Belongs to these categories:
Videos
Stephen McGown is from Johannesburg, South Africa. He obtained his degree in Finance and worked in some of the large South African banks. In order to expand his career, Stephen went across to the UK and worked in London for 7 years.
While in London, Stephen met his wife, Catherine, who shared the same desire to return to South Africa; start a family and manage his family’s farming business.
It was this farming business that inspired a passion for the outdoors and planted the seed in Stephen for adventure from a young age.
At the age of 11 he learnt to ride a small motorcycle on the farm. The freedom he felt from riding in the eastern Free State, near Lesotho, ignited his desire to ride a motorcycle through Africa, with home being the final destination.
An unexpected turn of events crushed his life long dream. En route home, Stephen was abducted by Al Qaeda and held hostage in Mali for almost 6 years.
Stephen McGown was kidnapped from Timbuktu, along with a Dutch and Swedish national on 25 November 2011.
He was 36 at the time of the kidnapping.
During Stephen McGown abduction, he was kept far from civilisation, deep in the Sahara, away from the searching eyes of French surveillance planes and drones. He was allowed limited communication with his family in the first six months of his captivity.
However, when the French Military Forces arrived in Mali, this ceased altogether. Stephen was cut off from all familiar ways of life.
Living outdoors in harsh conditions meant that he had to acquire a variety of new skills including how to protect himself from the elements as well as how to communicate across language and cultural boundaries.
But most of all he learnt how to stay alive; remain positive and be present when everything was stacked against him.
Uncertain as to whether he would ever be released or die in the expanse of the Sahara, he made a decision to not let his situation get the better of him. He decided to rather hold onto hope and take control of his attitude.
Companies that connected with Stephen
Stephen has spoken to a range of corporates at team building events, conferences, town halls, as well as to fund managers, small businesses, schools, forums and at fundraising events within South Africa and Internationally.
Some of these organisations include: KPMG, Deloitte, Discovery, Spar, Shoprite Checkers, ABSA, RMB, iTOO Insurance, Exxaro, Van Loverens Wine Farm, Bidvest, Wilderness Safaris, St Mary’s High School for Girls, Kingsmead High School, St Stithians College, St John’s College, The Entrepreneur’s Organisation and The Highveld Forum.
Stephen’s talk is a story about resilience and overcoming adversity amidst harsh weather conditions, a different culture, language and religion.
He talks about making important decisions, about the importance of acceptance and communication. Stephen McGown shares a concept that Freedom is an attitude.
Contact Us at WeSpeak Global and follow us on Twitter
For Meeting Planners
This PowerPoint slide above is designed for meeting planners.
Register for FREE and simply click the URL link for automatic download of the PPTX slide.
We have created a simple “ABOUT” single slide which you can instantly insert into your pitch deck when submitting speaker proposals.
Features:
Author Books | Magazine Covers
The ability to motivate and guide individuals and organizations towards their fullest potential is a rare gift, and Steve Barnett, known as “The Silent Conductor,” is a master in this realm. With a unique approach to motivational speaking, he has made a profound impact on countless lives. Core Principles of Motivational Mastery Steve Barnett’s unique […]
As an inspirational speaker Peter van Kets shares the hard lessons he’s learnt during his expeditions through a series of powerful keynotes as well as team and leadership interventions.
Dr. Justin Cohen is an esteemed bestselling author and globally renowned speaker, acclaimed for his profound insights into human transformation. With a rich background in personal development, he has hosted numerous television shows and earned induction into the prestigious Speaker Hall of Fame. Armed with a doctorate in human transformation from Middlesex University, London, Dr. […]
Richard Wright is not just a survivor; he is a testament to the indomitable human spirit. Having faced brain cancer four times, his journey is one of unparalleled resilience, grit, and determination. Richard’s story is not only about overcoming life’s most daunting challenges but also about emerging stronger and more purposeful. As a motivational speaker, […]
Rob Caskie is a renowned storyteller and public speaker who captivates audiences with his engaging narratives, particularly focusing on stories of leadership and adversity. His ability to inspire and educate through storytelling has made him a sought-after speaker for a wide range of events and audiences. Let’s delve deeper into the fascinating world of Rob […]
Rusty Labuschagne is a motivational speaker on the professional circuit. One is immediately struck by his sincerity and humility as he delivers a dramatic account of his transformational experience. Rusty has been through a trauma few have experienced. In 2003, the successful Zimbabwean businessman, who ran a safari outfit, flew his own aircraft, and had […]
Zanele Njapha, known to her esteemed clients as ‘The UnLearning Lady,’ stands as the vanguard in advocating for the transformative power of unlearning principles. With an illustrious career spanning various industries, Zanele has become the go-to authority for esteemed corporations such as Visa, Philip Morris, Deloitte, Discovery, and Volkswagen, guiding them with unparalleled expertise into […]
Lee Roebeck is an abundance coach and one of South Africa’s best-trained speakers. He travelled to Boston in the USA, to receive his training at “The Harvard of Professional Speaking Schools” – The Bill Gove Speech Workshop. Lee is also a graduate of the Dale Carnegie Course for Effective Communication where he received the Award […]
These remain the property of its owner and are not affiliated with or endorsed by WeSpeak Global.
We are actively working to have our profiles current with Keynote Speech titles, and Summaries.
Some Speakers do not have a set title or summary for their topic lists. Instead they customize for each. Other speakers only do moderated conversations.
If you do not see content here, please contact us.
We also have ample information off line that we can share as some do not want to have visible profiles and as such these are hidden pages.
Or in the event we do not have the information, we can contact the speaker to provide and share.
Our Mission
© All rights reserved 2025. Created using VOXEL THEME
