Bandile Mndebele Host

Bandile Mndebele

Bandile Mndebele is a passionate advocate for intersectional inclusion, committed to creating equitable and inclusive environments. Their journey began at Stellenbosch University, where they pioneered a gender-neutral initiative, making it the first top South African university to recognize the gender-neutral marker, Mx. Following their academic pursuits, Bandile has held influential roles in various organisations, including serving on the Global Council for DEI and as a PRIDE Network Chair at a major S&P 500 company, where they co-founded Ubuntu South Africa. They have been instrumental in driving initiatives that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, particularly for marginalised groups such as LGBTQ+ individuals and neurodivergent people. They have also been recognized for their leadership and impact, receiving awards such as the Top 100 Outstanding LGBT+ Future Leader and Top 100 Outstanding Executive Role Model. Through their podcast, newsletter, and speaking engagements, Bandile shares insights and inspires others to create a more just and equitable world. Their work highlights the importance of intersectional inclusion.

Appears in 13 Episodes

#10

10. Why South Africa needs better growth than groove with Avelile Nontanda

My friend, what should be happening to resolve the problems South Africans face with spaza shops? Want to find the right niche?Today, we delve deep into the multifaceted world of entrepreneurship, exploring the challenges and opportunities that shape the landscape for modern business owners and reflecting on South Africa's potentially limiting identity crisis.Join us as we sit down with Avelile Nontanda, the founder and CEO of Mayhem Digital with more than 10 years of experience helping businesses and brands live their best digital lives from Google to social media and father. Avelile gets candid about shared realities such as dealing with Black Tax, not-so-friendly spaza shops and the importance of a self-reliant economy. We discuss the challenges and opportunities facing entrepreneurs today, the importance of a strong brand identity, and the power of digital marketing. In this conversation, we'll cover:00:00 - Finding Your Niche: Being a Jack of All Trades, Master of Niche 06:25 - The Google Dilemma and Exploring Ownership15:51 - Dealing with “Pull Him/Her Down” Syndrome and The Discount Mentality21:29 - Finding a Balance After Groove and Equal Focus26:10 - First World and Third World Fallacies 29:15 - Black Tax is Good and Bad at the Same Time40:54 - Digital Nomads, Why start in Cape Town, and Can Looks Be Deceiving?Resources:Mayhem DigitalFollow Avelile Nontanda on LinkedInListen to the related episode 8 with Melilizwe GqoboGoogle's market dominance and antitrustMicrosoft and ChatGPT are not what Elon Musk intendedThe Evolution of Spaza shopsSpaza shop food health inflicting children and who to blameCall to Action:Share your thoughts on the topics discussed in this episode on social media using the hashtag #addideas.You can subscribe to or follow the podcast to stay updated on future episodes and milestones.Leave a review for the show on your favourite podcast platform.
#9

9. Better community: doing the best you can with the trauma you carry with Annemarie Shrouder

Annemarie Shrouder (she/her), international speaker, consultant and author of Being Brown in a Black and White World, which shares the personal and organisational costs of polarisation, joined me today to talk about the essentials for community building and what we can borrow or learn from post-COVID-19 amid waning global commitments.On today’s episode:0:00 - Intro & welcome0:24 - Common frustrations shared since the start2:47 - Inclusion vs Belonging and other polarisations4:12 - “Healing requires that we all need to do our own work”5:52 - Learning from parenthood for the best workplace9:42 - The impact of COVID-19 on community and balance15:09 - The tools we can use today17:39 - The power of intersectionality on how we show up20:58 - Wellness and heart-based exercises as impact drivers24:20 - “Everyone is doing the best they can with the trauma they carry”26:15 - Looking ahead with 5% more courage30:53 - Wrap-upRESOURCESAnnemarie’s Book: https://annemarieshrouder.com/book/(Amazon) - https://www.amazon.com/Being-Brown-Black-White-World-ebook/dp/B09224CN47The HeartMath Institute: https://www.heartmath.org/More About Annemarie Shrouder:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemarieshrouder/Website: https://annemarieshrouder.com/Thank you for listening, following and sharing the podcast. Did you love this episode? Please feel free to leave a comment and let us know.
#8

8. Why we need more startup giants - not just tech: lessons from Hubspace with Melilizwe Gqobo

Today’s guest, Melilizwe Gqobo (he/him) - Founding Director of Hubspace (Khayelitsha) and Venture Scout, has successfully created space for founders and entrepreneurs to thrive by strengthening and reinforcing their capacity or ability to seek opportunities.With the hindsight of co-founding Hubspace, a pioneering startup ecosystem or incubator space to bring communal offices and resources to entrepreneurs and founders within the township economy, meaningfully contributing over 5% to South Africa’s GDP, Melilizwe shares key lessons and insights on what it takes to make a successful venture while highlighting examples from Bolt and Uber’s entry to the South African/African market.What's Covered On This Episode:0:00 - The Entrepreneurship and Founder Ecosystems1:23 - Founder Lessons and Challenges4:40 - Reasons why I became an Entrepreneur6:02 - The Opportunity Set – NGOs8:07 - Making a successful venture10:51 - Does First Mover Advantage Exist?12:50 - The Role of Enterprise Development14:51 - The Township Economy25:39 - The Importance of Patient Capital, Support, Routine and Mindset for Preservation32:57 - Allyship: Creating space and an intentional community38:29 - Innovation and AI46:17 - Wrap-up: Key TakeawaysRESOURCES:https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2015/04/04/397101933/far-from-silicon-valley-a-disruptive-startup-hubhttps://disruptafrica.com/2014/11/15/townships-offer-real-investment-opportunities-hubspace/https://www.news24.com/news24/partnercontent/the-rise-and-rise-of-the-township-economy-20230621https://www.parliament.gov.za/news/multifaceted-approach-needed-deal-protection-fee-and-business-extortion-syndicates-ncop-hearshttps://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz5reve8476oFollow Melilizwe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melilizwe-gqobo-6229a729/Thank you for listening, following and sharing the podcast. Did you love this episode? Please feel free to leave a comment and let us know.
#7

7. Pride and community: What rights do LGBTQ+ people have? with Udoka Maya Okonkwo

E7: We delve into the concept of visibility vs freedom in the LGBTQ+ community with the multi-talented Creative, Writer, Performer, and Organiser, Udoka Maya Okonkwo (they/her).They begin with a personal "Visibility Journey" followed by a thought-provoking discussion on articulating the idea of freedom for LGBTQ+ individuals today.The conversation explores navigating different Pride experiences (Black, Trans and Commercial) by addressing community needs more while stressing the importance of finding the right community. Self-acceptance goes a long way in underscoring this as Udoka reminds us that: "there is no such thing as being Queer enough, or Trans enough, or Gay enough. You Are Just Enough."In our conversation, we shift focus to widening opportunities and access within the community, before tackling critical issues that necessitate collective action and intersectionality. Strategies for addressing injustices, continuing allyship, and organising are explored.RESOURCEShttps://www.radiotimes.com/tv/entertainment/reality-tv/big-brother-nadia-almada-empowering-exclusive-newsupdate/https://www.consortium.lgbt/member-directory/black-trans-foundation/https://www.instagram.com/londontranspride/https://www.ukblackpride.org.uk/https://www.instagram.com/miseryparty/?hl=enhttps://www.leonardcheshire.org/get-involved/campaign-us/cost-living?gad_source=1https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/04/04/un-body-calls-uk-end-detention-people-disabilitieshttps://www.bbc.com/news/health-68849843https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-9602/CBP-9602.pdfhttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/11/a-new-abyss-gaza-and-the-hundred-years-war-on-palestineCLUBShttps://dalstonsuperstore.com/https://www.instagram.com/heavenlgbtclub/?hl=enhttps://www.instagram.com/tboys.club/?hl=enBOOKSAgainst Equality: Queer Revolution, Not Mere Inclusion (Ryan Conrad)The Discworld Collector's Library (Terry Pratchett)Global Black Narratives for the Classroom (BLAM UK)Kindred (Octavia E. Butler)Thank you for listening, following and sharing the podcast. Did you love this episode? Please feel free to leave a comment and let us know.