Category: South Africa Experience

Are you playing soccer or lacrosse?

(Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)

A few weeks ago I had a virtual chat with my mentor, a CEO of a software company in Silicon Valley. Our discussion focused on competing in a complex enterprise sales cycle. After describing the challenges I was facing, he reflected and asked a simple question: Are you playing soccer or lacrosse?

Interesting.

My exposure to lacrosse is limited to its appearance on ESPN SportsCenter: Top Ten Plays. It wasn’t a sport I went out of my way to watch. And if I were to, I’d have to learn the history, techniques, and rules of the game.

My mentor could see my thoughts drifting, so he rephrased the question:

Are you trying to get your customer to buy in the way you sell, or are you trying to get your customer to buy in the way your competitors sell? In other words, are you playing soccer, or are you playing lacrosse?

My mentor and I both share a passion for soccer, as we both grew up playing and watching it religiously. He knew the analogy would resonate.

The point he was making was although the customer may be intrigued by lacrosse, it didn’t mean they wanted to play it. It could be that my competitor introduced prospects to lacrosse because they got tired of losing at soccer. By playing along or trying to get the customer to buy in the way my competitors sell, I was expending valuable resources instead of investing in my soccer game. If I continued to go down this path, it’d be a severe case of self-deceit because it’s playing a game where the opponent sets all the rules, so I was bound to lose. I had to make a change.




After some deep self-reflection, I worked with my team to refine my approach and strategy. Here are some of the steps I’m taking:

  1. Dedicating additional time to deeply understand my customer’s business outcomes by scouring through financial statements, interviews, press releases, social media, investor decks, etc.
  2. Developing a point of view from the perspective of achieving each business outcome.
  3. Validating and refining that point of view by speaking with key stakeholders within my customer’s organization, from the executive to the executive assistant.
  4. Crowdsourcing feedback and the best ideas from experts within my organization to further refine the strategy.
  5. Applying critical thinking and asking tough questions to earn trust and mutual respect in every interaction.
  6. Proactively sharing ideas to solve business challenges even if there are no complete solutions to offer…yet.

These steps are netting positive results and rekindling the customer’s passion for soccer. The customer is fortifying their defense in preparation to mount a counter attack and score some business goals.

On a side note, Real Madrid, if you’re reading this, I’m patiently waiting for that invitation to try out or a free ticket 🙂 Thanks!

Happy selling!

Stay #CustomerObsessed

What are you going to do differently?

It is inspiring to see the country come together and reflect on the challenges facing the black community and the pervasiveness of racial injustice.

We all have lives outside of work; however, as we are stuck working from home because of the pandemic, it is becoming increasingly difficult to separate life at work and life outside of work.

Now more than ever, it is crucial to speak up against injustices in our communities and our places of work even when our voice is trembling. Our collective voices can and does make a difference.

I’ve had a few colleagues at work reach out to ask how I am doing, which I’ve appreciated. My response continues to be: What are you going to do differently in light of all this?

We all know the extent of what we can do differently; I hope it’s not to remain silent and wish this all goes away so we can get back to business as usual.

#BlackLivesMatter

3 ideas to sell better while social distancing

I have been working from home since late February, which means I have had to adjust my way of selling while social distancing and observing the shelter in place order in Seattle. Below are three ideas that have worked for me as I adapt to the new normal of working from home and unable to visit clients face to face. If there are other methods or strategies you’re applying to generate positive results, please share them with me.

1/ Sell with empathy. We are in the midst of social distancing, not empathy distancing. Almost every salesperson, including me, likes to think they connect better with potential clients face to face instead of virtual. The reality is that how we show up is usually consistent regardless of the communication channel. Also, it is times like these where there is uncertainty and crisis that reveals our true self. Now more than ever, investing the time to master social and emotional skills will benefit our customers, employers, and most importantly, ourselves. According to a study by McKinsey Global Institute, one of the fastest-growing skills that employers will demand by 2030 is social and emotional skills. They define “social and emotional” skills as “soft skills,” which include: advanced communication and negotiation, empathy, the ability to learn continuously, to manage others, and to be adaptable.

So what does it mean to sell with empathy?

Selling with empathy for me means walking a mile in someone else’s shoes even if the shoes do not fit. Having empathy is not just the ability to understand the feelings of the other person; it also involves sharing the feelings. Selling with empathy is also about having compassion for these executives navigating these complex challenges. These executives are responding to this crisis with improvisations as there are no playbooks, so be patient and compassionate. Your goal should be to make a genuine connection not just a sale.  

This article by Colleen Stanley, President and Chief Selling Officer at SalesLeadership, Inc., offers practical advice on how to sell with empathy. You can also get her book, Emotional Intelligence for Sales Success.

2/ Find opportunities to help your potential client execute ideas faster. If you’re in enterprise sales, you’re probably familiar with the concept of Time To Market (TTM). It means the length of time it takes from a product being conceived until it’s available for sale. The companies that can bring the best products to market the fastest often gain the lion share of the market segment. As executives and decision-makers meet internally to explore ideas of how to navigate the challenges that this pandemic is having on their businesses, they will seek partners to help them not just go from idea to revenue, but idea to survival in the shortest time possible. Once you have developed a deep understanding of your potential client’s challenges (because you’ve mastered selling with empathy :)), you will be able to provide a valid and refreshing point of view of why you’re the right partner to execute the ideas.




3/ Insert humor. We all know the saying that laughter is the best medicine. As our potential clients deal with the pressures of today and uncertainties of tomorrow, a good laugh could be the highlight of their day. You don’t have to be a stand up comedian with a special on Netflix to make people laugh. You do need some creativity though. For example, I wore a t-shirt with my client’s logo during a video conference meeting. During my introduction, I shared that although my employer pays me, the company I really work for is my client, hence the t-shirt I was wearing. They all had a good laugh. Mission accomplished.

“You don’t stop laughing because you grow old; you grow old because you stop laughing.”—Michael Pritchard

Bonus: When it comes to staying connected, meet your customers where they are. One of my customers said their preferred method of staying connected is through Telegram, so I downloaded the app. Another said text📱 messages, so we became texting buddies. Another said Slack, so I joined their channel. Another said phone calls☎ , the other said email📧 , and her colleague said fax machine📠. Just kidding about the last one, no one uses fax machines anymore; but if they did, I’ll get a fax machine.😁 This concept of meeting your customers where they are would hold true even after things get back to normal. My recommendation is to discover your customer or potential client’s preferred method of staying connected and adapt to it.

PSA: During this pandemic, let’s all follow the recommendations of medical professionals and do our part to flatten the curve. Also, keep doctors❤ , nurses❤ , and first responders❤ in your prayers.

Happy selling, and be safe. 

Amazon Web Services is hiring sales professionals. If interested, find job postings here and send me a note. Happy to refer and coach you through the process.

Self-care could get you a hat-trick

Last week Monday, I exhausted every means possible to get a hold of a client involved in a deal I was spearheading. I emailed, called, texted, and left a voicemail, but he did not respond.

The next morning, he replied to my text apologizing for being unreachable since he was stuck in back to back meetings. He then suggested we set up a call for 5pm later that day. I asked for an earlier time in the day, but he was firm that he was only available at 5pm. This was a problem. I had a soccer game starting at 5:10pm, and knew our conversation would take at least 30 minutes. There was also a looming deadline, so it was critical we spoke soon. I had to decide whether to take the call at 5pm and risk missing the soccer game or reschedule the meeting to a different day and risk missing the deadline. Playing soccer brings me a lot of joy, and I also thrive on going above and beyond for my customers, so this was a difficult situation.  




This dilemma reminded me of a conversation I had a few weeks back with my mentor. He encouraged me to prioritize self-care as part of my daily routine to live a more balanced life. He shared that more than exercising regularly, self-care is any activity that we deliberately do to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health. According to Forbes, neglecting self-care means not knowing your worth. By making time for self-care, you “maintain a healthy relationship with yourself as it produces positive feelings and boosts your confidence and self-esteem.”

The common challenge with self-care is making adequate time for it. Tchiki Davis, Ph.D, author of Outsmart Your Smartphone, recommends twelve strategies to get started with self-care. To resolve my earlier dilemma, I relied on her “say no to others, and say yes to your self-care” strategy. Below is how she explains it:

Learning to say no is really hard; many of us feel obligated to say yes when someone asks for our time or energy. However, if you’re already stressed or overworked, saying yes to loved ones or coworkers can lead to burnout, anxiety, and irritability. It may take a little practice, but once you learn how to say no politely, you’ll start to feel more empowered, and you’ll have more time for your self-care. 

I told the client that 5pm wouldn’t work since I had a soccer game starting at 5:10pm. I suggested we reschedule for the next day, and he accepted. In parallel, I worked to ensure we had enough runway so we could still meet the deadline.

The soccer game started promptly at 5:10pm, and by the end of the first half, my team was down 1 – 4. During the half time break, I encouraged the guys by reminding them we were better than our first-half performance. All we needed was to focus on getting one goal at a time. Within the first 5 minutes of the second half, I scored our second goal, getting us to 2 – 4. We made some technical changes, which allowed our team to score three more quick goals within ten minutes, putting us ahead at 5 – 4. I then added another goal with five minutes left in the game, putting the score at 6 – 4. Our opponents got a quick break and scored a goal with two minutes left, putting the score at 6 – 5. Knowing they would increase the pressure, I reminded the guys that offense is the best defense. Since our opponents committed more of their guys to attack, it left their defense vulnerable. We took advantage, and my teammate provided a perfect through pass. I then dribbled past two defenders before hitting the ball past the goalkeeper on his left side. The score was now 7 – 5, with twenty seconds left in the game. When the referee blew his whistle to signal the end of the game, we had managed to come back from three goals down to win the game 7 – 5. I thought to myself, had I taken the call and missed out on the game, I wouldn’t have been in a position to help my team and be a part of such a memorable comeback story. 

The next day, the client asked about the soccer game, and I relived the drama all over again. Even better, we met the deadline, deepened our connection, and progressed our discussions. This experience was a reminder to prioritize self-care because it earns trust with clients and it is good for business.

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#SuperEagles




Kedu…Mr. & Mrs. Customer

A few days ago, I called my uncle who recently underwent knee surgery. Thankfully, he had good news to share. His pain had begun to subside and he was now able to move around. We prayed and laughed together, celebrating his progress. 

During our conversation, my uncle shared an Igbo proverb:

Kedu ka i mere ga-agwo oria ma gi jiri obi oma juo ya. 

Or in English – asking someone how they are doing can heal their sickness when you ask with a pure heart. 

While sales was hardly the focus of our time together, the proverb struck a chord with me. The first half of the idiom is quite intuitive; it’s the second half that I found most poignant, so I’ll focus there. 

“…when you ask with a pure heart.”

As sales executives, we are measured on the quantity and quality of our output. As such, we set our sights on delivering these outputs quarter after quarter – making more dials, qualifying more leads and closing more deals. The risk though of getting into this routine is that it’s all too easy to lose sight of the fundamental reason for all of this effort. At worse, our actions could become influenced by insincere motives, which inevitably leads to reduced customer trust and lost business. 

With a pure heart, one can climb through layers of rejection and come out unscathed. Even when dealing with what may seem to be a difficult client, a pure heart takes a long term view and eventually earns the customer’s respect and signature. Essentially, a pure heart gets rewarded over and over. It’s also difficult to “act out” having a pure heart for an extended period. In due course, the movie comes to an abrupt end. 

In my experience, asking with a pure heart means starting with the customer outcomes, not the product or the competition. If the customer doesn’t believe the intentions are genuine, then nothing else matters and your window of opportunity closes.

Executives Are People

I asked the CEO of a fast-growing startup in Silicon Valley his approach to selling to other Executives.

His response was simple: “Executives are people.”

How so?

Executives are busy.

Executives are overwhelmed with requests for their time.

Executives are under pressure to deliver results.

Executives are responsible for setting the vision and making the toughest decisions.

Knowing these truths, he approaches each interaction with an Executive with deep empathy and extensive preparation.

What does this look like?

Executives are busy and overwhelmed, so he streamlines his agenda to give them back some time.

Executives are under pressure to deliver results, so he is precise with how his solution can provide the results the Executive cares about the most.

Executives are responsible for making the toughest decisions, so he does everything in his power to show how his solution reduces risk for the Executive.

To establish credibility with the Executive, he aligns with their vision and priorities.

Speaking of priorities, how do you know the priorities that matter most?

Research.

In KPMG’s interview of over 1300 CEOs, the company identified three key priorities for CEOs in 2019: 1) Make digital a personal crusade 2) Navigate through geopolitical headwinds 3) Find the right balance between data and intuition.

PwC’s global CEO survey identified approaches to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and navigating fissures in policy frameworks as the underlying trends shaping the US CEO agenda for 2019.

Research from Workday identified six priorities CEOs care most about which are: 1) Finding growth 2) Taking on risk 3) Managing regulatory changes 4) Leveraging technology 5) Pursuing innovation 6) People and culture

Gartner also recently published their survey of 473 CEO and senior business executives. The top 11 business priorities are 1) Growth 2) IT related 3) Corporate (structural development) 4) Financial performance 5) Workforce management 6) Customer 7) Product improvements 8) Cost management 9) Efficiency and productivity 10) Innovation and 11) Risk management

While these publications are informative and help inform an approach, nothing replaces asking the Executives directly to articulate their priorities in their own words.

Anything else?

Communication style.

Tell me more.

Having the right communication style comes with experience and repetition. It’s a skill that can be developed, but it requires practice, practice, and more practice. Your choice of words matter. Your self-confidence matters. Your tone matters. Your cadence matters. Your body language matters.

Communication at its core is the successful conveying or sharing of ideas and feelings. If your ideas and feelings are not getting across then you’re not communicating.

Also, authenticity matters.

Why?

Savvy, and somewhat cynical Executives can detect inauthentic communication in less than one millisecond.

So, be yourself.

Being yourself is the foundation for building trust. And trust is the anchor for all business relationships that last for generations.

Thanks to John Aisien at BlueCedar for inspiring this article.

F.I.V.E Questions With Deon Greyling, Partner, BTS Middle East & Africa

  1. Briefly describe your background. 

I started life as the son of a policeman and a typical upbringing in South Africa – at the time the country was divided along racial lines with major divisions and inequalities. Although my father was a policeman in the old government, he taught me the value of the human being, and treating people of all walks of life with the same focus on potential rather than circumstance. I attended a local university studying B.Comm Law – a unique combination of law and commerce. I completed my LLB (Honours in Law) as well as my MBA along the way. Seeking knowledge, interacting with people and being curious about the world around me has driven my work experiences. I started out as a commercial lawyer (largely the fault of the portrayal of lawyers in a US TV Show of the mid 80’s, called LA Law). I soon realized that life was more precisely worded contracts and endless hours in courtrooms and meeting rooms. I joined BTS in 2000 and started a life of consulting. Working for BTS over the last 18 years has presented me with an amazing opportunity to work with some of the most inspiring  people (both internally as well as our clients and partners) and continually satisfy my curiosity on how the world works, how strategies are translated into reality and how great leaders inspire and motivate people to be their best.

 

  1. Flashback and then fast forward to the present, what has surprised you the most about your career trajectory and what tips do you have for other embarking on similar path?

My career trajectory had me as a managing director of a company at the age of 26 and partner in a global consulting company by 35. A couple of learning along the way:

  • People are as important as performance – care about your relationships with people as much as you care about results.
  • Never say “no” to learning opportunities that will stretch you.
  • Focus on your faith, your family and the future – having something that you deeply believe in, that drives your decision-making and value system creates stability and direction in your life, finding purpose in a cause bigger than you and your meager existence helps keep you humble and grounded in the course of life – focusing on family and the future (and not varnishing the past) helps me understand the reason and motivation for getting through the tough times, and for celebrating the small victories in life. Work and life in general would surely be of little or no value if you only lived for yourself and had no cause or direction
  • Know your values…never sacrifice or trade your values – no matter what your victory, if you have traded your values, you will always feel empty
  • Know your value – don’t settle for less than you are worth. People will pay you for the job you do – this is defined by market value for the services performed – but never let your job define your worth.

 

  1. Why is the cause you are pursuing or problem you are solving the most important for this generation?

Helping people do the best work of their lives by providing them and their organization with the required alignment, mindset and capability ultimately helps build more sustainable businesses, and a better planet. By helping leaders see the long-term impact of their decision-making, and then equipping them with the business, leadership and functional acumen to make the right decisions faster will shift not only companies, but countries and markets. The Middle East and African market contains some of the biggest differentials between the “Have’s” and the “Have nots” – reducing this differential and increasing people’s opportunity to actively and meaningfully participate in a global economy lies in developing people and companies in these markets to continue to grow in competitiveness. What we do at BTS helps accelerate this by innovating how companies and their leaders change, learn and improve.

 

  1. Why is now the right time for the world to pay attention to the Africa market?

The growth in Africa, as with many other growth markets, is not evolutionary – but rather revolutionary. The biggest misconception about growth economies is that they follow the same learning curve as more mature economies. The rate of learning in these growth economies is accelerating and tends to be more “step-changes” and skipping technology and learning curves as the global economy becomes more integrated and virtual. Companies will be able to immediately introduce new products and solutions – removing some of the barriers for smaller companies (and making markets more accessible). At the same time, Africa is an extremely entrepreneurial continent with amazing diversity of people and thinking – and the global economy now affords a more global contribution both inbound and outbound.

 

  1. What is the best piece of actionable advice you’ve received that continues to be a source of inspiration in good times and challenging times?

The best advice I have received is to focus on your passion and what ignites your soul – money, fame or other worldly achievements will follow. Do the work you love, and you will never work a day in your life.

 

Connect with Deon on LinkedIn.

Learn more about BTS.

The Most Interesting Thing About Investing in Africa

by Chuki Obiyo and Ozii ObiyoMostInterestAfrica-624x415

 

INTRODUCTION

What is the most interesting thing that you have done, seen, or heard about investing in Africa? Think about it. Better yet, this e-book gives unique insight into how others have thought about it. From executives at some of the largest companies in the world to young professionals just starting out in their new careers, the topic of investing in Africa makes for a good debate and an even better conversation.

In the course of human history, Africa has gone from the cradle of civilization to the last frontier of the global economy. Ah…Ah…Africa, the protagonist of the first and next chapter in the story of human success? To read about Africa is to learn about our shared origin, and more importantly, to decide on how we get to our shared future. Reading is an investment in time, thought, and action. This book gives you an opportunity to invest in Africa by experiencing the most interesting things others have done, seen, or heard about investing in Africa.

There are so many things to learn about investing in Africa. This book explores some of the most interesting things contributed by people from different backgrounds. Each contributor was asked to answer a series of questions about an African investment project broken down into three sections: Situation, Action, and Result. In turn, we developed our proprietary methodology to analyze each project and we refer to this methodology as the Business Idea Metric (BIM). The BIM uses a weighting scale to evaluate the labor, infrastructure, and capital requirements for an investment idea or project.

Biz-Idea-Metric-2

For the labor requirement, we look at factors such as low, medium, or high skill and assign a value of 10, 30, or 50 accordingly.

For the infrastructure requirement, we examine factors such as electricity/utilities, construction permits, property registration, transportation, and technology, and attach a value of 10 for each factor accordingly.

For the capital requirements, we consider the amount of capital needed to get the project off the ground from $0-100, $101-1000, $1001-10,000, $10,001-100,000, and over $100,000 and assign values of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 based on the given spend levels.

We have received very positive feedback on our BIM methodology and its LIC (labor, infrastructure, capital) ingredients as a unique way to not only evaluate current projects but to also help prioritize future project ideas for viability. Please see below for one of the investment projects that we profiled from our work. In this write-up, we classify each profile by the contributor’s name (so please continue to watch this space for more project profiles).

We now welcome you to enjoy the reading experience of exploring the most interesting things about investing in Africa.

★★★★★

Wasili Mfungwe, MBA
***
Wasili Mfungwe, MBA is an international market analyst and consultant with expertise in economic research, ALM, stress testing, equity research, and business intelligence.  He obtained a Bachelor’s of Social Science Degree in Economics and Sociology (Bsoc Eco) from the University of Malawi, Chancellor College and his MBA from Edinburgh Business School (Heriot-Watt University).  He has particular interest in African business development, research, and econometrics.

Investment: Restructuring a corporate loan to promote a public good
SITUATION
Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM)– the main electricity generator and distributer in Malawi had a loan with Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA) to the tune of MK3 billion (R79 million). The repayment of the loan was hampering the implementation of a program to revamp Malawi’s energy sector in order to provide more reliable electricity, create better non-outsourceable jobs, and improve the lives of everyday Malawians.

ACTION
Standard Bank Malawi Limited stepped in to restructure the loan which ESCOM owed to DBSA. The DBSA loan was secured by a zero coupon note issued by Investec in favor of ESCOM with a maturity value equal to the loan principal. Standard Bank ensured that ESCOM was able to get the highest discounted value for the note which, as part of the restructuring, was being sold before its maturity in June 2019. Standard Bank also advised ESCOM on the various structuring options and negotiated with DBSA and Investec on behalf of ESCOM, discounting the promissory note through its structured sales team and using the proceeds to partially repay the loan. Through its global markets team, Standard Bank built and remitted a total of R37.5 million on behalf of ESCOM to repay the outstanding amount of the loan. Standard Bank’s Investment Banking team structured and negotiated the prepayment with DBSA without any break costs being applied.

“Public-private partnerships should become the rule, not the exception, in delivering services.”
– Bill Clinton, 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001

Public-Private

RESULT
The transaction has helped to engineer a smooth implementation of the energy sector revamp program. In addition, Standard Bank ensured that ESCOM saved R1.5 million in interest payments per month, leading to improvements in its free cash flow position. The transaction has also helped eliminate forex and interest rate risk for ESCOM.

Investment: Restructuring a loan to a corporation to promote a public good
L = 50
I = 50
C = 50
Business Idea Metric: 150

 

We want to hear your unique story and a unique story of someone in your network. Send us a note here.

3 Months is a “Short-Long” Time

My heart is heavy with mixed emotions. I can’t believe three months have come and gone by so fast. I remember when I arrived in Joburg three months ago and thought three months was such a long time, only to get to the end and realize it’s such a short time. Basically, it’s a “short-long” time.

Deep thinking at the top of Table Mountain in Cape Town, SA
Deep thinking at the top of Table Mountain in Cape Town

Living and working in South Africa for the past three months has been one of the best experiences of my life. From meeting with senior executives at South Africa’s biggest companies, to writing case studies till the wee morning hours, to facilitating in front of some of the brightest professionals in Kenya, to tracking lion prides on safari trips, to driving along the coast in Cape Town, to petting cheetahs, to jamming house music at some of the liveliest clubs in Jozi, to dancing in restaurants in Nairobi and the beaches in Maputo…so many special memories.  This is one of those experiences that I will continue to draw inspiration from, years from now.

As I reflect on the many lasting and memorable moments, my heart is filled with joy, thanks and satisfaction. In just three months, colleagues have become close friends; handshakes have turned into strategic partnerships; ideas have turned into workshops; and ‘hellos’ have turned into ‘you will be missed dearly’.

Chilling with a Cheetah at a Farm in Pretoria
Chilling with a Cheetah at a Farm in Pretoria

Special thanks and a big HOWZIT! to the BTS Africa team, you all were integral in making this experience what it is. You welcomed me with open arms and made me feel right at home. This is not goodbye but see you all soon.

I highly encourage every young professional to do a rotation program in Africa. If the company you work for currently do not offer it, create it and volunteer to be part of the pilot program.

Next stop: Lagos, Nigeria! #lasgidi

Next next stop: San Francisco, California.

I can’t wait to reunite with family, friends, co-workers, and my one.

Dancing Down Memory Lane at Freshlyground’s Concert

Freshlyground was one of the many talented African bands that I really enjoyed sharing with the world during my college years as the host of African Extravaganza, the premier African radio show at the University of Texas at Austin, on KVRX 91.7 FM. The first song I heard from them was titled “Doo Be Doo” and I was immediately hooked to their unique sound and the lead singer’s voice. Their music is an experience that takes you on a journey from the rough streets of Soweto to the fancy orchestra halls in Cape Town. It’s very difficult to find a South African who doesn’t enjoy or can relate to their music. The reason being they bring more than great tunes to the airwaves, they also represent the evolved history of South Africa. During the South Africa 2010 world cup, they teamed up with Shakira to sing the very popular world cup theme song, “This Time for Africa“. The lead singer, Zolani, has such a unique and sophisticated voice that can quickly get you to dance without care in one minute, and in the next minute, make you cry as you slow dance with your love.

When I was getting ready to move to South Africa from the US, I made a wish list of things I would like to accomplish during my three months in Joburg (aka Johannesburg lol) and it should be of no surprise that going to a Freshlyground concert was one of the top things on the list. On August 30th 2015, I was fortunate to check it off my list.

I knew they would perform most of their newer songs. But as I waited for them to get on stage at Carnival City, I hoped they would perform “Doo Be Doo” so I could dance down memory lane. When the song finally came on, I was elated. The live performance of the song quickly turned into a party on stage as you can see from the video above. If you’re passionate about music, then you know that a true indication of a great band is their live performance. Freshlyground owned the stage and received a dancing ovation from the audience throughout their set.

IMG_3978

I highly recommend their music and if you can, go to their concerts; you will not be disappointed. Their music is available on all the popular music platforms like iTunes, Spotify and Pandora; look them up and enjoy the party.