The CMO Corner: Recent Episodes
Thabani Khumalo
On the CMO corner, Thabani Khumalo (CM SA) chats to some of the best Chief Marketing Officers (CMO's) and Marketing Executives that are leading your favourite brands on topics around brand building, lessons learnt on their journey and what the future of marketing probably looks like
On this episode, I chat to Sibu Mabena, the Founder and Chief Creative Officer at Duma Collective, a Creative Communications Agency based in Johannesburg South Africa. We opened up the curtain to what the world of a communication agency really looks like, we touched on the difficulties of setting it up, how agencies can position themselves to be better and some of the work that Duma Collective has been a part of. At the core of Sibu's being is imparting her knowledge to other creatives as the soleand founding member of Duma Collective. Duma is a thriving creative enterprise servicing a variety of clients, ranging from FMCG brands, energy and technology, enterprise development, financial services to government departments. The company’s client base includes multinational brands such as the MultiChoice Group including DStv, ShowMax and SuperSport, Engen, FNB, Heineken South Africa, Chivas Whisky in South Africa, Cameroon and Nigeria, and Puma just to name a few. By providing services such as Brand Strategy and execution, Public Relations, Social Media Management, Influencer Campaigns, Event Management, and Talent procurement for their clients, through Duma Collective, Sibu Mabena has created an oasis for African talent to flourish.
My guest is Nkgabiseng Motau, Chief Creative Office at Think Creative Africa and its co-founder. Motau has worked on local and global campaigns for some of the world's most loved brands at the helm of Africa’s top multinational agencies, Nkgabiseng Motau co-founded Think Creative Africa where she is currently Chief Creative Officer.
Think is a through-the-line creative agency that combines truly African creativity and data-led insights to generate ideas that solve business problems and impact society.
With over a decade of experience in the communications industry, Nkgabiseng has collected many creative accolades including a gold Pendoring Award for the branding design of the Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital in Johannesburg and a Gold Loerie Award in the category of Effective Creativity on behalf of Coca-Cola. During her time working on the Coca-Cola account, she created one of the only campaigns to come out of Africa and be adopted in over 95 countries around the world.
Under her creative leadership at Think, the agency has worked in service of bluechip companies such as Multichoice, Vodacom and Metropolitan Life to name a few. Nkgabiseng is a member of the Creative Circle SA EXCO Board and has served as a juror for organizations such as ADC, One Show, Ad Stars and Cannes Lions. Locally, she has been a recurring judge for Loeries, Pendorings, Creative Circle, Cannes Young Lions and is a member of the ABInbev Braintrust.
Possibly one of the most decorated marketers. My next guest on the CMO Corner Shorts edition brought to you by the IMC (Integrated Marketing Council) is Zayd Abrahams - Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer at Tiger Brands - The biggest South African and African FMCG company. I got to engaged with Zayd on client/agency relationship at the back of his panel discussion on the very same topic. Take some time to hear his thoughts on how agencies and clients can better partner
Nick Law is the Global Creative Chairperson for Accenture Song. He joined me for 20 mins to discuss where we are in terms of AI in our space and he shared a snippet of his 7 creative principles. Nick states "It is our responsibility to stop thinking about technology as anything other than a medium that makes us more creative and not less.” Nick, who has recently laid out his “Seven Principals of Creativity”, shares his insights at the Nedbank IMC Conference on what industry captains should embrace over the next decade, to ensure they keep up with ever-evolving business landscapes. Nick encourages a dynamic approach, stressing that adapting to new technologies, adopting creativity, and welcoming collaboration, are key to success.This episode is brought to you by The Integrated Marketing Council (IMC)
My guest is Xolisa Dyeshana, Chief Creative Officer and partner at Joe Public United and has been an invaluable part of the independent agency group’s growth story, having begun his journey with the agency as far back as 2006.He contributes a wealth of experience gained over 19 years, working on iconic brands like Mercedes-Benz, Nike, Nedbank, Dialdirect, P&G, Renault, Chicken Licken, UberEats, Converse, Distell, Momentum, Santam, Elizabeth Arden and Toyota.Xolisa’s passion lies in the world of creativity. To this end, he has actively contributed to the industry as Chairperson of The Creative Circle, the highest decision-making body for advertising creativity in South Africa and served as Chairman of the Loeries (2012–2014), South Africa’s premier advertising awards show. He also strives to give a voice to African creativity on the global stage, having served on the juries of almost every renowned advertising award show across the world. Most recently, he was a member of the international board of the One Show – the premier advertising show in the United States.
His passion for creative excellence is also evident in the numerous awards won throughout his career at both local and international awards festivals, including Cannes, D&AD, One Show, Loeries and more – earning him recognition as South Africa’s joint No. 1 creative leader in 2018 and number 2 in 2020 and 2021. Last year, Xolisa was recognized as one of Adweek’s Creative 100 – an annual global honour that has become one of the most respected accomplishments in the creative industry.Xolisa has been part of many industry initiatives aimed at helping young people from underprivileged backgrounds gain access to the industry – actively engaging a new generation of creative minds in finding new solutions for a better South Africa.
My guest today is Andisa Ntsubane, a Chartered Marketer CM (SA) and certified Customer Experience Professional FCXP (CX-I). Ntsubane is the Managing Executive for Brand, Marketing and Communications for Africa at Vodacom Group. Andisa Ntsubane was nominated by 100 Global Chief Marketing Officers and Growth Leaders as the Institute for Real Growth (IRG) 100, Global Humanized Growth Champion for 2021 and was also announced by Marketing Edge as the 2021 Africa Marketing Leader of the Year.
Vuyo is the youngest CMO to grace the CMO Corner over the past 2 seasons. Now that is no small feat!
Vuyo is a seasoned business leader with over 13 years of experience in marketing having worked locally and globally. She has worked in consumer goods and recently entered the restaurant hospitality business with Spur Corp. She loves inspiring teams and creating collaborative environments to deliver business results. She has led brands like Knorrox, Robertsons, Rajah locally and she has worked on Unilever’s largest food brand, Knorr in the United Kingdom driving innovation and breakthrough communication development.
In 2020 she was selected to be a Dalai Lama Fellow; joining a selected cohort of emerging social innovators and change makers. She is passionate about women empowerment and nurturing women leaders of the future. She was involved in the DreamGirls Academy, providing mentorship opportunities to young girls from underprivileged communities. She was recognized as a Positive Role Model in the Western Cape and the Joint Winner of the accolade for South Africa at the 10th Gender Mainstream Awards 2022.
Her purpose is to activate unimaginable transformation. She strives to leave people, places, and organisations better than how she finds them.
In the corner on this episode is Qhawekazi Mdikane, a seasoned marketer, brand strategist and PR and social media maestro, who carries 18 years of marketing skills and experience. She leads brand teams and partner agencies that build some of the most iconic local and global brands in the South African market. Her dedication, quality of skill, leadership and creative mindset has placed her at the helm of Momentum Corporate as the Chief Marketing Officer. She has a strong and keen eye for finding intersections that create unexpected, relevant, and bottom-driven strategies in marketing making her a sought after thinker in the industry. Her knowledge, aptitudes and skills towards marketing and communications are spread across an array of expertise which she gained in her various roles within the marketing discipline: insight management, innovations, strategic communications, brand building, risk, reputational management and leadership to name but a few. Notably, Qhawe, as she is affectionately known, is celebrated in the industry for some of the most iconic and biggest marketing campaigns: Introducing South Africans to their first and now widely enjoyed flavoured beer Flying Fish during her time as Marketing Manager at South African Breweries, launching to market the biggest hip hop asset in African pop culture – Castle Lite Unlocks and leading the social media and public relations team as the culture champion on the legendary KFC Proposal, a viral campaign that won the hearts of South Africans and the world in 2019, creating positive sentiment and over 100 million rands worth of earned media coverage. Qhawe’s achievements to date have not gone unnoticed, she is a recipient of several awards in the industry. Having bagged the SABRE award - Food and Beverage, New Generation Social Media & Digital award – a gold for Most Viral Campaign and a gold for Best Community Engagement Award, a silver for Best Low Budget Campaign, a silver for Best Social Media Reach from an event for KFC Proposal and AMASA award for delivering a breakthrough KFC T20 Cricket Campaign, a Marketing Excellence Award for the Flying Fish Launch and a Gold PRISM Award for Castle Lite Unlocks. This nonconformist, uber-thinker and dynamite of a leader takes pride in opening the door and keeping it open for upcoming marketers and colleagues within the industry. Powered by her motto, “life is tricky baby, stay in your magic”, Qhawe applies this in her everyday life to keep her head up. Her magic outside her career is in her active life as a runner, photography, and family life. In all her power is also a mother to her daughter, Khanya and wife to her entrepreneur husband Sakhe Mdikane.
Thabani Khumalo chats to Carel Nolte the Chief Marketing Officer at Purple Group, which owns the likes of Easy Equities, Easy Properties and Easy Crypto just to name a few. The group has made investments accessible and are set to reach 1 million users soon in less than 10 years of being in the market. Carel leads all branding, marketing and communications for the total group and its subsidiaries.
Born and raised in Soweto, Thulani Sibeko is an enthusiastic, collaborative, optimistic and assertive marketer and business leader. Since graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Accounting Major) in 1992, Thulani has held different marketing roles in different industries and companies over the past 25 years, including Gillette, Polaroid, Procter & Gamble, Vodacom, Hollard and Nedbank.
After serving as the Group Executive for Marketing, Communication, and Corporate Affairs at Nedbank for 6 years, Thulani joined the Standard Bank Group in January 2018, as the Head of Marketing and Communication for the Group. Since January 2021, Thulani has been the Chief Brand and Marketing Officer of the Standard Bank Group, leading the marketing and communication functions across 20 countries. He is a member of the Standard Bank Group Leadership Council (GLC).
Qualifications:
Master in Business Administration (Henley)
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (California State University, Sacramento)
Graduate Certificate in Business Studies (Harvard Extension School)
Sydney Mbhele is a chartered marketer (SA) with a proven track record in building brands and markets. His experience stretches Financial Services (Banking, Insurance, and Investments), Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), and Telecoms. He has worked in Marketing, Communications, Sales, Corporate Affairs and led major brands for organisations that include the likes Unilever (local & Global roles in London), SABMiller Nedbank, Liberty, and Cell C. Sydney is currently the Group Executive: Brand at Sanlam Group (a member of Group Exco), and Chairman & board member of the Marketing Association of South Africa. Sydney is also the co-founder and Chairman of Mentor A Boy Child (a non-profit organisation) focusing on helping young boys become better men for society.
My guest, Mzamo Masito is the chief marketing officer for Google Africa. His role entails bringing to life Google’s mission to organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and be helpful, useful for every African, so that Google’s users and partners can grow in Africa.
I spoke to the CMO for Nando's, the South African fast food chain that specialises in flame-grilled peri-peri style chicken. Founded in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1987, Nando's operates over 1,200 outlets in 35 countries. We spoke about all things creativity, what makes him and his team tick and the changes the marketing industry needs as he sits in the Marketing Association of South Africa's board.
Doug Place is the Chief Marketing Officer of Nando’s Africa, Middle East, and South Asia.
Prior to Nando’s Doug held the position of Marketing Executive of Ster-Kinekor Theatres. Before joining Ster-Kinekor, Doug worked at Cadbury South Africa.
He has received more than 100 international and national marketing and advertising awards including 3 Loeries Grand Prix awards. Most recently Nando’s won the Marketing Organisation of the Year award at the annual Marketing Achievement Awards where he was also a finalist for Marketer of the Year.
Doug is a Wits graduate and holds a B.Com B.Com Honours Degree (cum laude), and was the top graduate student in both Marketing and across all disciplines in the business school. He is also a registered Chartered Marketer (CMSA), sits on the Professional Designations Board (PDB) and is a board member of MASA.
Khensani Nobanda is the Group Executive for Marketing and Corporate Affairs at Nedbank. Her marketing career spans 18 years, working across a number of local and multinational organisations. Her first marketing role was at Unilever where she started as the Rama Assistant Brand Manager. Kensi’s Unilever career culminated in her running the Skin Category for Unilever in Africa, Middle East and Turkey, based in Dubai. She has also worked at Diageo, South African Breweries and Vodacom where she was before she joined Nedbank in September 2017. Kensi is passionate about brands, especially brands that are purpose led.
On S1 E2 of the CMO corner. I chatted with a good friend/brother/mentor of mine. He is the perfect guest as we celebrate Africa Month in May. Everything he does is centered around Africa. Having been to all 55 countries in the Africa. Thebe is the founder of Brand Leadership Group which is a marketing group that has shaped brands like PRASA, Transnet, UNISA and many more SOEs. He has been recognized by New African Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential Africans. He founded Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands, the only pan-African research and ranking of brands in Africa, to promote excellence in building brands in Africa. He is the founder and Principal of Africa Brand Leadership Academy (ABLA) which empowers and inspires Africa-focused global brand leadership. With a corporate career that started at Colgate Palmolive in New York and concluded as chief marketing officer for NIKE for Africa, he won over 75 awards in branding and marketing communication globally.
I wanted to chat about the future of marketing, and there is no better way than to chat to Musa Kalenga, Chief Future Officer at the Brave Group and the CEO of BridgeLabs. We touched on his entrepreneurial journey, the switch to being corporate head, ditching all of it to go back into entrepreneurship, the future of marketing with all the shifts we see and how brands and marketers can start showing value through the humanization of brands. Have a listen
Do you want to come into a world of intimate and real conversations to learn from some of the leading current and former Chief Marketing Officers and Marketing Executives? Well, this is the podcast for you! Join Thabani Khumalo (CM SA) as he picks their brains on brands, their marketing journey and more