The cold fronts that have been pounding Cape Town and bringing some welcome relief to the region’s dams have finally made their way up to Joburg. Temperatures have plummeted and the dress code on The Local’s smoking balcony now demands a jacket on top of the autumn jersey.
By Mark Davison
There are still some of the Villagers going around in shorts and flip-flops, but you can tell by their shivers they’re starting to regret their wardrobe choices. They won’t make the same mistake twice. Joburgers seldom do.
Geoffrey aka Scotch smiled as he placed my two amber bottles, glass and ashtray in front of me. He hesitated with the Coke and glass still on his tray. “You can put it down,” I smiled back at him, “he won’t be long.”
“The Madala is late today?” Geoffrey has witnessed the ongoing saga on timekeeping between myself and The Chunderer. He’s even been roped in to clap and sing when, on the rare occasion, I do make our meetings almost on time.
“He’s not late,” I replied. “I’m early,” as I watched The Chunderer park his car and do the “old-age shuffle” out of his vehicle. You know the one: right leg, left leg, hand on closest leverage and … heeeaaave! One of the reasons we’d never have sports cars – apart from not being able to afford them! – we’d be doing more press-ups than a Marine at Boot Camp getting in and out of them!
The Chunderer checked his watch as he sat opposite me and cracked open his drink. “I can’t believe it …,” at my punctuality. “It’s only taken 30 years!”
We laughed in unison. “Happy birthday!” I clinked glasses with him on Channelwise’s anniversary. He just shook his head. It’s been a lot longer than 30 years, our friendship, that’s just the Channelwise years. We go back way beyond that. An old, crowded newsroom in one of the big dailies; the days of M&PD with Adrian Louw and Mike McGrath when Wynberg was the hub of distribution and the channel was in its infancy; IBM’s formation of the first formal vendor channel programme – Alf Isaacs and then Jonathan Wax at the heart of it; the then-behemoth that was Siltek Distribution Dynamics (SDD), of which The Chunderer was one of the architects; and then SDD’s sudden, unexpected liquidation by its banker backers which heralded the almost-overnight foundations of the channel as we now know it. And, as an aside, my continual warnings on financial institutions (I know, G, they’re a necessary evil!) being involved in business they don’t really comprehend.
Many years … many decades.
“Lots of great memories,” I clinked The Chunderer’s soft drink again. He nodded sagely as he sometimes does.
“What are your best memories?” he asked.
“Apart from launching Channelwise?” I laughed. “And seeing off some of the competitors who vowed to put us out of business? They’re all gone now – international and local opportunists. D’you know, we actually had a rival offer to buy us, come in and do due diligence, and then launch their own publication proclaiming we’d be closed in months. That was around 1997, if memory serves … and here we are today … the only print and online publication dedicated to the channel in the country. In the region, as far as I know.
“But I digress, as is my wont,” I continued as he shook his head at my catchphrase.
“Greatest memories? Too many to mention, but … and I hope it doesn’t sound cliched … they’re all around the people I’ve met in the channel and the friendships built with them. The opportunity to travel the world with them, see them in action, asking tough questions of vendors, to watch them doing business – even over after-work drinks. That great feeling of having contributed when you’ve helped them using your own network … making introductions, suggesting new product lines, and helping them secure agencies, literally creating a reseller channel for a number of vendors, boosting careers with a Q&A or an article, and watching them succeed to where some are now. Looking back to when you first met them and seeing where they are now … and knowing you (maybe) had a little part in that.”
“Yup!” The Chunderer pursed his lips. “As they say: Never forget where you come from.”
I tilted my glass again at that.
“Speaking of never forgetting,” I said. “D’you know that the cover story of our first issue was ‘Doing business in Africa’? It’s a bit ironic that for our 30th anniversary issue, the cover story is the same topic. So maybe some in the channel remember too well where they’re from, have become a little too insular and, despite a presence and the opportunities outside our borders, are still hesitant … almost reluctant to do real business in the rest of Africa?”
“But why?” The Chunderer frowned. “The whole basis of the channel is trading … wherever and whenever you can. The pioneers of the channel – David Kan, Neil Rex, Arnold Fourie, Anthony Fitzhenry, Mark Lu and others – knew that. And knew how to do that.”
“I dunno,” I shrugged. “The changing nature of the channel? From moving tin or product to providing solutions; the investments in skills for that? The shortage of those skills – and their costs? A younger generation that are no longer traders?” I ventured. “What I do know is that there was a certain disti looking to recruit an additional five resellers in Kenya. With Channelwise being a media sponsor at Gitex Nairobi – banners, publicity, handing out magazines, promoting the website etc – we gave them a proposal thinking it would be an ideal opportunity for them. Literally a drop in the ocean that is their co-op budget. They declined the offer.”
The Chunderer, being a 50-year past-master in marketing and PR, slapped his hand against his forehead. “You would have put your proverbial on a block on signing those five resellers.” He knows me too well. I had mentioned that to the marketing exec.
“I know. Enough said,” and it was, between two genuine channel veterans who’ve seen and experienced more (a lot more, but that’s best left until over a beer or three!) than most.
The Chunderer’s pumpkin hour duly arrived and he left me alone with my thoughts.
Through three decades, Channelwise and the channel have survived through mutual support for each other – just like the pioneer traders mentioned above always did. And in the troubled times that we currently find ourselves – and that are predicted to worsen – that mutual support takes on greater significance. We’re the only remaining publication that can get your stories out to a specific, targeted channel audience; you are our sole source of revenue for this dedicated magazine and website.
Sphiwe the Flamingo brought the shot and the top-shelf whisky I had ordered. Her smile lit up the area and brightened my mood. Channelwise is actually older than she is, I mused. But I didn’t tell her that.
I tossed back the shot channel-style in celebration of all the great, cherished memories of 30 years – and the continued success of the channel … and Channelwise!
I raised the scotch in silent tribute to absent friends … never, ever forgotten … and sipped it slowly …