Cape Town based Clem Sunter was voted by South African leading CEOs as the speaker who has made the most significant contribution to, and impact on, best practice and business in South Africa.

In July 2023, Clem predicted the Israeli Palestinian conflict, when Mossad, the Israeli Defence Force and the CIA failed to foresee it.

Born in England and educated at Oxford University, he moved to Zambia to work for Anglo American Corporation Central Africa before being transferred to Johannesburg. He spent most of his subsequent career in the Gold and Uranium Division, serving as its Chairman and CEO from 1990 to 1996 and he served as Chairman of the Anglo American Chairman’s Fund.

In the early 1980s, he established a scenario planning function in Anglo with teams in London and Johannesburg. With material gathered by his team members, Mr. Sunter put together a presentation entitled ‘The World and South Africa in the 1990s’ which became very popular in South Africa in the mid-1980s. In it, two scenarios were offered for South Africa: the ‘High Road’ of negotiation leading to a political settlement and the ‘Low Road’ of confrontation leading to a civil war and a wasteland. South Africa took the High Road.

Since 1987, he has authored or co-authored – with Chantell Ilbury – more than 15 books, several of which have been bestsellers.

He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Cape Town for his work in the field of scenario planning, a skillset which he continues to share with organisations worldwide.