2014 Schedule
Interactive: March 7–11  •  Film: March 7–15  •  Music: March 11–16

Africa's Mobile Music: A New Way of Listening

#sxsw #AfricaMusic

A new way of listening is changing a continent. Music in Africa is booming in unexpected places. Come hear why cassette tapes are still big in Nigeria; why traditional models don't work; why the next innovation in music will come from Africa; and why the industry should take note before it's too late.

Presenters

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MODERATOR

Catherine Luckhoff

CEO

HQ Africa

Catherine Lückhoff believes Africa is the last big secret in the music business. She has spent the past two years as the head of brand strategy and business development for mobile start-up Bozza (funded by the Omidyar Network), which is building an app for talent discovery in Africa. She has worked extensively with operators, OEMs and brands throughout Africa and is passionate about hyper-local content and community curation models. She spoke at Midem 2013 on how content drives the uptake of technology and what the opportunities are for brands in emerging markets. She is now the CEO of HQ Africa, which helps companies do business in Africa. She also heads up the Transformation Portfolio for Silicon Cape. Chosen as one of the Mail and Guardian 200 Young in 2010, the newspaper described her as having “music in her blood”. At the time she was the co-owner and founding member of one of South Africa's leading integrated PR and communications agencies, MANGO-OMC.

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Yoel Kenan

CEO

Africori

Yoel Kenan is the founder and CEO of Africori, a leading digital music company in Africa. It provides labels and artists across the continent with digital distribution, synch licensing and publishing services. Africori distributes music to all major music offering in Africa and internationally.

Yoel has over 25 years experience in the international music industry at senior executive level in the fields of A&R (Artist & Repertoire), marketing and business development at Universal, Sony-BMG and Mp3.com.

Africori is based in Johannesburg and has offices in Lagos and London and representation in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania and Ghana. Africori is also home to “Coolspot Music”, one of South Africa’s leading independent record labels.

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Toby Shapshak

Publishing Editor

Stuff Magazine

Toby Shapshak writes and speaks about innovation, and how it differs in Africa.
He is the editor and publisher of Stuff magazine. [http://stuff.co.za/] He co-hosts a TV show on CNBC Africa [http://j.mp/15tmyzb] ; and writes a weekly column for the Financial Mail. [http://fm.co.za/]
He spoke at TED Global in June 2013 about how Africa is solving real problems for the rest of the world. [http://j.mp/11c0bKw ]
He has also spoke at the South by South West (SxSW) conference in Austin, Texas, on how mobile is being used in Africa. [http://j.mp/Y57t0v ]
He believes Africa is a mobile-driven continent, about which he has written for CNN [http://j.mp/WoT0d6 ] and The Guardian in London [http://j.mp/UjTONc ]
Toby was named in GQ's top 30 men in media and the M&G's 300 influential young South Africans list in 2009; and was the ICT Journalist of the Year in 2002. GQ said he "has become the most high-profile technology journalist in the country" while the M&G wrote: "Toby Shapshak is all things tech... he reigns supreme as the major talking head for everything and anything tech."
He has been the Mail & Guardian's technology and sports editor, ran the M&G website when it was the first news site in Africa, shadowed Nelson Mandela when he was president, and covered the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
He is writing a book on innovation in Africa, and writes on this subject for a variety of publications, including CNN, The Guardian in London, the Sunday Times and The Times (South Africa) and others.
He has spoken on this topic at numerous conferences, including TED Global in Edinburgh, SxSW in Austin (twice), Pivot East in Nairobi, Flux Trends Review, TEDxJohannesburg, and Tech4Africa.
He has interviewed a range of tech industry luminaries, including the Apple co-founder Steve Jobs [http://j.mp/TFcyvz ]
Formerly a senior newspaper reporter covering everything from crime to politics, he has been writing about innovation, telecoms and the internet and the impact it has on our lives for more than 15 years, including the Sunday Times, Business Day, Mail & Guardian, The Financial Mail, The Times, City Press, ThisDay, and The Weekender.

Eric Idiahi

CEO

Spinlet

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