On Cue with Kafui DEY: The clock is not your enemy

If events had hidden judges, time would be the strictest one in the room. It does not clap, it does not complain, and it does not forgive. Yet, for many beginner MCs across Africa, time is treated like a suggestion, not a rule.

You can spot the problem early. The programme says the event starts at 9:00am. The MC says, “We’ll be starting shortly.” At 9:20am. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how trust begins to leak quietly from the room.

Poor time management is the most common professional weakness I see on event stages from Accra to Cape Town. And it usually has nothing to do with bad intentions. Most beginner MCs are simply trying to be nice. Unfortunately, events are not powered by niceness; they are powered by structure.

One classic mistake is letting speakers run wild. The MC introduces a keynote speaker scheduled for 20 minutes. Forty minutes later, the speaker is still “just making one final point,” and the MC is seated, smiling bravely, wondering how things got here. What the audience sees is not a polite MC. They see a powerless one.

A professional MC understands this simple truth: controlling time is not rude; losing time is. Speakers actually appreciate clear boundaries, even when they pretend not to. The trick is to agree on time limits beforehand and enforce them gracefully on stage. A gentle stand-up. A confident walk closer. A look that says, “My friend, land this plane.”

Then there is the MC who loves the sound of their own voice. Long introductions. Extended jokes. Personal stories that were not invited. Each one sounds harmless, until lunch becomes dinner. An MC is seasoning, not the main meal. Too much, and the dish is ruined.

Humour helps, but it must serve the clock. A tight, well-timed line can reset energy without stealing minutes. Rambling kills momentum faster than a faulty microphone.

Transitions are another silent time thief. Confusion about who is next. Searching for a microphone like it is lost property. Whispered stage meetings in full view of the audience. These moments may feel small, but they add up quickly and scream “poor planning.”

In pan-African business spaces, time discipline is non-negotiable. When your audience includes CEOs, ministers, founders and investors who have another meeting in a different city or country after yours, overruns are not charming. They are costly.

Here is the good news: audiences are surprisingly understanding when delays are acknowledged honestly. A simple, confident update like “We are making a slight adjustment to keep us on track” buys goodwill instantly. Silence and denial do the opposite.

The solution for MCs is practical. Rehearse with a clock. Time your introductions. Practice cutting speakers politely. Learn the art of the elegant interruption. And remember, your job is not to fill time; it is to protect it.

The best compliment an MC can receive is not “you were funny” or “you looked sharp.” It is “that event flowed.” When the programme runs smoothly, nobody notices the clock. That is mastery.

Time is not your enemy. It is your most important co-host. Treat it with respect, and it will make you look brilliant.

And above all, stay on cue.

Kafui Dey is the author of How to MC Any Event. Contact him on 233 240 299 122 or [email protected]

The post On Cue with Kafui DEY: The clock is not your enemy appeared first on The Business & Financial Times.

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