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Tag: Public Private Partnerships

3 ways to use events to boost your organisation’s reach and revenue

By Koketso Mamabolo Events such as business conferences, masterclasses, and product launches are excellent ways to position your brand at the forefront of your industry, increasing brand awareness, generating leads and shortening sales cycles. Whether in-person, virtual or hybrid, they are proven ways to build new partnerships and market your brand. Here are three ways to use events to grow your brand: 1. Partner with specialists When planning an event, why get someone to do it when you could do it yourself? When you start unpacking the details –  the time it takes; the resources and expertise required; the capacity to reach a wide audience – it may be time to call in the experts. The experience and knowledge it takes to put together an event is not something most businesses have inhouse. By outsourcing an event to a group of experts, you can focus on what you do best: running your business. Everything from marketing campaigns, press releases, speakers, session content, exhibition booths – all of that will be handled for you. Events that have been around for years, which attract industry leaders from various sectors, offer you the opportunity to benefit from being associated with a respected institution. You also gain from associating with non-competitors who are leaders in their own niche markets. When you partner with a B2B event you get the results without having to put in as much financially. You save money, reach a wider audience, generate more content and can get a great return on your investment. Events can take months to organise and the costs can add up. From something as big as the venue or virtual conferencing platform, all the way to the “swag packs” attendees get. All these costs will fall on you when you organise your own event. But when you partner with experts, who understand how to navigate the costs of hosting the event, you just have to pay for the naming rights and everything else will be covered for you.  The brand visibility that comes from partnering with an event can lead to an uptick in sales. Before, during and after the event your business is on display, bringing in both old and new customers.  You put a little in and you get a lot out of it. 2. Be deliberate about making connections Events offer an opportunity to build relationships and engage with potential partners. In one room, or many, you will have a chance to speak to the people you want to be speaking with to help your business grow and improve. Attendees and exhibitors are at an event with your name on it, which does wonders for brand awareness and networking. Besides potential partners, events are also a great place to meet and attract top talent and share knowledge. See every conversation as an opportunity to connect. You never know who you will meet. You could find yourself having a conversation with the CEO of a multinational corporation who is hiring, or looking to form new partnerships. Have a good idea beforehand who will be attending the conference, which allows you to be more direct in who you network with and possibly set up meetings with beforehand. While it is important to know who you want to meet or what you want to discuss, you need to be open to meeting people you weren’t planning to.  Following up after the event is key. Once you’ve exchanged details and discussed partnerships, make sure you reinforce. Whether that be an email or a message on LinkedIn. Being in a room with a range of industry stakeholders is rare. Don’t let the opportunity slip through. 3. Create, create, create Events can be an indirect way of advertising your brand. While advertising online, in newspapers or digital magazines, allows you to speak directly to customers and potential partners, events allow you to speak to them in indirect ways. With all the content created comes web traffic and engagement on your social media accounts. From press releases, web posts, interviews, competitions and more, the chance to drive traffic to your website and increase sales is ever present. All the exposure you get at the event will also provide an opportunity to present your products and services in different ways. You’re able to market new and existing offerings in indirect and direct ways. If you’re working with an event partner, their marketing and PR teams will create content, attendees will create content, speakers and exhibitors will create content, everyone creates content. All that content is available for you to leverage. Your brand’s message will get across to many people across the world in various formats and platforms through marketing campaigns.  Topco Media has solutions that can help you get a return on your investment, build relationships, reach a wider audience and generate more content. With our solutions you get the benefit of having your brand associated with an event that attracts top decision makers from the public sector, private sector and everyone in between. You can do it yourself – but the experts can do it better. For enquiries on how you can partner with us on one of our B2B events, contact Twaambo Chileshe and let us help your business reach its goals and further its reach: twaambo.chileshe@topco.co.za

Bold leadership needed to close Africa’s AI gap

Africa’s AI

By Dumisani Moyo Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping industries and societies around the world. In Africa, it holds immense potential to tackle deep-rooted challenges in healthcare, education, financial inclusion, and unemployment. Yet while the AI technology gap dominates the conversation, the more urgent issue is the need for bold leadership. AI is often positioned as the next frontier of human progress. In Africa, that promise is constrained by significant barriers including inadequate infrastructure, limited investment, poor internet access, and fragile data ecosystems. According to the United Nations, while 85% of Africa’s population has access to 3G, only 38% use the internet, well below the global average of 68%. This highlights a disconnect between infrastructure availability and meaningful digital inclusion. Despite pervasive challenges, AI innovation is gaining momentum across the continent. In Zimbabwe, Dr. CADx uses AI to enhance radiology diagnostics. In Kenya, M-Shule delivers personalised learning via SMS, expanding access to education in areas with limited internet. In South Africa, Aerobotics uses AI to help farmers boost crop yields. Founded in Cape Town, the company now operates in 18 countries, with its largest market in the United States. In Nigeria, LifeBank uses AI and data analytics to connect hospitals with critical supplies such as blood and vaccines. Yet we play a limited role in the global AI value chain. According to the World Economic Forum, between 2022 and 2023, the continent attracted only $641-million in AI-related venture capital, a mere 0.3% of the projected $184-billion in global AI investments. Initiatives like IndabaX are working to change that narrative. Since 2018, this community-led network has brought together AI stakeholders across Africa to strengthen skills in machine learning and AI. By 2024, it had expanded to 47 countries, and plays a vital role in building local expertise and advancing continent-wide engagement. Partnerships pave the way Harnessing AI’s full potential requires more than technical expertise. It demands foresight, coordination, and a clear strategy shaped around Africa’s unique opportunities and challenges. While some governments have launched national AI strategies, AI is still often seen as a futuristic concept in many boardrooms. Universities face the challenge of updating curricula fast enough, and policymakers often struggle to keep pace with rapid technological change. Encouragingly, initiatives are gaining momentum across the continent. Rwanda’s Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR), in partnership with the World Economic Forum, places AI at its core. Ghana’s National AI Strategy targets growth across healthcare, education, ethics, and capacity-building. South Africa’s Presidential Commission on the Fourth Industrial Revolution (PC4IR) has prioritised AI alongside other transformative technologies. Kenya’s Blockchain and AI Task Force is already looking at how emerging tech can drive development, financial inclusion, and job creation. But closing the gap will take bold action and a broad-based effort that engages Africa’s youth across every stage of the AI value chain, from classrooms to boardrooms. With 60% of the population under 25, Africa is the world’s youngest and fastest-growing continent. That youth represents a powerful force for innovation provided they are equipped with the technical skills, leadership, governance, and strategic insight to solve local problems at scale. Leadership critical to reap AI benefits Without leaders who can envision the possibilities, commit resources, and invest intentionally, even the most advanced technology will fail to deliver impact. AI is more than a tool. It has the potential to influence policy, shape education reform, transform business models, and redefine systems across healthcare, finance, and governance. If Africa does not play an active role in designing, applying, and regulating AI, others will define the future on its behalf. This poses significant risks, including systems built on foreign datasets that misrepresent African realities or fail to address local needs. Closing the leadership gap requires building a new generation of decision-makers who not only understand technology, but also grasp its wider social, ethical, and economic dimensions. Africa needs leaders who can think strategically about AI and create environments where inclusive innovation can thrive. Unlocking Africa’s AI potential To thrive in the AI era, Africa must co-create, co-innovate, and lead. Bridging both the technology and leadership gaps demands a coordinated and sustained effort across four key areas: Africa stands at a defining moment. Shaping a truly African AI future will require a shared vision, bold leadership, and deep collaboration across government, business, academia, and civil society. As the African proverb says, “Wisdom is like a baobab tree; no one individual can embrace it.” Dumisani Moyo is the Marketing Director at SAP Africa

Empowering South Africa’s youth

Empowering South Africa’s youth

Partner Content June is a significant month in South Africa, marking Youth Month and commemorating the pivotal role young people played in the fight against apartheid, notably the historic Soweto Uprising of 16 June 1976. Youth Day, celebrated on 16 June, serves as a powerful reminder of the ongoing contributions to social transformation made by young people. It is both a tribute to their legacy and a call to reflect on the current opportunities and challenges facing the youth today. Nedbank’s Executive Head of Transformation, Kershini Govender, offers valuable insights into how the bank’s transformation journey is closely aligned with the country’s youth development and economic inclusion objectives. Central to this is Nedbank’s commitment to the Youth Employment Service (YES) Programme – a national, business-led collaboration with the government to address one of South Africa’s most urgent challenges. The youth unemployment rate in South Africa remains alarmingly high, standing at 46.1% in the first quarter of 2025 according to Statistics South Africa. “Nedbank’s purpose-led approach to transformation transcends compliance and box-ticking,” Govender explains. The bank embeds transformation within its core business strategy, driven by a purpose to use its financial expertise ‘to do good’ for its clients, shareholders, and society at large. This approach to transformation is underpinned by creating sustainable socioeconomic impact across society. A leading example of this commitment is Nedbank’s partnership with the YES Programme. Since 2019, Nedbank has onboarded 17 264 candidates, including this year’s sign-up, providing crucial work experience and skills development opportunities. The 2024 Nedbank YES cohort was empowered to gain meaningful employment and workplace exposure, either within Nedbank or through our partner organisations, the Africa Foundation and WILDTRUST. The impact of the YES Programme extends beyond employment figures, with about 64% of the work opportunities created being filled by women, and approximately 85% of YES participants coming from households reliant on social grants. Many participants also support their families with their income.  Nedbank’s commitment to youth and transformation also extends into its Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) programmes. Nedbank’s ESD strategy is rooted in sustainable development principles; empowering entrepreneurs not only with funding, but also with mentorship, business skills, and access to networks. This holistic approach positions these enterprises for long-term success, which benefits both the entrepreneurs and the communities they serve. Govender reflects on the ongoing transformation journey at Nedbank with humility and optimism. The bank’s Level 1 B-BBEE contributor status, achieved for 7 consecutive years, signals deep commitment and consistent progress. She emphasises that transformation is not just a moral imperative, but a business necessity to remain relevant and effective in an evolving landscape. With over R930-million injected into the economy through salaries earned by YES youth across the programme and since its inception in 2019, Nedbank is one of the programme’s top 5 corporate sponsors, demonstrating how private sector leadership can catalyse systemic change. “The YES Programme continues to uncover extraordinary young talent and positively contribute to a more inclusive South Africa,” Govender says. “We are proud that our young people gain vital skills and that their families and communities benefit through this programme.” As South Africa marks Youth Month this June, Nedbank’s efforts exemplify how strategic partnerships and purpose-driven transformation can empower youth, uplift communities, and build a sustainable, inclusive economy. Through the YES Programme and its broader ESD initiatives, Nedbank is not only celebrating youth but actively shaping their futures and that of the nation.