The speaker list is deliberately focussed on providing a platform for female digital leaders, and experts of all ethnicities.

Josephine Buys, CEO of the IAB SA, says, “Promoting diversity in digital is still an intentional act in South Africa, where positions of power have been dominated by one segment of our community. Each of our speakers brings a fresh perspective to the current challenges and opportunities digital holds in South Africa.”

The programme for the summit has been specifically curated to have relevance to all IAB SA members and assist in boosting the digital performance of any business. Attendees can expect a cross-section of industry professionals speaking at the event, including:

  • Thebe Ikalafeng, CEO, Brand Leadership;
  • Jessy Severins, advertising yield manager at Gumtree;
  • Lee Naik, CEO of TransUnion; 
  • The IAB Measurement Council;
  • Leonel Silva, Director of Programmatic Development, Celtra; 
  • John Sanei, trend specialist;
  • Ferial Haffajee, editor-at-large, HuffPost SA; 
  • Bronwen Auret, head of the IAB Transformation and Education Council; 
  • Davin Phillips, executive director at Communication Services Africa; and 
  • Tbo Touch, CEO of TouchCentral and founder of #DataMustFall.

Digital holds many tools in its arsenal to aid in transformation. Education and the professional recognition of skills will nurture new talent, while industry collaboration will accelerate a more equitable working environment. Transformation also needs to be consistently measured to ensure ongoing progress.

Recognising the importance of education in transforming the digital industry, the IAB SA will invite 50 future digital leaders to the summit free of charge. This is an area of focus and passion for the IAB, as the body strives to transform the digital industry through the provision of education and opportunities.

Buys says, “Our commitment to sponsoring 50 future digital leaders to attend the summit is just one of the ways that we are investing in South Africa’s up and coming talent. We have engaged many colleagues and IAB members over the past year and look forward to formalising these initiatives with appropriate industry partners in 2017 and beyond. We are encouraging our partners to deliver on a promise that transformation is taking place in the digital industry via recruitment, staff retention, career development, and work environment by committing to evolving their company cultures to embrace the new wave of talent.”

In addition to transformation, conversations at the summit will include analysing data through a digital lens, programmatic native, digital’s impact on Africa’s brands, fake news, content marketing, and the future of television content in the digital age.

As digital’s pervasive impact continues to influence all industries, the IAB SA expects the diversity and number of attendees to evolve and grow. Over 70% of attendees last year were in C-suite management roles, a trend that is set to grow as digital decisions increasingly become the territory of top decision makers.

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