Xaso shares the history of these globally extolled elements of South Africa’s history in a way that inspires, informs and amazes all her hear her speak – from wherever they hail. A recent group of directors from a global, South African-originated food brand, described it as “one… read more »

Qaanitah Hunter is an award-winning political journalist with the Sunday Times in Johannesburg. Her writing on South African politics and investigations feature prominently on the front pages of the Sunday Times and often set the agenda in the country. She has reported fearlessly on state capture, the Zuma years and the political transition thereafter. Qaanitah’s… read more »

Dr Thabi Leoka, a highly-respected economist and speaker, is a board member of Corruption Watch. As an economic strategist, her focus lies on the financial State of the South African Nation. Thabi has held top positions at Renaissance Capital, Standard Bank Corporate and Investing, Barclays Wealth, and Investec Asset Management where she was based in London for the… read more »

Yanis Varoufakis is a member of Greece’s Parliament and leader of MeRA25, the Greek political party belonging to DiEM25 and Europe’s first transnational paneuropean movement. Previously, he served as Greece’s Finance Minister during the first six months of 2015. Varoufakis read mathematics and economics at the Universities of Essex and Birmingham and subsequently taught economics at… read more »

Nthabiseng Motlatle is the Chairperson of the Association of South African Quantity Surveyor’s (ASAQs’) Wits Student Chapter.  She is studying towards her degree in BSc Construction Management and works as a Student Quantity Surveyor at the multinational Turner & Townsend’s Illovo office, which she says is her biggest opportunity yet. Motlatle leads a team of tutors at the… read more »

Cathy Mohlahlana is a prominent South African award-winning broadcast journalist and prime time evening news anchor on Newzroom Afrika. Cathy formerly worked for eNews Channel Africa. Cathy Mohlahlana hosts the Newz@Prime between 18h00 and 21h00 daily as well as “Editor’s Choice” on Sunday mornings. Newzroom Afrika can be found on DSTV’s Channel 405. When not on… read more »

Nomvelo  Chalumbira is an South African entrepreneur who co-founded the digital content platform Melenial Media for African Millennials. The aim of this platform is to empower and support African youth in different work they are doing, in the spheres of society. The Wits graduate is currently on a gap year travelling; documenting the content of her… read more »

Ninel Musson is a South African Co-founder of VTH Season a Creative Entertainment Marketing Agency. Ninel Musson was born in Cape Town and raised Chartered Marketer Ninel and she has worked across a corporate and non-profit environment with work on more than 100 brand campaigns and assignments completed in more than 14 African countries. VTH Season… read more »