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Simon Katende has a BSc in Mechatronics Engineering, a Masters in Data Science, as well as a plethora of experiences ranging from Energy, Finance, development of military wares, and Data and Machine learning consultancy, Simon is not only vastly informed in the finer aspects of data technology, but has also proved instrumental in pushing its ever-expanding frontiers.
His extensive experience – from building robots, missiles, financial models, and even getting his hands dirty in data plumbing and model predictions – makes Simon Katende a particularly multi-hyphenate individual with a unique story to tell. It is little wonder that his story has inspired many young Africans, making Simon a widely-sought motivational speaker.
Simon presently works at Teraflow, where he stands out as a thought leader in the data engineering industry, and where with his background in salesmanship, he bestrides two disparate worlds of engineering and its sales function, harmonizing the two through Sales Engineering, to help businesses thrive.
Interestingly, his experiences in problem-solving roles across various sectors has drawn Simon’s attention to one common and recurrent gap: namely, the underutilisation of data; a gap that has led him to a career that involves solving problems using clients’ data.
Since the underutilisation of data is not a problem peculiar to enterprises, it also affects everyday life too, and so proper utilisation of data can paint pictures that extend beyond organisations, to whisper to us about who we are, where we come from, as well as predict where we are going.
That makes it a tool for everyone – even you.
Working from this unique perspective at the intersection of technology and creativity, his core goal is to solve dynamic problems across different industries and cultures. Simon Katende talents enable organisations to generate value by providing insightful and impactful solutions to their data engineering and artificial intelligence challenges.
He takes this to higher extremes by deploying data analysis in finding solutions for personal life problems. Simon was selected as one of the 100 Brightest Young Minds in Africa, which identifies, connects, and mobilises Africa’s most talented and driven youths to thrive as individuals and networks.
Simon’s message will have you interested and engaged in the world of data, learning to use it better in a way that leaves you knowledgeable and empowered.
“You can’t change or improve what you cannot measure.”
These very words inform Simon Katende’s approach to reality.
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Keith Lockwood completed a Bachelor of Commerce Degree at the University of the Witwatersrand in 1986, majoring in Economics and Business Information Systems.
He was awarded the B Com Honours Degree in Economics (through part-time studies) in 1989, which entailed the advanced courses in Macro- and Micro- economics, Development Economics, and the Development of Economic Thought.
His Honours Degree dissertation was titled “Investment – The Key to Development”. Keith has spent more than a decade as a senior economist at both the SA Chamber of Business and the erstwhile SA Federated Chamber of Industries.
Keith Lockwood currently a part-time lecturer in the Economics Department of Rand Afrikaans University and at the Gordon Institute of Business Science.
Since commencing work as an economic consultant Keith Lockwood has participated in research and advisory projects across a number of different sectors and policy fields, ranging from financial services, construction, infrastructure, and local economic development to skills development, regional integration, tax policy and industrial policy.
In many cases this has necessitated an integration of detailed quantitative analysis (often of data generated through surveys that were unique and integral to the studies concerned) with qualitative
perspectives arising from interactions with business people, academics and policy-makers.
Some of the more significant of these studies include: a detailed study of foreign direct investment in South Africa for the Presidency; evaluation of the pricing of, and access to, different types of consumer credit products in South Africa for the National Credit Regulator; an assessment of the impact of Gauteng’s Blue IQ initiative on the structure and performance of the Gauteng economy; the development of policy proposals.
Together with PWC – for the VAT treatment of merit goods on behalf of National Treasury; an assessment of the sensitivity of the Expanded Public Works Programme to changes in labour standards; the development of regional economic development plans for development regions within the Johannesburg Metro; and the identification of business opportunities in Africa for Blue IQ.
Keith Lockwood also authored the “Infrastructure Expenditure Tracker” for the Support Programme for Accelerated Infrastructure Development (SPAID) and recently developed a National Investment Promotion Strategy for Trade and Investment South Africa.
In 2010, was appointed to a five-person expert review panel to assess the sector skills plans of SETAs, and more recently was a member of a task team established by the Human Resources Development Council to review the skills system and make recommendations for its reform.
In response to the rapid increase in rhino poaching, Keith Lockwood developed a model of the market for rhino horn to assist in developing appropriate policy choices, and has been appointed to serve on a panel of experts to advise the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs in the lead up to the next
CITES Congress of the Parties in 2016.
In addition to his consulting work, Keith Lockwood is also an adjunct faculty member of the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) – ranked in the top 40 for corporate education globally by the Financial Times and regularly makes presentations to some of South Africa’s leading corporations.
Economic and business consultancy work has included:
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All Women Drumming Marimba and Dance Group Basadi Le Meropa who tell the incredible stories of their lives through drums, dance, marimba and song.
Just returned from a successful tour of the Netherlands, this funky, vibey 6-piece drums, dance and marimba group represents the strength, talents and positivity of African women.
Dressed in colourful costumes, these women bring you powerful drumming accompanied by melodic marimba’s, upbeat vocals and dance, from traditional to Afro-contemporary, Pantsula, Township Jive, Gumboots and Tin-can dance
Basadi provide a dynamic feature performance or as background entertainment.
Duration: 30 – 40 minute show
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Helen Nicholson has a BCom degree from Wits University where she studied to be an accountant.
After working in the financial industry in South Africa, Helen lived in the Middle East for 5 years where she developed and sold her own successful business in Dubai before returning to South Africa.
She gained international corporate experience in the IT industry, coordinating the marketing Middle East operation for Novell.
On her return to South Africa, Helen Nicholson consulted and lectured at Wits Business School where she still guest lectures on the MBA programme and on various in-company programs. She also lectures at GIBS and the UCT Graduate School of Business.
Helen has a bi-monthly regular column in the Star Newspaper on the power of networking. She is the Director of The Networking Company, specialising in educating people to ‘Grow your Network, Grow your Business’.
Helen Nicholson recently published the business best-seller, ‘Networking – How to get Your Black Belt in Business Success’.
Helen Nicholson is a passionate South African who thrives on the meaningful work she does as a consultant in the area of ‘leadership development’.
Helen is a mentor at Shanduka Black Umbrellas for aspiring African entrepreneurs and she is a founding member of the Professional Speakers Association of South Africa.
She currently offers two presentations; ‘Mindfulness – a Business Game-Changer’ and ‘Grow Your Network, Grow Your Business’:
The ‘Grow Your Network, Grow Your Business ‘presentation will enable you to:
Linkedin Course
The Beginner/Intermediate module is a stand-alone course. There is a 10% discount if you attend all three modules.
The Opposite to Advertising
Basically, content marketing is the art of communicating with your customers and prospects without selling. It is non-interruption marketing. Instead of pitching your products or services, you are delivering information that makes your buyer more intelligent.
The essence of this content strategy is the belief that if we, as businesses, deliver consistent, ongoing valuable information to buyers, they ultimately reward us with their business and loyalty. According to Roper Public Affairs,
• 80 percent of business decision makers prefer to get company information in a series of articles versus an advertisement.
• 70 percent say content marketing makes them feel closer to the sponsoring company, while
• 60 percent say that company content helps them make better product decisions.
Think of this – what if your customers looked forward to receiving your marketing? What if when they received it, via print, email, website, they spent 15, 30, 45 minutes with it?
Why LinkedIn?
Other than Facebook and Twitter, LinkedIn is strictly business – and has become a “secret weapon for B2B activities” for Helen Nicholson and such as:
1. Replacing Cold Calling
2. Generating New Leads
3. Finding the Decision Maker
Networking
How to get your black belt is business success
Do you want to build a network of useful contacts in order to kick-start your career but don’t know how?
Are you aware of the crucial importance of networking but lack the know-how to get started?
Or do you think networking entails just pitching up at a cocktail party and handing out your business cards?
If any of the above, this book is for you!
The Connected Leader Book
“The Connected Leader” sees two leading best-selling authors, Helen Nicholson – Business Networking Specialist and Dr Nik join forces to give insights into what being truly connected means, both face-to-face and digitally in the new world of work and working mothers
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Oscar von Memerty is a walking, dancing miracle SENSATION! Son of well-known celebrity, Ian von Memerty – the FANTASTIC judge of SA’s Got Talent, Oscar was born with a rare fatal genetic illness, MPS 6.
At 19 years old, he stands just 117 cm’s high, he has aluminium screws in his left leg, he has recently had a cornea transplant, and he has survived two bone marrow transplants and a ten minute cardiac arrest.
Despite all of this, he has discovered a thrilling talent for hip hop and developed a powerful and unique style of motivational speaking and stand-up comedy through Speakers Inc.
His message of overcoming huge obstacles and turning adversity into triumph is guaranteed to not only inspire people, but because of his talent, humour and charm, will also truly entertain them.
Oscar offers the following in his shows:
A motivational speech
A Hip Hop solo
A Q&A session with the audience
Final wording and the ending of the show
(Total duration: 15 – 20 minutes)
He is guaranteed to liven up your awards ceremonies, family fun days and many more types of events!
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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.
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Dr. Graeme Lategan is a highly regarded corporate speaker, leadership strategist, and training expert with decades of experience transforming mindsets in boardrooms, leadership teams, and professional development arenas across South Africa and internationally. Known for his commanding presence and emotionally intelligent delivery, Dr. Graeme bridges the gap between organisational culture and people performance.
He has facilitated high-impact training and strategic leadership interventions for global brands, the public and private sector, and executive teams in regions including the Middle East and Africa. His focus on adaptive leadership, organizational culture, and management excellence has allowed him to serve clients across industries, cultures, and leadership levels with impact and clarity.
As a Power Speaker, Dr. Graeme Lategan brings a rare mix of authority and relatability — making him a natural choice for events, executive sessions, and strategic consulting. His ability to command attention, translate complex narratives into human stories, and hold space with credibility has positioned him as a sought-after trainer and speaker in both public and private sectors.
With a growing international presence, Dr. Graeme Lategan is increasingly recognised as a distinctive voice on leadership and culture in a globalised business world — combining insight, presence, and relevance on every stage he enters.
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