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“Shark Tank South Africa” To Feature Ad Agency Millionaire Gil Oved

“Shark Tank South Africa” To Feature Ad Agency Millionaire Gil Oved

From Channel24.

Millionaire Gil Oved is one of the five business moguls who will be bankrolling budding entrepreneurs in M-Net’s new reality TV series, “Shark Tank South Africa.”

Oved co-founded The Creative Counsel, a South African advertising agency that was bought by French mega agency Publicis Groupe.

The South African version of the two-time Emmy award-winning U.S. TV show will premiere in October. “Shark Tank” is a reality TV series that premiered in 2009. It is based on the format of “Dragons’ Den,” which originated in Japan in 2001.

In “Shark Tank South Africa,” dreamers with big business ideas or revolutionary products have the opportunity to get funding for their enterprises. But first, they must persuade a panel of cutthroat sharks that their plan is solid and worth the investment. If more than one sharks takes the bait, it can lead to a bidding war. Then the entrepreneurs get to decide which big fish is offering the best deal.

“Who would not want to swim with a shark like Gil?” said M-Net’s Head of Publicity, Lani Lombard. “He is a well-loved and energetic serial entrepreneur who has proven that he is passionate about supporting disruptive thinkers with well-thought-out visions. Gil is a smart hustler who knows how to boost businesses in just the right way. We are honored to have him as one of our sharks.”

Gil earned two business degrees and started his business career with high school friend Ran Neu-Ner, armed with a telephone and the Yellow Pages. In 2001, they founded The Creative Counsel, and 14 years later the two-man operation had become the largest communications and advertising group in Africa. With an annual turnover of over almost $50 million, they employed over 1000 full-time workers.

These days, Gil is a board member on South Africa’s second biggest venture capital tech fund, Grotech, giving him insight into South Africa’s most exciting venture capital companies.

“Shark Tank South Africa” is not Gil’s first stint in front of TV cameras. He hosted a youth show in his teens and created his own TV production company. Viewers of M-Net’s sister channel Mzansi Magic have seen Gil help entrepreneurs break into the business world on “Dragon’s Den,” another TV show where South African entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to millionaires willing to invest their own cash.

“I want to see hunger and passion and exciting entrepreneurs focused on innovating and making a difference,” Oved said. “Respect the opportunity to present on the show, know your numbers, take the time to package your business case.”

Read more at Channel24.