The timeless story of Disney’s The Lion King – which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year- will roar to life in Gauteng in 2024 as part of a new collaboration between National Children’s Theatre (NCT) and Disney Theatrical Group (DTG).

NCT will stage The Lion King Jr, Disney’s Junior production of the internationally celebrated musical, with a cast of 50 young people aged 13 and under. This will be the first time the Junior production, which is specially created for use in schools, is performed in South Africa.

The performance will be the culmination of NCT’s education initiative “Musical Theatre in Schools”. Inspired by Disney Musicals in Schools, which has built sustainable theatre programmes in schools throughout the US and UK for over a decade, this new programme will see facilitators from NCT and DTG work closely with five primary schools in Gauteng for three months. Together they will deliver life skills, creative curriculum and offer training and inspiration to teachers to ensure that the skills and ideas generated by the programme can be transferred to the school teams and the benefits felt for years to come.

Towards September, a selection of pupils from each of the five schools will come together to form a new youth theatre company at NCT. They will rehearse and perform The Lion King Jr which will premiere at the NCT campus in Parktown, Johannesburg in early November 2024. In addition, NCT’s young performers will learn a wide range of new theatrical skills, including mask-making and puppetry, widening their exposure to the world of musical theatre.

“South Africa lies at the heart of The Lion King, so much of director Julie Taymor’s celebrated production is influenced by music, design and culture of South African communities” comments Nancy Shakerley, Education & Audience Engagement Manager, Disney Theatrical Group. “This is a wonderful and unique opportunity partner with National Children’s Theatre to grow the reach and engagement of the arts amongst young people through this beloved story”.

“We’re over the moon to be launching The Lion King Jr program in association with Disney Theatrical Group,” says NCT Board Chair Moira Katz. It fully aligns with NCT’s mission to use theatre arts and “edutainment” programs to help develop South Africa’s next generation of leaders.”

“With the show’s African setting, there is an obvious link to our continent,” says Tamara Guhrs, NCT CEO. “South Africa is also a rich provider of the talent that gives The Lion King productions across the world their unique character. We are hopeful that this production will inspire the next generation of performers via NCT.”

“We are delighted that this exciting and impactful theatre program from Disney Theatrical Group and NCT will be entertaining South Africans in this 30^th anniversary year of The Lion King,” says Christine Service, Senior Vice President and General Manager of The Walt Disney Company Africa. “We cannot wait for audiences young and old to experience this unique, deeply locally connected iconic Disney story.”

First released in cinemas in 1994, Disney’s hit animated blockbuster The Lion King has captivated the imagination of audiences around the world for 30 years, inspiring multiple films – including Mufasa which is set for release this December – and the hit musical on which Disney’s The Lion King Jr is based. Director Julie Taymor’s award-winning stage adaptation which is celebrating 25 years in London’s West End has been seen in over 100 cities with more than 112 million people experiencing the breath-taking musical. Using spectacular masks, puppets and costumes it tells the story of Simba’s epic adventures, as he struggles with the responsibilities of adulthood and becoming king.  Both the stage adaptation and The Lion King Jr.  feature classic songs from the 1994 film such as “Hakuna Matata” and the Academy Award®-winning “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” as well as additional songs penned for the musical production.

Entrepreneurship is one of the most rewarding journeys a person can undertake, promising independence and even the potential for outsized financial returns. However, obstacles are likewise an inevitability along the way, especially as schools and universities typically don’t prepare learners well for entrepreneurship in real-world circumstances. As such, finding a suitable mentor to guide you and share the benefit of their experiences could make or break your business.

For example, when I launched my first business, a waterproofing company called Future Seal, I did so without any professional business guidance. I had the ambition and work ethic, but lacked the necessary experience. The result was that the business hit roadblock after roadblock. Cash flow issues nearly sank me, and my market timing was completely wrong.

A mentor would have been a significant asset in guiding me through those early days, and helping to avoid the mistakes that cost me time, money, and many sleepless nights.

How a mentor can help you grow as an entrepreneur

A mentor’s role is to challenge your thinking, push you out of your comfort zone, and force you to confront the hard truths about your business, using the benefits of their real-world experience and hard-fought business knowledge to provide practical advice.

Additionally, in business, your network is your net worth. The more people you know, the better your chances of growing your company, reaching more clients, and securing the best deals. The longer someone’s been involved in the business world, the bigger and more valuable their network will be – which is also where a mentor can also play a role by putting you in touch with the right people to grow your business or get it back on track.

How to find a mentor

The main reasons most people don’t have a mentor are that they don’t know any successful businesspeople, don’t know how to find them, or simply don’t know how to approach them. This said, today’s business landscape is very different from ten years ago. Most successful businesspeople are online. Many share their journeys on social media, and nearly everyone has a LinkedIn account – which offers an easy and professional platform to connect with potential mentors.

To take advantage of this trend, start building your personal brand online and on social media. It’s free and easy to do – all you need is time and something to say. Share your business-related posts on relevant entrepreneurial groups, interact with other users, and regularly comment on other people’s posts.

Once you’ve established a presence, start reaching out to businesspeople to ask if they’d be willing to mentor you. Finding a mentor living within your physical vicinity is best for developing face-to-face relationships, but even a mentor who is willing to provide guidance digitally can add enormous value to your business.

Reasons to become a mentor

Then, once you’ve eventually achieved your own success as an entrepreneur, consider paying it forward. Somewhere out there, a young entrepreneur will need your help just as much as you once did. Take everything you’ve learned from your mentors and your business dealings over the years, package it thoughtfully, and transfer that knowledge to the next generation.

Remember that mentoring can benefit you personally in a number of ways. There’s so much you can learn about business by teaching others. Plus, mentoring could also help you expand your business, as the entrepreneurs you assist today may be in a position to help you one day in return. And finally, by participating in the mentorship system, you can play a meaningful role in contributing to the economy, and strengthening your own market environment.

Under One Roof, is an entirely new concept set to solve some of the most frustrating problems encountered with other property listing websites. It introduces a homeownership resource-concentrated hub that not only presents properties for rent or sale – which uniquely also assists its clients to complete a transfer to a new owner – but also incorporates offerings that empower homeowners to make well-informed decisions about their lifestyle.

Simultaneously, Under One Roof heralds the entry of a new female real estate CEO, Lynne Krawchuk, who is set to change the traditionally heavily-male dominated property executive clique. Her decades of experience as a marketing professional give Under One Roof the edge when it comes to converting website visitors to loyal clients, putting their needs and wants ahead of merely presenting a search engine of listings.

“We are going to completely change the way properties are showcased,” says Krawchuk. “We will reveal the power of delivering an innovative property ecosystem that will optimise anyone’s property journey, be that the property practitioner or agency, the buyer, seller, or renter.”

Under One Roof is something not yet seen before on existing South African property platforms, where listings and advice remain unsupported by other digital marketing strategies, and which are not catering to the different demographic markets.

“This is likely due to complacency by the dominant few property-listing players who have amassed a following due to their monopoly. As such they have created an uneven playing field that restricts the marketing efforts of, particularly, the small-, micro-, and medium-sized property players who are further compromised by the prevailing challenge of diminishing property prices and weakened purchasing power of consumers,” says Krawchuk.

The key differentiator with Under One Roof is its functionality and pricing plan. Krawchuk explains that all users, be those buyers, sellers, renters, landlords, developers, or property practitioners, are provided with a unique login aligned to their own customised backend dashboard.

“Here they can access in-depth data relevant to individual listed properties, be that municipal charges or alternative power and water solutions. Buyers and renters will be able to download walk-through video’s and monitor listings they are interested in for an easy revisit or comparison.”

Estate agents and private listers will be able to monitor the number of visitors to their listings, update, and edit details, and can avail of either a three- or six-month subscription per listing with a unique twist. “If the property is sold before the subscription expires, the outstanding months of the package can be transferred to another property listing, provided the first property sale is proven. We can even upload listings if that is preferred, at no charge,” explains Krawchuk.

For buyers, especially those who either do not fully comprehend the property purchase journey or are frustrated by the number of steps in the process, Under One Roof offers to source bond origination, bridging finance, rate clearance certificates and assistance with the transfer. “This feature alone responds to an undeniably underserved market, more specifically first-time home buyers and millennials who prefer to engage a full-range service.”

The Under One Roof customer-centric approach is also going to present as a novelty, for while technology may be driving the platform, AI chatbots are not a feature. “Our research indicates that customers prefer having a human respond to online or email queries. We acknowledge that while today’s customers are considered as ‘smart consumers’ who may be familiar with the digital realm, chatbots have no empathy, are unable to solve critical problems, and tend to aggravate users who may have a unique request.”

As Under One Roof grows, so too will the breadth of the platform. “Beyond the necessary features, we are concentrating on targeted demographics, where demands differ in terms of cultural and locality preferences,” says Krawchuk. “For example, in the future we will be presenting neighbourhood video visits hosted by a typical resident, and guidance manuals and features that highlight lifestyle choices. Commercial and retail properties will also be introduced.

“We believe that Under One Roof is the most intelligent, powerful, transparent, and streamlined real estate game-changer since property listings went online in the late 90s,” emphasises Krawchuk. “The team at Under One Roof is intentional about manifesting change in the market by filling the gaps that have been prevalent for too long. And, while others may think we are a disruptor, we disagree! We prefer to think of ourselves as renegades by challenging the existing, staid, and unadventurous status quo.”

Accessing the vibrant individuality of the South African youth market means finding smart ways to connect with their unique, digital-savvy approach to life. According to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey, youth aged 15-24 comprise 61% of the population while 40% are aged 25-34. This demographic, according to the GenNext Youth Behaviour Report has around R120 billion in disposable income and are actively saving and investing (63%). Brands can benefit from paying attention to this tenacious audience.

Marketing teams need tools that enable them to directly reach these audiences, creating authentic experiences that build loyalty and potentially a long-term clientele in the process. Financial institutions, as one example, can create hyper-personalised and hyper-targeted campaigns to cross-sell products and services that evolve with this audience and their stage of life.

Recently, Flow Data partnered with DigsConnect to create an opportunity for brands wanting to reach this audience. DigsConnect is the largest student accommodation website on the continent, pairing up students and young adults looking for a place to stay with homeowners looking to rent out their properties on a long-term basis.

It currently has more than 170,000 student and young adult users and this alliance with Flow Data enables relevant brands to reach students and young adults with relevant marketing, based on monthly rental prices, types of student funding, university, and even stage of studies. The depth of this targeting capability allows brands to access high quality, highly engaged potential customers.

Brands can communicate and engage with this premium audience of hyper-targeted students and young adults and build meaningful experiences. Obsessed with adding value to student users and creating experiences through their platform, Flow is unlocking partnerships that provide students with access to deals and marketing opportunities that are relevant to them, all while ensuring their direct personal data is kept private and secure.

In short, this partnership gives brands an opportunity to connect meaningfully with their ideal, young audience segment and create relevant engagement through focused media spend.

Founder and CEO of DigsConnect, Greg Ramsay-Keal, says: “Working with Flow gives us the opportunity to work with exciting brands on some incredible campaigns that we believe will add value to the student experience for our users. We are proud to be affiliated with experts in the data and marketing field, Flow, in bringing this to life.”

Prioritising the use of first-party data and contextual advertising can be the difference between turning a market shift into an opportunity or succumbing to it. Innovative companies adopting these intelligent approaches to audience engagement are actively creating new narratives, increasing their return on investment and reducing wasted media spend. Engaging with audiences with agility and respect while ensuring first-party data remains clean, private, and secure, makes the future brighter for everyone.

“We have prioritised data and data-powered adtech from the outset, creating data solutions that enable brands to reach relevant audiences. Partnering with businesses like DigsConnect deepens the layers of relevant audience data we can provide, giving brands the ability to really see their audiences, and connect with them properly,” concludes Flow’s Co-Founder and Co-CEO Gil Sperling.

For more information on Flow, visit www.flowliving.com