Devi Sankaree Govender

Devi Sankaree Govender is a South African media icon.

Her reputation as an award-winning investigative television journalist, has been cemented by 30 years of bold, brave and fearless reporting, holding governments, companies and individuals to account.

Armed with an MBA, Devi has built a brand of trust, authenticity and justice. She currently sits on two boards and, after 18 years at Carte Blanche, South Africa’s longest running investigative television show, Devi joined eMedia (eTV and eNCA) in 2020, the most watched television group in South Africa, launching The Devi Show in the middle of a global pandemic. The show has garnered a viewership of millions per week and won a South African Film and Television Award for Best Factual Programme in 2021.

Devi is a mum to a Junior Olympic golfer who is in her final year of a golf scholarship at the University of North Carolina. Her son is in his second year of an LLB at the University of Pretoria. Her two SPCA gangsters rule her home.

Devi has two current keynotes but is also able to tailor according to client requirements.

Talks

In this entertaining, yet moving keynote, Devi tells the story of how a young girl, growing up in rural KZN during the turbulent 80’s, made the unusual decision to become a journalist. Devi chats candidly about her tough, but often hilarious path which took her to Carte Blanche, where she became known across the country for her bold brand of journalism.

Fast-forward to 2020 – Devi resigns from Carte Blanche and takes on a new television adventure … in the midst of a global pandemic! This keynote gives insight into why agility and resilience can take you places … and gain you millions of viewers in just six months!

5 minute video/45 minute talk/10 minute Q and A

Ten years ago Devi received news that she was pre-hypertensive. Hardly surprising when this award-winning investigative television journalist also
doubled up as a wife and mother to two children (one a Junior Golf Olympian and the other, an international debater). The news set in motion a
series of events …. false starts and stops……an unexpected meeting with Huffington Post founder, Ariana Huffington and it all culminated in a blog
which went viral – much to Devi’s surprise.

In this hilarious, yet touching talk, Devi talks about her constant fight with finding “balance” and how she has learnt to finally put herself on top of her list.

This one-hour talk, which includes a 15-minute Q and A, is suitable for a mixed-gender audience and includes tips on how to stay sane, brilliant and
dazzling, in a world which doesn’t stop to breathe.

5 minute video/45 minute talk/10 minute Q and A

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Contact us below to book this Motivator

    Talks

    Most people with competence have some Impostor Syndrome – because we know how much we don’t know. If you’ve experienced it, or you think you have, I have tools, tips and techniques for you. (11 tips)

    Ideal for: leaders, team leads, entrepreneurs, DE&I events, gender-related events, mental health events

    When it comes to social media, you don’t have a choice. Everyone you want to talk to – and everyone you want to sell to – is there, in some way or another. Learn how to spend the least amount of time and effort on social media, while deriving the most benefits. (5 tips)


    Ideal for: future-of-work events, business owners, team leads, marketers, salespeople,
    entrepreneurs, consultants

    a. Also: Social Media for Accountants

    Business emails. We write them every day. But for many, they’re a source of stress. What are the correct greetings and sign-offs? How do you start (not ‘I hope you are well’!)? What’s the right level of formality? What do modern readers expect – and what
    will compel them to read and reply?

    Learn to craft business emails you can be confident to send, because they express what you mean, provoke timely responses, suit the audience and environment, and cover all the best-practice basics.


    Ideal for executive assistants, PAs, administrators, business owners, salespeople, future-of-work events, communication conferences

    a. Also: Emailing for Accountants

    If you want to be able to come up with clever content ideas, intelligent angles and compelling hooks that never seem to run dry, you need my Micro-Targeting Methodology for creative content ideation (3 practical pillars and 6 quick tricks)


    Ideal for: marketers, communicators, creatives, salespeople, future-of-work events

    In this intro to copywriting skills for real estate agents, you’ll learn the best practices of property ad copywriting – designed specifically for estate agents in rentals and sales. You’ll understand what it takes to craft headlines, analyse your audience, master optimal structure, format your text properly, edit your own writing and create compelling calls to action, as well as which red-flag phrases to avoid.


    Ideal for: sales agents, rental agents, support staff, agency administrators, agency communicators, agency owners

    Hey IFA. Let’s set you up to spend the least amount of effort on social media, while deriving the most benefits. This way, you’ll be able to generate leads, let people know you’re the best choice, convert prospects into clients, and retain business.


    Ideal for: IFAs, brokers, consultants, finserv employees, finance events

    You have a message to share or a brand, product or service to promote. You know digital marketing offers quicker, more widespread, more direct exposure than anything else. But what are the rules? What doesn’t work? Which best practices yield optimal results? And how do you stand out? This talk, designed for businesspeople, gives a solid foundation in digital marketing for a new world.


    Ideal for business owners, thought leaders, entrepreneurs, marketers, consultants, communicators, salespeople, tech events, future-of-work events

    Despite what the internet and life coaches would have you believe, you and I simply don’t have the same number of hours in the day as Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Oprah Winfrey. Our available capacity just isn’t equal. So if, like me, you’re a real human being (and not a weird robot person who splits his day, including lunch-time, into 5 minute units to fit more in), I have some advice for you.


    Ideal for: execs, managers, team leaders, performance/workplace culture events, future-of-work events, gender-related events, mental health events

    In business, you can’t say whatever you feel like saying – unless you want to enter a wide world of drama. But there are moments, and if you’ve worked in customer service you’ll know this, when you want to hold your head in your hands, look down at the table and cry. When the customer isn’t hearing what you’re saying, wouldn’t understand it if they were hearing it and would probably argue anyway, you need to know how to write with diplomacy and tact, say no, give bad news and apologise.

    Ideal for: managers, sales teams, customer service teams, complaints handlers, future-of-work events, sales conferences

    The world has changed. To survive in it, we need to learn the lessons of the thriving gig economy and the secrets of the C-Suite – even if we’re employed. We need to find our niche, define and express our value, operate as pros, collaborate, self-determine and self-promote. This is how we stand out: by pushing the boundaries of traditionally defined ‘roles’ and being better prepared for an uncertain future. Think like it’s your own company so that, one day, it is.


    Ideal for managers, team leaders, salespeople, performance/workplace culture events, future-of-work events, gender-related events

    Exponential change and consistent inconsistency are perhaps the biggest trends in business and life, so you’ll be happy to hear there’s a sweet spot. It’s called “future-proofing” yourself and it relies on developing and mastering a mentality that can be agile and tolerate uncertainty. But how do you future-proof yourself to be better, stand out more, make more money, feel more fulfilled or generate more opportunities? Let’s find out.


    2 versions: Manager version, team member version

    Ideal for managers, team leaders, salespeople, performance/workplace culture events,
    future-of-work events, gender-related events

    Your skills and talents aren’t holding your small business back. It’s the little stuff. The worrying. The overthinking. The anxieties around money and negotiation. Perhaps it’s the fear of selling. Discomfort with self-promotion. The inability to build a pipeline of eager clients who happily pay what you charge. But, what if you understood how to negotiate, have tough conversations and manage clients optimally (yes, even in a recession)? Don’t miss this talk.


    Ideal for entrepreneurs, business owners, freelancers, and consultants,
    leadership/motivation events

    Is anyone on LinkedIn even listening? YES! LinkedIn is easily the most “target-rich” social media platform for businesspeople. But too many professionals use it as a place to scroll mindlessly through other people’s posts, rather than a business development tool. It’s time to get in the game. Find out how to grow your network, enhance your brand, and position yourself as an expert.

    Ideal for business owners, thought leaders, entrepreneurs, marketers, communicators, salespeople, tech events, future-of-work events.

    Also:

    a. LinkedIn for Lawyers
    b. LinkedIn for Legal Marketers
    c. LinkedIn for Accountants
    d. LinkedIn for Corporate Marketers
    e. LinkedIn for Internal Communicators

    By the time I’m ready for my next haircut, generative AI will be exponentially more powerful than it is right now – which has many businesses and professionals in a panic. Are we, humans who generate content, about to be shown the door? I don’t think so. There’s “ENOUGH ROOM FOR EVERY-BOTTY”.

    In this talk I unpack the whys, hows and where-to-from-heres and provide the must-knows of prompt engineering (writing effective text inputs for AI content generators).

    The robots are coming, but we can all happily and lucratively co-exist. Ideal for business owners, thought leaders, entrepreneurs,

    I was such an idiot when I was younger. When I got 10 hours of sleep a night, went to gym every day and saw hustle culture as admirable. When I believed I’d had my ‘quota’ of adversity, bereavement and loss. When I knew everything, had all the answers and was confident in my ability to control most outcomes. What.

    An. Idiot.

    Back then I used to say that 80% was still an A. That not giving 100% effort, all the time, was understandable for most people. Not me. But most people. And then… I grew up. And I began to realise that most of us don’t have our stuff together. We aren’t in control of very much. And the meaning of “enough” has changed.

    Ideal for: execs, managers, team leaders, performance/workplace culture events, leadership & motivation events, future-of-work events, DE&I events, gender-related events, mental health events