TEDxPortElizabeth launches in Nelson Mandela Bay

[Port Elizabeth, Monday, 27 June 2016] – Sharing a world of dreams with the global TED and TEDx community, TEDxPortElizabeth will launch their first conference this year with the theme Through the Looking Glass in partnership with the new AFDA Film School in Port Elizabeth.

TEDxPortElizabeth continues on from TEDxNMMU (2012) and TEDxSummerstrand (2013), both organised by students from NMMU. TED (Technology, Entertainment & Design) started in 1984 in California as an elite conference for visionaries and innovators. By 2012 TED Talks had been viewed more than 1 billion times online.

This TEDx conference features 15 speakers and performers from Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, George, Jeffrey’s Bay, Uitenhage and Port Elizabeth.

TEDx Conference Port Elizabeth 2016

The audience will be captivated by international business coach, Deshun Deysel, who will open the conference speaking on Peak Performance. Her family moved from Uitenhage to Johannesburg when she was 12 years old. She powered into the history books in 1996 as a member of the first group of South Africans to plant the new democratic flag on Mt Everest.

Another highlight is Farah Fortune, known in the entertainment industry as the “pit bull in heels.” She is the CEO of African Star Communications, with offices in Lagos, Nigeria and Johannesburg and her clients include AKA, Casper Nyovest and Pam Andrews.

TEDx 2016 Conference line-up

“After attending the TEDGlobal conference in Tanzania in 2007, I have become very active in speaking and organising TEDx events in China and South Africa,” says Ramon Thomas, TEDxPortElizabeth founder. After returning home with an MBA degree from China, Thomas started recruiting a team of enthusiastic volunteers from Nelson Mandela Bay.

Speakers from Port Elizabeth include mama Nomhle Nkonyeni, who recently won a SAFTA life-time achievement award; Xhosa poet Siyabonga Ngcai aka Gqoboz’imbawula Mbawula, Alexander Road High school learner; Thulani Ndzotyana who wants to be the first female president of South Africa in 2044; and youth artist, Mdali group.

Speakers from Uitenhage include 7-year-old child palaeontologist Caleb Zealand; Mr Joe Slingers, who was featured in the book, Great South African Teachers by Prof. Jonathan Jansen; Mrs Elizabeth Muller, head librarian for 25 years until her retirement in 2009; and artist Colleen Grewar.

TEDx Conference Port Elizabeth 2016Wikipedia editor, Bobby Shabangu, contributes to the world’s largest encyclopedia writing articles in isiSwati and English. “I discovered that if I don’t edit, no one will edit,” he says. “[I wanted] to activate people into talking about Wikipedia and the work they do and everything that’s actually how I got involved with the whole thing.”

AFDA is sponsoring the venue for this conference. Their students will film all the speakers and performers and the videos will be uploaded to the TEDx YouTube channel. This is an opportunity to showcase Nelson Mandela Bay’s talent on the global stage.

The 2016 TEDxPortElizabeth conference takes place at AFDA Port Elizabeth campus, 28 Bird Street, Central on Friday, 1 July 2016. Only 100 tickets for this conference are on sale online.

Event details:

  • Venue: AFDA Port Elizabeth campus, 28 Bird Street, Central
  • Date: Friday, 1 July 2016
  • Time: 09h00-15h00
  • 15 Speakers, Performances, Networking and 4 curated TED Talks
  • Our Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Website

TEDxPortElizabeth 2016 Conference line-up

About TEDx, x = independently organised event. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organised events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organised events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organised. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)

MEDIA CONTACTS

Jade Redcliffe, Communications Manager

Mobile 072-5659132

Email: tedxpe@gmail.com

Does Money Buy Happiness?

Does money buy happiness or just a big mansion? This funny video by blogger Victor Pride reminded me to always think differently from what Bill Cooper called “the sheeple!” And so after watching this video, think about it for a while, and ask your friends to get their reaction. You will notice the clear bias against money in our society. There’s a built-in guilt that society places on people who want money. Remember “Greed is Good!” and how that became a negative stereotype from the first Wall Street movie with Michael Douglas?

Radio host Tom Leykis truly believes money does buy happiness. Not working and being a slave to the man. Professor Leykis sounds pretty happy when you listen to his old shows on YouTube or his new show, streaming daily via the Tom Leykis show mobile app.

What do you think? Is Tom Leykis right?

When you listen to one of his older shows, you may start to question this common falacy. Religion is not really to blame for this belief, instead I believe it’s our society’s belief in altruism. Ayn Rand was one of the biggest opponents of altruism in the history of the world. And she is still vilified about her books, interviews and opinions on helping others to your own detriment.

Do you remember the safety advice on your last flight? In case of emergency take the oxygen mask and put it on your own face first before you try to help children or anyone else like disabled people.

Solving The Port Elizabeth School Tragedy

The school tragedy in Port Elizabeth is the latest episode in the ongoing Eastern Cape education disaster. Recently public intellectual, Professor Jonathan Jansen, wrote about the school tragedy in Port Elizabeth’s northern areas. Read his original column here: The real education calamity. He asks “why is there no public outcry about the fact that since the school year started more than 50 schools had not started classes?”

A friend sent me the article via Facebook. My first reaction was anger and blame and I want to share it with you below:

RT: Yes, this is a fact in the northern areas (Coloured townships) of Port Elizabeth. Now what is Dr Jonathan Jansen doing about it besides writing newspaper columns that he gets paid to write every week? [I am referring to all journalists who offer grand solutions from the comfort of their laptops].

AQ: I don’t know him or his responsibilities/capacity to do anything, but it’s not just about him tho. This eventually becomes everyone’s problem. Poorly educated children become ignorant and frustrated adults

RT: My point is this is common knowledge in Port Elizabeth area. And the parents are fighting SADTU union [and the MEC for Education, Mandla Makupula] which is virtually impossible to defeat.

Jonathan Jansen always writes these kinds of articles, and it’s easy to write about the problems and much more difficult to do something. HE, being a respected “Coloured” leader has been to Port Elizabeth (and Uitenhage) before, and can easily organise public meetings to mediate this conflict.

The MEC in Education in the Eastern Cape is useless as you know, so people like him with authority must can step off his high horse and engage more directly.

AQ: Why isn’t he being challenged on it then

RT: I am challenging you for believing everything he is writing.

AQ: Why haven’t you challenged him

RT: I have. He blocked me on Twitter when I asked him difficult questions. We have also spoken at the same conference at St Stitians College in Johannesburg in 2011.

AQ: My view is we are all responsible for the resolution of these problems part of that responsibility is consciousness and awareness. In this particular case I’m too far removed from the Port Elizabeth social discourse to engage meaningfully, however such situations grate me wherever they are. So my responsibility is to firstly be conscious of what is happening and in that regard I’m limited to what is available online and interacting with people like yourself, fortunately/unfortunately I cannot always judge character/political alignment and have to take the articles at face value, bottom line I feel it’s my responsibility to understand that there is a problem, extent of the problem and in my way and spaces contribute to its containment and hopefully resolution

AQ: I think we sometimes put people on pedals of responsibility when we know that they either lack the capacity or will (moral or otherwise) to be there

School tragedy in Port Elizabeth turned to violence
WHEELS COME OFF: Residents of Arcadia in Port Elizabeth have been blockading roads with burning tyres in ongoing protest action demanding more teachers for the 50 local schools. The stand-off with government has meant no schooling in the northern parts of the city so far this year Image by: EUGENE COETZEE

RT: Sure. I fact I am challenging you (to question the Prof. Jonathan Jansen’s responsibility) because you sent me the news story without any context or opinion.

— end of Facebook Inbox discussion —

Mandla Makupula MEC for Education in Eastern CapeThere was some flaws in my argument. Teachers are not fighting teachers union SADTU, they are both fighting the provincial Eastern Cape MEC of Education, Mandla Makupula. The school tragedy in Port Elizabeth is exacerbated by the gang and drug problem similar to that on the Cape Flats.

And after re-reading the original column, Professor Jansen does indeed offer some good practical advice:

  1. Activists must use social media to o signal for public attention flashpoints around the country where children are being denied education.
  2. Responsible media needs to draw attention to these hot spots with, say, a running front-page spot carrying a reverse count-down message like “#32 days still without education in Port Elizabeth’s northern suburbs”.
  3. Similar public notices can be carried for “Schools still without textbooks” or more pointedly “School X still without principal after three months.”

After all, I want to put his suggestions into practise. This is the type of challenge I thrive on.

Critisism of Professor Jonathan Jansen:

Government and The School Tragedy in Port Elizabeth

Eastern Cape’s MEC for Education Mandla Makupula unsuccessly tried to solve this teacher shortage problem in Port Elizabeth in 2015. This seems to have reached a stale mate.

Grow Your Business in Year of Fire Monkey

China’s economy is slowing down. Financial reports raise concerns that for 5 consecutive months the manufacturing sector shrunk in December 2015. On the other hand the Chinese government has just committed $60 billion to Africa after the FOCAC summit in 2015. State owned enterprises (SOE) companies continue to benefit from high level government introductions. President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang meet with their counterparts and usually sign billions of USD worth of trade agreements and more and more loans are signed.

How does this benefit the small to medium enterprises (SME) company in China? How does it help the family business in Asia to grow and prosper? What is the tangible benefit of the New Silk Road or “One Belt, One Road” initiative for entrepreneurs?

China One Belt, One Road infographic
INFOGRAPHIC One Belt, One Road. Sources: Mercator Institute for China Studies (Merics), IMF, World Bank, International Monetary Institute, Renmin University of China, Rhodium Group, HSBC, Daiwa Capital Markets, Geography Cement, hongxiang100.com

None. There is no direct, tangible benefit gained from these unless you are a State-owned in China because these companies are first to be included in the planning and execution of such major projects.

The Monkey year begins on February 8, 2016. Chinese New Year’s Eve is the second new Moon after Winter Solstice.

The Way of the Monkey

2016 Fire Monkey YearThe year of the Monkey is ideal for 10x growth in sales for small businesses in China and Africa. This is the time to shake things up, create change, and innovate a new path. The Monkey’s enthusiast energy allows him to take bold risks that are rewarded and anything can happen. Even the most ambitious plans can succeed this year. There will be more than enough action and opportunity to keep your team busy. In the Monkey year, it’s okay to just make it up as you go along. Just don’t be gullible and trust the wrong people, or wily Monkey will take all the peanuts and leave you only shells.

Since 2013 I interviewed about 50 Chinese business owners in Ningbo, Hangzhou and Shanghai about their customers, their growth and their goals. Most of them are focussed on this business model developed over the last 10-20 years:

  1. Manufacture products
  2. Export them to the US and Europe
  3. Rely on Alibaba and similar “Made in China” B2B websites for new sales

New emerging shifts are taking place

  1. OEM manufacturers are starting to create their own brands
  2. Some are looking towards BRICs countries like Brazil and all Russian-speaking countries, which include Central Asia, which is in the direct path of the new Silk Road.
  3. Some are looking to import products for the growing domestic consumption

Even with all the turmoil of the Shanghai stock market in 2015, the domestic consumer market is indeed growing if we are to believe Alibaba founder, Jack Ma. At the FutureChina Forum in Singapore, former Worldbank Chief economist, Justin Yify Lin, said it’s necessary for China to move from investment led growth to consumption led growth.

The African Opportunity

According to Bloomberg the free-trade agreement that was signed in June 2015 between the East African Communities (EAC), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the South African Development Community (SADC) offers market access to 600 million consumers.

Kenya’s impressive technological and scientific achievements recently attracted significant investments from venture capitalists and some of the world’s leading multinational corporations, including Google, IBM, Facebook, Chase Bank and General Electric. In the past three years, General Electric’s revenue from Africa doubled to more than $3 billion.

Among the fastest growing economies worldwide in 2015 were Kenya and Nigeria. Even though South Africa continues to be on the brink of recession, it remains the first choice for Chinese companies to set-up their African operations.

BRICS Sales Workshop for Chinese Company in Guangdong, China

Recently I conducted an impromptu workshop with DongGuan RiKang Industrial, a manufacturer of plastic packaging machinery between Shenzhen and Guangzhou. The sales team is almost entirely made up of graduates, and so I decided to introduce the BRICS countries as a sales pipeline outside North America/Europe. In the end I focussed on introducing the high growth countries in East and Southern Africa, as well as using LinkedIn as a tool to do sales prospecting.

Sales Workshop for Chinese Company to expand in South Africa

This seminar is available to any Chinese company in English and Mandarin.

In South Africa University #FeesMustFall

This is a letter written by my Computer Science lecturer, Craig Reynolds. He was an academic for most of the time that I knew him and at some point moved into the business world, first working for Sun Microsystems and later Oracle Corporation in Dubai. He also graciously wrote a recommendation, which helped me to receive a full scholarship from the Chinese government for my MBA degree.

You were surprised at my views on supporting the student protest, especially as I’m an ex-academic and solicited further explanation. Here goes:

I am of the option that education (at all levels) should be heavily subsidised by government. In fact, I’ll go as far as to say that education, including tertiary, should be free.

Yes, free!

An educated society is a strong society and this is particularly true for societies with high levels of educated women (but that is a discussion for another day.)

For the good of society as a whole I don’t understand why capable people should be excluded simply because they are not able to pay. The whole point of education is to lift those people from poverty, not so? Likewise I don’t understand why you should spend years recovering from debt which has been forced upon you in order to educate yourself.

So, I agree with the students that there should be no fee increases, I’d say they need to take it further and demand no fees at all.


But they are protesting to the wrong people, it is not the universities that are at fault. In my view it is the South African government, and in particular the ANC, that is the guilty party. They have stolen, squandered and mismanaged the country’s resources for their own gain and so have not provided the universities with appropriate funding, hence the universities have not choice but to raise fees to keep the the lights on.

The protesters should be barricading Luthuli House and Parliament. They should be demanding explanations from Blade Nzimande, not vice-chancellors. They should be preventing ANC members-of-parliament from leaving/entering, not their fellow students and their lecturers.

The fact that SASCO leaders are wearing ANC colours when it’s the fault of the ANC that the fees are a) very high and b) increasing says one of the following: The students don’t understand that universities are reliant on government for funding, or they are being orchestrated to target university management, probably because they are white and so an easy target.


In addition, I am deeply suspicious that this is being orchestrated by the ANC itself to direct attention away from their own failings. I’m also wondering if this isn’t part of of the wider ANC/SACP strategy (going back to 1976) to keep supporters out of education to ensure that the population remains uneducated. An uneducated populace is easily controlled, educated people ask too many uncomfortable questions. This is a typical communist strategy and I would not be surprised to find Cronin & Nzimande, die hard communist dinosaurs, at the bottom of it all. If so, I hope it bites them in the ass.

So, in short: I support the protests. I don’t support the violence. The protesters are protesting to and about the wrong people.