Who are the best business speakers in South Africa?
And by ‘best’ I’m not referring to the ones who are the funniest or quirkiest.
They might not even be professional speakers and they certainly don’t have to be famous.
I’m looking for the ones that deliver the most value.
The ones who always inspire corporate delegates to ‘act differently’ when they return to work.
The ones that are catalysts for positive change in the working environment.
Here are my top choices.
And once you’ve taken a look let me know who is missing and needs to be added immediately!
Rich Mulholland
If you get the chance to watch Rich in action, I promise this.. ..you will never forget that you watched Rich in Action. And that's not because he's covered in tattoos or because he used to be a roadie for Def Leppard or that he has kept his Scottish accent. It's because he uses story-telling to deliver content with impact.
Andrew Baker
I like listening to Andy talk about technology. But where I walk-away with a spring in my step is when he talks about leadership and culture. His views on how to lead, manage and inspire are perhaps the antithesis of what you'd expect from the group CTO of a traditional bank.
If you could adopt just one of his ideas in your organisation you'll be better off.
Nene Molefi
I defy you to listen to Nene talk about diversity and not want to make immediate changes at both a personal and organisational level. Nene's ability to authentically connect with every single participant acts as a powerful catalyst, long after the event has finished.
Anton Musgrave
I've lost count of the number of times I've listened to Anton present. Yet each time I walk out just as inspired as I was the first time I saw him in action, and always with a new idea or thought which I want to try. Futurism at its best. Find out more
Recommended by Stafford Masie
Prof. Shirley Zinn
Many will listen to Shirley because her story of overcoming adversity is simply incredible. But it's her perspectives about how to transform an organisations culture that I want to highlight. Too many organisations pay lip service to the ideals of purposeful strategies, values and diversity. Shirley is one of the few business speakers who can inspire leaders to 'believe' that by focusing on these ideals, they will also drive longer-term profitability. The more leaders that see her present, the better for corporate SA.
Stafford Masie
It's impossible to watch Stafford without getting excited about the opportunities technology brings. I guarantee your mind will be spinning with ideas about how you can use technology to take your company to the next level. I know for a fact that many successful projects have started on the back of one of Staffords' keynotes.
Adrian Gore
I first watched Adrian Gore present at the Discovery Summit, along with Malcolm Gladwell, Naseem Taleb and Rudi Giuliani. I honestly cannot remember what his guests spoke about, but Adrian's presentation still impacts how I assess risk and take decisions to this very day. Try to get him to talk about the importance of corporate purpose if you really want to change your organisation's direction.
Brett St Clair
Brett's one of the most natural presenters I know. Inspirational, believable, knowledgeable, opinionated and often colourful. It's not possible to watch him without walking out with new ideas about what's possible and how to get there.
Stephen Van Coller
What I love most about Stephen's talks is his honesty. His insights about leadership aren't based on what he has read. They are based on what he's experienced, warts and all. Powerful learnings for every level of leadership.
Zaf Mahomed
Zaf's skill comes from his ability to break down the complexity of leadership into simple, bite-sized chunks. And you know what? If you apply just half of his ideas, you'll double your leadership potential.
Michael Jordaan
If you want to build an organisation that can scale exponentially, then you need Michael to present. His humility, experiences, knowledge and intelligence combine beautifully to inspire audiences worldwide to convert dreams into practical realities.
Recommended by to many people to mention
Vusi Thembekwayo
When Vusi speaks it's impossible not to listen. He is without question one of South Africa's best orators. Add on to that his business acumen and it's obvious why audiences around the world hang on to his every word especially when it comes to advise about how to improve their businesses.
Bruce Whitfield
Bruce's keynotes are amazing, but the real value comes from his direct audience engagement. You are not going to find anyone in South Africa with more accurate information about why organisations really did fail and why others really did excel.
Colin Iles
Colin offers industry-tailored keynotes that both inspire and challenge leaders to think deeply about which business models have the best chance of success in a fast-changing world.
Those were my choices.
But what about yours?
I really want to showcase the most inspirational change-catalysts on this page, so please do share the names of those business speakers you admire most in this 1 min survey!👇
Stay safe,
Col
(And if you want to chat about how I help inspire leadership teams to drive positive change, then lets chat. Just click here to set up a call.)