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The Fast Track to South African Business Success
June 27, 2025 at 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
The Fast Track to South African Business Success
Networking session and panel to capitalize on Brand South Africa’s NASCAR collaboration at Atlanta Motor Speedway
Africa’s largest economy is open for investment, tourism and trade, and the race is on to engage with the continent of the future.
Atlanta is in pole position when it comes to South Africa, thanks to shared civil-rights heritage, strong air links, university collaborations and a growing web of commercial and creative connections — all emphasized in the ongoing Atlanta Phambili initiative.
Still, for the uninitiated, South Africa may seem dauntingly distant. That’s why Brand South Africa is bringing top brands across the Atlantic for a high-octane introduction to what makes the land of braais and biltong both a captivating travel destination and an attractive commercial opportunity.
During the June 27 Focused Health 250, NASCAR XFinity Series race at Echo Park Speedway (Atlanta Motor Speedway), the yellow South Africa race car, decked out in flag colors, will showcase key players from a variety of industries, inviting potential partners from the Southeast U.S. to take a closer look at the rainbow nation.
On race day, Global Atlanta, celebrity chef and restaurateur Lorna Maseko, Team South Africa Racing and Brand South Africa are partnering to give Atlantans a taste of South African commerce and culture through a panel discussion and afternoon networking session featuring the car’s logo partners and Atlanta-based companies already on the fast-track to South African success.
Featured Car Sponsors
Brand South Africa
Official Custodian of South Africa’s Nation Brand
Brand South Africa is the official marketing agency of South Africa, with a mandate to build the country’s brand reputation, in order to improve its global competitiveness. Brand South Africa’s primary focus is to develop and implement proactive, coordinated marketing and communications reputation management strategies for South Africa. Our main objective is to market South Africa to both domestic and international audiences, positioning South Africa as a competitive investment destination, and inspiring and instilling active citizenship amongst South Africans.
Brand South Africa was established in August 2002 to help create a positive and compelling brand image for South Africa. At that time the world was unsure what to think of South Africa, with many different messages being sent by various sources. This did very little to build the country’s brand and it was evident that to attract tourism and investment there was a need to coordinate marketing initiatives to make them more effective.
This led to the creation of Brand South Africa, whose main objective is to market South Africa.
There are many benefits to having a consolidated brand image, with the most important being a consistent Brand South Africa message to create strategic advantages in terms of trade and tourism for the country in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
Superformance
Luxury Racing Replicas
Superformance LLC is a distributor for complete, “Rolling Chassis” replica and continuation race cars of the 1960’s. Superformance has distributed specially constructed cars in the United States since 1994.
As one of the first players in the industry, Superformance has over 20 independent dealerships throughout the world. We have earned our reputation with our attention to detail, quality, craftsmanship, fit, finish and customer service.
Superformance LLC has a long standing relationship and build contract with Hi-Tech Automotive who is the world’s largest specialty car production facility. Together Superformance and Hi-Tech have produced and distributed more than 4000 rolling chassis worldwide.
The Superformance rolling chassis is the most sought after continuation car in the United States and is recognized in the industry as the leader in 1960’s racing legends reproduction cars. All Superformance rolling chassis are factory built and assembled utilizing all “NEW” parts.
Meticulous attention to detail is evident throughout and is noted in the body fitment, paint and the smallest aspect of our chassis. Superformance products are aesthetically and dimensionally correct and are engineered in the image of the classic sports car of yester year.
Team South Africa Racing
Stormberg Foods
Producers & Suppliers of Superior Quality Air Dried Snacks
From its home in South Africa to the States of America, Stormberg Foods shares a passion for natural, air-dried beef snacks. Biltong, as it’s known colloquially in South Africa, is a whole food and healthy jerky alternative. Stormberg Foods uses USA beef, traditional South African flavours, all-natural ingredients and original recipes from yesteryear to manufacture high protein, zero sugar biltong snacks. The family heritage spanning five generations ensures perfected recipes. As a leading protein snack producer, Stormberg Foods uses state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities with custom-designed machinery and innovative technology. The modern food processing factory ensures consistent quality biltong supplies to co-packing and Private Label customers in America – a far cry from the original biltong production process:
hanging strips of meat on farm fences to air dry.
Additional Sponsors to be announced.
Featured Speakers
Larry Yon,
Co-Founder and President,
CyberAlliance
Larry Yon II is a globally recognized expert with nearly two decades of experience driving U.S.-Africa economic engagement. He has advised governments, multinational corporations, high-net-worth individuals, and high-growth startups ininternational market expansion, investment, trade, and digital transformation.
He is the Co-Founder and President of CyberAlliance, a 7x award-winning global cybersecurity firm, ensuring that the promise of technology is realized. Cyber Allliance’s portfolio of clients that range from the United States largest businesses to startups in South Africa. He is also the Founder of B-Direct, the firstAfrica-centric corporate board prep and placement company.
Larry serves as Chairman of Africa Diaspora Invests (ADI), a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to mobilizing U.S. investment into Africa’s startup ecosystem. ADI has hosted African delegations in the U.S., organized global investment summits, and curated immersive investor tours to South Africa. These initiatives have fostered strategic partnerships between African fund managers, U.S. investors, and international development institutions.
Furthering his influence in venture capital, Larry is a portfolio advisor with Africa’s most active VC, Launch Africa, and a Fund Advisor to Johannesburg-based Anza Capital. His work has been recognized through prestigious awards, including the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from President Joseph R. Bidenand the Cyber Newcomer of the Year Award from the Institute of Cyber Security Zimbabwe.
His deep-rooted connections in South African leadership circles include collaborations with the late Winnie Mandela and the late King Zwelithini of the Zulu nation, reinforcing his commitment to cultural and economic empowerment.
Beyond business, Larry has led philanthropic efforts to open libraries in South African townships, working alongside corporate and nonprofit partnersto expandeducation and literacy resources.
A respected thought leader and speaker, Larry’s insights have been featured in GQ South Africa, Inc. Africa, ShoppeBlack, and other major media outlets. He has spoken at numerous global conferences and podcasts, on conversations that support shared prosperity between the United States and Africa’s in a new global economy.
Karl Carter,
CEO
Snake Nation
Snake Nation is a mission driven, culture, content and technology company for Creative Rebels in film, music, art, fashion, dance and tech based in Atlanta, GA and Cape Town . We are building a platform that helps M2 (Multicultural Millennial) creators, build audience, distribute their product and monetize their work in the global creative economy.
Snake Nation is named in honor of the historically artistic and rebellious neighborhood where we are based in Atlanta. We encompass online platforms and creative spaces in global creative hot spots. Our spaces are what we call “Social Studios” co work and content creation studios developed for creative communities. We are opening Snake Nation social studios globally, with our first US location in Atlanta, GA and our international expansion planned in Cape Town, Johannesburg, South Africa and other key markets.
Alister Glen,
Regional Director of Operations
Valor Hospitality Partners
Africa, Middle East and Asia. Three vibrant and diverse regions on a journey to redefine hospitality by setting new standards of excellence. Each of the three regions have two things in common. First, each is rich in culture, history, and natural beauty. Second, each represents a significant growth opportunity for innovative hospitality solutions.
Our strategy for success, as we continue to expand our footprint in these regions, is deeply rooted in our core values: Passionate, Real, Inspiring, Dynamic, and Excellent. These values guide every decision we make and every action we take, ensuring that we consistently exceed the expectations of our guests and stakeholders.
As true Hotelitarians, our mission is to energise our teams and properties through a comprehensive approach that integrates people, product, planet, and profit. This holistic strategy not only aims to enhance our operational excellence, but also to make a positive impact on the communities we serve and the environment we cherish.
Gary Moorcroft,
CEO, Stormberg Foods
Gary Moorcroft is a fourth generation meat trader and grandson of Fenner Moorcroft, a live stock trader and later owner of the Cradock Abattoir in South Africa. At the age of 10, Gary had his first experience with air-dried meat snacks on his uncle Bill’s farm where the day’s hunt was cut into suitable pieces of meat and hung along lines spun on the sun porch behind wire netting. The cool, dry and gentle breeze of pure winter air in the Cradock area created the perfect conditions to naturally dry meat snacks.
Gary’s venture into biltong manufacturing was cemented when he purchased Stormberg Organic in 2007. Founded in 1998, the company supplied air-dried meat snacks by mail order from its first processing plant in Molteno, a small town in the North Eastern Cape of South Africa.
Today Stormberg Foods is a thriving modern business with a high tech food processing facility in the city of Goldsboro in North Carolina. From here, Stormberg supplies traditional South African biltong to the American market through its own brands, and co-packs and private labels meat snacks and pet treats for high end brands and retailers.
