Presenting Like A Pro

The gift of speech is a hugely underrated blessing. I’m at the stage in my life– personal and career-wise, where I’ve developed an awareness for the potential of what comes out of my mouth to either kill or heal, build or destroy.

In this episode of #AndilesTake, I look back on the influences that have shaped the broadcaster I am today, share what fuels my sense of purpose as a communicator, and reflect on what inspires me not just to keep raising my game as a pro, but also cherish the responsibility of having a voice in these tough times.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it will eat its fruit.” –King Solomon

I am greatly indebted to three of South Africa’s leading communicators for sharing their stories and trade secrets with me. A big thank you to eTV news anchor, HOT 91.9 FM radio jock, voiceover artist and speaker, Marc “The Voice” Chase, the irrepressible former corporate executive turned rockstar speaker and author, Alex Granger, and executive presentation coach, founder and CEO of Business Presentation Skills Holdings, Beth-Ann Galvin— whose 30-year track record has rightfully earned her the reputation of being “The Presentation Fixer”. I have no doubt that you will benefit immensely from their wisdom as I have.

“Cashflow Rules Everything Around Me” Alludes iROKOtv’s Jason Njoku

Launching a start-up in Africa is not for the faint-hearted. Very few promising ventures– even those that achieve solid traction, can expect to land Silicon Valley-type investment offers that might allow a founder the liberty to concentrate solely on growth, versus say, survival.

This week’s discussion is inspired in part by a recent blog post by iROKOtv Founder and MD, Jason Njoku, written in response to a question posted on a popular Nigerian tech message board by someone who was curious to know how many Nigerian startups are in fact profitable.

Tefo Mohapi and I weren’t sure of what to make of both the question and and Jason’s subsequent response to it, so we decided to bounce some ideas around to try and determine which of these three: 1) growth, 2) profitability, or 3) being cashflow positive, African startup founders should focus on in order to succeed. Consider this just the start of a very long conversation that we plan to keep applying our minds to.

A definite highlight this week was having Jovago.com Founder and MD, Marek Zmyslowski aka Chinedu join us on this week’s African Tech Round-up while he was in Johannesburg on business. It was very kind of him to let us hijack him for a couple of hours, and include his two cents on this week’s news and discussion topic.

Be sure to catch all the week’s biggest digital, tech and innovation news:

• Kenya and South Sudan are set to start work on a multi-million dollar high-speed fibre optic cable within the next two years,
• The Consumer Federation of Kenya is leading a boycott of DSTV over high cable subscription rates,
• Nigerian e-commerce platform Yudala is keen to pull an ‘Amazon’ as it plans to roll out a traffic-beating drone-delivery service,
• South Africa’s largest online news platform, News24, has finally opted to disable public comments to articles posted on their website,
• Facebook 2nd Quarter African User numbers reveal some fascinating trends,
• Singtel, Orange, Deutsche Telekom and Telefónica are joining forces to launch a VC initiative spanning Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East, and 
• A quick reminder to anyone living in South Africa that public comments on the proposed new Cybercrimes and Cybersecurity Bill are to be submitted to the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development on or before November 30th.

Evolution Of Mobile Phones, What’s Next?

You probably remember how popular Nokia’s 3310 device was when it launched back in 2000. Affectionately known as “Die Hard” by ardent fans, it was for many the possession that would make them truly feel a part of 21st Century civilisation.

It’s pretty incredible how far mobile telephony has come in the 15 years since Nokia launched the record-breaking 3310 handset.

Who could have guessed that in 2015, Nokia would be a faltering giant, Africa would be at the forefront of the world’s mobile-first/mobile-only revolution, and that much of the continent’s “connected” population would be almost exclusively reliant on mobile devices to access the world-wide-web?

In this week’s discussion, Tefo Mohapi and I chat about some of what’s changed (or hasn’t) in the mobile phone technology space over the last decade and a half, and ponder what innovations we should expect to see emerge as we sail into a future which promises ever more technological advancement.

Also in this week’s African Tech Round-Up, all the week’s biggest digital tech and innovation news:

• Suspects nabbed in illegal South African government order scam,
• A University of Pretoria post-graduate student wins a prize for a clever asthma attack predictor, and
• Nigeria plans to deploy aerial drones in effort to combat oil theft at its ports.

Unathi Msengana & Asanda Madyibi: 14 Years of Creative Collaboration (Part 2)

This is the second and final part of my take on the transition from craftsmanship to entrepreneurship featuring Unathi Msengana and Asanda Madyibi. If you missed Part 1, click here to catch up.

Unathi Msengana is a well-loved South African media personality and business woman (Musician, Metro FM DJ, Idols South Africa Judge and Television Producer) who is easily one of the most relevant and, indeed, most bankable entities in the Africa’s fickle entertainment industry. While, Asanda Madyibi is an incredibly talented fashion designer to the stars whose garments have graced catwalks around the world.

Unathi, Asanda and I go way back, but not quite as far back as their friendship. They have been thick as thieves since Asanda designed Unathi’s graduation dress 14 years ago.

Recently, I was lucky enough to crash a dress fitting at Asanda’s private fashion studio in Milpark, where Unathi was being outfitted for a high-profile musical performance. A lively chat ensued, and happily, I got it all on tape!

Enjoy this brief exploration into the lives of two very different, yet equally brilliant women, whose life journeys have seen them begin the transition from craftsmanship to entrepreneurship.

Many thanks to my mate, Global Entrepreneur, Author, and CEO of Sirdar Global Group, Carl Bates, whose ideas have inspired me to explore the difference between craftsmanship and entrepreneurship, and led me to appreciate the importance of distinguishing between the two.

(Artist Credit: Ballpoint Pen Drawing by Tumi Sibambo)

What Are You Going To Do When They Come For You?

Think back to high school. Remember how the new dude always got all the girls whispering, or how the new girl got all the boys trying to walk her home? Now, if the newbie rolled into town with discernible signs of affluence (i.e. dope clothes, or an expensive scent), the singles market would get particularly frenzied. And when the newbie possessed a hint of exoticism (i.e. a foreign accent, or an unusual taste in music), even the kids involved in some of the most stable couplings might start feeling the pressure to reevaluate their options.

In this week’s African Tech Roundup, Tefo Mohapi and I discuss the pressure African tech startups are feeling in the face of local markets being invaded by experienced and well-resourced foreign-based interests. Local incumbents in many sectors of tech now find themselves fielding competition from abroad. In everything from venture capital investment to mobile money solutions, media streaming platforms and e-commerce solutions, the race to dominate is well and truly on.

In the light of all this, I pose a simple question, “What are you going to do when they come for you?”

This week’s episode will feature some insights from Nubi Kayode that may help us all find confident answers to that question. Nubi is a Nigerian Business Analyst at Accenture Ireland, and Managing Partner at DevShackAlpha.co.  He co-founded EasyAppetite.com— Nigeria’s first online takeaway site in 2012, and managed to survive railroading attempts by foreign-backed competition, and set himself up to make a successful exit in 2014 when his company was acquired by CityChops.

Be sure to catch all the week’s most important digital, tech and  innovation news from across the African continent:

• Find out about a Zimbabwean high school dropout who’s built an electric powered vehicle and a hybrid helicopter,
• Discover which two foreign money transfer firms have teamed up and become the latest to launch into Africa,
• Learn more about Kenya’s admirable obsession with building their own laptops,
• Hear what you can do to extend the runway for struggling Cameroonian startup, KwiiziBox, and
• Get the low-low on a South African-based video-on-demand platform that is calling it a day.

Are Kenya And Ethiopia Violating Citizens’ Privacy?

Many people are conflicted about the need for “cyber mercenaries” like Hacking Team to exist. Blind idealism might contend that it is simply not right for corporatised hacking syndicates with dodgy ethical standards to secretly assist government intelligence agencies (and well-heeled private clients) to snoop on targets.

However, living in a world where the modern wonders of the internet and mobile devices are harnessed to conduct criminal activities in increasingly devious ways may demand that we hold a far more pragmatic attitude towards the need for “hackers for hire” firms to stay in business.

This week, iAfrikan Startups Editor and Content Producer for the African Tech Round-up, Peter Peele joins me to discuss how Kenya and Ethiopia have been implicated in Hacking Team’s recent embarrassing hacking incident, and explain how the alleged incompetence of those countries’ intelligence officials– as evidenced in leaked documents archived on WikiLeaks, could mean that companies like Hacking Team will not be short of clients any time soon.

As always, be sure to catch up on all the weeks biggest digital, tech and innovation news from across the African continent:

• Get an update on the headcount at PRASA in the wake of the company’s multi-million dollar locomotive procurement scandal,
• Find out which three big international players have announced major plays for Africa’s growing money remittance and online payments market,
• Discover which recent infrastructural development at SEACOM has led to their claim of being Africa’s leading “telecom enabler and network provider”, and what has given rise to Liquid Telecoms promising its clients “near 100 percent server uptime at much faster speeds than any other ISP in Africa”,
• Learn more about the Nigerian government’s new SIM card registration rules– aimed at curbing fraud, and
• Get the low-low on which African countries Vodafone services never ask them to intercept communications either for for law enforcement or national security purposes?

Nest.vc Launches In Africa

Everyone loves a good love story.  Especially when things go according to plan: start-up founder meets venture capitalist with deep pockets, tons of real-world experience, great contacts and of course, a tried and tested system for navigating to success.

For most African tech startups who have been financed by one of Africa’s leading venture capital funds, this idyllic scenario couldn’t be further from reality.

This week, the folks at Hong Kong’s only private, full service startup accelerator, Nest, have granted the African Tech Round-up an exclusive to break the news of their plans to ride into Africa’s startup funding scene like a knight in shining armour to “make an impact” by sweeping pretty damsels (aka promising startups) off their feet.

Listen in to hear straight from Nest’s Africa Managing Partner, Aaron Fu, what he and his team plan to offer investable prospects on the continent (starting with Kenya) by way of finance, expertise and other key elements of startup support.

Also in this week’s show– all the week’s digital, tech and innovation news from across Africa:

• A quick update from my co-host, Tefo Mohapi, on the official launch of Facebook Africa’s office in Johannesburg,
• Details on the far-reaching consequences of the embarrassing security breach at controversial spyware company Hacking Team,
• Worrying news on internet security laws being proposed by the Kenyan government,
• The low-low on a multi-million dollar locomotive scandal in South Africa, and
• The latest on bitcoin platform BitX’s foray into the Nigerian market.

Unathi Msengana & Asanda Madyibi: 14 Years of Creative Collaboration

Unathi Msengana is a well-loved South African media personality and business woman (Musician, Metro FM DJ, Idols South Africa Judge and Television Producer) who is easily one of the most relevant and, indeed, most bankable entities in the Africa’s fickle entertainment industry. While, Asanda Madyibi is an incredibly talented fashion designer to the stars whose garments have graced catwalks around the world.

Unathi, Asanda and I go way back, but not quite as far back as their friendship. They have been thick as thieves since Asanda designed Unathi’s graduation dress 14 years ago.

Recently, I was lucky enough to crash a dress fitting at Asanda’s private fashion studio in Milpark, where Unathi was being outfitted for a high-profile musical performance. A lively chat ensued, and happily, I got it all on tape!

Enjoy this brief exploration into the lives of two very different, yet equally brilliant women, whose life journeys have seen them begin the transition from craftsmanship to entrepreneurship.

Many thanks to my mate, Global Entrepreneur, Author, and CEO of Sirdar Global Group, Carl Bates, whose ideas have inspired me to explore the difference between craftsmanship and entrepreneurship, and led me to appreciate the importance of distinguishing between the two.

Net Neutrality Conundrum

As concerns continue to be raised over the potetial threat to internet neutrality posed by Facebook’s aggressive roll-out of its Internet.org platform, South African telecoms operator, Telkom is proving that the public’s growing distrust of big tech firms is not unfounded.

Large tech firms seem only too happy to test limits of what is ethically acceptable in terms of violating personal privacy, while capitalising on the lack of consensus around what constitutes internet neutrality.

Little fuss has so far been made over Telkom’s recent employment of tactics that would generally be associated with illicit hacking syndicates, following the telecoms giant being caught adding JavaScript to web pages of its ISP clients via a “man-in-the-middle attack”.

In this week’s debate, Tefo Mohapi and I discuss this unsettling development. Given how it seems we cannot trust big tech interests to behave ethically by defending our right to privacy and security, is internet regulation the answer?

Could Telkom’s recent behaviour be used to validate the need for the adoption of a regulatory framework like that proposed by South Africa’s Film and Publication Board some months back– the potential unconstitutionality of which was debated in Episode 8: Is This The Worst Censorship Law Ever?

Also, be sure to catch the biggest digital, tech and innovation news from across Africa:

• Find out which Ugandan serial entrepreneur has being appointed to replace Dell’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Elizabeth Gore as the Chair of the UN Foundation’s Global Entrepreneurs Council,
• Discover when Facebook will launch its shiny new Africa office and which big South African ad agency executive has been head-hunted to lead its come September 2015, and
• Learn how South African mobile subscribers will soon be able to buy airtime and data using Bitcoin.

Is Video Streaming In Africa Stuttering?

The race is still on to discover the formula for successfully distributing digital content in Africa.

In a recent blogpost, Jason Njoku, the outspoken founder of iROKOTV, announced that his company would soon retire the desktop version of their platform (for African users) to concentrate on building a mobile application that he says will better service the African consumer. The article is basically an eloquent admission that iROKOTV’s efforts to “win Lagos” and then conquer the rest of Africa have so far failed.

In this week’s African Tech Round-up, iAfrikan Executive Editor, Tefo Mohapi and I discuss the challenges that home-grown content streaming platforms like iROKOTV, Wabona, Tuluntulu and others may be facing in their attempts to profitably deliver digital entertainment content to African consumers.

While YouTube’s growing success in Africa is proof that consumers have an appetite for content streaming, it seems that African platforms are yet to crack the code for how to best to get in on the action.

As usual, be sure to catch up on all the week’s biggest tech, digital and innovation news from across Africa:

• Find out more about a cutting-edge medical innovation that has led to the city of St Louis, Missouri awarding their highest honour to a Nigerian-born scientist,
• Get details on how Facebook plans to roll out its Internet.org platform in South Africa in partnership with mobile network operator, Cell C,
• Learn why Nigerian e-commerce platform, Konga’s acquisition of mobile banking and payment provider, Zinternet is such a smart move, and
• Discover what we found odd about Twitter’s recent talent call for young Africans.