A Software Engineer by profession, he has been part of Corporate South Africa for over 20 years and accumulated a wealth of experience in various sectors of the economy such as Investment Banking, Travel and Tourism, Retail Banking, Insurance, Central Banking, and Manufacturing. He has been an IT Executive for the last 10 years. He was previously Chief Information Officer of the SA Mint Company and Head of Information Management for Liberty.

Mr. Binza holds a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Computer Science and Mathematical Statistics, a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration (PDBA), an MBA from the University of Pretoria and another Master’s degree in Information Systems from the University of Cape Town. He is currently busy with his PhD in Information Systems at the University of Cape Town.

FOUNDING PARTNER – MANAGING DIRECTOR & EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Leanne Kumalo, Managing Director of Seriti Films, leads the company’s strategic and business operations. Leanne come with 15 years of experience in managing creative talent and productions, as an Executive Producer.

Kumalo completed both her degrees, BA honours, AFDA (2004), as well as PDBA, GIBS (2009), Cum Laude, and while at GIBS, Leanne was awarded with the highest achievement in Marketing, and has continued to use both her business acumen and passion for entertainment to add value to various aspects of the industry.

Tshepiso Chikapa-Phiri is the CEO and founder of the Known Associates Group of Companies, which include a below the line agency; a design studio; a film production development and finance company; and a state- of-the-Art Film & Television Studio in Gauteng which is under development at the Cradle of Humankind. She is a University of Cape Town Alumni, with 20 years’ experience in Communications, Events, Media & Marketing, TV and Film Producing.

Her career spans from working in international events including the North Sea Jazz Festival and Sithengi Film Festival.

In 2014, she formed Known Associates Pty Ltd (KA) which is a below the line agency that has its own dedicated creative design studio. In 2018 Tshepiso founded Known Associates Entertainment with Dan Jawitz. She has recently reacquired 100% of KAE and has also purchased 100% of Moonlighting Films PTY Ltd, a leading television and film servicing company in South Africa. KAE has produced, ‘uBettina Wethu’ a multi season series based on the Columbian smash hit telenovela YO SOY BETTY LA FEY (adapted as ‘Ugly Betty’ in the US).

Tshepiso was the South African Production Executive on Universal Studios’ feature film production Beast, which was filmed in South Africa Starring Idris Elba, South African actor Sharlto Copley, Iyana Halley and Leah Sava Jeffries and the Sony Pictures epic feature film The Woman King starring Oscar Award-winning Viola Davis and South Africa’s very own Thuso Mbedu. She has also produced ETV’s first EVOD feature film Atlantis (2021), John Barker’s The Umbrella Man which had its successful premier at the Toronto International Film Festival, (TIFF, 2022) and Fabian Medea’s directorial début feature film Wild Is The Wind which premièred on Netflix.

Tshepiso sits on the board of Media Heads 360 and is a shareholder in the business. She is a trustee of The Smile Artist Foundation and chairperson of the Independent Producers’ Organisation (IPO). Tshepiso is the Managing Trustee of the Gerald Sekoto Trust. She is also on the board of the Cradle Nature Reserve, which controls over 10 000 hectares of land in the Cradle Precinct in Mogale City.

With over 30 years experience in the TV Production and Broadcast sectors, Craig is internationally recognized as an innovator and thought leader in the media space and is a sought after speaker and panelist at media industry events worldwide.

Having had a career spanning Directing and Producing in both developed and emerging markets before moving into Distribution and Broadcasting, his unique perspective has driven him to pioneer disruptive technical solutions and commercial models into the global media landscape as it reinvents itself to be fit for the digital age.

A prolific media entrepreneur, Craig has founded multiple media companies over the years including Porcupine Films, AfricaXP (Distributor and Multi-Channel Network Operator), PremiumFree TV (FTA Satellite and global OTT Operator), Swarm STUDIOS (Multinational Production Studio) and SwarmDMD – a leading international digital media distribution operation and media rights monetization platform.

Craig currently leads these businesses supported by a dynamic team of leading broadcast professionals located across the globe in countries including Canada, USA, Mexico, Argentina, UK, Kenya, South Africa, Mauritius and India.

Maggie has over 16 years of experience working in the travel/tourism industry Africa ; Her career in the industry saw her travel to some of the most sought-after destinations in Africa and fuelled the next chapter of her life: sharing Africa with the world through Africa’s first international broadcast and OTT streaming TV channel. Travel Africa Network’s tech division incorporates Virtual-Reality and Augmented Reality technologies that provide unique interactive experiences that promote consumer engagement. 

Based in Cape Town Maggie established the Voyage Studios, a motion picture film studio facility that produces travel and food films. Equipped with an indoor and outdoor premium culinary film studios, video editing, sound, and motion studio facilities, the Voyage Studio works with various brands to create travel and food stories that educate and inspire people to explore Destination Africa. As a travel and lifestyle content agency with complete creative strategy, her company creates premium, fun-to-consume travel and food video content for social, digital, in-flight, and TV audiences. 

I have spent over 22 years in the Technology and Telecoms space. Driven by technology and innovation I have dedicated these years to building diverse, high-performing teams with a keen focus on creating a strong company culture. Before starting Melon Mobile I spent 5 years at MTN as part of the Exec Team which involved building one of MTNs first sub-brands, Supersonic – taking it to number 1 ISP in its first year of relaunch.  

I am a firm believer in South Africa, its people and its immense potential. My latest start-up, Melon Mobile – South Africa’s first fully digital MVNO is set to disrupt the mobile industry by putting the consumer at the heart of it all, offering a new level of control, flexibility, and value. 

I am the Co-Founder and President of Wi-flix, Africa’s fasting growing OTT streaming and SVOD platform, with over three years of experience in this role. Wi-flix is a mobile-first service that offers authentic and original premium content for the African continent and the diaspora, with affordable and customized price points.

My core competencies include marketing communications, new business development, key account management, and VAS development and implementation. I have successfully partnered with leading telcos in West Africa, such as MTN, Vodafone, and Safaricom, to deliver data-free streaming solutions that enhance customer satisfaction and retention. I also have a strong background in mobile content solutions and digital marketing, having previously served as the VAS Manager and General Manager for 2C TV, a television application that allows users to watch movies, news, and sports on their devices.

My mission is to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor, and to serve the diverse and underserved audiences across Africa and beyond. I am passionate about creating and distributing high-quality and culturally relevant content that reflects the stories, values, and aspirations of African people. I invite you to visit wi-flix.com and experience the next generation of mobile TV.

Vuyokazi is an award-winning Media Executive with a passion for human transformation. She began her career as a receptionist and eventually became CEO. Matu is an entrepreneur, nation builder, keynote speaker, and producer/presenter who maximises productivity and empowers others to achieve greatness.

Born and brought up in Kenya, a Film Distributor by profession qualified in Business Administration. Over 25 years experience in the Film Business as a Distributor, Cinema Retail Head and Content expert, Owner and Managing Director at Crimson Multimedia Ltd a film distribution company distributing wide to East & West Africa Cinemas and TV, VOD and related platforms officially for Warner Bros, Walt Disney, Fox Star Studios, Reliance Entertainment, Zee Films, AA Films, RSVP.
Co-founder at Motion Cinemas located in Kenya, Co-Founder, CEO & Content Expert at YAKWETU ONLINE trading as MyMovies.Africa

I have been in media research for 18 years and I am currently the Head of Sales Intelligence at SABC. In this capacity, I oversee market intelligence, media strategy, and business intelligence, contributing to the strategic direction of the broadcaster. Prior to joining SABC, I spent 9 years at Multichoice as a Senior Research Manager in the Audience Insights division. There, I focused on understanding viewership behaviour and trends across several African countries, including South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Zambia, Tanzania, Angola, Mozambique, and Ethiopia to name a few. This role allowed me to develop a comprehensive understanding of diverse media consumption patterns across most of the continent.

My career began at Nielsen, where I worked in the media research team. In this role, I facilitated the growth of Nielsen’s audience research capabilities, working closely with clients across broadcasting, media agencies, and advertisers. This early experience was instrumental in shaping my approach to media research.

Additionally, I have experience leading the Analytics and Insights team at a media agency. In this role, I focused on delivering strategic research and insights to help advertisers maximise their media investments.

I also serve as a board member at the Broadcasting Research Council of South Africa, where I contribute to the development of industry currency standards and practices in media research.

My extensive background in audience insights and media research has been driven by a commitment to understanding and improving how media connects with audiences and my work continues to support broadcasters, media agencies, and advertisers in making informed decisions.

I hold a BCom Honours in Marketing Management and a Masters in Strategic Management from the University of Pretoria.

For 24 years, I have continually explored the Creative Business of Africa. Since moving to Eastern Africa, from Australia in 1998, my Team and I have Built one of best-known Entertainment Companies in Africa – PHAT! Music & Entertainment Limited, with interests in Media, Event Production, Licensing and Industry Building.

During 2016, The Business Daily and KPMG listed PHAT! at No.36 of the Top 100 Mid-Sized Businesses in Kenya – the first-ever Company in the Creative Industry to be Recognised with this prestigious Award.

In October 2014, I also Co-Founded what is now YAKWETU™ Online Limited. Meaning both “Of Us” and “For Us” in Kiswahili (the most popular African language). YAKWETU™ is an Online Home Entertainment & Edutainment System – of Africa, for Africa.

Using their proprietory Kenyan-made Applications, YAKWETU™ is an online Distributor and Retailer of Digital Content, from Africa, to Africa and for Africa – through a Range of thoughtfully Curated branded Services, that supply Consumers with securely Encrypted original Titles, that fairly Pays the Creators – unlike Pirated alternatives.

As a benchmark, think of Amazon’s suite of Digital Media, like Prime Video, Freevee, Amazon Music, Audible and Twitch – and that’s our Growth Plan for African Content, on The Motherland and to her Diaspora.

YAKWETU™ exists to Fairly Pay the Creatives of Africa, who Lose upto 99% Revenue to Piracy; and don’t have enough options Online to Earn a Living.

YAKWETU™ also exists for 475 million SmartPhone users in Africa, who Want to Consume their own Content via Pay-As-You-Go, like how they buy Airtime – NOT via Subscription.

As Co-Founder, Executive Producer, and Showrunner at GOAT Originals, I lead a team of multi-award-winning, global non-scripted content specialists with post-production facilities in Johannesburg, South Africa, and Dubai.

We proudly produce around 100 hours of content each year for all major networks, and we are dedicated to leveraging cutting-edge technology and AI tools to push the boundaries of what is creatively possible.

Ari Kruger is the co-creator and director of the hugely popular web-series SuzelleDIY which has garnered over 22 million views on YouTube and been broadcast nationally on Comedy Central. He is also the co-creator and director of the sensational mockumentary series Tali’s Wedding Diary, which was awarded five South African Film & Television Awards, including Best Director for a Comedy Series. Both productions epitomise his impeccable comic timing and talent for creating memorable characters.

He has attracted notable attention with his short films, having been a finalist at the world’s largest short film festival Tropfest in 2011, in competition with the notable filmmakers like Joel Edgerton. His films have screened in festivals across the globe with two of his short films having been selected as Vimeo Staff Picks.

His latest short film Waiting for Goldman is currently racking up awards on the festival circuit, winning Best Dark Comedy at IndieX Film Festival and Independent Short Awards in in Los Angeles.

Ari recently directed and executive produced Tali’s Baby Diary for showmax, (the sequel to Baby Diary) which was received with widespread positive reviews and hailed as the best television series of 2021 in South Africa by Media24. He is currently in development on the third season of the series.

He is also the showrunner and director for the popular branded talk show Unklipped, currently shooting its third season which will premiere on MTV Base and BET Africa.

Ari and his wife Julia Anastasopoulos are the co-owners of Sketchbook Studios, a production company in Cape Town where they produce original content, television series, features and commercials.

Michael (Mike) Aldridge is currently employed as the Broadcast Manager at Cape Town TV. The channel is a community TV station serving the greater Cape Town area and it is also broadcast throughout South Africa on DStv and FreeVision. Mike is one of the founders of Cape Town TV and has run key areas of the channel since it started broadcasting in 2008.

Here he manages several departments including Broadcasting, Programming, IT and Regulatory Affairs. He is currently involved in developing the channel’s online platform and evolving interactive digital broadcasting technologies. Mike has been involved in community television since the mid-1990s.

His research into this third tier of broadcasting helped to shape South Africa’s policy in this area through innovative economic modeling which led to the current funding model for community TV. Academically, Mike holds Honours and Masters degrees in Cultural and Media Studies as well as a BA, all from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal. He is a tech innovator and headed a team that won the Sentech Innovation Prize for his invention of a smart set-top box for digital television reception.