Steuart Pennington
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Category:
Speaker
Location:
Mooi River - Natal Midlands South Africa
Preferred Language:
English
Tags:
Author,Businessman,motivation,Professional Speaker,South Africa
Profile:
Keynote speaker Steuart Pennington’s “passion” is promoting SA Good News and Africa - The Good News. He believes that: “Facts speak for themselves .... rumours, criticism and skinner speak to each other”, and “That the truth is in understanding the good and the bad”.
In 2002 Steuart and his wife walked out of dinner party because the entire conversation was one of running the country down. He was angry that friends could spend an entire evening in negative conversation but he was much angrier with himself. He realised that he knew very little about the truth of the country he was living in. For example: the size of the SA economy in global terms; SA’s global competitiveness; the number of Government departments – those performing poorly and those performing well; the number of hospitals, clinics and schools in the country; what services had been delivered in the areas of housing, electricity and water and what was still outstanding; the SA crime statistics – getting worse or getting better?
He resolved the next day to write a book entitled “South Africa – the Good News”. Since then he has written nine books on South African related topics which have reached over 70 000 people. He has also delivered more than 500 talks on South Africa’s global competitiveness to more than 50 000 people. His talk, a combination of storytelling, video clips and facts and figures truly meets the criteria of being entertaining, memorable and relevant. He will share with you his personal journey of discovery in this extraordinary country post-1994. He will shatter the conventional wisdoms that abound. He will provide you with insights, reassurance and confidence seldom portrayed in our daily media. He will encourage you to celebrate the good while confronting the bad. This is a unique presentation, perfect as a scene setter for strategic, business and sales conferences. The presentation will encourage participants to confront their own personal reality, the challenges facing their business and the truthful context of the South African environment.
Steuart is co-editor and publisher of 10 books on South Africa and Africa:
1. “SOUTH AFRICA – The Good News” (2002);
2. “SOUTH AFRICA – MORE Good News” (2003);
3. “SA 2014 - The Story of our Future” (2004);
4. “Miracles that are Changing a Nation” (2005);
5. “Employee Volunteering in South Africa” (2007);
6. “2010: Africa’s Time has Come” (2007);
7. “Action for a Safe South Africa” (2008)
8. “Africa – The Good News” (2008);
9. Promise of Leadership (2009) – published for the Nelson Mandela Foundation
10. South Africa @ 20: For Better or for Worse? Due to be published November 2013
Current Work
Steuart’s “passion” is the South African and African narrative. He researches and presents the facts ‘behind the story’ which are often excluded from media reports.
“You don’t describe the future you see, you see the future you describe” is Steuart’s personal mantra.
He believes that:
“The facts speak for themselves ….rumours, conventional wisdom madness and journalists speak for each other.”
In addition:
· He has worked in underprivileged schools to encourage corporates to “benchmark” the impact of their interventions.
· In 2004 he adopted a Crèche in Soweto which looks after 150 small and vulnerable children.
· In 2007 Steuart was awarded the “Public Service Entrepreneur of the Year Award – 2007” by the African Heritage Society.
· In 2008 he was one of nine finalists for the Johnnie Walker Striding Man Award for exceptional social entrepreneurship.
· In 2012 he was awarded the Distinguished Rhodes Alumni Award for his contribution to the geo-branding of South Africa.
· In 2012 he appeared on TEDxRhodesU with a 10 minute talk on “Good news is no news”.
He holds a B.A. (Honours) degree from Rhodes University, a PDM from Wits Business School and a Certificate in Management from Oxford.
He lives in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands with his wife and two daughters, is an active sportsman and lover of adventure.
In 2002 Steuart and his wife walked out of dinner party because the entire conversation was one of running the country down. He was angry that friends could spend an entire evening in negative conversation but he was much angrier with himself. He realised that he knew very little about the truth of the country he was living in. For example: the size of the SA economy in global terms; SA’s global competitiveness; the number of Government departments – those performing poorly and those performing well; the number of hospitals, clinics and schools in the country; what services had been delivered in the areas of housing, electricity and water and what was still outstanding; the SA crime statistics – getting worse or getting better?
He resolved the next day to write a book entitled “South Africa – the Good News”. Since then he has written nine books on South African related topics which have reached over 70 000 people. He has also delivered more than 500 talks on South Africa’s global competitiveness to more than 50 000 people. His talk, a combination of storytelling, video clips and facts and figures truly meets the criteria of being entertaining, memorable and relevant. He will share with you his personal journey of discovery in this extraordinary country post-1994. He will shatter the conventional wisdoms that abound. He will provide you with insights, reassurance and confidence seldom portrayed in our daily media. He will encourage you to celebrate the good while confronting the bad. This is a unique presentation, perfect as a scene setter for strategic, business and sales conferences. The presentation will encourage participants to confront their own personal reality, the challenges facing their business and the truthful context of the South African environment.
Steuart is co-editor and publisher of 10 books on South Africa and Africa:
1. “SOUTH AFRICA – The Good News” (2002);
2. “SOUTH AFRICA – MORE Good News” (2003);
3. “SA 2014 - The Story of our Future” (2004);
4. “Miracles that are Changing a Nation” (2005);
5. “Employee Volunteering in South Africa” (2007);
6. “2010: Africa’s Time has Come” (2007);
7. “Action for a Safe South Africa” (2008)
8. “Africa – The Good News” (2008);
9. Promise of Leadership (2009) – published for the Nelson Mandela Foundation
10. South Africa @ 20: For Better or for Worse? Due to be published November 2013
Current Work
Steuart’s “passion” is the South African and African narrative. He researches and presents the facts ‘behind the story’ which are often excluded from media reports.
“You don’t describe the future you see, you see the future you describe” is Steuart’s personal mantra.
He believes that:
“The facts speak for themselves ….rumours, conventional wisdom madness and journalists speak for each other.”
In addition:
· He has worked in underprivileged schools to encourage corporates to “benchmark” the impact of their interventions.
· In 2004 he adopted a Crèche in Soweto which looks after 150 small and vulnerable children.
· In 2007 Steuart was awarded the “Public Service Entrepreneur of the Year Award – 2007” by the African Heritage Society.
· In 2008 he was one of nine finalists for the Johnnie Walker Striding Man Award for exceptional social entrepreneurship.
· In 2012 he was awarded the Distinguished Rhodes Alumni Award for his contribution to the geo-branding of South Africa.
· In 2012 he appeared on TEDxRhodesU with a 10 minute talk on “Good news is no news”.
He holds a B.A. (Honours) degree from Rhodes University, a PDM from Wits Business School and a Certificate in Management from Oxford.
He lives in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands with his wife and two daughters, is an active sportsman and lover of adventure.
Keynote speaker Steuart Pennington’s “passion” is promoting SA Good News and Africa - The Good News. He believes that: “Facts speak for themselves .... rumours, criticism and skinner speak to each other”, and “That the truth is in understanding the good and the bad”.
In 2002 Steuart and his wife walked out of dinner party because the entire conversation was one of running the country down. He was angry that friends could spend an entire ev
In 2002 Steuart and his wife walked out of dinner party because the entire conversation was one of running the country down. He was angry that friends could spend an entire ev
Synopsis:
PRESENTATIONS by Steuart Pennington
Steuart presents the seven talks listed below. He does try as far as possible to structure the talk around the theme of your conference/event and is able to cover almost every aspect of business/commercial/political/social developments in South Africa.
1. South Africa @ 20: for Better or for Worse? (published 2013) – The Story of our Changing Global Competitiveness
This talk includes an interactive questionnaire on developments in South Africa post ’94 (very few delegates do better than 6/10!). Steuart covers our changing Global Competitiveness in the economic, political and social spheres. He focuses in particular on what the next four years will look like. More and more organisations are now situating their development strategies around ‘individual’, ‘organisation’, ‘industry’, ‘country’, and ‘continent’ themes. This talk focuses on the development opportunities in SA (and in Africa if required). He concludes by dealing with our major challenges; state capacity, corruption, crime, education, unemployment, labour relations and health. He then identifies the ‘snakes’ and ‘ladders’ to watch out for in the future. The information and facts presented are not found in the general media. As Ferial Haffajee says “The narrative of dysfunction that is still dominant in descriptions of South Africa are entirely misplaced and, personally, nauseating. It is also deeply self-serving. Steuart’s talk will convince you of this.
“Patriotism is about being proud of your country all of the time and your government only when it deserves it” Mark Twain
This talk is best utilized at the beginning of conference as a scene-setter, or at the conclusion of conference to "end on a positive note"!
2. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela – Character, Comrade, Leader, Prisoner, Negotiator and Statesman
In recent times the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the Apartheid Museum has launched an exhibition on the life of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. Essentially the exhibition weaves the 6 phases of his life “Character, Comrade, Leader, Prisoner, Negotiator and Statesman” into a wonderful visual series of images and text. Using these images Steuart Pennington is able to narrate these six phases in the context of contemporary South African history by providing a fascinating insight into the broader issues that shaped the life and times of our greatest statesman.
From his birth in 1918, to his 27 years on Robben Island, to his courageous steps to unite a fragmented nation – this talk will give the audience precious insights into the life of a remarkable South African
3. Africa – The Story of changing, and improving, Global Competitiveness.
Africa is changing for the better rapidly. Recently articles in Time magazine and the Economist have recognised Africa as a growing investment destination. Yet, Africa remains much misunderstood. Our presentation focuses on the changes happening in Africa on the economic, political and social fronts. The presentation will enable attendees to understand Africa better and based on this knowledge to consider investment opportunities in some of Africa’s less known countries as well as some of Africa’s star performers.
4. Snapshot South Africa – Our Progress since 1994
Steuart begins with his well-known “dinner party" story that inspired the writing of the first book "South Africa - The Good News”. He follows this by taking your audience through a visit to the Apartheid Museum, Zonderwater Maximum Security Correctional Centre; a night “clubbing” and staying in a bed and breakfast in Soweto; and finally mountain-biking through the Karoo. The talk is designed to inspire South Africans on how positively the country has changed in just 20 years. It is suitable for both conference and after dinner occasions.
5. Schools Talk: Should I Stay or Should I Go?
"Do you do talks at schools on South Africa's good news?'” Steuart was recently asked by an 11th grade school girl. “There are many of us here (she attends an independent co-ed school) who are passionate about this country and its future, but our parents are advising us to seek our careers elsewhere!” A week later he presented to the 11th graders and their parents. The presentation includes a 10 question test on "How well do you know your country?" The learners generally do better than their parents! He tells a number of stories which relate to how he came to write ten books on South Africa's progress and South Africa's future, of a visit to the Apartheid Museum, Zonderwater maximum security prison, and a bed-and-breakfast in Soweto. In broad terms he covers our economic, political and social prospects and how we compare internationally. In particular he deals with crime and corruption and concludes with a debate on “should I stay or should I go”.
6. Employee Volunteering in South Africa
With the publication of “Employee Volunteering in South Africa - A Best Practice Workbook" Steuart is well-positioned to talk about the business case of employee volunteering, as well as the “what, why and how” of implementing a successful employee volunteering programme in your business. Steuart talks of the extensive research done in compiling this book as well as the many practical examples of what corporates are doing. He provides insight into a range of measurement tools that will enable organisations to successfully manage employee volunteering so that it both delivers to the business as well as the communities that your organisation serves.
7. Safety and Crime in Safe South Africa
Steuart edited and published the book “Action for a Safe South Africa” which included the recommendations of eight working groups: Healthy mothers, resilient children; Peace in the home; 7-24: Opportunity of youth; A sober South Africa; Recovery and resilience; Unsafe in any hands; Multiplying the power of one; Second chance. Steuart believes fundamentally that making South Africa safer requires social mobilisation around the prevention of the causal factors giving rise to crime. He also understands what the authorities are doing in respect of enforcement and the government’s crime prevention strategy. This presentation deals with many of the measures and statistics that contribute to the so called “Cycle of Violence” in South Africa. Delegates will gain a much better understanding of the crime situation as well as a clear perspective on how they as ordinary individuals can contribute to making South Africa safer. Far from being sombre this presentation is inspiring and will give the attendees a sense of real hope.
Steuart presents the seven talks listed below. He does try as far as possible to structure the talk around the theme of your conference/event and is able to cover almost every aspect of business/commercial/political/social developments in South Africa.
1. South Africa @ 20: for Better or for Worse? (published 2013) – The Story of our Changing Global Competitiveness
This talk includes an interactive questionnaire on developments in South Africa post ’94 (very few delegates do better than 6/10!). Steuart covers our changing Global Competitiveness in the economic, political and social spheres. He focuses in particular on what the next four years will look like. More and more organisations are now situating their development strategies around ‘individual’, ‘organisation’, ‘industry’, ‘country’, and ‘continent’ themes. This talk focuses on the development opportunities in SA (and in Africa if required). He concludes by dealing with our major challenges; state capacity, corruption, crime, education, unemployment, labour relations and health. He then identifies the ‘snakes’ and ‘ladders’ to watch out for in the future. The information and facts presented are not found in the general media. As Ferial Haffajee says “The narrative of dysfunction that is still dominant in descriptions of South Africa are entirely misplaced and, personally, nauseating. It is also deeply self-serving. Steuart’s talk will convince you of this.
“Patriotism is about being proud of your country all of the time and your government only when it deserves it” Mark Twain
This talk is best utilized at the beginning of conference as a scene-setter, or at the conclusion of conference to "end on a positive note"!
2. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela – Character, Comrade, Leader, Prisoner, Negotiator and Statesman
In recent times the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the Apartheid Museum has launched an exhibition on the life of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. Essentially the exhibition weaves the 6 phases of his life “Character, Comrade, Leader, Prisoner, Negotiator and Statesman” into a wonderful visual series of images and text. Using these images Steuart Pennington is able to narrate these six phases in the context of contemporary South African history by providing a fascinating insight into the broader issues that shaped the life and times of our greatest statesman.
From his birth in 1918, to his 27 years on Robben Island, to his courageous steps to unite a fragmented nation – this talk will give the audience precious insights into the life of a remarkable South African
3. Africa – The Story of changing, and improving, Global Competitiveness.
Africa is changing for the better rapidly. Recently articles in Time magazine and the Economist have recognised Africa as a growing investment destination. Yet, Africa remains much misunderstood. Our presentation focuses on the changes happening in Africa on the economic, political and social fronts. The presentation will enable attendees to understand Africa better and based on this knowledge to consider investment opportunities in some of Africa’s less known countries as well as some of Africa’s star performers.
4. Snapshot South Africa – Our Progress since 1994
Steuart begins with his well-known “dinner party" story that inspired the writing of the first book "South Africa - The Good News”. He follows this by taking your audience through a visit to the Apartheid Museum, Zonderwater Maximum Security Correctional Centre; a night “clubbing” and staying in a bed and breakfast in Soweto; and finally mountain-biking through the Karoo. The talk is designed to inspire South Africans on how positively the country has changed in just 20 years. It is suitable for both conference and after dinner occasions.
5. Schools Talk: Should I Stay or Should I Go?
"Do you do talks at schools on South Africa's good news?'” Steuart was recently asked by an 11th grade school girl. “There are many of us here (she attends an independent co-ed school) who are passionate about this country and its future, but our parents are advising us to seek our careers elsewhere!” A week later he presented to the 11th graders and their parents. The presentation includes a 10 question test on "How well do you know your country?" The learners generally do better than their parents! He tells a number of stories which relate to how he came to write ten books on South Africa's progress and South Africa's future, of a visit to the Apartheid Museum, Zonderwater maximum security prison, and a bed-and-breakfast in Soweto. In broad terms he covers our economic, political and social prospects and how we compare internationally. In particular he deals with crime and corruption and concludes with a debate on “should I stay or should I go”.
6. Employee Volunteering in South Africa
With the publication of “Employee Volunteering in South Africa - A Best Practice Workbook" Steuart is well-positioned to talk about the business case of employee volunteering, as well as the “what, why and how” of implementing a successful employee volunteering programme in your business. Steuart talks of the extensive research done in compiling this book as well as the many practical examples of what corporates are doing. He provides insight into a range of measurement tools that will enable organisations to successfully manage employee volunteering so that it both delivers to the business as well as the communities that your organisation serves.
7. Safety and Crime in Safe South Africa
Steuart edited and published the book “Action for a Safe South Africa” which included the recommendations of eight working groups: Healthy mothers, resilient children; Peace in the home; 7-24: Opportunity of youth; A sober South Africa; Recovery and resilience; Unsafe in any hands; Multiplying the power of one; Second chance. Steuart believes fundamentally that making South Africa safer requires social mobilisation around the prevention of the causal factors giving rise to crime. He also understands what the authorities are doing in respect of enforcement and the government’s crime prevention strategy. This presentation deals with many of the measures and statistics that contribute to the so called “Cycle of Violence” in South Africa. Delegates will gain a much better understanding of the crime situation as well as a clear perspective on how they as ordinary individuals can contribute to making South Africa safer. Far from being sombre this presentation is inspiring and will give the attendees a sense of real hope.
PRESENTATIONS by Steuart Pennington
Steuart presents the seven talks listed below. He does try as far as possible to structure the talk around the theme of your conference/event and is
Steuart presents the seven talks listed below. He does try as far as possible to structure the talk around the theme of your conference/event and is
Ryder:
Data Projector.
Laptop.
Sound system attached to the laptop for video mpegs.
Lapel microphone.
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