Aki Kalliatakis - Aki Kalliatakis is the Managing Partner of The Leadership LaunchPad, a business focused on customer loyalty and radical marketing. Contact him on +27 (0)83 379 3466, +27 (0)11 640-3958 or ..
Amy Johnson - Amy Johnson is a member of the academic department at GetSmarter, an online education company..
Anna Malczyk - Born in Poland, Anna Malczyk swapped an icy future for one in sunny South Africa. Fast forward to 2012 and that move has paid off: Anna is the latest addition to the Cape Town Quirk Education team (www.quirk.biz/courses/home) as a knowledge officer.
Anton Crone - Anton Crone writes for Screen Africa magazine and freelances as a writer and photographer. He is passionate about the people and potential of Africa, as can be seen on his website www.brightcontinent.co.za.
Ashley Truscott - Ashley Truscott is MD of Waterfall Marketing (www.waterfallmarketing.co.za), an agency specialising in developing and implementing marketing strategies, including social media marketing and production of business publications. Prior to starting Waterfall Marketing in 2010, she was marketing manager of auditing firm BDO in South Africa.
Banele Rewo - Banele Rewo is a Founder and Creative (re)Director of Authentic Creatives.A creative development project that offers creative strategy, consumer collaboration and relationship marketing services specialising in the urban African market. Currently studying Integrated Marketing Communications at the AAA, he has contributed to the success of local and global brands through innovation and unique creative approachs.
Brian Berkman - When not dining out or exploring luxury travel, Brian Berkman assists clients with PR Campaigns..
Carole Kimutai: @CaroleKimutai - Carole Kimutai is a writer and editor based in Nairobi, Kenya. She is currently an MA student in New Media at the University of Leicester, UK..
Charisse Nel - More than eight years in advertising and marketing has shaped Charisse Nel, currently client service director at Arctic Circle, into a branding jack-of-all trades. Her passion for client relationships and inspiring her team are what keeps clients' brands heading in the right direction.
Charl Thom - Charl Thom has been group MD/partner of the multiple award-winning FoxP2 (www.foxp2.com) since 2007. After completing a BComm (marketing) degree and a few seasons sailing around the Caribbean, he set out on a career in advertising which saw him working in media, strategy and account management for leading global agencies in South Africa and the UK.
Charles Siboto - Charles Siboto is a delightful, albeit mischievous, young man of 24. When he's not standing perfectly still in the hope that people will leave him alone, he's reading something to do with horses and/or spaceships or blogging (goodbuddies inc. and The Jot Book) about that sort of thing.
Chene Cundill - Chene Cundill is the project manager at SilverlineLAB. Contact her on +27 (0)21 527 6500 or email her on ..
Chris Moerdyk: @chrismoerdyk - Chris Moerdyk was head of strategic planning and public affairs for BMW South Africa and spent 16 years in the creative and client service departments of ad agencies, ending up as resident director of Lindsay Smithers-FCB in KwaZulu-Natal. Chris was recently listed in a Markinor survey as one of South Africa's top 10 marketing thought leaders.
Colin Ramparsadh - Colin Ramparsadh, the owner and CEO of Media Mutation (www.mediamutation.co.za), has spent roughly 30 years in ad industry, working, among others, at Y&R, Leo Burnett, Saatchi & Saatchi and ZenithOptimedia. Email him at , read his blog at colinbrand.blogspot.com and follow @colinramparsadh on Twitter..
Craig Wilson - Craig Wilson is an ICT journalist and speaker based in Johannesburg. He currently works as a senior journalist at TechCentral, the South African source for technology news, reviews and opinion, and regularly provides insight into the technology industry for radio and television.
Daniel Dercksen - Daniel Dercksen has been a film and theatre journalist in South Africa the past 30 years and as a trainer and educator has presented regular workshops in scriptwriting and creative writing during the past 17 years..
Debbie Hathway - Debbie Hathway is a specialist dance writer and critic for the Cape Times as well as Bizcommunity's BizLounge. She was a writer, columnist and critic for the Weekend Argus, Cape Argus and Daily News Tonight..
Diane Charton - Diane Charton is MD of Acceleration Media (www.accelerationmedia.co.za), a strategic digital media consultancy solely focused on helping agencies and marketers make the most of the digital marketing channels. Diane oversees the growth of South Africa's leading online media strategy, planning and buying company, and helps clients to maximise their use of the Internet.
Douglas Kruger - Professional speaker and presentation-skills coach Douglas Kruger is the author of 50 Ways to Become a Better Speaker, 50 Ways to Position Yourself as an Expert, and co-author of So You're in Charge. Now What?.
Douglas Reed - Douglas Reed is joint CEO at Vox Telecom. He is innovative and entrepreneurial, and he strongly believes in - and is suited to - creating wealth rather than competing for it.
Dr Julie Reid - Dr Julie Reid is an academic and media analyst at the department of communication science at Unisa. She tweets about media issues regularly at @jbjreid..
Duan Wanty - Duan is an actor by profession, writer by passion and a website developer by trade. He currently resides in Johannesburg, loves the chase, the opportunities and the people.
Duncan McLeod: @mcleodd - Award-wining Duncan McLeod is the founder and editor of wwwTechCentral.co.za, South Africa's latest technology news site offering breaking news, in-depth analysis and opinion that launched in September 2009 (follow @TechCentral on Twitter). Before that, he was associate editor at the Financial Mail/FM.
Eugene Yiga - Eugene Yiga is a writer, consultant, and coach based in Cape Town, South Africa. He covers personal development, lifestyle, entertainment, marketing, media, culture, and current affairs.
Gail Schimmel - Gail Schimmel is a specialist in advertising law. She runs a consultancy - Clear Copy (www.clearcopy.co.za) - that offers advice to marketers and advertisers in relation to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and other aspects of advertising law.
Geoff Garrett - Geoff Garrett is the CEO of TSPI (www.tspigroup.com), a specialist sales performance improvement consulting and solutions business for B2B sales environments. He has more than a decade's experience improving sales performance and turning businesses around at some of the country's largest and most significant organisations, and he's been involved at the highest echelons of the country's business.
Gill Moodie: @grubstreetSA - Gill Moodie (@grubstreetSA) is a freelance journalist, media commentator and the publisher of Grubstreet (www.grubstreet.co.za). She worked in the print industry in South Africa for titles such as the Sunday Times and Business Day, and in the UK for Guinness Publishing, before striking out on her own.
Gillian Rightford - Gillian Rightford's CV is a mix of marketing, advertising, and management. A former group MD of Lowe Bull, she started Adtherapy (www.adtherapy.co.za), a company that aims to improve the quality of advertising out there through better skills and better client/agency relationships.
Graeme Joffe - Graeme Joffe, a former sports presenter for CNN and 94.7 Highveld Stereo, now hosts his own hard-hitting sports talk show "SportsFire" on Radio Today and is syndicated on West Coast FM in Namibia, 90.3fm in Plettenberg Bay and Knysna FM. He is also a co-founder of Township TV (www.townshiptv.co.za).
Gwen Watkins - Now based in Gaborone, Botswana, Gwen provides freelance writing services for Southern African clients through her company Entrepreneurs for Africa (E4A) and conference, events and exhibition services for companies wishing to explore the fastest growing economy in Africa - Botswana. E4A also assists women-based businesses in expanding their marketing and business strategy..
Henrie Geyser: motoring editor - Bizcommunity.com motoring editor Henrie Geyser () has worked as a journalist in Cape Town, London and Windhoek for the Argus Company (now Independent Newspapers) and spent 12 years at The Cape Argus in Cape Town. He then owned and ran a public relations consultancy for 13 years.
James Hurford - James Hurford is founder/owner of Passion - the copywriting company. He has over 25 years of experience working for top international companies, and brings a vast amount of knowledge and copywriting expertise his clients.
John Boe - American John Boe presents a wide variety of motivational and sales-oriented keynotes and seminar programs for sales meetings and conventions. John is a recognised sales trainer and business motivational speaker with an impeccable track record in the meeting industry.
Jordan Scott - Jordan Scott is a student of marketing and liver of life..
Justin Williams - Justin Williams is a Project Co-ordinator at Bizcommunity, founder of CityLifer Cape Town (www.citylifer.co.za) and is also a part-time BizLounge contributor..
Lance Rothschild - Lance Rothschild was 5FM station manager from December 1986 to April 1994. During this time, the station grew audience and revenues considerably and achieved many firsts.
Llew Claasen - Llew Claasen is VP: marketing at Clickatell.com, an online SMS mobile messaging gateway covering 869 networks in 223 countries and territories. He is a member of the CMO Council advisory board for Africa, the Forum to Advance the Mobile Experience global advisory board, the Customer Experience Board, and Mobile Marketing Association Research and Metrics Committee.
Mandy de Waal: @mandyldewaal - Mandy de Waal is a heavyweight writer and senior journalist who reports on technology, business, science, the media sector and whatever else she finds interesting. Back in journalism after spending time in the corridors of corporate greed, De Waal has written for City Press, Rapport, Noseweek, Brandchannel (New York) and other good titles.
Marcela Ospina - Anthropologist Marcela Ospina Salcedo (www.marcelaospina.com) specialises in helping brands understand consumers from a cultural viewpoint. By using ethnography and drawing from neuropsychological principles, she advises on developing marketing plans, launching new products, and innovating communications strategies.
Marcello-Calvin Adams - Marcello is a production assistant at Bizcommunity, as well as a contributor to the BizLounge..
Matt Rose - Matt Rose, an avid trend watcher with a passion for the people of South Africa, is a strategic planner at Publicis Groupe Johannesburg, specialising in market research, shopper marketing and behavioural psychology. He brings a grounded yet often controversial approach to uncovering consumer insights.
Mike Abel - Mike Abel is chief executive partner of M&C Saatchi Abel, which he launched in South Africa in February 2010. He is the former COO of Ogilvy South Africa and CEO of M&C Saatchi Australia.
Naseem Javed - Naseem Javed, recognised as a world authority on corporate image and global name identities, is a harsh critic of casual and accidental naming. He is a dynamic speaker on corporate image and branding issues, and is also the author of Naming for Power and Domination, the GTLD Name Game.
Odette van der Haar - Odette van der Haar is CEO of the Association for Communication and Advertising (ACA) (www.acasa.co.za), the industry body of the SA advertising and communications sector representing roughly 100 advertising agencies collectively contributing about 95% of measured adspend. Odette previously headed up Sentech's Advertising, Events and Sponsorships and worked for SAPO, Siemens, BP, Mutual and Federal.
Owen Dean - Owen Dean is a former partner and chairman of Spoor & Fisher, specialist intellectual property solicitors, and holds the chair of intellectual property law at Stellenbosch University..
Paddy Hartdegen - Paddy Hartdegen has been working as a journalist and writer for the past 40 years since his first article was published in the Sunday Tribune when he was just 16-years-old. He has written 12 books, edited a plethora of business-to-business publications and written for most of the major newspapers in South Africa..
Paul Fick - Paul Fick is the divisional MD of Jasco Enterprise..
Peter Gilbert - A sales veteran with over 30 years of experience, Peter Gilbert is MD of HR Chally SA (www.challysa.co.za), an international sales consulting company specialising in talent management and recruitment. He is passionate about sales as a profession and the identification of real sales talent who can really sell! Email him at .
Reana Rossouw - Reana Rossouw is the owner of Next Generation Consultants www.nextgeneration.co.za, a boutique management and business consulting firm. She is regarded one of South Africa's leading experts in social investment, socio economic development, corporate responsibility, sustainability and sustainability reporting.
Reghardt Marais - Reghardt Marais is the head of project management at Quirk (www.quirk.biz) - this makes a lot of sense since he's also juggling three kids and a wife. He spends his days making sure his team keeps work running smoothly and according to plan.
Robin Parker - Robin Parker is managing director of Bizcommunity.com. He is a seasoned specialist in online content and portals and has spent much of his time developing online businesses on the continent of Africa.
Romy Paull - Romy Paull is head of production at Stretch Experiential Marketing (www.stretchexp.com; facebook.com/stretchexp), a specialist experiential marketing agency that develops strategies and concepts for national execution that make consumers and clients smile. Romy joined Stretch after working nationally and internationally on unique experiential and special event productions.
Ruth Cooper - Ruth is the production manager at Bizcommunity, as well as a contributor to the entertainment section in the BizLounge. .
Sarah Britten - Sarah Britten is a freelance strategist and writer based in Johannesburg. Having worked on brands from Standard Bank, Wimpy and Kulula to MTN and SARS, she now focuses on social media and content strategy.
Sindy Peters - Sindy Peters (@sindylp) is the Head of New Content Development at Bizcommunity.com and content manager and contributor on the BizLifestyle section. She can be reached at ..
Tebogo Koena - Tebogo Koena is a brand builder who has been in the advertising space for over eight years, currently working at The Jupiter Drawing Room (Johannesburg). His experience stretches across automotive brands (Mercedes-Benz and FIAT) right through to the FMCG sector (Coca-Cola, Philip Morris and Plascon, among others).
Thabani Khumalo - Thabani Khumalo is a researcher, writer and commentator with various radio stations and newspapers and MD of Think Tank Marketing Services, a marketing, communication and media consultancy. Contact him on tel +27 (0)31 301 2461 or email ..
Thomas Oosthuizen - Thomas Oosthuizen is a marketing and brand strategist (www.drthomasbrand.co.za) who focuses on helping clients achieve greater marketing and brand success by spending less, for which he has devised his own methodologies. He has consulted widely to major companies across Africa and the Middle East and holds a doctorate in marketing communications.
Tiffany Markman - Tiffany Markman (www.tiffanymarkman.co.za) is a highly opinionated freelance copywriter, copy editor and writing trainer who has worked for over 180 clients in South Africa and across the world. She is an EMPOWERDEX-certified EME who hates misplaced apostrophes and dangling modifiers but loves pizza and pina coladas.
Vanita 'Bezi Phiri - Vanita Nyembezi Phiri is a freelance art director by profession. She's currently juggling between visual creativity and an interest in creative writing, in which she has an honours degree from Wits University.
Walter Pike - Walter Pike (@walterpike), the founder of PiKE | New Marketing (www.pike.co.za), consults to agencies and brands in learning how to build brands and businesses in the connected world. He founded and runs the Digital Academy (www.digitalacademy.co.za) to equip people to be successful in this world..
Wikus Engelbrecht - Wikus Engelbrecht is a marketing writer, journalist and media liaison at GraphicMail (www.graphicmail.co.za; @GraphicMail), an international email and mobile marketing service provider. Since 2003, his professional career in language and media has spanned the film, print advertising, magazine publishing, web development and online content industries.
Angola
Botswana
Malawi
Mozambique
Namibia
Zimbabwe
Cote D'Ivoire
Ghana
Nigeria
Kenya
Uganda
Tanzania
Mauritius
Seychelles
Algeria
Egypt
Morocco
Zambia
