On the 12th of September 2020, about 150 Toastmasters from Southern Africa and other regions gathered in a Zoom meeting to evaluate their return on investment, in the Toastmasters Indaba2 event.

The Toastmasters Indaba is a safe platform where members of Toastmasters gather to have frank conversations about matters or questions which are never discussed in club meetings, conferences or council meetings, due to time constraints or sometimes the sensitivity of those issues. The first installment of the Indaba was hosted on 2 November, 2019.

The current world situation, which has forced us to talk to our computer screens and cameras, made it necessary to have another tough conversation, as most members were beginning to ask if Toastmasters’ online meetings are as effective as ‘normal’ meetings?  The second discussion point was on, “How do you, as a Toastmaster extract value from the Toastmasters programs?”

The two panels, which were carefully chosen because of their rich knowledge and results they have displayed in their lives using Toastmasters, delivered valuable insights and left the audience inspired. It was clear that Toastmasters International offers skills that set you apart, but you need to trust your training to see results in your life.