Publishing Editor
Stuff Magazine
Toby Shapshak writes and speaks about innovation, and how it differs in Africa. He is the editor and publisher of Stuff magazine. [http://stuff.co.za/] He co-hosts a TV show on CNBC Africa [http://j.mp/15tmyzb] ; and writes a weekly column for the Financial Mail. [http://fm.co.za/] He spoke at TED Global in June 2013 about how Africa is solving real problems for the rest of the world. [http://j.mp/11c0bKw ] He has also spoke at the South by South West (SxSW) conference in Austin, Texas, on how mobile is being used in Africa. [http://j.mp/Y57t0v ] He believes Africa is a mobile-driven continent, about which he has written for CNN [http://j.mp/WoT0d6 ] and The Guardian in London [http://j.mp/UjTONc ] Toby was named in GQ's top 30 men in media and the M&G's 300 influential young South Africans list in 2009; and was the ICT Journalist of the Year in 2002. GQ said he "has become the most high-profile technology journalist in the country" while the M&G wrote: "Toby Shapshak is all things tech... he reigns supreme as the major talking head for everything and anything tech." He has been the Mail & Guardian's technology and sports editor, ran the M&G website when it was the first news site in Africa, shadowed Nelson Mandela when he was president, and covered the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. He is writing a book on innovation in Africa, and writes on this subject for a variety of publications, including CNN, The Guardian in London, the Sunday Times and The Times (South Africa) and others. He has spoken on this topic at numerous conferences, including TED Global in Edinburgh, SxSW in Austin (twice), Pivot East in Nairobi, Flux Trends Review, TEDxJohannesburg, and Tech4Africa. He has interviewed a range of tech industry luminaries, including the Apple co-founder Steve Jobs [http://j.mp/TFcyvz ] Formerly a senior newspaper reporter covering everything from crime to politics, he has been writing about innovation, telecoms and the internet and the impact it has on our lives for more than 15 years, including the Sunday Times, Business Day, Mail & Guardian, The Financial Mail, The Times, City Press, ThisDay, and The Weekender.