The View Point

Virtual Africa Tech Festival is a vibrant celebration of Africa’s diverse community of tech champions. In its 24th year, this is the largest tech and digital connectivity conference and exhibition in Africa, attracting 450 exhibitors and 15,000 attendees in 2019. Key themes for 2020 include 4IR for Africa, Connecting the Next Billion, Digital Infrastructure Investment, Tech for Good, ICT Policy and Regulation, the Future of Work and Talent and Skills Development.

Guest: Tom Cuthell - Portfolio Director | AfricaCom

Guest: Azra Vally - CodeSpace Academy graduate | UCT student

The life of Albie Sachs has tracked many watershed political events in Southern Africa and beyond, for over eight decades. The child of prominent anti-apartheid activists, Albie cut his political teeth in the mass anti-apartheid campaigns of the 1950s.

As an advocate, he defended those accused of acts of political defiance. Banning orders and two lengthy periods of imprisonment and solitary confinement followed, eventually forcing him into exile. After 11 years studying and teaching law in England, Albie moved to Mozambique where he experienced both the post-revolution euphoria, and the devastation of the apartheid regime’s efforts to destabilize the newly independent country.

Guest:Albie Sachs - Justice of the Constitutional Court (retired), Author & Stalwart

President Ramaphosa's economic recovery plan is based on 4 priority interventions: Vast infrastructure development rollouts countrywide, Rapid expansion of energy generation capacity, Employment stimulus, to create at least 800 000 jobs in the immediate term and Driving rapid and sustained industrial growth.

Guest:Dr. Nthabiseng Moleko - Development Economist | University of Stellenbosch Business School

Guest: Ms. Namhla Mniki - Advisor & Policy Consultant

Nkarhi, a luxury timepiece brand, celebrates African cities and draws its features from the characteristics of the cities. The culture, architecture, soul and history of the cities, are all on display. “Nkarhi” is a word from a South African language, Xitsonga, meaning time, with emphasis that “IT’S AFRICA’S TIME TO SHINE”.

In 2017, he challenged himself to fix 2000 watches, inspired by his father's trade as a watch repairer. He ran a hashtag on social media called #Fix2000Watches. Needless to say he reached his goal of fixing over 2000 watches for friends on social media. He noted that while he was busy fixing all kinds of watches, he never came across an African inspired timepiece, and never once a luxury African timepiece brand. It would take him two years of evolving designs and ideas, and several months of ensuring that they procured quality components.

Guest: Elmond Khoza - Founder | Nkarhi Timepiece

Initial public offering or stock market launch is a type of public offering in which shares of a company are sold to institutional investors and usually also retail investors. An IPO is underwritten by one or more investment banks, who also arrange for the shares to be listed on one or more stock exchanges. Initial public offerings (IPO), the first time that the stock of a private company is sold to the public, got a little crazy in the dotcom mania days of the 1990s.

Guest: Dr. Mandla Lamba - CEO | Verityhurst Academy

At the start of the year, the future of work was well mapped out and the impact of COVID-19 has changed the landscape. Economic, social, and political disruption is forcing organisations to move beyond mission statements and social impact programmes, to putting humans at the centre of their business strategies and learning to lead a social enterprise - an organisation whose mission combines revenue growth and profit-making with the need to respect and support its environment and stakeholder network.

Guest: Simphiwe Masiza - Managing Director | Empowaworx Events and Communications

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen jobs lost, livelihoods risked and loss of lives. In the spirit of positivity and empowerment, Sta- Sof- Fro is still committed to providing value and giving back to loyal customers and replace the seminar events with tangible assistance for women in need at this time. Whether it is perfecting elevator pitches, talking about Student Loans, getting mentorship and purchasing assets are just some of the session topics are open to any woman who needs a hand up.

Guest: Lerato Tikwayo - Brand Manager | Stay-Soft-Fro

In recent months, prescribed assets for retirement funds have been discussed extensively as a potential source of funding for state-owned entity (SOE) debt as well as the country’s developmental imperatives. According to Alexander Forbes Unclaimed Benefit Fund, 49.8% of unclaimed monies are older than 8 years and tracing has been attempted more than once.

This happens when the retirement fund member has not claimed their money and the fund cannot reach the family of the beneficiary within a period of 24 months.

Guest: Elio E'Silva - Head of Direct Corporate Solutions | Alexander Forbes

In the month of September alone, Mauritius had two major protests. The first of these demonstrations happened in Port Louis where 100 000 people descended on the nation's capital. Two weeks later, a second protest saw over 25 000 Mauritians descend on the coastal town of Mahebourg.

The island state has had to deal with major political and economic setbacks. The European Union has blacklisted the island due to rising corruption and glaring gaps in anti-laundering legislation. The government’s stalled response to the oil spill was a major talking point not just as environmental issue but deals a heavy blow on their ocean economy.

Guest: Ronak Gopaldas - Director | SignalRisk

Cannabis Medical Research for cancer cures

While SA mulls over whether it should allow the up-scheduling of codeine-based products, there are new and cheaper alternatives on the rise. Due to the significant abuse of codeine-based products and the impact on healthcare costs, there is an investment and alternative medicinal opportunities in cannabis alkaloid based clinical trials. In the past year, investors have been expanding their portfolios in the pharmaceutical industry and developing infrastructure. This is in a bid to support medical research conducted and clinical trials for terminal illnesses such as cancer.

Guest: Dr. Shiksha Gallow - Medical Director | Biodata

Guest Mike Singer - Head of Acquisition | Labat Africa