Theme: Changing Perceptions

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized 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-organized 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-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

The Innovation Hub
Mark Shuttleworth St, Pretoria, 0087
Pretoria, Gauteng, 0001
South Africa

Busisiwe Gumede

Busisiwe is a broadcast journalist, Youth activist and columnist. As senior anchor at YFM’s Current Affairs Show and author of the Youth Chat column in The Sowetan newspaper, Busi Gumede (24) is passionate about bringing South Africa’s youth into the national dialogue. Having grown up in Alexandra township, she saw first-hand how easily young people can become disillusioned and excluded. Now, she says, her mission is to give youths a voice and help them participate in politics to shape their future.

Claire Janisch

Claire is a Biomimicry Professional and sustainability & innovation advisor. She is a graduate of and has been a co-trainer for the international 2-year biomimicry Professionals Program (BPCP). She is the Founder and Director of BiomimicrySA and is the leading presenter, trainer and consultant for biomimicry in South Africa. Claire works in the areas of strategy, technology & education. She researches, translates and shares the genius of nature for product, process & systems innovations

Darryn Van den Berg

Darryn is the visionary MD for the group PassionFor. He has been involved in pioneering new, alternative and effective learning & development solutions for over 13 years. Passion is his brand and persona and he thrives on living on the edge, innovating and causing change in business and life! He enjoys engaging and providing the platforms for effective interaction so that people are able to enjoy what they do.

David Fincham

David Fincham is a passionate out of the box thinking Fish Farmer. Fish Farmer, Farm Design, Technology Developer and mentor. He developed FarmInaBox Tilapia Farming System in order to revolutionize fish farming in Africa.

Dennis Ngango

My name is Dennis Ngango, I am a 20 year old South African dreamer, Industrial Engineering Student at the University of Pretoria, Humanitarian, Associate fellow for the Royal Commonwealth Society and a Global Youth Ambassador to South Africa at a World at School. The motto I live by is the words of 2Pac that say 'I'm not saying I'm gonna change the world, but I guarantee that I will spark the brain that will change the world.

Don Packett

Don Packett is a raconteur, professional speaker, stand-up comedian, author, champion unicorn-leapfrogger and Head of Perspective at Perspective Shifters, Missing Link. Don’s speciality is providing anecdotes, tales, metaphors and analogies with a healthy dose of recapitulation for good measure. He has shared the stage with international music legends the likes of Oasis, Korn and Muse while MC’ing events like My Coke Fest, as well as hosted brand launches – XBOX Kinect South Africa, Windows Phone 7 and a number of corporate events. Don is also on the SA professional speaking circuit, yet again providing perspective on businesses and strategies to institutions such as Absa, FNB, Investec, JD Group, Momentum, BMW, GIBS and more. He can also be seen on the South African comedy circuit. His mom thinks he’s hilarious.

Griffiths Sibeko

Griffiths Sibeko, a lifelong learner with a grade zero mentality who draws his design inspiration from nature, human interactions and communication patterns. Griffiths has a high interest in designing and enhancing ways in which we access information and process knowledge. Griffiths work range from app design and development, knowledge management, digital design and iterative design. Griffiths was awarded the MTN Best App Garage Developer 2014 for one of the development works he took part in.

Jabu Mtsweni

Jabu Mtsweni is an average NERD, cyber security researcher, software developer, and trainer of various computer courses and systems. He enjoys working with young people, especially those from previously disadvantaged universities and schools. He regularly mentors a number of selected young and aspiring people at universities such as Unisa, TUT, VUT, and UJ. He is passionate about social technologies and hacking for humanity [not cracking]. He is currently a co-organizer of Random Hacks of Kindness in Pretoria and Johannesburg, and also a special member of the Google Developers Group (Pretoria Chapter). He holds a PhD degree in Computer Science and a Masters’ Degree in Computer Engineering. He has over 10 years academic and industry experience and continues to serve both in the public and private sector. Jabu is married with two energetic and lovely kids, who always keep him in-check, especially because of his busy life and involvement in a various projects.

khathelo Nkosi

Khethelo Nkosi

An entrepreneur since the age of nine

Leago Mamabolo

Leago Mamabolo is a seventeen year old poet and scholar from South Africa.

Llewellyn Devereaux Tshesane

Llewellyn Devereaux Tshesane is the CEO of the Swazz Group. He is an inventor and innovator from South Africa. He invented an anti-hangover shooter called Lohocla. Llewellyn is a writer and has spoken at various conferences.

Nolo Mokoena

Entrepreneur and Young African Leader, Nolo Mokoena is a final year student majoring in Economics at the University of Pretoria, with a co-specialization in Agricultural Economics and Management. Previously chairperson of the Young Economists Society and Vice Chairperson of the faculty of his university, his key interests lie in innovation & strategy, mediation and dialogue, youth advocacy and agricultural reform. Aside from his entrepreneurial ventures and initiatives, he hopes to grow as a creative solutionist- making a considerable contribution providing alternative solutions in both private and public sectors of society.

Oran Cohen

As an obsessive entrepreneur and serial social innovator, Oran has imagineered documentaries, international leadership programmes as well as founded Non-Profit Organisations.Oran has dedicated his work to facilitating others’ genius and solving complex problems in a variety of contexts. Oran is fascinated by the magic that happens when the genius of people meets the genius of ideas. He is intrigued by what makes someone an innovator or change-maker. He has committed his life to exploring these questions in the pursuit of creating social change. For more than 13 years in over 20 countries he has guided communities, non-profits and large multinationals through difficult questions and challenges in order to help them find unique solutions to the problems they face. In 2012 Oran was chosen as one of 50 global Evolutionary Leaders.

Puno Selesho

Puno Selesho discovered poetry when she was 8 years old but only unearthed her voice of wisdom when she was a teen. She has since blossomed into being a driven law student, a humanitarian, and a poet. Her lifelong mandate is to mold the minds and hearts of the people in her world through the use of spoken word. Also, she has a passion and a drive to spread messages of hope to the down trodden, the hopeless and discarded members of society. Puno advocates the breaking of mental shackles which are created by stereotypes and a lack of true love and human-ness in our society

Robin Pullen

Robin Pullen, known as the Sense Maker, is creator of the Positive Conscious Contract (+CC) System and understands people. He enables connected working environments where systems work and the use of resources are optimized. He knows why leaders are disconnected, why cultures remain divided, and why people do & do not do. Robin partners with leaders to unlock tangible business outcomes as a result improved human behaviour. He has developed a pragmatic solution, based on a simple science, that brings about practical results through effective supervision. Robin has enjoyed the privilege to work with more than 99000 people addressing safety and productivity in labour intensive manufacturing and mining related industries.

Sonja Blignaut

Sonja Blignaut has been working in the fields of narrative and complexity for over 12 years. She is the founder of a niche consultancy that solves complex intractable problems through sense-making and narrative approaches.

Stephina Zwane

Stephina Zwane is a familiar face on South African TV screens, who rose to fame as a young presenter on kids TV, and later went on to direct and produce some of the most well-known TV programmes on ETV, SABC and Mzansi on DSTV. This actor turned Producer is now one of the co-founders of AzaTV an online TV platform aimed at spreading powerful African stories

Thabo Ncalo

Thabo is a 2015 Mandela Washington Fellow under President Obama Department of State's Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). He grew up in Pretoria (Ga-Rankuwa township). Thabo was awarded the Young Banker of the Year by IOB/SASBO in 2007 and was a finalist for the Equity Manager of the Year by ABSIP in South Africa.

York Zucchi

Swiss investor and entrepreneur in Africa since 2007. Failed banker. Chief Coffee Drinker at HELLO HEALTHCARE, a group whose aim is to become Africa’s leading primary healthcare cooperative and in the process trying to leave the world in a better state than we found it in.