Alan Knott-Craig’s Second is Nothing Launched in Johannesburg

October 15th, 2009 by Rene

The Launch for Alan Knott-Craig’s Second is Nothing at Exclusive Books Hyde Park was a lively event complete with Moet, sushi and a guestlist – which included two former Miss South Africas – fit for a book that is primarily a story of success.

Knott-Craig, former CEO of Vodacom, was commissioned, post-retirement, by Pan Macmillan’s Terry Morris to write a book about his life and work for the cellular company that changed the face of communication in Africa. He worked closely with co-author Eunice Afonso; together, they created a biography that traces his life from a challenging childhood in Oudtshoorn to his journey with a seedling project with 40 employees that is now the 13th most valuable company in SA, worth 80 billion rand.

Ravi Naidoo, founder of Design Indaba and MD of Interactive Africa spoke highly of Knott-Craig, saying, “His word is better rated than a treasury, he would do a deal on a handshake and give you security of tenure.”

Naidoo told guests that Knott-Craig was a “detail maverick” who used a “strategy of taking a helicopter view of a company, seeing anything that could go wrong.” He spoke about how Knott-Craig “cherry picked amazing entrepreneurs [many of whom he saw in the front row at the launch] who all became external engines of growth for Vodacom. Alan constantly acknowledges and celebrates success.”

“Everything that he does is about innovation. Vodacom is not about being the biggest but being the best. He taught me an invaluable lesson in business: Lead with passion and money will take care of itself.”

Knott-Craig then took the mic and began, “I Left Vodacom at a great time, before it was listed, I never had to worry about share price, I have never owned shares in the company.” Money has never been his main motivation; paradoxically now he is paid more not to work than when he was working, just so he wont go work for anybody else!

Alec Hogg, business and financial journalist and broadcaster, and founder of Moneyweb, spoke about how Knott-Craig’s rendition of a near death experience, as described in the book, gave him the courage to deal with the recent death of his 21 year old son. The book is “a riveting read,” he said.

Knott-Craig said, “I wanted to write an easy to read book, I wanted it to be short and not serious, I wanted people who were aspiring to get ahead to understand how I had in the end, at the age of 57. achieved my dream. It is not something that just happens, it takes tenacity, it take patience and hard work. It becomes your whole life if you’re lucky.”

Gallery of guests