South African Guest Lecturer Offers an Analytics & Career Workshop

by Liam Shaw (SMBA ‘23)

SMBA ‘23 welcomed guest speaker Mlondi Mashinini to share his insight and skill set in the field of data analytics

During the week of September 19th, SMBA ‘23 welcomed guest speaker Mlondi Mashinini to share his insight and skill set in the field of data analytics. Mr. Mashinini has founded four companies and taught classes in four different countries in his nine years in the sports analytics industry. He currently is a Managing Partner at Rumble Ventures, his own data analytics firm based in his native Cape Town, South Africa. A graduate of the Real Madrid Graduate School, Mr. Mashinini worked for Real Madrid CF after completing his MBA in Sport Management, then took a role in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs. 

Mr. Mashinini’s lecture style proved to be charismatic and inclusive, provoking a week-long conversation about the role that data analytics can play in front offices, on the pitch, and in the broader business of sport. Throughout the week, he used projects he has completed throughout his career to show the cohort real-world applications of how data analytics can be used to maximize revenue and improve an organization’s efficiency. The cohort was tasked with consulting projects using data to present their ideas on increasing ticket sales and marketing a South African rugby match. His experience as an entrepreneur and consultant shined through each lecture as he challenged each student’s critical thinking and problem-solving skills to solve problems facing South African stadiums and clubs. 

Mr. Mlondi Mashinini

“I appreciated Mlondi taking the time and effort to travel across the world to speak to us,” said SMBA ‘23 student Ryan Bunner. “I found his perspective very unique and he offered us very valuable insight regarding what we each want to pursue in our sports career.” Mr. Mashinini made himself available to the cohort before and after class each day, and his willingness to provide a helping hand to SMBA ‘23 in their prospective career paths has been greatly appreciated since his departure. His appearance in front of SMBA was a long time coming, as COVID prevented him from being able to speak to the cohort in years past. Now that the barrier has been breached, SMBA hopes to welcome him back in the near future to take advantage of his unique expertise on the role of data analytics in the sports industry, as well as his global perspective and experience.