The Real Network Gareth Cliff on...

Gareth Cliff on...

Gareth Cliff is known for his well-articulated and strong opinions about politics and current affairs. Hear them in his own voice here.
Weekly English South Africa Society & Culture · News
50 Episodes
24 – 44

Gareth's Blog: An apology for Tito

Imagine being the responsible parent in a family where the other parent has spent every cent, saved nothing, borrowed against the house, taken on mountains of credit card debt and siphoned off whatever cash could be found to their lover and their children. That’s what Tito Mboweni has to manage…
28 Feb 2020 2 min

Gareth's Blog: 2020 Vision

Are you ready for the best decade in humanity’s history? No matter how much the news media, politicians, celebrities and climate change activists tell you we’re about to enter the gates of hell, we’re not. Things are pretty fantastic for humans…
21 Jan 2020 2 min

Gareth's Blog: The End is Nigh

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been called an optimist. I think the people who called me that didn’t mean it as a compliment. Throughout human history, the cynics, stoics and mystics had more respect than the optimists - but it turns out that history is on the…
13 Dec 2019 3 min

Gareth's Blog: New York, New Media

Siya Sangweni (CliffCentral Brand Manager), Rina Broomberg (CliffCentral co-founder) and I were in New York last week for a series of meetings, a conference and some interesting experiences in the world of podcasting. It’s always reassuring to hear other people’s stories of pioneering their businesses and ideas in new media…
28 Oct 2019 2 min

Gareth's Blog: Communities: Real & Digital

People abuse the term ‘community’. A community is defined as “a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.” It doesn’t mean the million things politicians want it to. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram talk about their community – but we’re certainly not in…
19 Sep 2019 2 min

Gareth's Blog: Advertising is Alive!

Turns out we’re not just vapid and superficial. Turns out we want more than 280 characters. Turns out we like complex stories with lots of characters and plot lines. Turns out we like interviews where people talk about philosophy, life and meaning. Turns out we’re smarter than the media people…
22 Aug 2019 2 min

Gareth's Blog: Changing Behaviour

I remember the school run fondly. My mom would load me, my brother, and sister into the car and take us on the 30-minute drive to school. The journey had a familiar routine - passing by the same places, chatting and laughing. Someone else was always in the car though…
18 Jul 2019 2 min

The Power of Podcasting with Gareth Cliff, Timothy Maurice & Ernest North

Online media was in its infancy in South Africa when we made the giant leap from terrestrial radio to start CliffCentral.com. Podcasting was almost unknown in South Africa and the naysayers predicted failure. Now, five years later, podcasting is the fastest growing medium in America (70% growth year-on-year for the…
24 Jun 2019 32 min

Gareth’s Blog: The Importance of Imagination

There aren’t a lot of ways we can still exercise our imaginations. So much of it is done for us now… great TV series like Game Of Thrones or movies like Lord Of The Rings do most of the imagining for us. People don’t read fiction like they used to…
23 May 2019 3 min

Gareth’s Blog: What’s next?

CliffCentral.com turned five on May 1st, a milestone for a small start-up that is now the leading podcaster in Africa. It’s amazing how quickly we incorporate new habits into our lives…
2 May 2019 2 min

Gareth's Blog: Podcasting by Numbers

How do you measure podcast audiences? The existing metrics don’t make sense. Soon we'll be sharing some powerful thoughts and insights on why podcasting is different, and it won’t just be me talking - it will involve both actuarial and behavioural science. Before we go down another new road, and…
25 Apr 2019 4 min

Gareth's Blog: Change my Mind

Should you vote? The truth is, I don’t know. That might sound surprising coming from someone who has always been a vocal supporter of democracy - so much so that for the last four elections I carried on like an unpaid employee of the Independent Electoral Commission, on radio, TV…
10 Apr 2019 2 min

Gareth's Blog: Milestones

They used to say that all roads led to Rome, but in the ancient world, you only knew how far you’d gone down the Appian Way out of Rome by checking the milestones - and venturing very far into hostile, uncivilised or unexplored territory was for madmen and exiles only…
28 Mar 2019 1 min

Gareth's Blog: Know Thy Audience

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: Everyone is now in the media business. Every business is now by default a content creator and every business also has an audience - clients, customers, suppliers, international partners and their competitors. The content you serve them can be specific, targeted…
14 Feb 2019 1 min

Gareth's Blog: Helping you to Understand Cancer

Imagine leaving your doctor after receiving the dreaded news that you have cancer. The sinking feeling, the anxiety, the loneliness of that moment. If it hasn’t happened to you, then chances are that it has happened to someone you know and love. Some people don’t have to imagine. It’s gut-wrenching, terrifying,…
7 Feb 2019 1 min

Gareth's Blog: Power to Podcasting!

Facebook just launched their first ever original podcast – Three and A Half Degrees – and if there was ever a moment podcasting became totally mainstream, this is it.
23 Jan 2019 3 min

Gareth's Blog: Adult Education

Nobody has time. Everyone you speak to is so busy - they’re busy at work, being parents, building their brand, changing the world and taking pictures of their food. The pressure is relentless. Most of us acknowledge that we have to eat right, do some exercise and keep up with…
13 Sep 2018 3 min

Gareth's Blog: Can everyone have their own podcast?

An ex-radio DJ once said disparagingly to someone I know that "everyone and their dog has a podcast". I don’t think it was meant as a positive comment but that is what is so exciting about podcasting. Like social media, podcasting has opened up opportunities to interact and engage directly…
1 Aug 2018 2 min

Gareth's Blog: Priorities

In a world of constant and unrelenting media bombardment, our brains have to become really adept at prioritising, ranking and recognising the most important messaging. Every day, as close to you as your mobile screen, you’re faced with a stream of never-ending social media, pictures, video, branding, advertising, marketing, noise,…
11 Jul 2018 5 min

Gareth's Blog: An antidote to madness

The social media world is fast, complex and unforgiving. Many brands find themselves targeted, maligned and sometimes unwittingly embroiled in controversies which seem, at the time, damaging and unfair – and which can have dire consequences…
22 Jun 2018 3 min
24 – 44