{{Short description|South African businessman (1974–2019)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}} {{Use South African English|date=January 2013}} {{Infobox person | name = Matthew Buckland | image = Matthew buckland destiny2.jpg | caption = Matthew Buckland | birth_name = Matthew James Buckland | birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1974|8|22}} | birth_place = South Africa | death_date = {{death date and age|2019|04|23|df=yes|1974|8|22}} | education = Rhodes University | occupation = Internet entrepreneur | boards = Silicon Cape Initiative<br />Creative Commons<br />[http://www.iabsa.net OPA/DMMA/iAB]<br />Cognition | title = Founder and MD of Creative Spark | term = 2010–2019 | awards = [http://issuu.com/fastcompanysa/docs/fc_july_2015_issue_8_ Selected Fast Company Magazine's Most Creative People in Business] (2015), [http://www.bizcommunity.com/Event/196/11/32131.html Destiny Magazine: Power of 40: 40 entrepreneurs under 40 (2011)], Top 100 "South Africa’s most influential media and advertising people" by The Annual (2009) | website = [http://www.creativespark.co.za Company website]<br />[http://www.memeburn.com Memeburn.com/Burn Media]<br />[http://www.matthewbuckland.com Personal weblog] | father = Andrew Buckland | children = 2 | spouse = }}

'''Matthew Buckland''' (22 August 1974 – 23 April 2019)<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kekana |first1=Mashadi |title=Digital pioneer Matthew Buckland dies |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2019-04-23-digital-pioneer-matthew-buckland-dies |website=Mail & Guardian Online |date=23 April 2019 |accessdate=23 April 2019}}</ref> was a South African Internet entrepreneur and businessman who founded and exited<ref>[http://www.marklives.com/2018/04/buckland-exits-creative-spark-mc-saatchi-group/''Buckland exits Creative Spark, M&C Saatchi Group'']</ref> a digital agency and publisher Creative Spark, acquired in 2015 by UK firm ''M&C Saatchi PLC'' ({{LSE|SAA}}), the holding group of M&C Saatchi.<ref>[http://www.fin24.com/Tech/News/mc-saatchi-acquires-sas-creative-spark-20151127''M&C Saatchi acquires SA’s Creative Spark (Fin24.com)'']</ref><ref>[http://www.itweb.co.za/?id=148141:Saatchi-acquires-Memeburn-publisher''Saatchi acquires Memeburn publisher (ItWeb)'']</ref><ref>[http://www.moneyweb.co.za/news/companies-and-deals/creative-spark-sold-to-mc-saatchi/''Creative Spark sold to M&C Saatchi (Moneyweb)'']</ref><ref>[http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/16/137846.html''BREAKING: Creative Spark acquired by M&C Saatchi PLC (Bizcommunity.com)'']</ref><ref>[http://www.marklives.com/2015/11/interview-matthew-buckland-on-mc-saatchicreative-spark-deal/''Interview: Matthew Buckland on M&C Saatchi/Creative Spark deal (Marklives)'']</ref><ref>[http://www.htxt.co.za/2015/11/27/mc-saatchi-acquires-majority-stake-in-digital-agency-creative-spark/ ''M&C SAATCHI ACQUIRES MAJORITY STAKE IN DIGITAL AGENCY CREATIVE SPARK (HTXT)'']</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://mcsaatchi.com/news/2015/mc-saatchi-acquires-creative-spark-south-africa |title=Saatchi Acquires Creative Spark in South Africa (M&C Saatchi) |access-date=29 November 2015 |archive-date=25 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190425162110/http://mcsaatchi.com/news/2015/mc-saatchi-acquires-creative-spark-south-africa |url-status=dead }}</ref> Buckland was also the founder of Burn Media, a suite of technology publishing brands which includes Memeburn, Ventureburn.com, Gearburn.com and others.

Buckland previously headed the online division of the ''Mail & Guardian'', thereafter he started 20fourlabs at Naspers' news24.com,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.itweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10034|title=Matthew on the move|last=Waal|first=Mandy de|work=ITWeb Technology News|access-date=2018-01-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://mg.co.za/article/2009-06-12-300-young-south-africans-technology-continued|title=300 Young South Africans: Technology (Part 2)|author=Staff Reporter|work=The M&G Online|access-date=2018-01-11|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://mybroadband.co.za/news/business/17575-sa-online-professionals-do-their-own-thing.html|title=SA online professionals do their own thing|access-date=2018-01-11|language=en-US}}</ref> the largest South African online news publisher, owned by Naspers.<ref>[http://mybroadband.co.za/news/internet/127946-south-africas-biggest-websites-3.html''South Africa’s biggest websites'']</ref> While at the ''Mail & Guardian'' Buckland founded Thought Leader.

In 2015 he was selected as a "Master of Digital", sitting down with actor Idris Elba for a "Q&A Session".<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CH5Zg6T4miY''The Oude Meester Tour, Day 2 – Cape Town'']</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://entertainment.iafrica.com/news/971390.html |title=Elba tours SA for Oude Meester |access-date=29 November 2015 |archive-date=8 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208153735/http://entertainment.iafrica.com/news/971390.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Buckland lived in Cape Town with his wife and two daughters.

== Early life == Buckland studied journalism at Rhodes University in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.<ref>[http://www.poynter.org/author/mattattakk/ Matthew Buckland, Poynter.(Retrieved 16 January 2012)]</ref> He worked in London for the BBC's then-commercial web arm, beeb.com as a developer, and then a web development producer.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.news24.com/SciTech/Tech4Africa/Speakers/Matthew-Buckland-20100803|title=BIO: Matthew Buckland|work=News24|access-date=2018-01-11}}</ref> He then later worked as the Internet editor for the prime-time TV show, Carte Blanche, before becoming Managing Director of Mail & Guardian's online division. He was the eldest son of Andrew Buckland and Janet Buckland, a prominent South African acting family.<ref>[http://www.bdlive.co.za/articles/2010/12/07/on-the-stage---andrew-buckland''On the stage – ANDREW BUCKLAND, BDFM, 2010'']</ref><ref>[http://www.iol.co.za/tonight/news/local/buckland-s-got-a-play-date-with-obsession-1.1836759#.VlsMoHYrJZk''Buckland's got a play date with obsession, IOL, 2015'']</ref><ref>[https://www.capetown.gov.za/en/smartcape/Peopleofnote/pages/smartcapestd.aspx?pid=701''People of note – Women of Inspiration – Community Buckland Janet'']</ref><ref>[http://mg.co.za/article/2010-06-14-200-young-south-africans-arts-and-culture''200 Young South Africans: Arts and Culture'']</ref>

== Entrepreneurship == Buckland co-founded Amatomu in 2007, and in 2010, Creative Spark<ref>[http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/16/45272.html''Matthew Buckland to pursue creative spark'']</ref> and Burn Media, which he funded himself after being unable to raise venture capital for it.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://mg.co.za/multimedia/2015-01-27-extraordinary-life-elon-musk|title=Extraordinary life: Elon Musk|website=The M&G Online|date=27 January 2015|language=en|access-date=2018-01-11}}</ref> Five years later, in 2015, he sold a majority share in his company to the FTSE-listed agency, M&C Saatchi.<ref>[http://memeburn.com/2015/11/breaking-mc-saatchi-plc-acquires-independent-digital-player-creative-spark/''Breaking: M&C Saatchi PLC acquires independent digital player Creative Spark'']</ref> The deal included the sale of both the digital agency and the publishing arm, which owns titles such as Memeburn and Ventureburn.<ref>[http://www.techcentral.co.za/creative-spark-sold-to-mc-saatchi/61639/''Creative Spark sold to M&C Saatchi'']</ref> He later retook control of the publishing arm when exiting his former company in 2018.<ref>[http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/23/178048.html''Burn Media to embark on aggressive growth after deal to go solo – Buckland'']</ref> [http://www.ventureburn.com Ventureburn] is a site that reports on the startup, entrepreneur and investor ecosystems in South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria.

He was the Master of Ceremonies<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://matthewbuckland.com/?p=1024|title=Enter the Silicon Cape {{!}} Matthew Buckland|website=matthewbuckland.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-01-11}}</ref> at the Silicon Cape Initiative launch event and was elected to its inaugural board. The Silicon Cape Initiative is a South African-based organization which aims to turn the Western Cape into a high-tech startup hub. Buckland credits this organisation for inspiring him to move out of the corporate world into entrepreneurship.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-09-30 |title=The unwavering persistence of entrepreneurs |url=https://ventureburn.com/2013/09/the-unwavering-persistence-of-entrepreneurs/ |access-date=2024-09-23 |website=Ventureburn |language=en-ZA}}</ref>

In 2012, Buckland was recognised in the Power of 40: 40 Entrepreneurs Under 40 "Doing Interesting Things"<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.destinyconnect.com/2012/10/12/valuable-lessons-from-a-chicken-entrepreneur-2012-10-12/|title=Valuable lessons from a "chicken" entrepreneur {{!}} DESTINY Magazine|date=2012-10-12|work=DESTINY Magazine|access-date=2018-01-11|language=en-GB}}</ref>

In 2013 and 2014, he was a member of the Cape Town chapter of the Entrepreneurs Organisation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ventureburn.com/2013/09/the-unwavering-persistence-of-entrepreneurs/ |title=The unwavering persistence of entrepreneurs {{!}} ventureburn |website=ventureburn.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130930140022/http://ventureburn.com/2013/09/the-unwavering-persistence-of-entrepreneurs/ |archive-date=2013-09-30}}''Ventureburn.com'' </ref><ref>[http://blog.eonetwork.org/tag/matthew-buckland/''High Octane, EO Blog'']</ref>

== Awards == Buckland’s industry accolades include: * [http://issuu.com/fastcompanysa/docs/fc_july_2015_issue_8_ Selected in Fast Company Magazine's Most Creative People in Business, 2015] * [http://entertainment.iafrica.com/news/971390.html Selected as an "Oude Meeste Master of digital", sitting down for an onscreen discussion with well-known actor Idris Elba, 2015] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208153735/http://entertainment.iafrica.com/news/971390.html |date=8 December 2015 }} * [http://socialmediaweek.org/johannesburg/events/ventureburn-startup-battle-powered-ford/ Startup judge/Dragon at Social Media Week: Johannesburg] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208165845/http://socialmediaweek.org/johannesburg/events/ventureburn-startup-battle-powered-ford/ |date=8 December 2015 }} * [https://thenextweb.com/africa/2012/09/08/pashash-wins-startup-world-cape-town/ NextWeb Startup World – Cape Town – Startup Judge] * Standard Bank Sikuvile journalism awards – Judge * [http://www.bizcommunity.com/Event/196/11/32131.html Listed in Destiny Magazine: Power of 40: 40 entrepreneurs under 40 doing interesting things] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208065515/http://www.bizcommunity.com/Event/196/11/32131.html |date=8 December 2015 }} * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_gXq_SYWAc Selected for the Old Mutual "Do Great Things" Entrepreneur guide] * [http://www.itweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=28788 Afridoctor app wins Nokia's Africa-wide innovators competition (Prize of US$80 000)] * Named in top 100 of "South Africa's most influential media and advertising people" by The Annual * [http://mg.co.za/article/2009-06-12-300-young-south-africans-technology-continued Named as one of "300 Young South Africans you should take out to lunch" by the Mail & Guardian Newspaper] * [http://www.mediaupdate.co.za/media/20756/ten-of-the-best-with-matthew-buckland Named an upcoming New Media "Mogul" by FHM magazine & nominated for the 2009 Men's Health "Best Man" awards]

== Death == Buckland died in April 2019 of cancer. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/condolences-pour-in-for-digital-pioneer-matthew-buckland-20190423 |title=Condolences pour in for digital pioneer Matthew Buckland |date=2019-04-23 |website=News24 |language=en |access-date=2019-04-24}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.matthewbuckland.com Matthew Buckland’s personal weblog] * [http://www.creativespark.co.za Creative Spark’s official web site] * [http://www.memeburn.com Memeburn] * [http://www.ventureburn.com Ventureburn] * [http://www.gearburn.com Gearburn]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Buckland, Matthew}} Category:South African businesspeople Category:1974 births Category:2019 deaths Category:Alumni of Greenside High School Category:Rhodes University alumni Category:Technology company founders Category:Place of death missing Category:South African chief executives Category:Chief executives in technology Category:South African company founders Category:South African male journalists Category:White South African people Category:Deaths from cancer in South Africa