Top speakers for Mobile Web Africa conference

Prominent figures from the local and international mobile industry are part of the lineup of the inaugural Mobile Web Africa conference, taking place 13 - 14 October 2009 in Johannesburg. Sponsored by The Grid, Samsung, Nokia and Cellsmart, the two-day forum will tackle all the different aspects required to allow the full potential of the mobile Internet and mobile applications to be realised on the continent.

Speakers will include representatives from Google, MXit, 20FourLabs, W3C, Saatchi & Saatchi, Opera and the Grameen Foundation:

Herman Heunis, CEO, MXit
Dr Marc Smith, Leader, Connected Action Consulting Group
Vincent Maher, portfolio manager, social media, Vodacom
Jose Henriques, executive head, Internet Services, Vodacom
Stephen Newton, country manager, Google South Africa
Rick Joubert, head of mobile media, Vodacom
Stephane Boyera, program manager, Web Foundation / W3C
Matthew Buckland, head, 20FourLabs
Eric Cantor, director, AppLab Uganda, Grameen Foundation
Sean Paavo Krepp, AME, Emerging Markets Services, Nokia
Marc Anthony Zimmerman, founder and CEO, The Broccoli Project
Jon Gosier, CEO, APP+FRICA
Loy Okezie, founder and CEO, Startups Nigeria
Simon Leps, CEO, Fontera
Charles McCathie Nevile, chief standards officer, Opera
Rahim Zaknoun, business development - Middle East Africa, Forum Nokia
Mbugua Njihia, CEO, Symbiotic Media Consortium
Pete Case, creative director, Gloo Design Agency
Elan Lohmann, GM online, Avusa Media
Allan Kent, head, AtPlay, Saatchi & Saatchi
Zibusiso Mkhwananzi, executive chairman and financial director, KRAZYBOYZ Digital
Angus Robinson, founder, Brandsh Media
Mario Marais, Living Lab Research Group, Meraka Institute, CSIR
Ory Okolloh, executive director, Ushahidi
Yomi Adegboye, CEO, Alireta Nigeria
Ashraf Patel, programm manager, SAFIPA
Richard Wills, senior manager sales (Africa), Leaf International Communications
Lungisa Matshoba, co-founder, Yeigo Communications
Tyler Reed, CEO and founder, TinyImpact
Brett Loubser, product and technical support manager, Samsung South Africa
Justin Spratt, co-founder, ISLabs
Russell Atkins, MD, Thumbtribe Media
Ahmed Kajee, MD, CellSmart

"We asked Matthew Dawes to put together the mobile conference that people will talk about until the next year and if you look at the speaker lineup he has done exactly that. I have been involved from the concept-on-a-napkin phase of this event and it is going to be seminal,” states Vincent Maher, portfolio manager: social media, Vodacom.

With the events calendar in Africa becoming increasingly saturated, Mobile Web Africa has two elements which the organisers, UK-based company All Amber, believe will contribute to a truly standout event. The first is an emphasis on developing the next generation of mobile entrepreneurs and the second, a format which will drive interaction and should thus hugely increase outputs.

“At Mobile Web Africa, the World Wide Web Foundation looks forward to sharing ideas and plans on how to accelerate growth of a more inclusive and more valuable web with experts from governmental and non-governmental organisations, established and aspiring enterprises, and the mobile and web industry," comments Steve Bratt, Web Foundation CEO.

For more information and to book, go to www.mobilewebafrica.com. According to the organisers, there are less than 20 seats left. Bizcommunity.com is a media partner.