09-09-2014: 10 Reasons to Attend Social Media Week Johannesburg
Social Media Week Johannesburg debuts in South Africa together with 19 other cities, including Sydney, Berlin and Rotterdam this September. Here are 10 reasons why you should attend this fast spreading, pioneering conference in Braamfontein and surrounding areas between 22nd – 26th September.
1.One of the headline speakers is COO of GroupM Interaction in North America, John Montgomery, who heads the group’s digital data strategy, innovation and policy. Originally from South Africa, Montgomery was voted one of the 12 smartest people in media by Adweek in 2013. He will be delivering a keynote on the opening day of the conference on ‘The Internet of Everything’ which will extend on issues around data and privacy.
2.Managing Director, of Technology Strategy at Accenture, Lee Naik will present a keynote on emerging digital technologies in transforming service delivery for governments and business. This will explore ideas on how Johannesburg, through the use of technology can become a center of innovation leading to better service and opportunities for its citizens.
3.Herman Singh, Managing Executive of M-Commerce will be in conversation about mobile banking focusing on the future of payments and transactions in Africa. This will touch on M-Pesa and how cultural nuances are critical in the success of mobile banking.
4.From a healthcare perspective, Dr Sindy van Zyl, who is very active and vocal on healthcare issues on twitter, especially when it comes to sharing information on HIV/AIDS, will talk on navigating the communication landscape of social media and healthcare.
5.The emergence of blogs specializing in sharing information on black hair care is the impetus behind the panel looking at how the internet is spawning black hair care material in South Africa. South African women are using digital tools from Pinterest to YouTube to raise their savvy on the best styling and maintenance solutions and products on the market, practically re-writing their own beauty standards. With this emerging shift in trends there are new income opportunities being created in the massive business of black hair. This session includes sassy bloggers like Janine Jellars (www.thisherehair.com) and Kavuli Nyali-Binase (www.goodhairdiaries.com).
6.If you want a breakdown of what the social media trends are globally and in the continent, trend watchers like Lola Pedro have you covered. Lagos based, Pedro oversees sub-saharan Africa’s content for www.trendwatching.com and her work focusses on innovation, technology, sustainability, entrepreneurship, art and culture.
7.“There are those who look at things and ask why. I’d say dream of things that never were and ask why not,” reads the twitter profile of young trailblazing millionaire from the UK, Jamal Edwards. And it pretty much sums up his success story. He went from playfully capturing his friends rapping on film to owning his youth broadcasting channel, SB-TV which garners over 150 million views on YouTube. At 23 he now rolls with A-listers like Dr Dre, Idris Elba and Richard Branson and is even credited for launching the career of Ed Sheeran. His talk, a Q&A hosted by the British Council and ConnectZA on the power of social media and the drive to entrepreneurial success kick-starts the youth sessions. Staying with driven youth, local dynamo and pioneer of the futuristic Gqom sound, Okmalumkoolkat lends his voice to a different conversation looking at music and social media, branding and digital promotion.
8.Mark Kaigwa from Kenya, well known for his blog, mark: my words on African technology, innovation and social media, will share with his audience the charms and quirks of the popular Kenyans on Twitter, #KOT. As one of Africa’s most distinctive digital community, they have waged diplomatic debates with other countries under the hashtag #Someone Tell and have helped put African media and reporting into perspective.
9.With popular feminist hashtags like #Girl Boss and #Ban Bossy, wordsmith, blogger and digital strategist, Luvvie Ajayi, takes this on with a master class titled: From Blogger to Boss. Luvvie has been blogging for 11 years and is known for her award winning entertainment and humour blog, www.awesomelyluvvie.com. She will impart her insights on how to move from being a beginner blogger to making your blog a business.
10.Social Media Week Johannesburg will be screening a ground-breaking documentary called Web, which tracks what it means to have connected communities and the impact thereof in society. Directed by Michael Kleiman, it takes a special look at his expedition into rural communities of the Andes Mountains and Amazon Jungle in Peru where he gave the villagers their first taste of technology with the One Laptop Per Child program. Including interviews with co-founder of the internet, Vint Cerf and founder of Wikipedia, Jimmy Wales, the narrative explores immense possibilities that arise when the dis-connected get online and what that means for the future. The screening is free and it takes place at the Bioscope at Maboneng precinct. Register here to attend: http://socialmediaweek.org/johannesburg/events/web-documentary-film-screening/
About Social Media Week
Social Media Week (SMW) is a leading news and publishing platform and worldwide event that takes place in close to 20 cities each year. Its mission is to capture, curate and share the most meaningful ideas, trends, and best practices with regard to social media’s impact on business, society, and culture. SMW hosts two worldwide events each year in February & September, where on average 10 cities participate simultaneously.
Note to the Editor:
All main events will take place across Braamfontein and Milpark including the Wits Theatre, Wits Amphitheatre, Jozi Hub (44 Stanley Ave) and more. There will also be a number of independent events taking place throughout the city from Melville to Bryanston.
Social Media Week boasts the Official Mobile App sponsored by Microsoft that helps attendees enhance their experience by connecting with other SMW fans; accessing exclusive feeds and content as well as exploring the event schedule and speakers. Features include: Connect and Network for group or individual conversations with SMW enthusiasts. Live Video and Content – allows you to view live video feeds of keynotes, panels, and workshops from SMW cities across the globe. You can also follow content and real-time conversations across social media channels and trending topics. You can track the events and speakers that matter to you with the Favorite Events and Speakers feature.
It’s important to register for all events you want to attend, including those that will be free. There is strictly no entry without registration. Register for Social Media Week here: http://socialmediaweek.org/johannesburg
Social Media Week Johannesburg has confirmed a broad range of opinion and trend- leaders as part of the event – amongst them are John Montgomery (GroupM), Alan Knott Craig Jr.(Project Isizwe) Mike Sharman (Retroviral), Michelle Atagana (Ventureburn), Khaya Dlanga (Coca-Cola), Uno de Waal (Between 10and5), Quentin George (/UNBOUND/) and more…
Please feel free to reference full list of speakers here: http://socialmediaweek.org/johannesburg/speakers
For further information & interview requests, please contact: Dreamcatcher
Ashveer Kewalpershad
071 885 3925 / 011 447 5612
media2@dreammultimedia.co.za
Or
Kgomotso Moncho
072 435 4632 / 011 447 5612
media@dreammultimedia.co.za
