Deep Learning Café

CEO & Founder

Chief Executive Officer

Chief Barista

Tracker South Africa

Software Development Manager

Newsclip Media Monitoring

Design, build and run with innovative concepts.

Tracker

Developer

Elogics

Design and developed GIS logistics systems.

Technical Lead

I've filled pivotal leadership positions in tech for more than 15 years. Helping major South African companies improve their product and service offerings, I’m particularly passionate about unlocking the value where Ai intersects with business problems. 

My hands-on approach helps organizations achieve remarkable, tangible outcomes by closely aligning innovation with objectives. Often, new value streams and diversified creativity are birthed as a result. 

Ai is why I get up in the morning. The only way to make my clients' 'impossible' possible is to relentlessly chip away at core issues with a learning mindset.

It’s a real privilege to lead our team of outstanding baristas at:
•	Deep Learning Café 
•	DocInsights

The Deep Learning Café helps businesses boost profits, save time, reduce costs – and innovate! Every business, every industry, we solve your unsolvable problems. DocInsights, our customizable proprietary software, transforms data management and revolutionizes workflow processes.

Ultimately, our Ai closes the gap to your fullest potential. Ding-ding, your new future is served!

www.deeplearning-cafe.com | www.docinsights.co

Dries Cronje

Global Digital Single Market Data Alliance

The Global Alliance brings together global and regional experts, facilitates dialogue, and engages with governments to create the open source digital data infrastructure, build trusted solutions and design the carbon and capital markets needed to unlock green finance and power the climate economy. The Western Balkans Digital Single Market Data Alliance (WB DSMDA) is first regional initiative supporting governments in the region as they respond to the immediate impacts of CBAM and CSRD ensure broader alignment with the EU Green Deal and the Brussels Declaration.

Advisory Council Member

THE ABLIS

Member of the Executive Event Board and Strategic Partners Conclave for the upcoming Africa Business Leadership and Investment Summit (ABLIS), taking place from April 21st - 24th, 2025, in Accra, Ghana

Executive Board Member

SA Startup Act Movement

The South Africa Startup Act is a proposed Economic Bill that may be introduced as a stand-alone Act, or a set of proposed amendments to an existing Act (such as the National Small Enterprise Act) that outlines a set of provisions with which to support the ecosystem that supports the creation of high growth enterprises, where such enterprises are in the formation, or early growth-phases, thus being considered startups, and with the overarching purpose of accelerating socio-economic growth, development, competitiveness and the transformation of the South African economy through the increased involvement and impact of successful startups.

The purpose of the Act is therefore to outline ways in which to accelerate the success and contribution of startups and high-growth firms to the national economy, by removing and/or reducing those burdens that are keeping such firms from playing a larger role and having a greater impact in the national economy.

National Steering Committee Member: South Africa Startup Act

COP28 UAE

Served a judge for the official COP28 TechSprint in 2023. The focus on scaling up climate action through
advancing innovative technology solutions in sustainable finance.

COP28 TechSprint Judge 

Global Startup Awards Africa

AFRICA IS NOW A PART OF THE LARGEST, INDEPENDENT STARTUP ECOSYSTEM AWARDS PLATFORM IN THE WORLD.

Africa’s fastest-growing innovation community invites all innovation leaders to access new markets, funding and a global network of leaders.

The Global Startup Awards bring together high impact startups and investors from over 100 countries across the globe. The network offers participants the opportunity to meet prospective mentors, partners, clients, and gain access to the latest industry trends.

The competition process also brings together local ambassadors, country partners, national jury members, international jury members as well as key advisors to discover winners in all aspects of the startup ecosystem.

The African Startup Awards connects the best of African tech startups across the continent to a global network of leading investors and innovation ecosystems. The African Startup Awards will offer startups access to:

New Markets
Funding Opportunities
A Global Network Of Leaders
Exposure On A Global Stage

The Global Startup Awards is the largest independent ecosystem competition with the mission to find digital futureshapers from around the world. Startup categories are linked to UN Sustainable Development Goals and include, but are not limited to Women In Tech, ESG Tech, Agri Tech, Health Tech, Commerce Tech and Industrial Tech. 

We have complete two African Finales (Cape Town and Ethiopia) and launch the 3rd year end of January 2023. We have had over 15 000 startup entries from 55 African nations to date. In participating at the Global Finale, African startups claimed two top awards, namely Kubik (Global Startup of the Year) and Emata (Best Newcomer).

We continue on our mission to raise access for African startups and increase investor and leadership confidence in our African nations.

Co-Founder and Partnerships

The Global Innovation Group

An active builder of global bridges to and for Africa communities to trade, build and navigate the global megatrends through an Africa innovation lens to see opportunities where others don't.

GIIG Africa sources profit and purpose opportunities and invests in Africa's future markets via innovative projects aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Co-Founder

The Loudhailer

The Loudhailer is a Strategic Communications partner in Africa that specialises in the structure, growth and optimization of communication functions for change-makers, startups, corporates and business leaders to build the future of innovation in Africa. 

Our ambition and purpose is to amplify change by telling the African Innovation story collectively as a continent to attract investment, grow talent, create industry transparency and provide entry points to drive the African economic development agenda. 

Through the partnerships we support we work to communicate and connect in a manner that stimulates investments, rapid integration into opportunities, and critical collaboration between global and African innovation players.

Find out more @ http://theloudhailer.org/

Co-Founder & Managing Partner - Telling the African Innovation Story

Blockchain Research Institute

The Blockchain Research Institute Africa (BRI Africa) is an African think-tank launched by Standard Bank Group in partnership with the Blockchain Research Institute. We bring together Africa’s top industry leaders, academics, policy-makers, entrepreneurs and researchers to undertake ground-breaking research on blockchain technology and to bridge the gap between the technological functionality of blockchain and the real market need.

Funded by a membership consisting of international corporations and government agencies, the BRI Africa program is founded on 100+ research projects documenting the strategic implications of blockchain on business, government and society.

BRI Africa provides member organizations with in-depth research exploring the opportunities, challenge and implementation hurdles of blockchain in their industry, as well as the impact of technology on corporate management. Our current program introduces new deliverables in addition to our research, designed to help our members not just navigate the blockchain revolution, but lead it.

Blockchain Research Institute Africa: Head of Partnerships

AfricaBerlin Network - Connecting Startups & Ecosystems

AfricaBerlin Network (ABN) forms a collective platform that brings together communities within the startup ecosystems across Africa and Berlin. We enable relationship-building among investors, startups, and bridge builders by organizing workshops, events and delegation trips to Berlin and Africa. ABN supports startups and SMEs in their international expansion and in overcoming the barriers of internationalization. We work together with business leaders, institutions, accelerators, investors, experts and innovators to share information, to connect and to open new doors.

African Ambassador

Western Cape Local Government

Directed the communication portfolio for Local Government, which included the establishment, enhancement and strategy management of communication in 29 municipalities and all departmental corporate communication functions. 

The portfolio had a "white-river-rafting" nature - a great ride as long as you can keep adaptability and cohesion in the boat! Decoding and creating simplicity out of the complex messaging required for mass and reticent audiences was a large part of the overall work both internally and externally.  

1. Management: Budgeting, team leadership, talent sourcing, audits, performance planning, reporting, contract management (including traversal contracts with TBWA, Y&R, DraftFCB), grievances, performance management.

2. Strategy Development: Impact indicators, M&E systems, alignment to strategic objectives and organisational performance targets, mitigation of organisational entropy, focus on new technologies and information and community engagement.

3. Media: Campaign development. PR, media buying, agenda setting, risk register, departmental spokesperson. 

4. Digital Work: Project sponsor for shifting of local government to social media, development of organisational intranets, revamp of municipal websites, development of communicators resource portal, go-to person for content planning, development and governance.

6. Crisis Communication: Establish crisis protocol, briefings, risk preparation, training of leadership, management of joint operation communicators.

7. Reputation Management, Governance Communication, and Stakeholder Management: Co-Chair of Provincial Public Participation and Communication Forum, portfolio liaison for National and Provincial government, Municipal ICT Forum, World Design Capital 2014 provincial team, Eskom Koeberg Crisis Simulation team.

6. Content Specialist: Development of content in all formats: print, film, promotional, publications, online, etc. Foucs on employee engagement and management of multimedia platforms

Head of Communications - Strategy ǀ Engagement ǀ Media ǀ Crisis Comms

Head of strategic Municipal Communication for 30 municipalities in the Western Cape. Situated within the Department of Local Government in the Public Participation Directorate.

A focused, agency-styled consulting team that services municipalities and government stakeholders in:

- Communication Strategies and resource planning
- Development of content toolkits for multi-media implementation
- Media, Crisis and Reputation Management
- Enhancement of citizen engagement and grassroot partnerships
- International relations ito of media and events
- Monitoring and evaluation of communication platforms and contracts
- Social Media Training
- Practical Training and Planning

Deputy Director: Municipal Communications - Strategy ǀ Training  ǀ  Branding  ǀ Mass Communication

External Communications and Events:

- Stakeholder Relationship Management
- Media Liaison and Media Buying 
- Political communication and speech writing
- Content development and campaign implementation
- Management and implementation of language policy
- Environmental Communication

Senior Communications Officer -  Public Relations ǀ Events ǀ Stakeholder Management

Africa Partnerships ǀ Innovation Engagement ǀ Cross Border Collaboration ǀ Speaker + MC ǀ Blockchain4Good ǀ PR ǀ Impact + Tech ǀ #WomenEntrepreneurs ǀ Building the Future ǀ #amplifyingchange

Building Ambitious Innovation projects and bridges for a Global Africa.

Specialist in creating collaboration frameworks and partnerships for innovation and growth. Keen eye for opportunity and an adept ability to support big ideas to come to life through key relationship development and pragmatic, integrated strategies. Navigator of “grey spaces” and knowledge to take complex to simple. Passionate about authentic leadership and real connection.

My energy comes from pioneering change, practical wisdom and the art of embracing ordinary.

taplio

The Battle

Dries Cronje

Caitlin Nash

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