Professional Speakers

With more than eighteen years at sea, she built a maritime career culminating in recognition as Africa’s first female dredge master, overseeing complex port and vessel operations. Her leadership journey spans global shipping routes and senior maritime command responsibilities in highly regulated environments. She now works with boards and executive teams on inclusive leadership, governance accountability and unlocking opportunity within the ocean economy. Drawing on operational experience at bridge level, she translates high risk decision making into practical frameworks for organisational performance, talent development and strategic renewal. Event organisers value her commercially grounded insight and disciplined leadership perspective.

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Aki Anastasiou is a renowned South African technology speaker, futurist, and corporate MC with over 30 years’ experience in radio, print, and television. Known for making complex tech trends accessible and engaging, Aki is a sought-after facilitator and keynote speaker on innovation, digital transformation, and emerging technologies. He regularly attends global tech summits to stay ahead of the curve, offering fresh insights to business audiences. As a trusted voice in the tech space, Aki has collaborated with major global brands across sectors. Whether speaking, moderating panels or energising conferences, he brings credibility, clarity, and impact to every stage.

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Cape-based Alan Knott-Craig is a visionary South African entrepreneur, tech innovator, and motivational speaker, best known for championing digital inclusion through affordable internet access. As the founder of fibertime™ and Project Isizwe, he has dedicated his career to bringing fast, low-cost fibre to underserved communities. A Chartered Accountant by training, Alan has launched or backed over 20 ventures in tech, telecoms, and media, ranging from Mxit and Hero Telecoms to The Daily Maverick. A bestselling author of 'Don’t Panic', he inspires audiences with candid insights on entrepreneurship, failure, and resilience. Alan’s keynotes are ideal for leaders seeking impact-driven innovation and purpose-led growth.

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Cape-based Arlene Steyl is a South African entrepreneur and investor working at the intersection of digital innovation, cyber risk and venture capital. She is Co-founder of Titan Ventures, backing early-stage technology-enabled businesses, and CEO of Dire Wolf, an insurance advisory specialising in cyber insurance and complex liability risk. A former investment banker, she also co-founded WeThinkCode in 2015, a tuition-free software engineering programme addressing Africa’s technology skills gap. With a Master’s degree in Business Mathematics and Informatics, Steyl speaks on digital transformation, governance, healthcare liability and building resilient organisations in a rapidly evolving risk landscape.

Dr Azar Jammine is one of South Africa’s most respected economists and a sought-after keynote speaker on the local and global economic landscape. As Director and Chief Economist at South Africa’s leading independent economic research consultancy, he brings over three decades of authoritative insight to corporate audiences. A celebrated thought leader, Dr Jammine has delivered more than 4,000 economic presentations worldwide, blending data-driven clarity with engaging commentary. He holds a PhD from the London Business School and is frequently quoted in major media. Dr Jammine is a trusted expert for economic forecasts, risk analysis, financial trends, and strategic planning.

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Ayabonga Cawe is a leading South African development economist, columnist, and keynote speaker, currently serving as Chief Commissioner of the International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC). A former host of Power Business on Power FM and Metro FM Talk, Ayabonga is widely recognised for his clarity on complex economic and policy issues. He serves on several national advisory panels including the VAT Zero-Rating Review Committee. With an MCom from Wits and experience across consulting, media, and policy, he offers compelling insights on economic transformation, inclusive growth, and sustainability, making him an impactful speaker at corporate events.

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Brent Lindeque is the founder of Good Things Guy, a positive news platform sharing stories of progress, resilience and social impact. He first gained global attention after redirecting the viral Neknomination trend into RAKnomination, a campaign promoting acts of kindness. Over the past decade, he has built a substantial digital media presence spanning web, podcast, broadcast and outdoor platforms. Recognised as a GQ Man of the Year and listed among the Mail & Guardian Top 100 Most Influential Young South Africans, Lindeque speaks on constructive storytelling, leadership communication and sustaining optimism in complex environments.

Bronwyn Williams is a futurist, economist and trends analyst specialising in strategic foresight and future-focused business models. She is a partner at Flux Trends and an associate at Futurist.com, advising organisations on disruption, emerging technologies and geopolitical risk. Williams co-authored The Future Starts Now, The Future and Rescuing Our Republic, examining economic resilience and institutional reform. With academic training in Applied Economics, Foresight and Future Studies, she serves as a UNDP Futures Fellow. Her work equips executives and policymakers to interpret signals of change and translate long-term uncertainty into informed strategic decisions and measurable advantage.

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