Looking for fresh ideas?
Contact Us to find the perfect match for your next event!
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
Contact us at Speakers Inc and subscribe to our YouTube channel
In 2003 Freshlyground – Conference Entertainers launched their debut album, Jika Jika under their own Freeground Records label, the immediate success of which firmly cemented the band as one of South Africa’s most successful young acts.
Freshlyground formed in early 2002, and is made up of seven talented and diverse musicians from South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
Fronted by the diminutive but dynamic Zolani Mahola, the band exudes a live performance energy that has been the bedrock of their success.
The experienced rhythm section of Peter Cohen (drums) & Josh Hawks (bass) is complimented by guitarist Julio Sigauque, keyboardist Seredeal Scheepers, Simon Attwell (flute, mbira, sax and harmonica) and violinist Kyla Rose Smith.
Although hailing from diverse backgrounds, between them the band’s members weave a musical magic that is highly infectious and undeniably groovy.
Freshlyground – Conference Entertainers released their second studio album Nomvula in July 2004. Nomvula was recorded and produced by JB Arthur and Sibusiso Victor Masondo.
The album sparked interest from Sony BMG Africa, who signed the band and released Nomvula in September that year. Radio quickly picked up on the single ‘Doo Be Doo’ and the catchy song went on to become a crossover favorite amongst a diverse spread of stations and their listeners.
‘Doo Be Doo’ was the most played song in South Africa in 2005.
The major success of ‘Doo Be Doo’ was followed by the singles ‘I’d Like’, ‘Zithande’, ‘Things Have Changed’ and the title track of the album Nomvula.
The album sold 300 000 units in South Africa alone- earning it multi-platinum status. The success and broad appeal of the band was celebrated in November 2006 when Freshly Ground-Conference Band Entertainers won the MTV Europe Award in the category Best African Act.
The award placed the band firmly on the international music map and earned them further recognition on home soil as significant South African cultural exports.
The success of Nomvula was followed by Ma Cheri – Freshlyground’s third studio album, released in September 2007.
The album’s release was followed by a major South African tour attended by over 25 000 people across four cities. The tour was produced by Freshlyground and supported by Volkswagen South Africa .
The tour successfully raised the performance and production standards of local touring, putting the band on par with international acts in terms of production scale and value.
Ma Cheri has sold 80 000 units to date in South Africa and the single Pot Belly is another major crossover success, and is play listed on all South African radio stations.
Five years on Freshlyground – Conference Entertainers are a still a sensation. In South Africa audiences of every race cram in to see them. Old people get up and dance.
Contact us at Speakers Inc and subscribe to our YouTube channel
Khaya Dlanga is well-regarded marketing personality, having been listed in “The Annual – Advertising, Media & Marketing” as one of the 100 most influential people in Advertising, Media & Marketing.
Khaya Dlanga is a winner of Financial Mail’s Adfocus New Broom award 2009, awarded to a young marketer making an impact in the industry.
He is passionate about social causes. In 2015, he organised the Peace Bus initiative which spoke out against Xenophobia and provided supplies for displaced people.
The initiative garnered wide-ranging public support.
He has been awarded more than 40 times both locally and globally for his work in the advertising and marketing field.
His accolades include Loerie Grand Prix, Loerie Gold for Marketing Effectiveness, two New York Festival Grand Prix, two Cannes Gold Lions.
Khaya has also been a contributor to the South African discourse by writing weekly columns for the Mail & Guardian, News24 and the Cape Times.
His online columns would always feature on the list of most read articles of the year.
The Author of ‘In My Arrogant Opinion‘ and the bestseller, ‘To Quote Myself, a Memoir‘.
This memoir had the dubious of honour of being the most stolen book in the country soon after it was published.
To Quote Khaya Dlanga would receive the rare honour of a memoir being shortlisted for the Sunday Times Alan Paton Prize. A feat for a memoir.
Khaya was at the Coca-Cola company for more than five years where he raised the bar for its marketing and communications department.
He led the Coca-Cola names on packs in South Africa. His work was so highly regarded that it traveled to 96 countries even though it was intended for the sole use of South Africa.
In 2015, Warren Buffett, a major Coca-Cola shareholder mentioned his work as an example of what results great creativity can achieve.
Khaya Dlanga has addressed organisations and events like Investec, FNB, Nedbank, Jacaranda, TedX Soweto, Suits and Sneakers, MC’d the world’s largest design conference, Design Indaba two years in a row.
He addressed the first annual Daily Maverick’s The Gathering, his talk was so popular that after the Daily Maverick published it, it became the publication’s most-read article for over a year.
Contact us at Speakers Inc and follow us on Facebook
Dikeledi Seleka is a sought after Professional Speaker, Business Coach, and a CEO of Dynamic Timz Coaching (DTC), guided by the values of Ubuntu, she blends practical insights with strategic expertise to inspire individuals and businesses to achieve meaningful success through ethical leadership and collaboration.
As a Professional Speaker, Dikeledi delivers impactful talks on Leadership, Team Motivation, Resilience and Businesses Growth and tailored Coaching Programs like Success by Design and her acclaimed Leading Forward with Ubuntu Masterclass, she inspires for entrepreneurs Ethical Leadership, Inclusivity and Collaboration to foster Innovation and Measurable Growth.
With over 15 years of corporate experience and 11 years as an entrepreneur, Dikeledi’s empowers leaders to embrace diversity, inclusion and purpose driven leadership.
Dikeledi’s unique approach bridges purpose and action creating a culture of growth, inclusion, driven, leadership and collective success that thrives in today’s competitive environment.
Contact us at Speakers Inc and view our International site
Carmen Murray is the founder of Boo-Yah! a leading Modern Marketing Business that provides a number of initiatives to ensure businesses become Future Fit™.
She is a marketing activist and torchbearer for Diversity and Inclusion and was recently recognised by Meltwater as the top Women in Tech, Africa, 2019.
She received the most prestigious award, a Black Pixel, IAB Bookmarks 2019 for her best individual contribution to Digital, Africa 2019.
Murray has become a household name among business professionals and flying through the ranks as she applies robust approaches to help businesses become Future Fit™. Her strong background in Content, Digital, Mobile, Innovation and Data Analytics, allows her to identify emerging trends and conceptualise disruptive marketing strategies, deployed with precision.
The customer and their needs are always at the heart of her approach.
Carmen delivers thought-provoking keynotes to fuel creativity and inspire innovation. She has been a keynote speaker in over 40 countries and got to deliver over 250 masterclasses in 3 years to a combined audience of 11,000 business professionals.
Carmen Murray continues to be a popular panelist on both the local and international conference circuit. Murray can also be found on the Digital Airwaves with her charting Podcast in Marketing:
The Carmen Murray Show | #FutureFit Yourself. She interviews Activists, Storytellers, Celebrities, Newsmakers, and Business Experts across the globe.
She also collaborated with John Vlismas and started another podcast:
The IN with the TWO Outsiders.
Industry Contributions include MMA, IAB, DMA, MRMW, AMASA, BOGDM which includes GIBS, AAA School of Advertising, and an array of local and international business schools. She is also the exclusive representative of The Connected Marketer™ in Africa which includes courses on CX, UX, AI, Mobile to name a few. Carmen Murray also lectures at the University of Johannesburg. (UJ)
She served on the following councils:
Carmen started a quarterly Future Fit™ Networking event, powered by Boo-Yah! and joined forces with the University of Johannesburg, Department of Marketing and Management to create an annual #MarketingFit Event for Marketing Professionals of South Africa.
Contact us at Speakers Inc and follow us on Facebook
