Business Unusual Podcast

Mfundo Clement Nkuhlu, Chief Operating Officer at the Nedbank Group, has served within the financial services company for more than 16 years. Mfundo holds a BA (Hons), Strategic Management in Banking (Insead), and has completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School, in the USA. Mfundo believes that banks need to navigate through dramatic changes in innovation and regulation, a...

Jonathan Ayache is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of LIFT, South Africa’s newest and most innovative airline, operated by Global Aviation Operations (Pty), which launched on December 10, 2020. Together with co-founder Gidon Novick, Jonathan has shown dedication to creating an airline that is customer-obsessed; one that’s super-efficient, leverages off record low input costs and is both...

Johan Minnie is currently the Group Executive: Customer and Adviser Experience, at Liberty Group SA. He began his journey with the company in 1997, and has extensive knowledge of business strategy, execution, marketing and sales management. Prior to joining Liberty SA, he worked within Law, taking on mergers and acquisitions. However, he soon learnt that he felt more passionate about the ‘people’...

CEO of multiple businesses, Michael Jordaan is recognised as a pioneer of business leadership, technology and all-round innovation. Celebrated for his massive contributions to First National Bank (FNB), where he took on the role of CEO for many years, he is now known as the Investment Professional behind Montegray Capital Pty Ltd. – providing growth capital, strategic advice and access to networks...

Nyimpini Mabunda, CEO of General Electric (GE) Southern Africa, has a fascinating background, having matriculated at just 15 and obtained his first degree at 18. Nyimpini is a continual learner and is passionate about skills development and job creation. In 2020, he became the President for Southern Africa Markets at GE, with expertise in strategy, marketing, sales, digital transformation, data an...

Louis Buys, Founder and CEO of The Delta, unpacks the truth about starting a business & shares his secrets to finding good talent Louis Buys, Founder and CEO of The Delta, is a young entrepreneur with flair and deep love for puzzling together all the pieces that go into getting startups off the ground. Born in Pretoria, South Africa, Louis went on to study at the University of Cape Town, completin...

Taking on the “African Agenda” - Thomas George, Managing Director & Geography Head: Africa at Wipro Limited, talks agility, alignment and new transformation strategies Thomas George, Managing Director & Geography Head: Africa at Wipro Limited, is a seasoned professional in the IT and ICT space. Understanding much of Wipro’s digital transformation processes, today, Thomas’s journey with the organis...

Sean Sanders is the young mastermind behind Revix - a platform that enables everyday people to grow their wealth by investing in emerging themes, sectors and asset classes in an automated and effortless way. Sean and his business partner Louis Buys launched Revix in 2018, and today the business has offices in both Cape Town and the London - and will soon be adding Frankfurt, Germany, to their list...

Scott Picken is a South African-born real estate investor and serial fintech entrepreneur, who is popularly known for his amazing business acumen. As the co-founder and Chairman of the Board at Wealth Migrate (launched in 2010) - the remarkable fintech company that offers real estate investments on its online marketplace through crowdfunding - Scott has authored Property Going Global (2014) and ha...

Be a champion - build optimism in the country! Ashraf Garda, SAfm Radio host, talks pushing the envelope for greater success Ashraf Garda, known for his popular show on SAfm Radio, is a seasoned Programme Director and MC, who is highly-skilled in conference facilitation and moderation. Ashraf is the chief driver behind the project titled Champion South Africa - a nation building movement with the...

Born and raised in the Cape Flats area, Professor Shirley faced many challenges, but defied all odds, obtaining an M.Ed from the University of the Western Cape, and eventually completing a PhD at Harvard University. She successfully transitioned into the HR space, working as the Group Executive for HR at Nedbank and HR Director at Standard Bank South Africa. In 2008, Shirely was awarded ‘Top Busin...

‘Solving the People Problem’ with best-selling author, Brett M. Cooper - How to embrace workplace differences and elevate your business President & Co-Founder of Integris Performance Advisors, Brett M. Cooper is renowned for influencing thousands of people in government, non-profits, and corporate America to work together in more productive, more effective, and more human ways. He is a best-sellin...

How to make your second startup a success - Lulalend CEO, Trevor Gosling, talks capital, cashflow & customer acquisition Lulalend CEO, Trevor Gosling, believes that South African SMMEs deserve a concerted effort, involving the nation, and that if partnerships are emphasised, our country could keep more businesses open - and lower unemployment rates. As a Chartered Accountant, Trevor and his co-fou...

It’s the right thing to do! The importance of transparency for clients and staff Best-selling author, 4x TedX speaker, and futures strategist, John Sanei, is passionate about psychology and technology, and engaging with brands across the globe to assist in building an optimal mental approach needed to make their future more abundant than they ever thought possible. With the launch of his first boo...

CEO of The Hatch Institute, Ian Fuhr, talks paradigm shifts: culture-driven leadership and improving customer service CEO of The Hatch Institute and Founder of the Sorbet Group, Ian Fuhr, has come a long way since starting his very first business in the late 1970s. Today, he is a respected serial entrepreneur with seasoned experience in leadership and creating exemplary business cultures. For Ian,...

From CFO to CEO: Chris Zietsman, CEO of Snapscan, talks on FinTech, culture & competence CEO of Snapscan, Chris Zietsman, has a background in Accounting and Auditing, and is passionate about merging finance and technology to lighten the load for all South Africans. Founded in 2013, the business launched one of the first mobile payment apps in South Africa - combining ingenuity with Standard Bank's...

Alex Thomson from Naked Insurance talks about how important funding is and what Africa can do to get more funding. Listen to more insightful conversations on the Topco Business Unusual Podcast

Anna Collard, SVP Content Strategy and Evangelist at KnowBe4 Africa, stepped into the Cyber Security and Tech space merely by ‘coincidence’, as she puts it. If anything, she is the perfect example of the saying ‘If you can’t figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For your passion will lead your right into your purpose’. Anna, who is of German roots, has spent 20 years in the field, and...

Alex Thomson from Naked Insurance talks about how they look at changing the insurance landscape and improving the consumers insurance experience! Listen to more insightful conversations on the Topco Business Unusual Podcast

It’s all about being transparent: An insightful talk with Co-Founder of Naked Insurance, Alex Thomson Committed to changing the Insurtech game, Co-Founder of Naked Insurance, Alex Thomson, has a background in Insurance and Consultancy, and is passionate about changing the longstanding ‘Insurance Narrative’ in South Africa. Founded in 2016, the business concept was conceived as Alex, along with his...

CEO of African Bank, Basani Maluleke is passionate about finance and studying the intricacies of customer behaviour. Her top priority, since taking the lead role at African Bank in 2018, has been to revamp the bank and work towards sustainable profitability, whilst maintaining and enhancing the relationship with new and existing customers. Basani believes that the Covid-19 pandemic has altered the...

Wayne Zwiers on gearing up shop amidst COVID-19, and tracking key trends post COVID-19 to reinvent your business model, and re-energise your team culture Founder and CEO at BASALT, Cape Town, Wayne Zwiers, is passionate about being a tech solutions builder, witnessing amazing advancements in society from brilliant African tech companies, creating a holistic workplace environment that inspires empl...

Maredi Thema, Founder and CEO of Maredi Technologies ─ the ICT company providing ICT Infrastructure solutions to public and private sector clients ─ views his role as a leader as ‘the soil that nourishes the seeds of possibilities and potential in others’. Just this year, his company was granted the accolade of Best Employer of the Year at the BBQ Awards 2020. In previous years, Maredi has been re...

Head of Google South Africa, Alistair Mokoena, is a Professor of Practice in all spheres of his life, advocating for the pursuit of education and knowledge. Alistair believes that in order to grow and transform, South African businesses need to learn to adapt and upskill, by investing in digital tools. In this week’s Business Unusual podcast, Ralf Fletcher, CEO of Topco Media engages in critical c...

In this week’s Business Unusual podcast, Ralf Fletcher, CEO of Topco Media, speaks to multiple award winner Dr Snowy Khoza, Group CEO of Bigen Africa and renowned for driving business growth in the infrastructure development sector. Born into a family which suffered extreme hardship, Dr Khoza has become one of the most influential women on the continent, and is passionate about transforming the li...