PLENARY DIALOGUE: PANELLISTS
Kellie Monger
Kellie Monger is the Marketing Manager of the award-winning regional tourism
organisation, Destination Melbourne (DML). Located in the world’s most liveable city,
Melbourne, Australia.
Kellie has played an instrumental role in building Destination Melbourne’s reputation
as Australia’s premier destination marketing company through collaboration with
the public and private sector.
Leading a team of creative tourism professionals, Kellie is responsible for developing
and implementing the organisations destination marketing strategy, which includes
the delivery of over 350 products including print and digital guides, familiarisation
programs and integrated campaigns. Kellie is committed to ensuring everything
Destination Melbourne produces is sustainable and enhances the experiences of
visitors.
Ross Kata
Ross Kata has been working for Expedia Inc in Africa since 2003. Kata spent seven
years prior in the hotel and tour operator industry in Europe, APAC and South Africa.
With that experience and knowledge, he was able to bring to Expedia Inc to Africa.
His primary role on behalf of Expedia Inc is negotiating airline, hotels, destination
experiences & affiliate deals with considerable expertise in online retail,
merchandising, SEO, SEM, Mobile & Social Media. He has an extensive knowledge of
the African online industry. Ross is also a Board Member of the Tourism Business
Council of South Africa (TBCSA) since 2011.
Eddy Khosa
Eddy Khosa is an executive manager in the tourism and hospitality industry with 31
years’ experience at senior and executive management levels. Noted for his handson management style and critical attention to detail, he also has been instrumental
in successfully implementing turnaround strategies for ailing hotels. He is currently the
Chairman of the Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa (FEDHASA); a
board member of the Tourism Charter Council and, a board member of the Tourism
Business Council of SA (TBCSA). He is a former board member of South African
Tourism (SAT); former CEO of the Johannesburg Tourism Company (JTC); and also a
former board member of Destination Marketing Organisation International (DMOI).
He has played a key role in destination marketing which he through his current
position at FEDHASA shares with national government, provincial and local tourism
organisations. He enjoys interacting with people, has a keen eye for networking
opportunities and contributes richly to the advancement of opportunities for the
hospitality sector through his international experience in destination development
and marketing.
Rashid Seedat
Rashid Seedat is the Head of the Gauteng Planning Commission (GPC), a position
he assumed in October 2011. The GPC is located in the Office of the Premier in the
Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG), where he is responsible for short, medium
and long range planning as well as performance monitoring and evaluation.
Between April and August 2012, he acted as Director-General of the GPG.
He was Director of the Central Strategy Unit in the City of Johannesburg for over 10
years where he was responsible for strategic planning (including formulation of the
Growth and Development Strategy and the Integrated Development Plan),
strategic policy development and performance management.
He previously worked as a senior specialist in local government at Planact, a
progressive nongovernmental organisation. He was also active in organisations
affiliated to the United Democratic Front between 1980-1994, during the struggle
against apartheid.
He currently serves on the Board of the Gauteng City-Region Observatory and on
the Advisory Board of the Centre for Urbanism and the Built Environment (CUBES).
Rashid has a BA, Master of Management in Public & Development Management
and MSc in Development Planning – all from the University of the Witwatersrand,
Johannesburg. He was awarded a fellowship at the Local Government Centre,
Warwick University, UK between 1992 and 1993 and also studied at the University
College of London, UK in 1993.
Jan Hutton
Jan Hutton works for South African Tourism, as their Chief Marketing Officer. As such,
Hutton’s primary responsibility is to deliver on the Tourism Growth Strategy which is
aimed at ensuring that South Africa is the preferred destination for leisure and
business travel. This entails driving and managing marketing for South African
Tourism, overseeing the organisation’s global campaigns to competitively raise
awareness of South Africa as a world-class destination.
Hutton is very passionate about consumer-centric, integrated, performancemarketing, and was recently appointed to Chief Marketing Officer at South African
Tourism. Having worked for some of the best media and marketing multinational
companies in South Africa, as well as started numerous businesses herself. Hutton’s
most recent position was at The Nielsen Company where she was a Director and
Board member, servicing clients through Africa. Whilst here, Hutton was the only
South African selected to attend a Global Leadership Programme in San Francisco.
Prior to serving The Nielsen Company, Hutton was Managing Director at Ogilvy
Interactive, South Africa. Ogilvy Interactive is one of the largest marketing and
communications networks in the world, stretching to 50 countries, and employing a
workforce of over 4 000 digital media experts.
Amongst other ventures, Hutton has also been Managing Director at Inmedia (a
marketing strategy company); at Strattice Wireless Intelligence (technology product
development company); and General Manager at Barrows Design and
Manufacture, an international retail strategist company with offices on four
continents.
Hutton is the quintessential unconventional marketer who has extensive experience
working in traditional and new media for over 10 years, with an enviable list of bluechip brands. She grew up in Cape Town and left at the age of 25 to live in
Mountedgecombe Durban, commuting to Johannesburg, and eventually relocated
to Johannesburg fulltime seven years ago, now living in Waterfall Estate.
Jack van der Merwe
Mr Jack van der Merwe, a Civil Engineer, obtained the degrees B.Sc. (Eng.) Civil and
B.Sc. (Eng.) (Hons.) Civil, from the University of Pretoria. He is also a graduate of the
Harvard Business School’s SED programme.
He has been providing a service to the public transport sector for more than 41
years of which some of the highlights were his appointment, in 1994, as the team
leader of the Strategic Management Team (SMT) tasked with developing, structuring
and establishing the new Department of Public Transport and Roads in Gauteng. A
Department he headed from 1995 until 2004.
During this period he was also appointed as project leader for the Gautrain Rapid
Rail Link project. This started in July 1997 when he accompanied the then Premier of
Gauteng, Mr Sexwale, to Bavaria to discuss the development of a Rail Link between
Tshwane, Johannesburg and the OR Tambo International Airport. Working with
endurance and tolerance on the project for the last fifteen years, with different tiers
of Government, he provided solutions to many challenges and ensured that
Gautrain became a project of national significance and a pride of the nation.
Remarkable contributions have also been made to the socio-economy
advancement and spatial development of Gauteng resulting from Gautrain
leadership under Mr van der Merwe. Although the Gautrain Project was initiated
long before the FIFA 2010 World Cup was awarded to South Africa, it soon became
evident that it would be to the advantage of the country as a whole if the rail
service between the OR Tambo International Airport and Sandton could be
completed in time for the soccer. This was achieved on the 8 th July 2010, three days
before the kick-off.
He represented his Department on various national forums and professional bodiessuch as the Ministerial Conference of Ministers of Transport and the Committee of
Transport Officials. He was the Chairperson of the Gauteng Urban Transport Board.
He was a member of the Civil Engineer Advisory Council (CEAC) and a board
member of the then South African Rail Commuter Corporation (SARCC). He was until
recently a board member of the former South African Roads Board.
In 1998 the Transportation Engineering Division of the South African Institution of Civil
Engineering awarded him the Chairman's Award for Meritorious Service to the
Transportation Profession. He is a Fellow of the South African Academy of Engineers.
IN 2010 Mr van der Merwe was awarded the University of Pretoria’s Laureate Award
for exceptional achievements and promoting the interests of the University of
Pretoria by the Tuks Alumni Board.
In 2011 he was appointed by the MEC for Roads & Transport to head up a special
team of experts tasked with developing an 25 year Integrated transport Master Plan
for the Province of Gauteng (ITMP25).
In 2011 he was elected UATP President for Africa (an African association of urban &
regional passenger transport operators, authorities & suppliers) and Vise-President of
UITP (the World wide association of urban & regional passenger transport operators,
authorities & suppliers). He also serves as a member on the UITP Policy Board.
In 2012 the Premier appointed him as the project leader for the Ekurhuleni
Aerotropolis project, which is part of Strategic Infrastructure Project 2 (SIP2) of the
National Development Plan (NDP).
He is currently the CEO of the Gautrain Management Agency tasked with
overseeing the building and operation of the Gautrain, overseeing the
implementation of the Concession Agreement with the Bombela Concession
Company.
He receives on average two oversees delegations per month who are seeking
advice on the implementation of PPP type contracts.
Numerous organisations consult Mr van der Merwe on the success of the Gautrain,
amongst which, the World Bank, and various foreign government delegations are
learning from the solutions found from challenges on the Gautrain. Mr van der
Merwe has an influence on an international level and is recognised as an
international expert in public transport and project management.
He has delivered countless papers on the development and execution of PPP
contracts in South Africa and abroad. He has been asked by the World Bank to
present the method, advantages and implementation of PPP’s in Russia and the
Philippines.
Tel no. : + 27 11 977 8900
Fax no. : + 27 11 997 8903
E-mail : jackvdm@gautrainpo.gov.za
Dr Ismail Vadi
MEC for Roads and Transport
Gauteng Provincial Government
Ismail Vadi was born in 1960 in Kliptown where the historic Congress of the People
was held in 1955. He matriculated in 1976 at the Trinity Secondary School in Lenasia
and went on to study for a Master of Arts Degree in History at the University of the
Witwatersrand. He recently obtained a doctorate in Security Studies.
He taught as a senior History and English teacher in Lenasia from 1982 to 1991.
Thereafter, he served as a lecturer at the Faculty of Education (University of the
Witwatersrand).
Vadi has had a varied political career. In the 1980s, he was an activist in the
Transvaal Indian Congress (TIC) and the United Democratic Front (UDF). He was a
founder member of both the Lenasia Youth League and the Progressive Teachers’
League and served as the National Vice-President of the South African Democratic
Teachers’ Union (SADTU) from 1990 to 1994.
Between April 1994 and November 2010, Vadi served as a Member of Parliament for
the African National Congress (ANC). In the National Assembly, he had served on
the Portfolio Committees on Education; Safety and Security; Public Service and
Administration; Correctional Services; and the Joint Standing Committee on
Intelligence. He served as the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on
Communications; and in the Constitutional Assembly, he served as the Chairperson
of the Theme Committee on Public Administration. He also served as Chairperson of
the Ad-hoc Committee on the Special Report of the Public Protector on the then
Deputy President, Mr Jacob Zuma.
Vadi has published articles and books on Political Resistance in South Africa.
Philip Taaibosch
Mr. Philip Taaibosch grew up in Brandfort a small town in the Free State province of
South Africa, largely made popular by the fact that it is where Mrs. Winnie Mandela
had been banished during Nelson Mandela’s imprisonment.
This is where his
political ideology was first formed. As a young man he played professional football
in the then National Professional Soccer League for Leicester City. Later he qualified
as a referee and over time, served as a Deputy Chairperson of the Free State
Referees Association.
Mr. Taaibosch started his economic life in the steel industry as a boiler-maker and
fitter in 1977. During his working life, he became a shop steward and also served on
the Board of the South African Boiler Makers’ Association for more than seven years.
He also owned taxis on a part-time basis and served as the chairman of the Free
State Taxi Council, a position he maintained for seventeen years. In 1993, he took
the decision to become a full-time taxi operator. When the first Taxi National Body,
SATACO, was formed, Mr. Taaibosch became the interim Secretary General until the
establishment of SANTACO in 2001. He was elected the first Secretary General of
SANTACO at the first AGM of SANTACO, a position he holds to-date.
As a community member, Mr. Taaibosch has involved himself with School Governing
Bodies and local Civic Associations. He is a card-carrying member of the African
National Congress, David Thuys branch in the Free State. He also serves on the
board of directors of Taxi Choice, a business arm of SANTACO as an Executive
Director.
He also runs a funeral undertaking business and is husband to Pascalina and a father
to his two children.
Nico Bezuidenhout
BIOGRAPHY – NICO BEZUIDENHOUT
Nico Bezuidenhout has led South African low cost airline Mango since its launch on
30 October 2006.
During his tenure at the airline, Mango has become one of South Africa’s most
recognised aviation brands known for its innovative approach to delivering air
services to its customers.
Nico’s leadership has seen Mango has achieved its business objectives with a string
of firsts; including being the first domestic airline to distribute through grocery retailer
Shoprite, Checkers and Checkers Hyper, acceptance of Edgars and Jet store
charge cards as tender and developing business travel products within the low cost
model.
More recently, Mango became the first African carrier to offer on-board Wi-Fi access
and the only airline to offer bookings and managed travel through mobile apps
across Andriod, iPhone and Blackberry 10.
In seven years, Mango also received several awards, including Best African Low Cost
Carrier at Dubai’s World Travel Awards in 2008, thirteen successive PRISM Awards for
its PR and Communication and a Budgie Award for marketing in 2008 among others.
The Airports Company of South Africa has also, over time, awarded Mango its
Feather Awards for excellence in aviation and service levels in all the airports that it
operates from.
Prior to taking the reins at Mango, Nico headed the team responsible for South
African Airways’ foray into e-commerce and initiatives such as electronic ticketing.
He was responsible for the carrier’s online strategy, delivering one of the flag carrier’s
largest commercial successes in recent years. In 2012 Nico served on the Ministerial
task-team assigned with responsibility to create a sustainable business strategy for
the National Carrier whilst in June 2013 he served as president of the successful IATA
AGM and World Air Transport Summit held in Cape Town.
Nico started his career as tour finance and merchandising commercial manager for
Big Concerts, overseeing several international artists’ tours of South Africa including
INXS, Michael Jackson and U2 among others. His stint in the live event arena led him
into joining and leading the team that launched the first online ticketing agency in
the country, Ticketweb, which successfully competed against box office giant
Computicket at the time.
Daniel Ngwepe
Daniel Ngwepe has built an outstanding record of achievement in the fields of
public affairs, diplomacy, politics, business, marketing and the media.
Prior to
becoming a training and development entrepreneur and outdoor advertising, he
worked in the public and private sectors. Described by the Financial Mail as “a high
flying executive and one of the best diplomats this country has ever had”, Ngwepe
was in the South African Foreign Service and served two terms in the Washington
Embassy from 1995 until 2005.
After serving as media spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs, he joined
Anglo American as Senior Divisional Manager and went on to become the
company’s Executive Director for Public Affairs. In this capacity, he had responsibility
for overseeing stakeholder and government relations, media, marketing, investor
relations and was a member of the board. Currently, he works in Visa’s Global
Government Relations and heads up the company’s Sub-Saharan Africa’s
regulatory engagement with more than 20 countries. In his personal capacity,
Daniel is Chairman of the Get-On-Foundation, a Pretoria based non-profit Skills
Development Centre equipping marginalized South Africans with skills to move from
welfare into dignified jobs.