Over 30 tourism industry experts, disruptors, and data specialists are set to take the stage at this year’s Business Opportunity Networking Day (BONDay), to be held a day prior to the Meetings Africa 2023 trade show. The overwhelming response to the session speaks to many attendees’ high anticipation and eagerness to participate in what promises to be an insightful and action-packed event.
These featured speakers boast over 100 years of combined experience as seasoned tourism executives who have witnessed the evolution of the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) industry. The depth and breadth of the speakers make the 2023 BONDay sessions a must-attend for anyone looking to stay ahead of the curve.
But the line-up doesn’t end there. Alongside these seasoned professionals are innovative disruptors shaking up the industry with fresh perspectives, cutting-edge technologies, and new business strategies. Together, these thought leaders offer attendees a glimpse into the future of the MICE industry and provide valuable insights that can help shape the strategies of businesses and organizations across the sector.
MICE Heavyweights Joanne Mwangi-Yelbert is the founder and CEO of Professional Marketing Services (PMS) Group, a Pan-African marketing and communications agency that has created jobs for over 10,000 young adults. She is an accomplished female entrepreneur in Kenya, having received three awards simultaneously in the prestigious top 100 awards. She is recognized internationally as a Marketing Guru and has served as the former President of the Stanford Seed Network. Joanne has an extraordinary track record for structuring complex deals and investments as a venture capitalist in Lion’s Den, a television series in the global Dragons Den and Shark Tank genre and currently serves as the Chairperson of Magical Kenya. She is a sought-after public speaker known for her ability to simplify complex theories humorously and make a lasting impact on her audience.
Africa: Ndazovawanepi Winnet Muchanyuka is the Chief Executive of the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA), responsible for leading a team of 140 members to manage one of the country’s most strategic economic sectors. She has over 30 years of experience in commercial and airport operations space with airlines, including Air Zimbabwe, Swiss Air, Australian Airlines, Sabena Airways and South African Airways. Winnie also holds an MSc in Tourism and Hospitality Management from the University of Zimbabwe and an MBA from Gloucestershire. She advocates sustainable tourism development in Africa and is interested in improving access and connectivity across the continent.
Academia: Dr Albert Kobby Mensah is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana Business School, where he teaches and conducts research in applied marketing areas, including tourism, politics, financial services and social media. He is also the coordinator of the MSc. Hospitality and Tourism program and Convener of the Destination Legon Tourism Exhibition Project. Kobby is an expert in political marketing, having edited the book ‘Political Marketing and Management in Ghana: A New Architecture’ and served as Chair of the Sales and Marketing Compliance Committee of Accra Brewery Ltd (ABL). He consults for corporate and political institutions and has developed the FOCAS Software, a data-driven customer feedback system.
Airlift: For over 30 years, Rodger Arnold Foster, the CEO and Managing Director of SA Airlink (Pty) Ltd, has been the go-to expert on airlift matters in Africa. As a co-founding shareholder with a 23% stake in Airlink, he has transformed it into Southern Africa’s leading airline, with over 1,750 employees and a fleet of 55 aircraft. Airlink offers comprehensive, safe, and reliable transportation services, connecting over 55 destinations throughout Southern Africa and facilitating trade and social development. The airline has strong commercial ties with leading global airlines, providing interline connectivity within its network and with partners. The CEO has also chaired the Airlines Association of Southern Africa multiple times, representing all airlines domiciled in the SADC region.
Airlift: Aaron Munetsi is an experienced executive in the airline industry, having held various commercial management positions at South African Airways, including Regional Manager for Africa and the Middle East and Acting Chief Commercial Officer. He also served on the Nigeria-South Africa Chamber of Business board for a decade. He was the Director of Government, Legal, and Industry Affairs at the African Airlines Association (AFRAA). After leaving SAA in 2018, Aaron worked for a year as an aeropolitical and business strategy advisor to airlines. He has obtained diplomas and certificates in marketing, strategic management, and leadership from several reputable institutions, including the University of Zimbabwe, the University of Witwatersrand Graduate Business School, and the Gordon Institute for Business Studies.
Disruptors: Linda Balme has 22 years of experience in the travel industry, having held senior management roles in four countries and leading six brands. After returning from New York City to South Africa, she is currently the Senior Commercial Manager at Travelstart, Africa’s largest online travel company.
Linda is known for her ability to create vision and buy-in. She has established trusted relationships with international tourism boards, hotels, airlines, and corporate partners to promote inbound and outbound tourism in Africa. Her passion for the industry is evident in her endless enthusiasm for sharing funny, awkward, or mind-blowing travel stories.
Disruptors: Scott Blount founded TripClip, a rapidly growing travel tech platform that has expanded to 14 African countries and gained worldwide recognition. The platform has generated over 80,000 itineraries in just one year, with over 1.4 million views and shares worldwide, boosting the African travel industry. TripClip has received several awards, including the World’s Best Travel Itinerary Builder title in 2021, and Scott was a finalist in the ATP Youth In Innovation Challenge 2022. Previously, he managed sales for a Destination Management Company across several markets and worked in investment banking for a prestigious African investment bank. Scott has also founded or co-founded two other start-ups outside the travel industry.
International Perspective: Dr Geoffrey Manyara is an Economic Affairs Officer at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. Dr Manyara has extensive experience in the tourism industry and has worked as a Senior Regional Tourism Advisor at the commission. Previously, he has also worked as a tourism researcher at the University of Wales, Cardiff, and as a senior lecturer and head of tourism departments at Kenyatta University. He holds a PhD from the University of Wales, Cardiff, and has been a research fellow at Kenya’s National Economic and Social Council. He focuses on tourism planning, policy formulation, management, and sustainable development in Africa. He collaborates closely with various African member states.
Investment Gurus: Lynette Ntuli is the founder and CEO of Innate Investment Solutions, a South African professional services firm specializing in property, asset, and infrastructure development and management solutions. Lynette advocates for sustainability, people-centred governance, and inclusive socio-economic growth. She promotes ethical leadership and entrepreneurship in Sub-Saharan Africa through her organization and partnerships, focusing on gender equality and skills development. She is an experienced executive leader with board positions in several listed and unlisted organizations.
Investment Gurus: Akwasi Obeng-Adjei is the Director of Group Internal Audit for Investment Management and Insurance at Absa Bank South Africa, where he leads the internal audit function. He is also an academic with a keen interest in the future and has presented on this topic at various conferences and organizations, earning numerous accolades.
Akwasi holds an MBA from Stellenbosch, an MCOM from Wits, and a BSc Hons in Management from UJ. He also has a BSc in IT and Mathematics, making him well-versed in business and technology.
Data specialists: Robert Manson is the Chief Digital Transformation & Technology Officer and Acting Chief Strategy Officer for South African Tourism, responsible for driving digital transformation, technology, data analytics, and insights. With extensive experience at multinational technology companies, he holds three Master’s Degrees from leading universities and several Postgraduate Diplomas and Executive Leadership Programmes.
Data specialists: Khaya Mbanga is a Partner in Digital Advisory at BDO South Africa, with extensive experience as a CIO and former Director at two big four consulting firms. Mbanga is the leader of BDO’s Digital Advisory practice and specializes in transformation programs, divestitures, and intelligent automation. He is certified in PMP, PMI-RMP, and SAFeAgilist and is a member of the Project Management Institute and the Special Interest Group in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics. He has delivered keynote speeches and spoken at several conferences.
Other speakers, also experts in their own right, include:
1. Mqondisi Gumede is the founder and CEO of The OMG. This customer success company solves complex problems using uncommon sense to unlock game-changing opportunities for clients, resulting in accelerated growth.
2. Lee-Anne Bac, a seasoned professional with over two decades of experience, is a Director at BDO Advisory Services.
3. Shaun Bird, the General Manager of Sandton Convention Centre in South Africa, has over 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry.
4. Bernadine Galliver is the Vice President of Tourism Advisory at JLL, a global company that operates in over 80 countries and has a workforce of more than 93,000 employees.
5. Bradford Ochieng is the Deputy CEO of the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), established in 1994 to promote Uganda as a competitive and sustainable tourism destination.
6. Yoadan Tilahun is the founder & CEO of Flawless Events, an event-organizing company in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, that hosts summits, corporate events and conferences throughout Africa.
7. Christelle Grohmann is a Director at BDO in South Africa with over 23 years of consulting experience.
8. Keitumetse Setlang, Executive Manager-Marketing at Botswana Tourism Organisation, has played a crucial role in implementing the Botswana Tourism Strategy, focusing on global destination marketing, brand management, and public relations.
9. Luc Armand Hegesiste Bodea is the Director of the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) and the Coordinator of the Society for AIDS in Africa (SAA).
10. Rob Kucera serves as District Director East Africa and GM of Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Centre in Kigali, Rwanda. He has led premier hotels, resorts, and spas, driving business growth and delivering service excellence for over 25 years.
11. Glenton De Kock is the CEO of the Southern African Association for the Conference Industry (SAACI) and played a pivotal role in forming the South African Events Council, collaborating with the public and private sectors to work on behalf of SAACI members.
12. Devi Paulsen-Abbott, Vice President at DMG Events and Chair of AAXO in South Africa, has a 20-year career in media and events and was part of the team that acquired Spintelligent by Clarion Events; she also co-founded Hypenica.
13. Andy Hedley, Managing Director of Amadeus in Southern Africa, developed a system to digitalize airline fares, consulted for travel companies in the online space in the UK, and fell in love with Africa 12 years ago.
14. Doris Rwebangira-Parsons is a mentor, communications specialist, and Co-Founder/Managing Director of SRC Agency, a communications and professional conference organizing firm with offices in Rwanda, Tanzania, and Kenya.
15. Dr Anushka Reddy is an aesthetic practitioner in South Africa interested in cosmetic dermatology and advanced aesthetics.
16. Zinhle Nzama is the Acting Chief Convention Bureau Officer at the South African National Convention Bureau and General Manager for Strategic Events at South African Tourism. She is responsible for promoting South Africa as a prime destination for hosting business events, conventions, meetings, conferences, and trade exhibitions.
17. Herve Abou is the Regional Manager for Air Côte d’Ivoire, covering nine countries in the medium-haul network. He oversees 65% of the company’s turnover.
18. Themba Khumalo is South African Tourism’s Acting CEO and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). Since joining in September 2019 as CMO, he has established and driven the South African Tourism brand in the domestic, regional, and global markets.
19. Amos Fish Mahlalela is the Deputy Minister of Tourism in the Republic of South Africa and has been in office since May 29, 2019. Mahlalela is a member of the African National Congress and serves in the National Assembly. He holds an Honours Degree in Governance and Leadership from the University of Witwatersrand.
The BONDay moderators are Lerato Moleo, News Anchor I Radio Host, and Tumelo Mothotoane, News Anchor – ENCA.
