Gil Oved – the co-founder and group co-CEO of advertising agency, The Creative Counsel is one of the five business moguls who will be bankrolling budding entrepreneurs in M-Net’s new reality television series Shark Tank South Africa.
M-Net and series sponsor Telkom South Africa announced last week that the young multi-millionaire agreed to be a “Shark” on the local version of the two-time Emmy award-winning show that will hit our screens in October this year.
In Shark Tank South Africa dreamers with big business ideas or revolutionary products have the opportunity to obtain the much-needed funding for their enterprises. But first, they have to persuade the panel of cutthroat Sharks that their plan is solid and worth an investment. If more than one of the Sharks takes the bait, it can lead to a fierce bidding war after which the entrepreneur has to decide which of the big fish is offering the best deal.
“Who would not want to swim with a Shark like Gil?” asks M-Net’s Head of Publicity, Lani Lombard. “He is a well-loved and energetic serial entrepreneur who has proven that he is passionate about supporting disruptive thinkers with well-thought-out visions. Gil is a smart hustler who knows how to boost businesses in just the right way. We’re honoured to have him as one of sharks!”
Oved, who was also a part of the local edition of Dragon’s Den, holds two business degrees. He founded The Creative Counsel, together with Ran Neu-Ner.
Gil is also a board member on South Africa’s second biggest venture capital tech fund, Grotech, giving him insight into South Africa’s most exciting venture capital companies.
Africa should focus efforts on locally available commodities – Olusegun Obasanjo
Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that African countries could achieve industrialisation by focusing their efforts on locally available commodities and by developing local entrepreneurs and industrialists.
Obasanjo was addressing participants during seminars of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank’s) Advisory Group on Trade Finance and Export Development in Africa, organized as part of activities marking the Bank’s 23rd Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM) in the Seychelles.
The former President said that African countries should add value to the commodities they produce rather than export them raw and unprocessed and that African governments should make opportunities to engage in industrialization and local production open to all entrepreneurs wishing to take advantage of such opportunities.
Obasanjo said that, with the right support, African businesses could move out and compete effectively in a globalized world.
