TedX South Africa

TedXPretoria – A Day of Creative Dialogue and Community

21 November 2019 

’We elected Brooklyn Theatre because we wanted this talk to be theatrical’’ Linda Swart; TedXPretoria licence holder expressed as she welcomed everyone. 

Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED)Talks have cemented their place in the world as the hub of conversation. They are now ingrained in pop culture and TedXPretoria affirmed this. Their independently organized edition of TedTalks had nine speakers and three performances. Accomplished comedian Schalk Bezuidenhout took the lead as MC, offering several jokes – keeping guests in laughs. 

Don’t Blink – A Mission Statement

Don’t Blink was this year’s TedXPretoria theme. Speakers of the day delivered their magnificent personal stories and shared their truths with the audience. An admirable and heartfelt undertaking.

The day was structured in three tiers, with session 1 – 3, respectively. Darren August started off with a talk entitled; ‘A teacher changed my life’. He highlighted the significant role teachers play in society. Many of us may recall how certain teachers amplified our potential and encouraged us to soar. 

Business executive, Saray Khumalo, the first African black woman to summit Mount Everest gifted the audience with her talk entitled; ‘A gift for the next generation’. Through her concerted mountaineering efforts, vigour and resilience, she has managed to raise R1.3 million towards literacy and education. 

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With the advent of digital technologies, influencers are a buzz in this digital world we are living in. It comes as no surprise that the influencer market is an $8 billion economy (Vogue Business, 2019). 

It was refreshingly interesting when the founder of Retroviral; Mike Sharman made the case for the ‘Unfluencer’ during his talk entitled; ‘The age of the unfluencer’. Essentially, an unfluencer according to Mike, is someone who builds a solid, engaged following over time. Through authenticity. 

The day was sealed off with a beautiful dance performance by Stacey Sapsford. We recommend you view the entire suite of speakers on the TedxPretoria YouTube page.

Key Takeaways

During trying times in humanity, community has always held us together. Through community, we derive ways to inspire each other.

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We consume knowledge at an accelerated pace, but seldom apply the knowledge we acquire. ‘’Take action, not notes’’, entrepreneur Richard Mulholland stated cogently during his talk, entitled; ‘A catastrophe of inaction’. You need to be courageous enough to go after your dreams. Time, and time again. With the actions that you take, pay it forward and create a sustainable future for the next generation. 

‘’Take action, not notes’’

  – Richard Mulholland 

Guests and attendees came out in their numbers. The theatre was filled to capacity. Guests additionally walked away with a beautiful Satori notebook made with sustainable materials. 

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TedXPretoria set out to start a conversation, with #DontBlink they achieved that. Looking forward to next year’s TedXPretoria edition. 

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TEDXPRETORIA 2019
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