Pat on Brand Podcast: Recent Episodes

Pat on Brands Podcast

The purpose of the Pat on Brands Podcast is to answer burning questions about marketing and entrepreneurship.

On the 42nd episode of the Pat On Brands Podcast, Pat & Mpumi sit down with Marketing extraordinaire Mr. Mosala Philips, who has close to 20 years experience within the marketing industry. Having first approached P&G for an Assistant Brand Manager position, with an Electrical Engineering qualification & no experience in Marketing, He now holds a position as the role of Chief Marketing Officer at Old Mutual.He speaks on the journey that leads to his Engineering qualification. A series of opportunities to represent his region, Motlana & Soweto - Funda Centre & the University of Pretoria in primary school. He shares fond and pivotal moments and extend gratitude to his then educator who helped pave his journey.Having the inclination for numbers, the natural progression in university would be a numbers course and Engineering was the best option! He later ventured into a Finance qualification which led him to his first marketing at P&G. He didn’t know what marketing was until his role at P&G commenced. He has been on that path since, which has paved a great path for him with opportunities to work outside of the country. He also gives some business expansion learnings and along his travels. The episode ends with a fun series of branding questions. How well do you know your brands, let us know in the comment section below. This episode is proudly brought to you by Lerato Agency & Lenala Nail Studio@pob_podcast @lenalanailstudio @patonbrands

This week, Pat and Mpumi share the latest from the Super Bowl, how valuable a platform it is for marketers and Rihanna’s surprise announcement there. They then touch on the latest news about brands, such as Burger King, and unpack their latest promise to the consumer. The first ever Advertising Week Africa is happening this week and Pat and Mpumi try to understand the impact it will have on the continent and the industry. Lastly, a much-needed candid conversation, about the state of the state brands that is South Africa and how it is not being looked after, is then had. The recent gunning down of AKA can be a representation of how things in South Africa are just going downhill, and the lawlessness is getting out of hand.

For this episode, Pat and Mpumi sit down with Nthabiseng Matshekga, the Executive Head of Group Marketing at Nedbank. We kickstart this episode with our Brand News segment – we touch on SABC’s streaming platform, a new entrant in this fast-growing industry. Second to that, we discuss one of the agile large corporates, Checkers. We looked at their print media advert that was published in the UK and Australia and how it kicked up dust with its boldness and unpacked what the campaign aimed to achieve.

The dialogue then dives into Nthabiseng’s journey as an accomplished marketer who first started in the Economics and Statistics industry. Out of curiosity of human behaviour and thinking she ventured into the marketing industry and transform the landscape.

Pat and Mpumi get to learn of more about the guests’ notable wins - she was involved in the calorie conversion programme, which changed the way the communities looked at the food and nutrients that pets need. It was shown to these communities how cost-effective buying pet food would be instead of just feeding them left overs.

For this week’s episode, Pat and Mpumi sit down and dive into the PR world with Njongo Mato, a specialist in Public Relations. The conversation goes deep into some of the inner workings of the industry.

The first aspect discussed is the meaning of PR. Thereafter, our hosts and guest touch on how the younger generation thinks achieving success is easy and that it can be attained by skipping steps. It seems as though the upcoming youngsters don’t care about their craft.

To close off the discussion, they touch on working with social media influencers and question whether brands that invest in them are actually getting any value in return for that investment. Since prices are seemingly freely decided by the influencer themselves, the question of whether the industry should be somewhat regulated rises. There is much more to uncover in this episode.

In this candid conversation, our hosts Pat and Mpumi begin by highlighting how they have hit the ground running, already striving to complete their goals for 2023. The conversation then presents some intriguing questions and discussions.

The first question raised is, “Are we our ancestors wildest dreams”? (referring to the Generation joy campaign). In answering the question, Mpumi touches on how her grandfather almost envies how lucky Mpumi’s generation is to have all the opportunities and success that were not available to his. The two then go on to discuss the rationale behind the wording in it and consider how a differently a message can be taken from place to place.

With the collaboration between Nike and Netflix, our hosts discuss the genius in timing of the collaboration. This is especially in the South African context. Pat mentions that with loadshedding affecting every aspect of our lives, this allows the consumer some freedom in enabling them to exercise while at home with downloaded episodes. Other effects of loadshedding are chewed over, giving perspective on how that one problem has a ripple effect.

Pat concludes the discussion with an interesting question, “How will AI affect the marketing industry and its jobs”? Realising how fast the technology is improving, he explains how people must be better than the machine to not get replaced by it. Mpumi responds by pointing out that humans are built to adapt, so we can adapt to this too. There is way more to unpack in this episode

In this episode, our hosts begin by reflecting on their holidays. Then, to kick off this new chapter in conversations around marketing, Pat Mahlangu and Mpumi Satsha look forward to the upcoming marketing trends for 2023.

The first trend the hosts touch on is the investing of brands in the metaverse. Since VR has become widely popular, the gigantic social media company Facebook decided to be a trailblazer and create their own virtual world. Before you knew it, global superstars jumped on it and companies had bought land in that world. It seems like that trend of investing time and resources into this platform will likely continue.

Employee Advocacy is now a big factor in the marketing strategy of big brands. As Pat mentions, the companies have realised this element is important because its where the customer gets in contact with your brand. That means that if people who are part of your business don’t spread good word of mouth about it, then you are quite likely to lose a large part of your customer base.

Mpumi touches on one of the most fascinating aspects of the influencer marketing strategy: how businesses are now looking at micro influencers to help their brand, as well as becoming smarter and more strategic with the influencer approach. It is also worth noting how Mpumi predicted the rise of nano-influencers. For any new trends or news in marketing, you can always be sure that the POB podcast has got you.

It is often said that one’s younger days are a time for learning, starting from the bottom and building the foundation for the rest of their life. The guest for this week took that message to heart and absolutely ran with it, aiming to build more than just a foundation, but a legacy.

In this week’s epidsode, Pat Mahlangu and Mpumi Satsha are joined by Marko stavrou, who began his entrepreneurial career at the tender age of 13 when he started selling sneakers. The conversation revolved mainly around navigating the business world as a young business owner, his inspiring story behind choosing to go into business and his success. The now 18-year-old fourth generation Cypriot is a full-fledged entrepreneur who runs a consulting company called Stavrou Consulting and another called Hustlers Global. Another amazing achievement Marko has under his belt is how he ran his own podcast in his early teen years and even got it to top 10 on apple podcasts.

The young entrepreneur felt that when he entered the business world as a young business owner, that he was isolated and inadequate. That led to spending endless amounts of resources on courses and coaches while trying to learn how to build a sustainable and successful business. Hustlers Global was built to solve this problem when it was founded, with the aim of helping Gen Z small-scale business owners to be able to scale their businesses and to be part of one of the largest Gen Z business communities in the World. The content from the platform has already reached over 30 countries around the world.

Both the younger and older generations will get to learn from this episode as the young entrepreneur highlights the important foundation of starting a business, such as having a unique skill you can offer and a network of people one can work with to begin with. Answering a great question from Pat, Marko talks about his experiences with speaking with actual billionaires (even American ones) and what he saw was common between them. An incredibly insightful episode.

The curtain is fast closing on 2022 and rather than just carrying on with business as usual, reflection is a key tool to use at this time, especially as an entrepreneur. This is the core of the conversation that our hosts Pat Mahlangu and Mpumi Satsha engage in for this week’s episode, a sincere and open dialogue where they look back on their past year and reflect profoundly.

The first element is a much needed one when reflecting, which is the biggest lessons that the two pioneers have learnt throughout their 2022. Pat highlights how he has learnt that you create your own luck at times by acting on your burning desires and not just sitting around waiting for things to happen. Another lesson close to his heart was how he learnt that no matter how many people stay with you in your business journey or leave, the show must go on. Mpumi adds to the conversation with a lesson that everyone can relate to, she has learnt how to be comfortable in her own skin. The CEO of Lenala Beauty also learnt that since she is about to leave her 20s, her period of constant learning is coming to an end. She will now have maturity to handle the adversity of the business world.

The discussion becomes filled with heart as they speak about their lows too, with Mpumi opening up about how she felt a failure as she hadn’t achieved what she wanted to in a position she held. A little bit of light then shines through as its highlighted that losses and lows come with the package, but in the long run they can be blessings.

The dialogue then goes a positive note: their highlights for 2022. Both have extremely exciting announcements that must be heard. Pat speaks on something beautiful, how the YOBAs were an incredible achievement that touched both his aunt and uncle, and other business too. It really affirmed his vision was valid.

To close off, our hosts speak on their futures and that of their brands, with Lenala Beauty’s ultimate direction being highlighted. There is more to learn from this episode of reflection. It could be the beginning of a series of many more like it.

On this episode Pat and Mpumi catch up with Nandi Jiyane, community builder and founder of the award-winning Women Leaders South Africa - a movement for high impact women to connect, inspire and empower each other. Nandi has always been an enthusiast of building women of substance and believes in challenging the status quo when it comes to women's rights and their place in our society.

Highlighting women's month and what it means to be a woman in South Africa in this episode you will learn:

The importance of having a mentor as a young professional
How to penetrate the NPO space as a young person in South Africa
Safety tips for women
How to be intentional in everything you do
How your small business can contribute back to the community through CSI initiatives

Check out this episode and others on Apple Podcasts, Spotify , Soundcloud and YouTube.

Links mentioned in this episode

Women Leaders South Africa – Empowering Women through leadership and mentorship (womenleaderssa.com)

YOBA Winners - Pat on Brands

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On this episode Pat and Mpumi answer the burning question 'How is ABSA reigniting lives?' with the Head of Strategic Marketing for ABSA, Vongani Mageza. They dive into how ABSA's Rediscovering Real campaign has the potential to change people's lives.

Many small businesses often overlook the importance of building strong relationships with their customers in order to grow their businesses and increase sales. Communication is key when it comes to building relationships and as a small business investing in your customer relationship is even more important.

A good customer relationship translates into a good customer experience.

In this week's episode, @pat_mahlangu and @mpumi_satsha are joined by Zakithi Mncwango - Marketing Manager for PepsiCo: Snacks(Nik Naks), to help answer the burning question, how can small businesses build relationships with customers?

Zakithi Mncwango is an accomplished marketing, digital communications, brand development executive, and speaker. She has worked on some of the world's most celebrated, recognized & honoured cosmetics and FMCG consumer brands.

Having applied herself in the studies of Economics, Statistics, and Management, she has anchored this knowledge to her passion for building brands, “telling thestory”, and articulating the tangible value that brands can deliver to the everyday lives of all consumers. Her insatiable desire for creative thought leadership and excellence is supported by recognition throughout her career. She takes a people and passion-first view of the world.

A source of constant reference in her desire to “make it mean something”, is the deep commitment to constant learning – always being in beta: relentlessly

Just a day before commemorating the June 16 Soweto Students Uprising. Pat on Brands, a digital media platform that is always on the Pulse with Brands, announced the winners of its inaugural awards initiative – Top 16 Youth-Owned Brands Awards (YOBA) brought to you by Sakhumnotho Group Holdings.

The main aim of YOBA is to recognise the excellence, innovation, and hard work of South African youth-owned brands across 16 categories. The honors were revealed and celebrated on the 15th of June 2022 under the theme ‘Real Recognises Real’ at The Capital: On the Park in Sandton.

More than 500 entrepreneurs, marketers, academics, and celebrities gathered at The Capital: On the Park hotel in Sandton to celebrate and support South African youth-owned brands. 15 Brands walked away with a trophy and Tshepo Jean had the honor to win the "Overal Top Brand" Category sponsored by Sakhumnotho Group Holdings (SGH).

In this week's episode, @pat_mahlangu and mpumi_satsha share some highlights about the inaugural top 16 Youth-Owned Brands Awards ceremony that was held on the 15th of June 2022 at the Capital: on the Park Hotel in Sandton.

On the 1st of April 2022, Pat on Brands launched its inaugural Top 16 Youth-Owned Brands Awards (YOBA), an initiative aimed at giving recognition to brands that are owned and run by the youth in South Africa. Just two months after the launch, Pat on Brands announced Sakhumnotho Group Holdings as the headline sponsor for the top 16 YOBA, and going forward the YOBA was brought to you by Sakhumnotho Group Holdings.

To celebrate youth month, we reflect back on the fragility and strength that the youth have in driving economic growth.

In this week's episode, @pat_mahlangu and mpumi_satsha are joined by Mosa Ntwampe - Group Head: Marketing & Communications at Sakhumnotho Group Holdings, to help answer the burning question, Why is it so important for the youth to be given the support they need in order to succeed?

Mosa is a Brand & Communications strategist with 9 years in the marketing industry. Though it doesn’t seem like much, Mosa’s passion and work ethic has catapulted his career astronomically in less than a decade. As a young and passionate marketer, he has worked with various brands in his career from state-owned entities, regulatory bodies, educational institutions, financial services as well as FMCG

Living by the mantra “I Change Lives for A Living”, he is a public speaker that is well known to captivate his audience while delivering in a passionate & flamboyant way. His recent career growth achievements include being appointed the Group Head: Marketing & Corporate Communications for Sakhumnotho Group Holdings and all its sub-entities.

Many small business owners are not legal experts, and it's easy for them to make mistakes that can lead to legal battles which they might not even win. They also don't like to hire a lawyer until something goes wrong in the business. They tend to shy away from signing anything including contracts. But that is a risky way to do business. This episode explores the most important things that small business owners should look for in a business contract.

In this week's episode, @pat_mahlangu and @mpumi_satsha are joined by Zama_Mkosi -Media and Entertainment Lawyer | Director of Opportunities at @Mkosi Inc, to help answer the burning question: What should small business owners look for in a business contract?

Zama Mkosi she is a qualified attorney with over 20years of professional experience as a practicing commercial attorney, including holding several senior executive management, COO, and CEO positions in the public and private sectors.

Zama holds a Master of Philosophy in International Business Degree, with a research focus on the profitable integration of developing economy corporations into the Global Value Chain.

She is also an International Emmy Award-nominated Executive Producer, who has provided legal advice on and structured finance deals for multiple global media projects including SAFTA and Oscar-winning films and television projects.

She brings along in-depth experience and expertise from development finance institutions where she has spearheaded South African Film Industry growth and development on local and global platforms.

Zama has represented South Africa in negotiation, reviews, and drafting of multiparty agreements within BRICS countries, and in bilateral Treaties with countries such as the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Brazil, Russia, Kenya, Algeria, Nigeria, and Namibia.

She is passionate about contributing to enabling women and youth-owned enterprises profitably participate in the global economy and are empowered to be sustainable so as to contribute to the socio-economic development of the African Continent.

In this week's episode, @pat_mahlangu and @mpumi_satsha have a candid conversation about sponsorships, partnerships, and the various challenges that small businesses face.

They also dive deeper into the latest results from the 12th annual Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands 2022 rankings of the Top 100 most admired brands in Africa. The inaugural Top 16 Youth-Owned Brands Awards, an initiative by Pat on Brands. The first of its kind in the country, aimed at giving recognition to the top 16 proudly South African brands that are run and owned by the youth.

Marketing is an industry that is constantly changing and growing due to new and advanced technologies. it is important for marketers and small businesses to always stay ahead of trends and know how to take advantage of various opportunities available both online and offline.

In this week's episode, @pat_mahlangu and @mpumi_satsha, are joined by Palesa Mokaba - Vice President of Marketing at Sasol Energy, to help answer the burning question: how does one stay relevant in the dynamic world of marketing?

Palesa Mokaba is the Vice President of Sasol Energies and she holds an MBA from Wits University. She has over 11 years of experience in marketing and the oil industry. Palesa previously worked for the following companies; Shell as the Head of Retail Marketing, Cummins Inc as to the Marketing Functional Excellence Leader, and also worked for Barloworld Equipments as the Marketing Manager, just to name a few.

In today’s modern age, marketing and media have become an integral part of business growth, including medical practices. The truth is that more and more people have turned to search the internet for information, including health information. This means doctors, need to adapt to the times and build an online web presence.

In this week's episode, @pat_mahlangu and @mpumi_satsha are joined by Dr. Kometsi Mokuele - Founder of @drksunsetdentistry, and Host @askyourdoctors_za, to help answer the burning question, how does marketing and medicine mix?

Dr. Kometsi Mokuele, popularly known as Dr. K was born and raised in Qwaqwa, Free State and he has been in dentistry for over 23 years, having spent 17 of those years practicing in the townships of Phuthaditjhaba (Qwaqwa) & Heidedal (Bloemfontein).

In search of better opportunities, he then moved to the Northern suburbs of Joburg (Bryanston & Fourways) where he has been practicing for the last 6 plus years.

Mokuele was inspired to study dentistry in the early 1990s when he identified a need for social-oriented private dental services in Qwaqwa. He then went on to open Sunset Dentistry (PTY) Ltd and he is also the managing partner at Dr. KP Mokuele Inc.

Starting your own business can be very difficult, challenging, and frustrating, with many risks involved. However, it can also lead to huge rewards. To be a successful entrepreneur, you need to be diligent, optimistic, innovative, and have an appetite to take risks.

In this week's episode, @pat_mahlangu and @mpumi_satsha are joined by Lindo Mnisi - Founder and Executive Chairman of After 12 Properties and ANDURA Hardware, to help answer the burning question, how to build a strong & reputable business in the township?

Lindo Mnisi is the Founder and Executive Chairman of After12 Properties and ANDURA Hardware. Lindo has worked for some of South Africa's largest media platforms including eNCA, SAfm, and ANN7, both in the newsroom and in the field. He also gave some big stories in different provinces of the country during his years as a journalist.

In the pursuit of his childhood dream of storytelling, in 2015 he also published his first book titled "Victims of a Village Boy's Life Circumstances", a book detailing details of struggles not only my-even but others like him growing up. live in villages and are confined to circumstances in these areas with no opportunity or prospect for a better life; who, in order to break out of the cycle of poverty, had to take risks.

How can we create a society in which every person has the support and the opportunities to fulfill their full potential and thrive? There are many ways in which this can be achieved. Find out in this episode about the most powerful & effective ways in which we can do it as ordinary citizens in our personal and professional capacities.

In this week's episode, @pat_mahlangu and @mpumi_satsha are joined by Muzi Kuzwayo to help answer the burning question, how can we shape our tomorrow?

Muzi Kuzwayo is the Director at South Africa's Promise. He was also the founder and chairman of Ignitive and a director of Spur. He is also the former Visiting Professor at the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business.

He was the Chief Executive Officer of TBWA\ Hunt\Lascaris, a leading advertising agency in South Africa and the world. He is also the former chairman of Project Literacy.

Muzi was the director and shareholder of King James Advertising Agency as well as a director of the Association of Communication Agencies, an industry body that represents advertising as well as communication agencies.

He was the director of Jacana Media which has published books such as the biography of Cyril Ramaphosa and many other award-winning books. During his tenure at TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris, he was an advisor to the government on communications through the GCIS.

He is the author of three books: Marketing Through Mud and Dust, There’s a Tsotsi in the Boardroom, and the recently published Black Man’s Medicine.

Muzi was also a columnist for The Saturday Star as well as The Weekend Argus, commenting on advertising and marketing. He currently has a column in the Business Times and has written in the main body, The Sunday Times.

His first degree is a B.Sc. Degree from Rhodes University where he majored in microbiology and biochemistry, and a has an MBA from The University of Cape Town.

Six years ago he bought two Pick n Pay Franchise stores which he ran personally, giving him a complete understanding of building brands right through to retail. He also has extensive knowledge of the South African workforce and the ability to align the interest of the workers with those of the shareholders.

To be a successful entrepreneur today, you need to be flexible and have good planning and organizational skills. Many people start a business with the idea of making easy money, only to find that making money in business is much more than what they thought. For entrepreneurs to succeed it is important for them to invest time in their ventures and plan effectively. Whatever the type of business you want to start the following tips from this episode is very essential for your success.

In this week's episode, @pat_mahlangu and @mpumi_satsha are joined by Sammy Mhaule - Founder of @kickssports_sa, to help answer the burning question, what does it take to run a business?

Sammy Mhaule is a multi-award-winning entrepreneur and the founder of Kicks Sportswear. He began his entrepreneurial journey at the age of 14, selling ice cream in the Thembisa region. Sammy left one of the largest German automakers to pursue his dreams of becoming an entrepreneur. Later he pursued his career in marketing and business, however, things did not go out as he expected. He also sold chickens, but the competition was fierce and he had to find another job.

Like many South Africans, Sammy faced difficult challenges including poverty.

After working in the U.K. he saw a gap in the manufacturing market. In 2014 SkyRule Drinks was established to create a delicious sparkling juice that provides an alternative to mainstream flavors like red grape and apple.

Starting a small business partnership can be very exciting. Especially when you found someone who shares your vision, works well with you and has lots of great ideas. Together you feel you have what it takes to make your small business dreams a reality.

It feels great to find someone you are confident that you can start a business with. Whether your partner is a long-time friend or someone you just recently met. However, before you go about investing a lot of time and money with this person, it is important to take a step back and look at the small business partnership from all angles. Find out more about entrepreneurship, partnerships, leadership, and marketing in this episode.

In this week's candid conversation, @pat_mahlangu, and @mpumi_satsha have an exciting conversation about entrepreneurship, POB Awards, sponsorship, leadership, and marketing.

entrepreneurship #marketing #partnerships

Recently, many brands are expanding their marketing activities through alliances with other brands. Partnering with other brands allows you to build a strong brand and make exciting and creative decisions with significantly lower financial risks A successful partnership not only introduces your brand to a new audience but also strengthens your brand's reputation in the minds of existing customers.

In this week's candid conversation, @pat_mahlangu and @mpumi_satsha discuss some of the most exciting brand partnerships, including Vaseline and Linda Mtoba’s partnership, Hennessy’s partnership with the NBA, and the impact of Russian and Ukraine invasions have on brands and also touch base on sponsorships. The candid conversation also explores the impact of the Operation Dudula movement on the South African economy and also highlights the entrepreneurial opportunities available in the townships.

marketing

entrepreneurship

partnerships

sponsorships

politics

Township economies are the driving force of economic growth and development in South Africa. According to an article by Investec, an estimated 17% of South Africa’s total employment is through the township economy. In a country with a high rate of unemployment like South Africa, this sector plays a huge role and it should not be ignored.

In this week’s episode, @pat_mahlangu and @mpumi_satsha are joined by Bulelani Balabala – Founder of the Township Entrepreneurs Alliance to help answer the burning question, what are misconceptions about the township economy?

@bulelanibala, a young entrepreneur & business speaker.

He has earned the name “Township entrepreneur developer & youth ambassador” because of the work he does that is aimed at empowering township and rural entrepreneurs.

He is CEO of IAF brands - a township-based, award-winning social media marketing company.

He is also the founder of Township Entrepreneurs Alliance (TEA), an organization aimed at developing entrepreneurs in the informal & rural areas. Through this platform, TEA has directly impacted over 43 000+ entrepreneurs & 20 000+ high school students.

He is a professional speaker who covers brand development, entrepreneurship & transformation and hasn’t found himself on media and shared platforms with business, industry, and government leaders. He lives by the motto #GetThingsDone

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on many employees and professionals, and forced them to change how they perceive themselves and their careers. Often times many employees feel attacked by negative thoughts, making it difficult for them to manage their emotions. These negative thoughts are often influenced by imposter syndrome or feeling not good enough.

In this week's episode, @pat_mahlangu and @mpumi_satsha are joined by @thecorporate_athlete, Mirriam Mathebula - Founder of The Corporate Athlete, to help answer the burning question, “ How to navigate corporate like a boss?”

Mirriam Mathebula is a senior professional based in Gauteng. She holds a Financial Management Honours from the University of Johannesburg. She was born and raised in Middelburg, a modest town in Mpumalanga. Since elementary school, Mirriam has always understood the value of dreaming big and working hard. With her natural leadership qualities and willingness to serve, she is a prime mover constantly remodeling and cementing her seat at the table. As a wife and mother to two beautiful daughters, she is passionate about creating platforms that benefit youth development, women empowerment initiatives, and caring for her family.

Valentines Day is one of the most famous days of romantic love and admiration for many people, and other brands also celebrate this day. From digital campaigns to augmented reality experiences. Many brands cover all areas of this day focusing on the aspect of romance and creating Valentine’s Day campaigns while spreading the message of love and positivity. It is important for small businesses to take advantage of this day to increase sales.

In this week's candid conversation, @pat_mahlangu and @mpumi_satsha discuss South Africa's most exciting Valentine's Day campaigns, South Africa. Some of the highlighted campaigns include Radisson Blu #BookYourBalentinesBaycation, #SayItLikeYouMeantIt - Cadbury Ps, and #RealMagic by Coca-Cola.

Many women often face the problem of being overlooked due to jealousy, hatred, and rivalry. Other women even go further to drag another women’s dream down because of insecurities. A lack of unity and empowerment is one of the main causes of these problems. It was these issues that inspired Kovini to establish the Boss Babes Movement. BBSA is a Sandton based, all female-run digital empowerment platform, passionate about uplifting and empowering South African women through powerful content across their various digital

platforms.

In this week’s episode, Boss Babes founder Kovini Moodley, helps answer the burning question, what is the Boss Babes Movement?

Kovini Moodley is a philanthropist, Chartered Accountant, and Diversity Advocate. She is the founder of the Boss Babes Movement. Moodley grew up in a small town south of Durban in KZN, and as a young change-maker she always felt a strong desire to influence and contribute to causes greater than herself.

Her career path spans working for many large listed corporate organizations and driving change across industries by utilizing her global skillsets for organizational optimization.

As a natural seeker of truth, honesty and moral principles were essential to her life and the core of her soul. The establishment of the Boss Babes of South Africa was a natural progression for her.

Many small businesses often misunderstand and overlook the role of Public Relations in brand building. For small businesses to grow and survive, it is important for them to understand the role of PR. When done right, PR can attract great investors, partners, and customers, allowing the business to grow and scale quickly. On the other side, bad PR can be catastrophic for businesses of all sizes.

This week’s episode features Ntsika Msuthu - Sponsorship, PR, and Brand Engagement Manager at DSTV. Ntsika helps with answering the burning question, how can small businesses leverage Public Relations?

Ntsika Msuthu is an experienced communication and sponsorship specialist with over 14 years of experience in crisis management, media relations, sponsorship, campaign management, reputation management, and communication strategy development. Ntsika has worked with some of the world's largest and leading companies such as Sasol, Nedbank, Renaissance Capital, Absa, Vodacom, IBM, Cisco, Coca-Cola, and Dimension Data.

He also has experience of all facets of sponsorship management – from initial proposal evaluation, contract negotiation, rights management, budgeting, hospitality and ticketing programs, implementation, evaluation, and measurement – as well as working with other departments such as advertising, social media, and PR to seize opportunities and achieve maximum value for the company.

The candid conversation is a new and exciting feature where the Pat on Brands Podcast hosts, @pat_mahlangu and @mpumi_satsha have one-on-one conversations. The hosts check on each other on their journey as entrepreneurs and the progress they are making as avid marketers. This feature highlights the importance of African brand storytelling and aims to archive content that can contribute to the history of African brands. It is very important for entrepreneurs and marketers to have these conversations to help each other grow and develop.

This week's episode looks at the most inspiring social media trends and campaigns. Some of those campaigns are the latest Twitter campaign #Tweetthingsintoexistence, featuring celebrity's previous tweets that proved what they aspire to achieve and that dreams come true.

Listen to the episode to hear about other interesting campaigns.

Many entrepreneurs go through a lot of stress and depression while they pursue their entrepreneurial journey. When their businesses are not performing well financially they tend to be emotional and stress a lot about the success and failure of their ventures. Some even go further to committing suicide as they find it difficult to open up and speak about how they feel and the challenges they are facing. They want to deal with the pressure alone until they have a mental breakdown. Having stable mental health as an entrepreneur is very important in 2022!

In this week’s episode Nompumelelo Satsha and Pat Mahlangu are joined by Bongani Chinkanda - Managing Director at Bravado (A Brave Group Company), to help answer the burning question, how does one build strong mental health for 2022?

Bongani Chinkanda was born and raised in Malawi. He studied in Harare, Zimbabwe, and went on to complete his degree at Rhodes University in Grahamstown.

He has a strong belief in solving client business problems, specializing in the youth and mass markets, and he is passionate about bringing big ideas to the people. His passion lies in developing entrepreneurs and leaders in the CREATIVE ECONOMY.

Bongani worked in trade and shopper marketing for companies like Unilever, BP, Kraft Foods, and Kimberly Clark from 2003 until 2008 before pursuing a career in advertising.

He founded Dzuwa Media in 2008 which supplied promotional material to the Malawian and Zimbabwean markets, and in 2010 it developed into a brand activation campaign.

In 2016 they merged with Stretch Marketing now Elevator, to further extend their middle and mass-market offering.

Bongani joined HDI Youth Marketeers in November 2017, his dream of ‘African Brand Stories’ was reignited through the growth of HDI’s collective.

After leaving HDI together in 2020 with the Brave Group and its partners, they formed Bravado, a Mass Market advertising agency. He currently is the Managing Director and shareholder.

Many marketers, entrepreneurs, and professionals are very curious and interested in knowing what digital marketing trends they will be using and implementing in 2022 to benefit and grow their brands. Marketing has gone beyond branding and advertising, and keeping these trends in mind will help brands thrive in 2022.

In this week’s episode, Pat on Brands podcast hosts Pat Mahlangu and Nompumelelo Satsha take a closer look at the marketing and digital marketing trends for 2022 that marketers and entrepreneurs can use to grow their brands.

The 10 major marketing trends for 2022 are:

1 Augmented Reality and virtual reality are emerging.

Metaverse is everywhere.
Influencer marketing continues to evolve.
LinkedIn is growing and growing
Moving from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0.
Everything is driven by Algorithms.
Gaming advertising is the next big thing.
Video content is on the rise.
Collaborations with brands are gaining momentum.
Brands tap into the Vegan Market.

Many people are struggling to find the balance between their jobs and side hustles. The decision to quit a comfortable job with a guaranteed salary for a side hustle is a tough one. With the side hustle, the stakes are high. There are no guarantees.

In this week's episode, Pat Mahlangu and Nompumelo Satsha are joined by Awakhiwe Kona - Founder and Creative Director of Suitability to help answer the burning question.

When is the right time to quit your job?

Awakhiwe Kona is a self-made stylist that seeks to redefine style in the South African landscape. He studied Actuarial Science at Wits University and continued working in corporate as an Actuarial Analyst.

As a young professional, he faced the problem of buying very expensive retail suits that did not fit really well (the man had very long arms). This led him to tailor his suits and the results were amazing. At a lower cost, he could get a taste of both worlds... a perfect fit and a tailored suit that reflected his personality. Compliments from colleagues and co-workers triggered the idea of Suitability.

At the age of 23, he started his first tailoring and style consultation business. Awakhiwe often uses suits to spread messages about how every gentleman should define themselves. Suits come with great responsibility. Respect for oneself is fundamental as a gentleman. If a person respects himself, it will be easier for him to be a responsible citizen who respects women and children.

Marketing is about understanding human behavior. Understanding human behavior is the key to success in any business. For small businesses to succeed, it is important for them to understand their target consumers, how they think, and the reasons for how they behave.

In this week’s episode, Pat Mahlangu and Nompumelelo Satsha are joined by Linda Appie - Head of Marketing at Tyme Bank, to help us answer the burning question. What does it take to lead the marketing of the fastest-growing bank?

Linda Appie is an experienced FMCG marketer in emerging markets. She considers herself as an Afro-optimist and Afro-marketer. She has a strong track record of managing cross-functional teams, project management, and helping young people reach their full potential.

Her passion for marketing began after attending the Unilever program. Linda holds an MBA from GIBS Business School.

Construction is an important sector that contributes greatly to the economic growth of a country. In recent years, we have seen a significant increase in more women picking up sledge hammers, breaking down barriers, and smashing down gender stereotypes.

In this week’s episode, Patrick Mahlangu and Nompumelelo Satsha are joined by Mikateko Nkosi - Founder and Managing Director of Houses on Wheels Modular Developments, to help answer the burning question, how do females penetrate the male-dominated industry?

Mikateko Nkosi was Born in Mpumalanga and she is currently based in Gauteng. She holds a BSC Degree in Construction Studies from Wits University. Mikateko’s entrepreneurial journey began after the publication of her first book in 2010 and was sponsored by Standard Bank. She started her first construction company in 2015 called Multi-National Group (MNG) when she struggled to secure a job due to a lack of experience.

In 2018 her company MNG was invited to the annual Metropolitan Showcase at the Sandton Convention Centre where they had the opportunity to customize the homes of the former Mayor David Makura and Minister of Human Settlement Uhuru. The same year, the company was nominated by the Department of Small businesses for Township entrepreneur of the year.

She has earned a reputation in the industry for her work on custom projects including building Discovery and being nominated by SAWAL for the 2019 Women Engineer of the year award.

Houses on Wheels was officially established in 2021 which created mobile container structures such as container homes, restaurants, mobile offices, etc due to the slow growth of the construction industry making shipping containers that are cheaper, faster, and more convenient.

In 2021 Houses on wheels became one of the 25 of the Womhub cohort founders in Africa selected to be funded by the Embassy of Finland.

Digital Marketing plays an important role in the development of small businesses. Small businesses that use digital marketing effectively, can connect directly with their ideal customers.

In this episode, Pat Mahlangu and Nompumelelo Satsha are joined by Bolawana (Mags) Shivanda - Founder and Managing Director of Digital Shero Media Group, to help answer the burning question, how can small businesses use Digital Marketing effectively?

Shivanda shares important tips on how businesses can use Digital Marketing effectively to reach their target audience.

Bolawana(Mags)Shivanda is a female entrepreneur from Bloemfontein who has turned challenges into opportunities. She has over 13 years of experience in Digital Media Marketing.

She is the founder and Managing Director of DigitalShero Media Group. DigitalShero is a 100% Black female-owned #ADTECH media and digital marketing company.

She is also the founder and Cheerleader of BloemGirlsRock Foundation – NPO. Mags Shivanda’s career began in 2007 when she interned at one of the largest media houses in South Africa. .

In 2019, Investec sent her to Banglore, India, along with 13 other young media owners to their Network Global program.

She is also an ambitious investor who invested in a growing e-commerce company in South Africa. Her dream is to inspire young girls across Africa, and show them that female leaders really exist, and do things differently.

Marketing #Entreprenuership #DigitalMarketing

One of the major challenges that many small businesses face, is the high rate of employee turnover. Employee turnover is when a large number of employees do not stay in a company. There are various reasons why many employees leave companies.

Daisy Lepheana - Managing Director at Affinity Human Capital, shares some important tips on how small businesses can retain their employees.

Daisy Lepheana has over 17 years of experience in attracting, developing, and retaining the right people for businesses. Her unique professional experience comes from years of providing excellent support and guidance to employees and businesses.

Social Media has become an important part of our daily lives and it enables businesses to effectively reach and engage with existing and potential customers. To be successful in the digital age as an entrepreneur, it is important to acquire social media skills.

In episode 6, Pat Mahlangu and Mpumi Satsha are joined by Lebo Lion to help answer the burning question, how can entrepreneurs use Social Media effectively?

Lebo Lion is a digital marketer, podcasting pioneer, digital philanthropist, and strategist whose passion for the African continent, social media, and the study of African consumer behavior has led her to transform over 1000 South African start-ups, small and medium-sized businesses. Her podcast, THE LEBO LION SHOW is one of the top 100 on iTunes globally.

She is a force to be reckoned with in digital and the marketing fraternity at large.

In this episode, we are featuring a young and ambitious entrepreneur in the eCommerce industry. Lebohang Likhojane is the founder of Smartsentials and ReThink Afrika. Lebo (as he is affectionately known) started his business from the dusty streets of Bloemfontein. He is taking the e-commerce industry by storm, one cart at a time.

As a Facebook trainer, Lebo has trained over 2000 young people in digital skills across the continent. In 2018, he was nominated for the M&G 200 young people of the year.

Last year he co-authored a book on “eCommerce in the context of Southern Africa”. Lebo also started ReThink Afrika which looks at helping entrepreneurs start or augment their traditional businesses into digital businesses.

Lebo helps us to answer the burning question - How to build a proper eCommerce business?

Entrepreneurship #Marketing #eCommerce

Episode 4 of the POB Podcast unpacks heritage brands and answers the burning question - What can entrepreneurs learn from Heritage Brands?

Heritage brands play a vital role in our society and they have become part of our lives.

To help us answer this burning question we a joined by Thembi Sehloho - Marketing Director for Rice and Pasta at Tiger Brands SA.

Thembi is a seasoned marketing specialist with a passion for meaningful and impactful brand work. After graduating with a BCom in Accounting degree from the University of Johannesburg, Thembi joined the auditing team at Unilever where she stumbled upon marketing and instantly fell in love with it. She has since gone on to build a formidable career in marketing spanning over 15 years. Her abilities to run strategic and capital expansion projects have landed her accolades which include:

● Building the Mama KOO franchise propelled the brand to be SA’s most loved brand.

● Maintaining Tastic’s position as the top brand within staple food and winning a Silver Prism Award for PR Campaign of The Year and Tastic TVC voted 2020 the best-liked TVC as voted by consumer-Kantar #MyHeritagecampaign.

Thembi is also passionate about leadership and mentorship and she was recently awarded the 3rd Positive Role Model Award- 9th Annual Gender Mainstream Awards.

Her vast experience in leading SA’s Iconic FMCG brands (All Gold, KOO, Bakers, Tastic, and Fatti’s& Moni’s) has solidified her place as a seasoned marketer in SA.

In this episode, we attempt to answer a burning question that most entrepreneurs struggle with, how to increase sales for your business?. Sales are the lifeblood of any business irrespective of the industry.

To help us answer this burning question, we are joined by Albert Makoeng who is the Head of Sale at theSALT. Albert is an engineer by trade and later turned into a Marketer. He has a distinguished pedigree of over 12 years within the media and advertising industry where he has fulfilled roles in media sales across broadcast and digital media.

He is the former BBC Worldwide Sponsorship Manager. In this role, he used to increase the channels sponsorship, draft sponsorships strategies across Africa, increase revenues, and form partnerships. He also worked as a Sponsorship and Promotions Manager for 3years at Mnet.

Albert also worked for Supersport as the Sponsorship & Promotion Manager and as well as a Media Planner. During this role, he was responsible for looking after sponsorship deals and ensuring that promos flighted as per the brief, media planning across SS Channels, and working closely with the Marketing team to increase channel awareness.

He also has a degree in MAP, Business Management, Marketing, and Related Support with WITS Business School and a degree in Strategic, Strategic Marketing with Vega as well as NPM, Organization Design, Finance, and Marketing.

The burning question is - "are entrepreneurs born or made?". To help us with this question we are joined by Kelebogile Sephoti an entrepreneurial coach and consultant. Kelebogile has served and lived in three different African countries(Mauritius, Rwanda, and South Africa). Her aim is to facilitate the development of an African entrepreneurial economy through the generation and dissemination of critical information, the teaching, and training in core entrepreneurial and economic competencies, the creation of lifelong networks, mentoring opportunities, and advocacy towards the development of an enabling ecosystem for entrepreneurial development.

She has the personal insights and experience of an entrepreneur. She is the founder of Dikatso, entrepreneurial coaching, and consultancy firm, and works as the Operations Director for Perpetu8. Africa, a boutique SME implementation consultancy firm.

Kelebogile is committed to supporting the personal transformation of individuals, organizations, and society to become changemakers. She is completing her Master of Management degree in the fields of entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation with Wits business School, currently reading with Harvard Business School Online, and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Economics and Marketing from the University of the Witwatersrand.

Entrepreneurshipmarketingsmall business

In this episode, you will get to know hosts Pat Mahlangu and Mpumi Satsha. They are sharing their journeys as marketers and entrepreneurs.

You also get to learn what this podcast is all about.