1. July 2005
WELCOME ADDRESS AT THE OPENING OF
MOSHITO ’05 ON 20 JULY 2005 AT THE SANDTON
CONVENTION CENTRE
Friends and colleagues, senior government officials, business
leaders, ladies and gentlemen. Firstly I would like to pass an
apology on behalf of the Minister of Arts and Culture, Dr. Pallo
Jordan, who is not able to be with us this morning due to some
important prior commitments but will be with us this evening. It
was his wish to officially open this occasion at its beginning but
will do so at a special function, to which you are all invited, this
evening.
It gives me great pleasure and honour, on behalf of Moshito’s
Board of Directors, to welcome you all to this second chapter of
Moshito Music Conference and Exhibition, known as Moshito
’05. We have all been looking forward to this day with great
anticipation and some small element of trepidation as we
realised the enormity of the task of putting an event of this
nature together. We however have, over the past twelve months,
been encouraged by the overall chorus of approval from all
involved in the industry about the efficacy, appropriateness,
timeliness and the essence of the Moshito initiative. We were
further encouraged by your commendations about the standard
1

2. of Moshito ’04 as well as the recommendations for
improvements that we received.
Moshito ’05 is therefore, of necessity, an integral part in the
process of growth of this endeavour. We have big dreams about
the future but we are also aware that that future is in the making
today and over the next two days. What happens over the
remainder of this week has the potential to chart a solid way
forward or to dig trenches for a very bumpy road ahead.
Whatever the case may be we are determined that “forward we
go” and in doing so we would prefer to rather have a solid path.
In order to ensure that path, we have planned an informative but
enjoyable programme with a high calibre of speakers and
panellists. The quality of exhibition is also of the level that
should make each one with a vested interest in the South
African music industry proud. As you may have now seen form
your programmes, there is also something for the general public
on Friday. We have also sought to ensure that the hospitality
you receive is of a high standard and that there is assistance at
hand at all time for those that may need it. Our ushers and
organisers will be recognisable by their friendliness and
willingness to assist, besides their black sweaters. In short we
have ensured that Moshito ’05 is one of the best industry events
you will attend this year. Should there be hiccups, we are
2

3. confident that our able project team will be able to iron them
out.
This event however, is not about just the quality of production,
but it is essentially about the future that we are busy creating.
That future is not possible without your participation and the
continuous business activities you will be undertaking over the
other 359 days of the year. What happens over these three days
is simply to energise you, inform you and equip you for the
other 359 days in the year. We therefore invite you to take
advantage of what will be taking place, assimilate as much a
possible, build productive relationships and go out and represent
the industry well.
A special word of welcome to our guests, speakers and
delegates, from outside of South Africa. We are honoured to
have you and we look forward to sharing with you and
strengthening our ties of friendship.
I would also like to thank all those in the industry who in one
way or another have set out to make this event a reality. This has
been a collaborative effort and everyone’s role, no matter how
small or background, has been beneficial. Our sponsors and
partners – The Department of Arts and Culture, The City of
Joburg, The Southern African Music Rights Organisation
3

4. (SAMRO), the South African Recording Rights Association
Limited (SARRAL), the Musician’s Union of South Africa
(MUSA), the National Organisation for Reproduction Rights in
Music in Southern Africa Limited (NORM), the South African
Promoters Association (SAMPA), the South African Roadies
Association (SARA) and the Recording Industry of South Africa
(RISA), to all of you we take our hats off.
I welcome everyone in this place and wish you the best that this
conference, exhibition and showcase have to offer.
My task this morning is two fold. The first one was to welcome
you all. The second is to set the ball rolling for this conference
by giving you an overview of the economic benefits of the
music industry and one of the key initiatives that has been
started to realise those benefits …. {switch to slide presentation,
Moshito05welcome.pps}
4