Simon Dingle

Izimvo has the great pleasure of introducing technology journalist, writer, broadcaster and professional speaker, Simon Dingle.

Simon, who writes for Finweek magazine and contributes to Fin24.com, also presents shows on Talk Radio 702 and hosts the weekly ZA Tech Show Podcast.

Website: http://www.simon.co.za
ZA Tech Podcast: http://zatech.co.za
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/simondingle
Mahalo: http://www.mahalo.com/simon-dingle
Location: Johannesburg

Simon was kind enough to answer the following questions for us:

Personal

Q: The all important personal profile. How would a close friend introduce you at a social event? i.e. Name, age, company, interesting fact etc.

A: “I can’t remember who this is, but I like his t-shirt.”

Q: Tell us something that not many others know about you. This could be anything from a phobia to your favorite movie.

A: I’m rubbish at hacky sack. And I couldn’t possibly pick a favourite movie, but something by Wes Anderson would be right up there. I have no real phobias, but hippies do worry me intensely. If I was capable of studying I would go back to varsity and sign up for quantum mechanics.

Q: What do you enjoy doing when you want to get away from it all?

A: I really like my jobs and so I don’t really view life and work in a modular way. It’s just one big mash of awesomeness. Every day is part work, part holiday and all rad. I spend most of what some people would regard as ‘free’ time with my two sons who are 1 and 4 and very busy. I love console gaming, tai chi – although it has been two years since I last attended a class, single malt whisky, travel, inspiring conversations, writing, listening to audio books in traffic and I occasionally pine for my days in the music business, but that’s another story.

Q: How would you describe your dream home and where in South Africa would you like it to be?

A: My goal is to have a few houses in choice locations around Mzansi. We’ve just moved into a new home in Johannesburg that is great. I would also like a large apartment in Bantry Bay, a cottage on the beach on the KZN south coast and a lodge in Limpopo. I don’t ask for much.

This question was proudly sponsored by Private Property:

Journalism in South Africa

Q: Do you think that our tertiary education system is keeping up with the rapid changes in journalism?

A: I honestly have no context from which to answer that question. I don’t have much experience with tertiary education. At least not recently. I have worked with some sharp interns this year, from a variety of institutions, but I believe that you define your own capabilities. Formal education is just an accessory.

Q: You host the weekly South African technology podcast, ZA Tech Show. Can you tell us a little about the show and how it started?

A: It started as an idea of a good friend of mine and fellow tech journalist Brett Haggard. He was instrumental in getting the whole thing going. We used to listen to international technology-related podcasts and felt that there was scope for something that focused on the local scene and offered tech-related discussions relevant to South Africans. So Brett called up Duncan McLeod, Ben Kelly and Jon Tullett. We lured them to our offices with beer. And the rest is history. To some.

Q: What are your thoughts on the recent news that Rupert Murdoch’s online newspapers will be implementing measures to block Google in an attempt to get readers to pay for content?

A: I think that Murdoch is hoping that by pushing an extreme view on content provisioning he will manage to forge an exclusive arrangement with Google. If he is successful it will also set a precedent for how “professional” news outfits engage with search providers and aggregation services in the future.

At face value his rantings are shortsighted and the only outcome of playing hardball with Google will be his publications falling by the wayside of the information super highway. He doesn’t seem to grasp the dynamics of our information economy and where the value of content lies. I think he should call me and pay me a couple of million dollars to sort it out for him. I have time Rupert. Seriously.

Q: If you were to pick a single technology story of 2009, which would it be?

A: That’s a tall order. I could pick the reduction of mobile interconnect rates, undersea cable Seacom’s landing, MTN and Bharti agreeing not to do anything together, Apple’s market-beating results or Icasa and Vodafone duking it out in court. There were many big stories this year, but I could sum it up as, ‘things happening in telecommunications in South Africa. And quickly.’.

Q: Who have you most enjoyed interviewing and do you ever get nervous before an interview?

A: Again, I couldn’t pick just one. I’ve spent an hour interviewing podcasting god Leo Laporte over Skype, had coffee with science fiction writer and open content activist Cory Doctorow in Croatia and interviewed Creative Commons founder Larry Lessig and the father of Wikipedia Jimmy Wales in Cape Town.

I’ve spoken to most CEOs of listed tech companies in South Africa and recently met some remarkable technology professionals in China, not long after interviewing Nokia’s Kai Öistämö in Stuttgart.

I also have a long list of musicians and other artists I’ve interviewed, including hanging out with Nelly Furtado for an afternoon in 2001 and chatting to Will Smith when he visited Johannesburg in 2004.

I don’t get nervous before interviews – they are an integral part of what I do and something I thoroughly enjoy.

Life in South Africa

Q: Have you or any of your immediate family been affected by crime? If yes, has it changed your perception of the country and the way you and your family live your lives?

A: Yes, yes and no. Crime is scary, especially the resentment-based violence we see in South Africa. But the truth is that crime happens everywhere, on varying scales, and intelligent people are careful all over the world. More so in Africa.

Q: Have you ever considered emigration? If yes, where do you think you would emigrate to?

A: I consider myself to be a global citizen, even if my South African passport somewhat limits the reach of that statement. I spend much of my time traveling internationally, but South Africa is home. If I had to live anywhere else it would be the USA. Probably on the west coast. I also wouldn’t mind spending more time in China, Japan and some other places. But I wouldn’t live there. And I can’t think of anything that would make me live in the UK, Europe or Australia. Bleh.

Q: If you were given the opportunity of interviewing the president, what would be your first question?

A: I would switch off all recording equipment, put down my pen and ask him what really happened with the arms scandal. There are greater forces at play in politics and economics in South Africa than what are immediately apparent. As former head of intelligence for the ANC, JZ knows all about them.

Q: To which three attractions would you first take an international visitor?

A: If we were confined to Johannesburg then Maropeng (The Cradle of Human Kind), Constitution Hill, Newtown for dinner and Soweto for drinks. And then out on the town. Sorry – I know you said “three” but I can’t help myself. If I could zip them around nationally then I can think of at least 20 places that are must-sees, including the Northern Cape, Limpopo, the Waterburg, Cape Point, Table Mountain, the Union Buildings, the Apartheid Museum and many more. We have a vast and diverse country.

Life in Johannesburg

Q: What do you enjoy most about living in Johannesburg?

A: The weather, the people, the hustle and bustle. Johannesburg is big and colourful and unassuming at first take. The city has so much to offer once you scratch below its surface, including art galleries, monuments and some of the best restaurants on the globe. This city stands up to the best in the world. I know, because I’ve seen many of them.

Q: Who makes the best coffee in Johannesburg?

A: I do.

Q: Favorite restaurant for dinner with a group of friends?

A: I really enjoy Casalinga, Orient, Kong Roast, The Meat Company and Longmeadow Restaurant and Piano Lounge, amongst others. I can’t pick one as favorite.

General

Q: The ZA Tech Show podcast features the panel’s weekly picks / pick-ons. What would your pick of 2009 be?

A: If I had to pick just one it would be the iPhone 3GS for its all-round awesomeness. But I would also assign honorable mention to indy adventure game Machinarium, Nokia’s Linux-powered N900, the ultra affordable Blackberry 8520 that takes smartphones to a wider market, and Twitter, which was around before but was defined in 2009.

Q: Favorite South African brand?

A: Cadac. They make really good braais. You can’t fuck with that.

Q: Where would you like to wake up tomorrow?

A: In my bed in Johannesburg next to my beautiful wife and with our two boys.

Q: If you had to pick one South African as a mentor, who would it be and why?

Q: This will potentially come across as cheesy – but I treat most of the people I meet as having something to teach me. Most of the “famous” people I’ve met aren’t that interesting or inspiring, they merely have jobs that place them in the public eye. The wisest among us are often the most unassuming.

Q: Who would you most like to read about on Izimvo?

A: Someone I’ve never heard of before. I like meeting new people.

A massive thank you to Simon for taking the time to answer our questions.

Reminder to download our Izimvo iPhone application in the Apple iTunes App Store. Have access to South Africa’s most inspirational right in your pocket. iTunes Link.