How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting the advertising and marketing worlds? That's what Gareth discusses with Sean Donovan. As the President in Asia for TBWA - known for disruptive ideas that locate and involve brands in culture, giving them a larger share of the future - Sean definitely knows more than a thing or two about this.

As Covid-19 has engulfed the world, an interesting observation to make has been the different approaches taken to thwart the threat of the pandemic. With a documented global history of male bias when selecting leaders, should we be looking to re-address the role of women in leadership? There's evidence to suggest female Presidents and Prime Ministers have dealt with large scale challenges far better than their male counterparts in the last half century. From Thatcher to Merkel, from Ardern to Ing-Wen... this may be the time for feminine leadership to be given its big break.

Africa has always had a rich oral tradition of storytelling, that through the centuries has made it possible for people or cultures to pass knowledge, history, and experiences from one generation to the next. This largely rural tradition is a dying art form that has never been more necessary, particularly at such a critical time in South Africa’s history. Even with a financing past, Michael Charton understood this and created Inherit South Africa - to condense epic narratives of South Africa into bite-sized stories. He shares more about his passion with Gareth, and retells some of his favourite figures from the past.

Mbali Ntuli’s rise in the political world has been one that has constantly drawn attention. She kept many people talking in February 2020 when she announced her candidacy for Democratic Alliance leader, as well as when she rolled out her plan to save the party. How does she plan to do that? She explains this to Gareth while under lockdown in this phone call conversation.

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic is impacting every part of our lives... from the places we can go, to the way we spend our time, to the priorities we have and the way we spend our money. So, how will this change how brands communicate with us? To give his take on how the marketing world will change, legendary ad man Reg Lascaris speaks to Gareth. As the Co-Founder of TBWA Hunt Lascaris and best-selling author, Reg has many pearls of wisdom to share.

The Covid-19 lockdown is taking its toll on the South African hair industry. Too many livelihoods are being detrimentally impacted by the reality, pushing Stoffel Van Wyk to speak out against it. Stoffel, who is a master hairstylist and has worked in the industry for 27 years, speaks to Gareth about taking legal action against the government in order to get his beloved field fully working and open again.

How has the advertising industry been impacted by Covid-19 and the lockdown? Will these times that we are in make a dent in the industry that was valued at R30.4 billion in South Africa in 2019? John Hunt - advertising legend and one of the greatest thought-leaders in this space - speaks to Gareth about this.

As the founder, shareholder and CEO of alcohol wholesaler and importer DGB, Tim Hutchinson has seen many peaks and troughs in his 35 years of business. He admits though, that he has never experienced quite a drastic move like the government-instituted lockdown that South Africa is currently under. Gareth finds out what the lockdown means for Tim's company and operations, how the alcohol industry is sustaining itself, and what the future of it will look like.

The role of the patriarch has evolved more in the 21st century than ever before. Being in a relationship with a partner and a family is a dynamic that brings with it complexity at the best of times. What is the role of a father in times of stress? Are there core traits that all men share? How do men socialise vs women? There are four intrinsic observations which men can undergo to alleviate tensions before they spill over into the home. How can men be gentler, more forgiving, and less condemning towards themselves... and how will this affect family dynamics?

What does it take to have been on the boards of the likes of the English Tourist Board and the Victoria and Albert Museum? Or, to have been appointed the Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2014 Birthday Honours for services to tourism? Penny, Viscountess Cobham knows this all too well as this is just part of the extraordinary life she lives. Gareth got the opportunity to chat to her while she's under lockdown in Cape Town, to get insight into some of the lessons that have shaped her life so far.