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Christo Brand is a South African former prison guard who was one of several that were responsible for guarding Nelson Mandela. He came to Robben Island, where Mandela was being held, in 1978 when he was 19 years old.
In 1982 he was transferred along with Mandela to Pollsmoor Prison. Christo and Mandela developed a close friendship over the course of many years. He is the co-author of his book, Doing Life with Mandela: My Prisoner, My Friend (2014). Christo retired from Robben Island on 31st July 2018 to pursue his storytelling on a full-time basis.
How was it possible for these two men from such seemingly different backgrounds to develop a relationship which was to become so much more – a lasting friendship based on a mutual trust and respect for each other?
Surely, they should have hated each other. One was a white, 18-year-old Afrikaans speaking prison guard representing the oppressive, apartheid regime of the time; the other – a black, 60-year-old Xhosa speaking terrorist serving a life sentence.
Rather than join the army for National Service as was compulsory for every South African white male, Christo Brand decided to join the prison service. After training for a year in Kroonstad, he applied for a post on Robben Island because he wanted to be close to home.
His application was successful and at the age of 19 he was sent to work on Robben Island in 1978. That was when Christo first came across Nelson Mandela who at that time was 60 years old. This was where they formed a relationship which was to become so much more. A close friendship built on trust and mutual respect for each other.
In 1982, Mandela was transferred to Pollsmoor Prison. On 13th March that year, Christo married Estelle. Soon afterwards, Christo was transferred to Pollsmoor and was responsible for guarding Mandela for the next 6 years.
Encouraged and supported by Nelson Mandela, in 2014 Christo wrote his book “Doing Life with Mandela – My Prisoner, My Friend”, with co-author Barbara Jones.
In the Foreword, Ahmed Kathrada writes: “My lasting impression of Christo Brand is that he’s a very good human being. He’s not a politician; he’s just a very caring man who took chances for other people, which could have brought him trouble.
I sincerely hope that Christo’s book will receive the respect and attention it deserves. It is a valuable addition to the writings about imprisonment in the apartheid era, and it is written by a fine man.
It is also unique in that it is the most honest account I have read by a warden relating their interaction with Nelson Mandela, and for that alone it deserves credit. I wish Christo Brand all the success in the world.”
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Professor Shirley Zinn is the former Group Head of Human Resources at Woolworths Holdings Limited. Prior to this, she was the Head of Human Resources of Standard Bank South Africa and Deputy Global Head of Human Resources for the Standard Bank Group.
Prior to this she was the Group Executive HR at Nedbank. Before this, she was the General Manager for Human Resources at the South African Revenue Service (SARS).
She is also an Extraordinary Professor at the University of Pretoria’s Department of Human Resource Management, and recently been appointed as Adjunct Professor at the University of Cape Town.
Shirley is the Past President of the Institute for People Management South Africa and registered as Master HR Professional with South Africa Board for People Practice.
Professor Shirley Zinn hails from the Cape Flats in Cape Town, and started her career as a secondary school teacher of English, then moved to the University of the Western Cape where she lectured in Teacher Education.
After this, Professor Shirley Zinn served at Southern Life as Training Manager and then moved to the Department of Public Service and Administrations’: South African Management Development Institute, in Pretoria as Director.
She held the position of Executive Employment Equity at Computer Configurations Holdings. Before her appointment at SARS, she filled the role of Regional Human Resources Director for Middle East and Africa for Reckitt Benckiser, a global company listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Professor Shirley Zinn is the former Chairman of DHL: Global Forwarding SA, and currently a Non-Executive Director on the Boards of JSE listed AdvTech (Lead Independent and Chair of Remco) and Sygnia Asset Management (Lead Independent, and Chair of Remco and Social and Ethics Committee).
She also serves as a director on the Boards of Tuesday Consulting, Empowerment Capital, Knowledge Resources, Business Engage, Community Chest, and the Boston Consulting Group SA. In addition, she is the HR Advisor to the Board of Silvertree Internet Holdings.
Professor Shirley Zinn also serves on the Takeover Regulation Panel Board and on the Council of the University of Cape Town. She is a Trustee on the Nedbank Eyethu Community Trust, Ambassador for the Orbis Africa Charity, and the former Chairman of Starfish Greathearts Foundation.
She also serves on the Advisory Boards of Monash South Africa, and the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Shirley is the past President for the Harvard Alumni Association South Africa and a Fellow of the Institute of Directors SA.
She also previously served as the Chair of the Institute of Bankers. She was recently appointed as the Patron for South Africa Council of Business Women.
She is a coach and mentor to several women across multiple industries She has presented at numerous national and international conferences as a keynote speaker.
In 2015, she wrote her autobiography entitled “Swimming Upstream” which focuses on her personal and professional journey. It has officially been announced as a best-seller.
In 2016, she presented several “Swimming Upstream” talks nationally at corporates, schools, universities and charities, with the hope of motivating and inspiring especially youth and women that they can achieve despite adversity, and to never give up.
She holds a BA (University of the Western Cape); Post Graduate Higher Diploma in Education (University of the Western Cape); B.Ed. Honours (UNISA); M.Ed. (University of the Western Cape); Ed.M. (Harvard); and Doctorate in Education (Harvard).
Professor Shirley Zinn was awarded the Top Woman in Business and Government and Top Executive in Corporate South Africa by Topco Media in 2008. Professor Zinn also was recognized by the Black Business Quarterly and received the Award for Top Woman in Business and Government and most Visionary Woman in 2008.
She also received an award from the World Human resources Congress in Mumbai in 2007 and 2013 respectively for Excellence in Global HR Leadership. In 2012, was listed in the Top 30 Wonder Women in South Africa by the Wits Business Journal.
Professor Shirley Zinn was awarded Africa’s Most Influential Women in Business and Government for 2016 in the SME Sector by CEO Global.
She also completed her ninth Two Oceans Half Marathon in March 2018.
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Bruce Fordyce is a well known name in Athletics after his record run in the Comrades Marathon over the years.
In 1977, when Fordyce ran his first Comrades Marathon, he placed 43rd out of 1,678 entries. He placed 14th in 1978, 3rd in 1979, 2nd in 1980, and he was the winner for an unprecedented eight consecutive years from 1981 to 1988; he won again in 1990. No other runner in the history of the Comrades has achieved this feat.
Bruce also held the record time for the “up” run (Durban to Pietermaritzburg) and his record of 5:24:07 for the “down” run (Pietermaritzburg to Durban) stood for 21 years from 1986 until it was broken in 2007 by Russia’s Leonid Shvetsov.
Presentations:
Bruce Fordyce delivers an insightful presentation called “In the Long Run”.
It is an inspiring 40 minute talk incorporating exciting visuals of South Africa and the World Cup. In it, Bruce invites his fellow South Africans to remember how great we were in 201 0 and encourages us to maintain that positive energy.
Bruce Fordyce will inspire your conference through his talk on how to push past barriers to achieve greatness.
It’s the most exciting challenge a runner can face: that first big marathon. With this practical guide to everything from physiology to great gear—now updated for this third edition—novices can train themselves up from scratch to their first six mile race and then on to half, full, and ultra-marathons.
Full-color diagrams, detailed text, fact-filled charts, and superb action photographs explain running science in an accessible and inspiring way.
All the crucial information is here: an analysis of how muscles work and injuries occur, advice on choosing the right running shoe, suggestions for a proper runner’s diet, plus practical training schedules and pacing tables for measuring progress.
Even an absolute beginner will be ready to take on that big run in six months!
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Zak van Niekerk was born in the heart of Namaqualand (Springbok) where he also went to school. As a farm boy he ran after sheep in the Boesmanland (his family still lives there) and tried his best to be a farmer like his father and brother, but with no luck, because his first love was always music.
He had his own band during his high school years, but he was the only one who was serious about music. He then decided to do his own thing since then until now.
During his matrix year he was assigned SANA church choir en concert group, also known as the Canaries, for a period of two years.
At the end of his first year the government decided to close the department and Zak van Niekerk was forced to make plans for the sudden future.
He then decided to study further and luckily Tygerberg College accepted him, although it was a late appliance.
He received a record deal the same year. At the age of only 19 his debut album (Bekfluitjie Boogie) was released on the 14 January 1999.
Zak van Niekerk second album (Springbok toe) saw the light in 2000 and he left BMG a year after the album was released, because he decided to do his own thing again.
For nearly three years he toured through South Africa and showed in different places for an income.
In 2003 he made his breakthrough! He signed contract with Leo Music en things started to happen.
His third album “Lekkerkry” was then released and the album has Gold status. Two other album followed “Byt My”, nearly gold and “Oe Na Na” going strong.
Zak van Niekerk is certainly one of the best comedians and that includes his party and listening music. With his unique way he plays the harmonica, many agree he is one of the best!
With his humour, music and comedy, he always gets a party going!
As he always says: “GOOI MIELIES BROER TOT ONS WEER ONTMOET!!”
3 FLUTES
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Tlou Mathatho is a professional motivational speaker with more than 19 years of public speaking experience.
Having started public speaking at the age of 14 in high school, his public speaking skills positioned him to be able to convey his message to his audience in a more practical and thought provoking way.
With an inborn public speaking gift and years of corporate experience , Tlou Mathatho is not only able to touch on business related topics , he is also able to provide motivation to people who need direction concerning key life decisions that they need to make.
When dealing with business related topics Tlou Mathatho draws from his own experience as an entrepreneur who has had to navigate through an ever changing business environment.
This makes him one of the most relevant, and practical speakers.
Tlou has been featured on various shows that have positioned him to speak to millions of people at any given time via mass media.
Radio stations that have hosted Tlou include: Jozi FM, Radio Pulpit, Tetha FM, Thobel FM and Radio Alpha, with the later having given him a slot for a complete leadership programme. These platforms where part of what assisted Tlou to sharpen his speaking skills.
Apart from radio Tlou Mathatho featured on DSTV channel 331 where he spoke to the entire continent of Africa on relevant life issues.
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Andy Golding is an employee experience specialist and co-founder of Still Human. Her primary focus and area of impact is businesses relevance in a rapidly changing world. To achieve this she works with companies to craft and build cultures that are always innovation ready as well as designing employee experience to ensure that people are being switched on and grown.
She assists companies and leaders in businesses across diverse sectors from start-ups to established, century old organisations to become places where the best talent wants to work, chooses to come to and where they thrive.
Andy Golding has personal experience working in awful work environments as well as awesome work environments across various sectors from performing arts to strategy. She became fascinated with the impact of employee experience creates on performance, retention and business execution capability and this fascination led her to embark on a massive research exercise that included spending time inside some of the best companies to work for both locally and abroad.
The findings thereof, combined with her personal experience working in different environments, culminated in her starting a business focused on company culture and employee experience. This was later merged into Still Human.
A keen researcher, blogger, speaker and facilitator Andy Golding has written for and continues to contribute to many publications at the forefront of business, human capital and employee experience design. Andy regularly speaks to audiences across industries on a variety of topics within the theme of Relevance, and facilitates for teams across the organisational hierarchy on creating exceptional culture and employee experience.
The key topics that she addresses include:
Andy Golding was also named one of Entrepreneur Magazine’s ‘50 Top South African Business Women to Watch’ in 2018 and is the co-author of We Are Still Human (and work shouldn’t suck).
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John Sanei is a world-renowned futurist, best-selling author, and global keynote speaker who has made an indelible mark on the world of business and leadership. With a unique ability to merge human psychology with business strategy, John has become a sought-after thought leader, helping organizations around the world to navigate the complexities of the future.
His insights into how businesses can evolve to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world have earned him accolades and a loyal following among leaders and entrepreneurs. Over the years, John has traveled extensively, sharing his knowledge and expertise with audiences in over 20 countries.
His ability to connect with diverse audiences and deliver practical, actionable insights has made him a favorite at conferences, corporate events, and leadership summits. As a speaker, John is known for his engaging storytelling, deep understanding of future trends, and his ability to inspire change. His work is not just about predicting the future, but about preparing organizations to thrive in it. John’s influence extends beyond the stage.
He is the author of several best-selling books, including “What’s Your Moonshot?” and “Foresight: Navigating the Future.” His work has been featured in major publications, and he regularly contributes to discussions on the future of work, leadership, and innovation. Whether speaking to a room of C-suite executives or engaging with young entrepreneurs, John’s message is clear: the future is full of possibilities, and it’s up to us to shape it.
John Sanei’s journey to becoming a futurist and global thought leader is as fascinating as the insights he shares. With a background in human behavior and business strategy, John has spent the last two decades exploring the intersection of technology, psychology, and business.
His career began in the world of retail and brand management, where he quickly rose through the ranks to become a sought-after consultant for top brands. However, it was his passion for understanding the future and his desire to help businesses prepare for it that led him to pivot his career towards futurism. John Sanei’s expertise lies in his ability to anticipate and interpret future trends, particularly those that impact the way we live and work.
He has a deep understanding of the forces driving change, from technological advancements to shifts in consumer behavior. This understanding is grounded in rigorous research and a keen sense of observation, which allows John to provide his audiences with insights that are both accurate and actionable. His focus on human psychology adds a unique dimension to his work, as he explores how our emotions and behaviors influence the future of business.
In addition to his work as a keynote speaker, John is also a prolific author. His books, which include “MAGNETiZE,” “The FutureNOW,” and “FOREsight,” have been widely praised for their clarity, insight, and practicality. These works delve into the concepts of future-readiness, leadership, and personal development, offering readers a roadmap to navigate the complexities of the modern world.
He emphasizes the importance of adaptability, resilience, and continuous learning in a world that is constantly evolving. His message resonates with leaders who understand that success in the future requires more than just technological savvy; it requires a deep understanding of human behavior and the ability to inspire others. John Sanei’s contributions to the field of futurism and leadership have not gone unnoticed.
He has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Thinkers50 Radar Award, which identifies the top 50 emerging business thinkers globally. His work has been featured in leading publications such as Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Fast Company, further solidifying his position as a thought leader. Whether through his speaking engagements, books, or online content, John Sanei continues to inspire and equip leaders to navigate the future with confidence and clarity.
John Sanei is a visionary futurist and thought leader whose work is shaping the future of business and leadership. His ability to blend insights from human psychology with business strategy has made him a sought-after speaker on the global stage. With a career that spans over two decades, John has become a trusted advisor to leaders and organizations looking to navigate the complexities of the future.
His engaging presentations, best-selling books, and thought leadership continue to inspire and empower audiences around the world. For event planners seeking a speaker who can deliver not just knowledge, but also inspiration and actionable insights, John Sanei is an ideal choice. His presentations are tailored to the needs of each audience, ensuring relevance and impact.
By booking John Sanei through Speakers Inc, event planners can be assured of a smooth, professional experience, with the support of a team dedicated to making the event a success. In a world where the future is increasingly uncertain, John Sanei provides the clarity and guidance needed to thrive.
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Mike Walsh is the CEO of Tomorrow, a global consultancy on designing companies for the 21st century. A global nomad, futurist and author of the bestselling book, The Algorithmic Leader, he advises some of the world’s biggest organizations on digital transformation and disruptive innovation in this new era of machine intelligence.
A prolific writer and commentator, Mike’s views have appeared in a wide range of international publications including Harvard Business Review, Inc. Magazine, BusinessWeek, Forbes and the Wall Street Journal. Each week he interviews provocative thinkers, innovators and troublemakers on his podcast, Between Worlds.
His latest book, The Algorithmic Leader: How to be smart when machines are smarter than you, offers a hopeful and practical guide for reinventing leadership and organizations.
Mike’s other books include Futuretainment (winner of the design award by the Art Director’s Club in New York), published by Phaidon, and The Dictionary Of Dangerous Ideas.
Mike travels over 300 days a year worldwide: researching trends, collecting case studies and presenting on the future of business and leadership.
Take a moment to sign up for Mike’s newsletter and receive a weekly thought piece on how leaders can leverage emerging technologies, new ways of working and transformative mindsets to reinvent their organizations and their role in them.
FUTURIST
Rather than focusing on the distant future, Mike takes an anthropological approach – scanning the near horizon for emerging technologies and disruptive shifts in human behavior, and then translating these into pragmatic plans for digital transformation. A prolific writer and commentator, Mike’s views have appeared in a wide range of international publications including BusinessWeek, Forbes and the Wall Street Journal.
Global Nomad
Constantly traveling the world for the best ideas, Mike Walsh spends more than 300 days a year on the road interviewing innovators, entrepreneurs and corporate revolutionaries to provide his clients and audiences with a fresh and compelling vision of tomorrow’s opportunities.
Speaker
Mike Walsh has delivered close to a thousand keynote speeches around the world to companies in almost every industry. His customized presentations leave audiences prepared and inspired to transform the way they do business.
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Tshiamo Matibela is an award-winning retail architect with over a decade of experience in revitalising and growing retail businesses. Her expertise lies in crafting innovative store designs and delivering strategic, end-to-end management solutions.
Tshiamo’s dedication to empowering local businesses has seen her collaborate with leading South African brands like Bathu and The Drip Group, playing a pivotal role in their growth, sustainability, and brand presence.
As the founder of StratScape, Tshiamo offers turnkey retail solutions that address every aspect of retail operations. From designing impactful retail spaces to implementing comprehensive management strategies, she ensures her clients achieve both functional efficiency and a compelling brand identity. Her innovative approach has made her a sought-after partner in the retail industry.
Furthering her commitment to the growth of local enterprises, Tshiamo established The Retail Girl, a Retail Academy focused on skills development and empowerment. Through this initiative, she equips local retailers with the tools and knowledge they need to enhance profitability and sustainability in an ever-evolving market.
Tshiamo Matibela’s work is a testament to her passion for driving excellence in retail. Her unique ability to blend creativity with strategic thinking has positioned her as a transformative force in the industry, inspiring businesses to achieve their fullest potential.
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