Q&A: Gurus give inside track

Advertising guru Reg Lascaris ( Lessons from the Boot of a Car ) and business specialist Victor Kgomoeswana ( Africa Is Open For Business ) will appear on a panel at 10am at the Kingsmead Book Fair in Johannesburg on May 24 to talk about how they achieved their success.

Why do you share your secrets to success?

Reg Lascaris: I thought it would be a good thing to share with young entrepreneurs who are trying to make it in business. Also I thought I'd share my experiences with people in the advertising and marketing industry.

Victor Kgomoeswana: Sharing is the only way human beings can learn from each other, contribute towards the growth of others and show real gratitude for what we have been given.

What is the key ingredient of success?

RL: There is no one key ingredient, but passion for what you do is near the top of the list.

VK: Sincerity, faith and focus. Hard work and the pursuit of one's goals is not possible without firm belief.

Which book changed your life? What lesson did you learn from it?

RL: I think Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People is a totally underrated book. It had a huge influence on me when I read it many years ago. Also, the biography of Winston Churchill.

VK: Many books changed my life, but of relevance to my African business experience is Kwame Nkrumah's Neo-Colonialism. After reading it, I started taking my role in advancing the cause of Africa's economic renaissance more seriously.

• The Kingsmead Book Fair takes place on May 24. See kingsmead.co.za/bookfair

Ticket Giveaway

We have 100 tickets to give away for the Kingsmead Book Fair. Tell us when the book fair takes place and you could win one of 10 pairs of tickets for one of these five events:

11.15am: Deon Meyer chats to Michelle Magwood from the Sunday Times.

1.45pm: 'Hot Crimes, Hard Science' with David Klatzow and Alex Eliseev.

1.45pm: Justin Cartwright discusses 'Lion Heart' with author Craig Higginson.

5pm: 'High Roads and Low Road's with Tony Leon, Alex Boraine, Sipho Hlongwane and Richard Calland.

8pm: Pieter Dirk-Uys in concert.

Send your answer, the event you'd like to attend, your name, address and contact details to tellus@thetimes.co.za with Kingsmead in the subject line. Competition closes on May 20.