Gareth's Guests

Gareth Cliff catches up with John Hunt on the day of the big celebration, for a nostalgic trip down memory lane. www.cliffcentral.com

Troy Ruhanen (President and CEO of TBWA\Worldwide) and Luca Gallarelli (CEO of TBWA\South Africa) sat down for the final interview to give us an absolute tour-de-force overview of the culture of TBWA, the future of advertising, managing creatives and disrupting everything in your path. In this thoughtful discussion, these two visionary leaders take us through their assessment of the state of communication, marketing and technology - looking ahead to 2025 and beyond. They also offer insight into what makes Hunt Lascaris such an important example of excellence, giving credit to John Hunt and Reg Lascaris on the way. www.cliffcentral.com

Lorna Mlonzi was shot 9 times in Nyanga, Cape Town. She survived after buying her own taxi fare to the hospital, which dropped her off unconscious at ICU. After three days in a coma, she woke up and decided to change the world.

Sitting at the helm of TBWA Hunt Lascaris Johannesburg are CEO, Karabo Denalane and Executive Creative Director, Carl Willoughby. Karabo and Carl share their more recent experiences in the storied tale of the business. Karabo’s tenure has included a monumental transformation of the agency into what it is today, a truly radically open creative collective with culture at its core... while Carl has been acknowledged at all major local and international awards shows, and in 2021 was ranked #1 ECD in South Africa - according to the local Loerie awards. www.cliffcentral.com

Dr Andrew White is a Senior Fellow in Management Practice at Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford. He works globally with leaders to understand how they can transcend the internal and external strategic challenges they face to ensure they deliver sustainable high performance. In this role he oversaw leadership development, change management and strategy transformation with government, civic and corporate leaders globally across China, India, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Abu Dhabi, Germany, USA and South Africa. Gareth Cliff finds out more about his work, research, and his meditation practice. www.cliffcentral.com

Yoseph Haddad is the CEO of Together Vouch for Each Other, and a IDF combat veteran. At age 18, Yoseph - an Arab - volunteered to serve in the Israeli Defense Force. After being critically injured in the war, he decided to dedicate his life to showcasing the truth about the State of Israel abroad, fighting BDS, and working to improve relations between Arabs and Jews by bridging social gaps in Israel.

Promoting trade between the United States of America and Africa, Minister Counsellor for Commercial Affairs for Sub-Saharan Africa at the U.S. Consulate, Cynthia Griffin chats to Gareth Cliff about her life and work in the foreign service. Opening up the trading portal between the U.S. and fellow African countries for market expansion is one of Cynthia's primary areas of focus, promoting and facilitating U.S. economic and commercial interests in the region. www.cliffcentral.com

Legendary South African funny man, Barry Hilton walks Gareth through his Covid business expansion, from corporate card games, to a new concept titled ‘My Life in 3D’ - a talk about Barry’s trifecta of struggles. He does a deep dive with Gareth about his journey over the years… moving out of the East Rand and into the Western Cape, as well as his journey through the “nut house”. No stone is left unturned in this interview, all while leaving you in stitches.

Hazel Feldman has stories for days about some of the many performing artists she helped bring out to South Africa to perform at Sun City and many other venues. From working with Sol Kerzner as he created his dream in the desert, to working with the likes of Queen, Elton John and countless others. Go on a nostalgic journey with this legend of the South African entertainment industry!

What is behind the success of 40 years of winning? It’s the people! Carol Soames (Group Operations Director) and George Low (Creative Director) - both with decades of stories to tell - are two of the long-standing “Hunts People” who have helped shape the DNA of the agency’s creative culture in the ever-changing media landscape. While George is quite familiar with collecting shiny statues, Carol (who joined in 1986 when there were only 15 employees) is the superglue between clients and all the departments. www.cliffcentral.com

Martha Ngoye is an attorney of the High Court of South Africa who has practised as a corporate lawyer, working for some of SA’s most prestigious firms. After joining the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) as the Group Executive of Legal, Risk and Compliance, and later the Acting Chief Executive, she found herself fighting unlawful contracts and a ceaseless wave of corruption. Her brave stance has led to much suffering and victimisation, which she is still dealing with to this day. Martha's attorney, Geoffrey Allsop, also weighs in on the discussion.

What is the future of AI and technology? Who are the young innovators and creatives building the future of South Africa? What can Gen Z teach us about the world we’re living in? Gareth speaks to trend analyst, Dion Chang.

Celebrating four decades of growing brands, growing talent and winning! Founders of TBWA Hunt Lascaris – John Hunt and Reg Lascaris – are in conversation with Gareth Cliff, reminiscing about where and how it began all those years ago. From the boot of a car to the first world-class advertising agency out of Africa... and still blazing a path into the future! www.cliffcentral.com

Cancel culture has led to the cancellation of several South African celebrities for various reasons, so it should not be surprising that Gareth Cliff and Unathi Nkayi are on that list. In our first episode, media personality Unathi has a candid conversation with Gareth in front of a live audience, about everything you've ever wanted to know! She talks extensively about how she was fired from KayaFM, and how her family encouraged her to sue the station. She also reveals the real reason for the breakdown of her friendship with Somizi, and we get a glimpse of the incredible relationship she has with her father. This is the podcast where we uncancel culture - #unCancelled. www.cliffcentral.com

Chris Wyatt is a retired US Army Colonel and Intelligence Operative with a particular interest in South Africa. Chris has spent much of his post-military world making sense of the seismic political, economic and cultural changes in South Africa and has a network of informed and well-placed sources that gives him a perspective most South Africans don’t even have of their own backyard. In this discussion he and Gareth get into the future of the US, South Africa and some of the common themes of the deterioration of both systems under the destructive influence of the left. www.cliffcentral.com

Owen Matthews has written an authoritative book on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with incredible and unique insights into Putin, Zelensky and the media’s take on what’s really going on. www.cliffcentral.com

The author of several bestselling books, as well as a journalist, scriptwriter, speechwriter and media trainer with more than 30 years experience - Gus Silber has done it all. He joins Gareth to talk about his recent thesis, and some workshops he’s giving about ChatGPT, and how to incorporate AI in your life as a creative... and embrace new technology instead of running away from it. www.cliffcentral.com

Kelly Khumalo joins Gareth Cliff to talk about her new album and live show, but they dive deeper into a conversation about life and how to keep moving in the spotlight… even when everything doesn’t go your way. www.cliffcentral.com

Bryan Habana is one of South Africa’s most beloved sport stars - and a rugby player with some of the best records on the field. In this discussion, Gareth (who knows nothing about rugby) chats to him about pretty much everything other than rugby. Brought to you by Markets.com Markets.com · www.cliffcentral.com

Prof. David Block joins the #GCS team to talk about the ‘Green Comet’ that has been making headlines. He also tells us about his visit to the Arctic to experience the aurora borealis… and we learn the difference between comets and meteors. www.cliffcentral.com

Fred Roed is the founder of Heavy Chef and a thoughtful businessman who has seen the world of marketing and advertising change before his eyes. He’s also an optimist, a believer in South Africa, a viking and a surfer! Gareth Cliff caught up with him and discussed the year ahead. www.cliffcentral.com

Over 60% of Americans cited violent crime as a core election issue in the 2022 midterms. Seeing it spread, and the failures of leaders in his own hometown of Portland, Oregon - Matt Thornton (Conor McGregor’s coach’s coach, and one of the first American jiu-jitsu black belts), decided to write a guidebook, which provides the average person with all the knowledge they need to survive a violent encounter. In short, it's designed to help good people become more dangerous to bad people. Gareth Cliff delves deeper into Matt's ideology in this interview. www.cliffcentral.com

South African foreign correspondent Al J Venter returned from the Central African Republic six weeks ago, having had personal experience of a Russian mercenary force that has virtually taken over an African state. The international community is now familiar with the activities of the Moscow-run Wagner Group, an exploitative military force that is currently active in several African countries - among them the CAR, Mali, Burkina Faso, parts of Libya and before that, Mozambique. In the process, mines and raw resources are being taken over by force and any opposition summarily dealt with, no questions asked. This Russian force also ingratiates itself with the government, gradually supplanting law and order with military force, and killing those who stand in its way, or are even suspected of opposing its will. How much longer is the world community going to allow these inhuman rights transgressions to continue? When are African nations themselves going to make a stand? Find out more in this compelling, exclusive interview. www.cliffcentral.com

Peter Boghossian is one of the most erudite social commentators and analysts of modern phenomena like wokeism, cancel culture, ideology and his favourite subject, philosophy. Having lectured thousands of students at some of America’s most prestigious universities, he has become a leading voice in criticising academia, and has written a number of books outlining the mistakes being made at institutions of higher learning. He’s also one of the most vocal counter-cultural thinkers, and has propagated much controversy with his studies of street epistemology. www.cliffcentral.com

Simon Sebag Montefiore is one of the great history authors of our time. In his most ambitious project yet, he tells the history of the world through the stories of families. In this discussion, Gareth Cliff and him explore the tapestry of human history - from the earliest days, to Russia and the Ukraine. www.cliffcentral.com

Iris Singer is an Austrian filmmaker and activist who has been telling the story of the Holocaust and survivors of the Holocaust - as well as organising events and tours to remind young people of the importance of history, and the most devastating genocides of the 20th century. In this discussion, she tells the story of her own anti-Semitic grandfather, the value of survivor stories, and the contribution young people can make to keeping history alive. www.cliffcentral.com

Bali Padda, former COO of LEGO, was one of the people who transformed that company from sinking ship to juggernaut. In his book, 'Deliver What You Promise', Bali shares business lessons from his own story to help the rest of us to become more efficient, to understand our businesses better, and to connect meaningfully with the market. In this conversation, he also shares the story of his own blue-collar origins, and the failures that taught him how to become a success. www.cliffcentral.com

Al J Venter has written books on and brought us the news from war zones all over the planet. He has witnessed things most of us cannot comprehend: closer, louder and more frightening than any second-hand account can accurately portray. In this discussion, Al talks about the most dangerous places he’s ever been, the volatile situations he has found himself in, and the human stories that happen behind the headlines. www.cliffcentral.com

Thomas Grant KC is an English barrister, author and polemicist. His latest book on Sir Sydney Kentridge, called The Mandela Brief, is the incredible story of one of Apartheid South Africa’s most infamous trials. In this discussion, he and Gareth Cliff talk about Kentridge, the law, oligarchs, mock trials of the dead and lots more. www.cliffcentral.com

David Smith is the Washington correspondent of The Guardian. From 2010 to 2015, he was their Africa correspondent, and was based in Johannesburg. He has a completely different take on the midterm elections compared to Joel Pollak - who Gareth spoke to recently. They discuss the main issues on the ballot, where the Republicans and Democrats look strongest and weakest… and whether Biden stands a chance of staying in office if the Dems do poorly in today’s results. www.cliffcentral.com

Joel Pollak is the Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News, and the host of his own talk show. In this discussion - just more than a week before the US midterm elections - Gareth and Joel get into the politics of America in 2022… the issues that voters care about, the biggest surprise races, the balance of power between Democrats and Republicans, and the role of the media. www.cliffcentral.com

Gareth chats to the host of Beyond Madness - Professor Christopher Paul Szabo. They discuss what the podcast series is about, and talk how we deal with mental health… because there’s no health without mental health! www.cliffcentral.com

Geordin Hill-Lewis is the youngest mayor of Cape Town, and he’s currently in charge of the Mother City - with all its charm, beauty, and of course, problems. Geordin and Gareth tackle some of the controversial questions that always seem to come with the territory in Cape Town, and get into the ups and downs of the mayoral job. Whether you live in Cape Town, or just want to know why they’re the best managed city in Africa, this conversation is worth a listen. Maybe someone should share it with the other mayors. www.cliffcentral.com

Bill Nasson is a Professor of History who, along with several other authors, has written a New History of South Africa. He and Gareth discuss how the book was put together, why history should be about great stories, and how politicised so much of it has become. Bill also has a few wonderful anecdotal stories, that will surprise even the biggest history nerds... www.cliffcentral.com

Larry Elder is a talk show host, political commentator and black conservative voice in America. In this conversation, he and Gareth talk about race in America, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, the conservative movement, and how awful California is. www.cliffcentral.com

Johann Hari has written an astonishing book about how we’re more distracted than ever, and how everyone (and he does mean EVERYONE) can’t focus. It’s partly obvious - screens, technology, non-stop reels of news, pictures, videos and self-absorbed nonsense… but it’s also much more dangerous. It’s actually making us dumber too. Join Gareth and Johann as they unpack his research, the stories in the book, and some incredible insights in this compelling conversation. www.cliffcentral.com

Dr Alan Mendoza is a Founder and the Executive Director of the Henry Jackson Society - which is a British-based think tank with a global outlook. He directs analysis, research focus, strategy and development for the organisation. Since this discussion was recorded on the day Boris Johnson resigned as Prime Minister, Gareth launched straight into that. The conversation touched on Russia/Ukraine, China, the political left and right, free speech and briefly, South Africa. www.cliffcentral.com

Two brave women made it out of a cult and lived to tell the tale. Erika Bornman and Celimpilo Malinga were both taken to KwaSizabantu at a young age and raised in the mission. There they were subjected to some disturbing and abusive experiences, and somehow found a way to escape. Hear their incredible stories in this interview. www.cliffcentral.com

Comedian Jason Goliath comes in guns blazing as he stands up for fat people against Gareth Cliff and Ben Karpinski. They also get into a discussion about how he survived lockdown, how a hacker defrauded his business of over R250k, the difference between ‘digital’ and ‘real life’ comedians, and being the new voice of Comedy Central Africa. www.cliffcentral.com

Professor David Block is an astronomer and highly sought-after inspirational speaker. He joins Gareth to have an eye-opening conversation about the black hole photo from the Milky Way, the recent lunar eclipse, and his astronomical achievements! www.cliffcentral.com

Pie-Pacifique was 13 when the war in Rwanda started, and he lived through the terror of the ensuing genocide. His experience of it, and the story of how his life fell apart and was rebuilt from nothing is inspiring and extraordinary. He sat down with Gareth to explore just a few of the unbelievable and terrifying things he has been through - from refugee, to car guard, to university graduate, to businessman. www.cliffcentral.com

Warning: excessive laughter might occur while listening to this podcast! From entertaining fans online with his virtual comedy club, to gracing the big screen in the hit film, New Material, comedy heavyweight, Dr Riaad Moosa has kept us entertained for the past two years. And soon he’s returning to a real stage… www.cliffcentral.com

Reflecting back on his journey, Jesse will be making a welcome appearance at the Teatro at Montecasino this weekend, where he will be performing his own original music and songs. Flying in specially for this show is Nicholas Petricca from the critically acclaimed band, Walk The Moon, who Jesse has spent a lot of time writing, producing and recording with in Los Angeles. The duo have a candid conversation with Gareth about how they connected over Jesse's famous dad Johnny, the way in which music can be healing and more. www.cliffcentral.com

Thabang Skwambane is both a philanthropist and a capitalist - and proves they’re not mutually exclusive categories. He has risen to the top of the advertising business and has some interesting, and controversial, views on things like transformation and political correctness. Thabang also tells us about travelling through six countries without money, and helping to raise money for the most vulnerable people in South Africa. www.cliffcentral.com

Joel Pollak is the Editor at Large at Breitbart.com - America’s biggest and fastest-growing conservative news platform, and he has a wide range of experience in politics and media. In this comprehensive interview, Gareth and Joel unpack Trump, Biden, cancel-culture, Andrew Breitbart and his legacy, Trudeau’s tyrannical behaviour, and even South African politics. www.cliffcentral.com

Prof Gilbert Khadiagala is the Jan Smuts Professor of International Relations and Director of the Centre for the Study of the United States at the University of Witwatersrand. In this discussion, he and Gareth get into the details of the relationship between South Africa and the US, covering everything from Trump to AGOA to the African continent - and our challenges with changes in world power. www.cliffcentral.com

Judith Sephuma is a South African multi-award-winning artist, who has been dubbed the 'queen of Afro-Jazz'. She joins Gareth to have an in-depth conversation about her career, the move from jazz to gospel, the back stories to some of her famous songs, and more. www.cliffcentral.com

Fiona Dawson is a writer, producer, activist and film director. Her Emmy-nominated LGBTQ documentary, TransMilitary, has won numerous awards - and she has just written a book called 'Are Bisexuals Just Greedy?' She and Gareth unpack and attempt to cover all the complex (and cancellable) questions her book addresses. www.cliffcentral.com

Broadcasting legend Dan Moyane has a candid conversation with Gareth about his new memoir, 'I Don’t Want to Die Unknown', which is a slice of South African history. He takes us down memory lane as he shares his favourite childhood memory, the incorrect spelling of his name, the moment he first saw his wife and much more. www.cliffcentral.com

Allen Ambor is the colourful character who started a South African institution - Spur! The greatest family restaurant in the country’s history comes from the imagination and great work ethic of a man whose family narrowly escaped the Holocaust, and who developed a taste for life during his wild years of surfing, travelling and making a great steak. From his first restaurant in Newlands, to the corporate franchise juggernaut, Allen Ambor has much to look back on and share. www.cliffcentral.com