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With her vast and unique experience in Africa, Media Host Group CEO, Shanaaz Nel is the driving force behind building the group’s reach across the continent with her ambition to build a globally-recognised enterprise with its footprint firmly grounded in Africa.
Shanaaz is founder and CEO of Professional Evaluation and Research (Pty) Ltd. (PEAR), South Africa’s first black woman-owned media monitoring company.
She started her career as a senior media analyst before branching out into social development and activism for several years. In 2014, Shanaaz was recognised as one of South Africa’s Top 100 Young South Africans by the Mail & Guardian for her ongoing contribution to civil society initiatives and environmental activism. Shanaaz holds a BA Communications: Audio Visual Production Management and BA Communication and Media Studies from Rand Afrikaans University.
As a 40-year veteran of the video, broadcast media and media monitoring sectors, Mike has unique expertise across the value chains of broadcast media and advertising.
Mike started his career as an SABC engineer in the early 1970s and worked as an Operations Manager at Video RSA before founding his first business, the Video Lab Group, in 1981. He also founded and ran Condor Cape, which was later incorporated into Waterfront Studios in Cape Town. Having founded Media Host in 2001, Mike also acquired the sole sub-Saharan African license for Adstream, the world’s leading advertising digital asset and usage rights management, workflow, and distribution company, in 2011.
In his role as Chief Strategy Officer, Mike continues to focus on enabling advertising and marketing industry leaders to revolutionise how they implement, track compliance and provide competitor insights for advertising campaigns for TV, print, radio and digital media.
Dr Jaco Pienaar is a knowledge management expert, thought leader and speaker with extensive expertise in the mass media analysis space.
As the former Chief Knowledge Officer of Professional Evaluation and Research (Pty) Ltd. (PEAR), Jaco was the brains behind PEAR’s analytics methodologies.
His work has supported marketing, communications and public relations efforts for leading multi-national companies, government and the country’s top educational institutions.
He holds a BA (Information Science) from Rand Afrikaans University, BA HONS (Information Science) Cum Laude from University of Johannesburg, MA (Information Science) from University of Johannesburg, and a PhD in Information and Knowledge Management, with a focus on intellectual capital, systems thinking, and mass media measurement. He is also an Advisory Board member for the Department of Information and Knowledge Management at the University of Johannesburg and a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society.
Gert Scheepers is an accomplished developer and software engineer credited with helping develop and implement key systems for Professional Evaluation and Research (Pty) Ltd. (PEAR) and other enterprises.
He initially studied electrical engineering at Technikon Pretoria, and later completed a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology Management at UNISA.
He began his career as a field technician, and later project supervisor at CEB Maintenance, entering the media monitoring field as an IT Manager at Newsclip Media Monitoring in 2006. He then worked alongside Charl Nel as they taught themselves how to develop software and built PEAR’s systems. He later went on to work as a technical consultant at Bankserv and software engineer and manager at WeBuyCars, where he developed lead management, buying, contract generation, stock control processes and software from the ground up.
Specialising in fields ranging from electronics through to analytics and AI, Charl Nel is the multi-faceted technical brain behind the technologies deployed by Professional Evaluation and Research (Pty) Ltd. (PEAR).
Charl was the Chief Information Officer of PEAR, and spearheaded the design and implementation of PEAR’s IT infrastructure. With proficiency in technical and mathematical fields and over 14 years’ experience in media monitoring processes, production and business administration, Charl initially studied electronics and began his career at Telkom, later working for a satellite GPS technology firm. He moved into media monitoring, where he met the team who would later co-found PEAR. He completed an IT degree and followed this with Post Graduate Diplomas in Data Science and in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence.
Brendon Ritchie is a technical specialist with in-depth knowledge of digital asset management, media monitoring and analysis systems. Brendon has been involved with and implemented media workflows for over 20 years, integrating developed or pre-existing products to automate and optimise print, TV, and radio industry solutions.
Brendon has a degree in communication from UNISA and embarked on computer science studies before becoming the CTO of a gaming technology-based development firm for two years and working as Technical Director for Quickcut Pre-Press Networks for 12 years. He has worked with Media Host since 2011, developing expertise across a variety of technologies and platforms.
Brendon is experienced with various software and hardware platforms both locally and internationally, having designed and implemented advertising-related solutions in South Africa, Australia, Europe, and the United Kingdom. He has overseen the technical deployment of the Adlytics platform, marrying various technology partners and platforms with in-house systems.
As the Group Project Lead for Media Host, Jessica oversees the implementation of all strategic projects and product initiatives across the group. Before joining Media Host in 2020, she worked in various parts of the media industry, from publishing to film production, where she established herself as an accomplished project manager with an impeccable track record. Jessica holds a Bachelor of Journalism from Rhodes University and completed a course in UX design at the University of Cape Town.
Rokunda is an experienced project manager with a demonstrated history in the technology, software engineering and media industries. As the production manager for Media Host, Rokunda oversees all aspects of production and ensures services are delivered to clients on time. Rokunda holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from UNISA and a Diploma in Media Studies.
Samantha is responsible for the Human Resources function at Media Host and ensuring that all labour practices are adhered to. With skills development a key internal value, Samantha brings her passion to the business creating a vibrant working environment for employees and promoting Media Host as a top employer within the media industry.
Wayne brings more than 13 years of experience in broadcast media monitoring and data analysis to Media Host. Having joined PEAR as branch manager in 2016, he has a broad understanding of the media landscape and monitoring environment. As Broadcast Manager, he oversees the broadcast function holistically across the group to ensure that broadcast services are delivered on time.
With her vast and unique experience in Africa, Media Host Group CEO, Shanaaz Nel is the driving force behind building the group’s reach across the continent with her ambition to build a globally-recognised enterprise with its footprint firmly grounded in Africa.
Shanaaz is founder and CEO of Professional Evaluation and Research (Pty) Ltd. (PEAR), South Africa’s first black woman-owned media monitoring company.
She started her career as a senior media analyst before branching out into social development and activism for several years. In 2014, Shanaaz was recognised as one of South Africa’s Top 100 Young South Africans by the Mail & Guardian for her ongoing contribution to civil society initiatives and environmental activism.
Shanaaz holds a BA Communications: Audio Visual Production Management and BA Communication and Media Studies from Rand Afrikaans University.
As a 40-year veteran of the video, broadcast media and media monitoring sectors, Mike has unique expertise across the value chains of broadcast media and advertising.
Mike started his career as an SABC engineer in the early 1970s and worked as an Operations Manager at Video RSA before founding his first business, the Video Lab Group, in 1981. He also founded and ran Condor Cape, which was later incorporated into Waterfront Studios in Cape Town. Having founded Media Host in 2001, Mike also acquired the sole sub-Saharan African license for Adstream, the world’s leading advertising digital asset and usage rights management, workflow, and
distribution company, in 2011.
In his role as Chief Strategy Officer, Mike continues to focus on enabling advertising and marketing industry leaders to revolutionise how they implement, track compliance and provide competitor insights for advertising campaigns for TV, print, radio and digital media.
Dr Jaco Pienaar is a knowledge management expert, thought leader and speaker with extensive expertise in the mass media analysis space.
As the former Chief Knowledge Officer of Professional Evaluation and Research (Pty) Ltd. (PEAR), Jaco was the brains behind PEAR’s analytics methodologies.
His work has supported marketing, communications and public relations efforts for leading multi-national companies, government and the country’s top educational institutions.
He holds a BA (Information Science) from Rand Afrikaans University, BA HONS (Information Science) Cum Laude from University of Johannesburg, MA (Information Science) from University of Johannesburg, and a PhD in Information and Knowledge Management, with a focus on intellectual capital, systems thinking, and mass media measurement. He is also an Advisory Board member for the Department of Information and Knowledge Management at the University of Johannesburg and a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society.
Gert Scheepers is an accomplished developer and software engineer credited with helping develop and implement key systems for Professional Evaluation and Research (Pty) Ltd. (PEAR) and other enterprises.
He initially studied electrical engineering at Technikon Pretoria, and later completed a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology Management at UNISA.
He began his career as a field technician, and later project supervisor at CEB Maintenance, entering the media monitoring field as an IT Manager at Newsclip Media Monitoring in 2006. He then worked alongside Charl Nel as they taught themselves how to develop software and built PEAR’s systems. He later went on to work as a technical consultant at Bankserv and software engineer and manager at WeBuyCars, where he developed lead management, buying, contract generation, stock control processes and software from the ground up.
Specialising in fields ranging from electronics through to analytics and AI, Charl Nel is the multi-faceted technical brain behind the technologies deployed by Professional Evaluation and Research (Pty) Ltd. (PEAR).
Charl was the Chief Information Officer of PEAR, and spearheaded the design and implementation of PEAR’s IT infrastructure. With proficiency in technical and mathematical fields and over 14 years’ experience in media monitoring processes, production and business administration, Charl initially studied electronics and began his career at Telkom, later working for a satellite GPS technology firm. He moved into media monitoring, where he met the team who would later co-found PEAR. He completed an IT degree and followed this with Post Graduate Diplomas in Data Science and in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence.
Brendon Ritchie is a technical specialist with in-depth knowledge of digital asset management, media monitoring and analysis systems. Brendon has been involved with and implemented media workflows for over 20 years, integrating developed or pre-existing products to automate and optimise print, TV, and radio industry solutions.
Brendon has a degree in communication from UNISA and embarked on computer science studies before becoming the CTO of a gaming technology-based development firm for two years and working as Technical Director for Quickcut Pre-Press Networks for 12 years. He has worked with Media Host since 2011, developing expertise across a variety of technologies and platforms.
Brendon is experienced with various software and hardware platforms both locally and
internationally, having designed and implemented advertising-related solutions in South Africa, Australia, Europe, and the United Kingdom. He has overseen the technical deployment of the Adlytics platform, marrying various technology partners and platforms with in-house systems.
As the Group Project Lead for Media Host, Jessica oversees the implementation of all strategic projects and product initiatives across the group. Before joining Media Host in 2020, she worked in various parts of the media industry, from publishing to film production, where she established herself as an accomplished project manager with an impeccable track record. Jessica holds a Bachelor of Journalism from Rhodes University and completed a course in UX design at the University of Cape Town.
Rokunda is an experienced project manager with a demonstrated history in the technology, software engineering and media industries. As the production manager for Media Host, Rokunda oversees all aspects of production and ensures services are delivered to clients on time. Rokunda holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from UNISA and a Diploma in Media Studies.
Samantha is the Operations Manager of Adstream, responsible for managing and monitoring workflow to ensure teams operate efficiently and services are delivered on time and to standard. She brings more than 10 years of experience in the media industry to Adstream. Prior to joining Adstream, she worked in various roles in the legal and financial industries.
Wayne brings more than 13 years of experience in broadcast media monitoring and data analysis to Media Host. Having joined PEAR as branch manager in 2016, he has a broad understanding of the media landscape and monitoring environment. As Broadcast Manager, he oversees the broadcast function holistically across the group to ensure that broadcast services are delivered on time.
Samantha is responsible for the Human Resources function at Media Host and ensuring that all labour practices are adhered to. With skills development a key internal value, Samantha brings her passion to the business creating a vibrant working environment for employees and promoting Media Host as a top employer within the media industry.
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