The Lead Creative

AI may be changing advertising, but is it really the industry's biggest challenge? In this episode, Mongezi Mtati sits down with Alistair King, co-founder of former King James, creative at large and Vice-Chairperson of the Philipstown Wirecar Foundation, to unpack the future of creativity, brand building and agency life. They explore why so much advertising feels predictable, why brands often...

In this episode of The Lead Creative , Mongezi Mtati speaks to Chris Botha, MD of Park Advertising, about why brands are playing it safe and what it’s costing them.  He shares his perspective on the tension between data and creativity, why shrinking budgets should drive braver decisions, and how media consumption is shifting in a world where audiences increasingly avoid interruption. Get tickets t...

CMOs are balancing speed, AI and increasing complexity while trying to keep brands distinctive and relevant. In this episode of Marketers’ Brief on The Lead Creative, Abey Mokgwatsane, CMO of Investec, and Jessica Wheeler, Chief Brand and Customer Officer of Nando’s, unpack how they are navigating brand discipline, culture and creativity. Get tickets to the Nedbank IMC Conference: To stand a chanc...

Marketing has never had more tools. But has it ever had less patience? In this episode of The Lead Creative , host Mongezi Mtati engages with Dale Hefer, CEO of the Nedbank IMC Conference , which welcomed over 3,300 delegates from more than 20 countries in 2025, marking a record-breaking year. Before leading one of Africa’s largest marketing conferences, Dale built and sold top ten South African a...

As AI-generated answers and generative engines reshape how brands are discovered, marketing teams are forced to rethink visibility, experimentation and partnership. In this episode of our awards series, Mongezi Mtati and Danette Breitenbach, the Managing Editor of Bizcommunity, speak to Nomfundo Ndlangisa, Head of Marketing at Stellenbosch Business School, and Pareen Shah, Head of Analytics at Rog...

Lindy-Lou Alexander, CEO of WPP OpenX Africa, shares how global brands like Coca-Cola stay relevant across Africa’s diverse markets. Working with The Coca-Cola Company in 54 African countries, Lindy-Lou operates at the intersection of marketing, advertising, creativity, data and technology. She reflects on her career across Tiger Brands, Diageo, Vodacom and Standard Bank, and explains why marketer...

A conversation with Suhayl Limbada, CMO of KFC Thailand, on mirroring culture, earning creative bravery and building global work that resonates locally. From Let There Be Cake to Cannes Lions wins, this episode completes the 360 story after our earlier conversation with Saf Sindhi of Bananas. More Marketing, Advertising and Brand Building Insights: Culture must be earned, not extracted Brave work...

What does it take to build a challenger brand with integrity in a market dominated by global players? In this episode of The Lead Creative , Mongezi Mtati talks to the founder and CEO of Desert Salt, Samantha Skyring, about growing with intention, encouraging customers to buy less, and why attention to detail matters more than scale.  The conversation explores storytelling, founder-led brand trust...

Marketing effectiveness is under pressure as short-term metrics continue to shape decision-making. Recorded at the Effie Awards South Africa as part of The Lead Creative Effies Series , this conversation with Gillian Rightford, Effie Awards South Africa Lead and ACA Executive Director, revisits the long-term cost of short-term thinking , now viewed through award-winning work.  Conversation highlig...

What separates effective marketing from short-term noise? Recorded at the Effie Awards South Africa, this conversation with Thami Majola, Executive Head of Brands and Communications at Vodacom, unpacks advertising effectiveness through a brand and business lens.  Thami shares insights on data-driven marketing, customer understanding, AI and the discipline required to build trusted, loved brands. ...

Simple work is often the hardest to make. In this episode, Kenosi Matsebatlela, Head of Marketing for Vaseline, and Tumi Moutlana, Creative Director at VML, share how trust shaped the Mntana Ka Gogo piece.  We explore why the idea resonated, how cultural memory works in advertising and why clarity outperforms complexity. They share how instinct, chemistry and timing help teams create work that fee...

Advertising faces a growing challenge: too much work is created to avoid failure rather than pursue meaningful success. In this episode, creative consultant and Number 10 founder Ahmed Tilly breaks down why this mindset persists and how brands can move beyond it. Ahmed’s work includes Nando’s campaigns across 14 countries and the launches of Virgin Money, 1LifeDirect and Mazda. As Effie Awards Sou...

How do heritage brands stay relevant in a world full of choice? At the Effie Awards South Africa, we sat down with Arpan Sur, CMO of the Sub-Saharan Africa Business Unit at Mondelez, to discuss marketing effectiveness, cultural leadership, and what makes brands like Chappies and Cadbury endure. Arpan shares why “marketing should lead culture” , how brands build rituals, and why effective work must...

The challenge for many leading brands is staying relevant in categories where functional claims and pricing pressure can erode brand value. As part of our Effie Awards South Africa series, which explores marketing and advertising effectiveness with leading marketers and advertising trailblazers, I spoke to Elizabeth Mokwena, Executive Marketing Director at Unilever, about why emotion still matters...

How do we ensure that marketing has a seat at the business table? That’s one of the questions explored with Brian Yuyi, CEO of the Marketing Association of South Africa (MASA), in this episode of The Lead Creative recorded at the IMC Conference. The conversation looks at how to give marketing a stronger voice in business, inspire the next generation to join the profession, and elevate those alread...

Brands grow through trust and shared ambition. Pete Case, CEO and Creative Chairman of Ogilvy South Africa, joins The Lead Creative to discuss how long-term client–agency partnerships help brands like Volkswagen, KFC, Audi and Carling Black Label thrive. “Trust is the most important ingredient. It’s what allows us to put new, untested ideas in front of clients.” Key insights include: How longevity...

Advertising needs more than good creative; it needs solid measurement. Oresti Patricios, CEO of Ornico , has spent over 40 years tracking how advertising, marketing and PR drive business growth. “The basics haven’t changed,” he says. “Marketing still exists to grow business, but measurement tells you if it’s working.” He warns against the short-term vs long-term debate: “It’s not either/or. Brand...

In our IMC Conference series, we reconnected with Dr Pepe Marais, Co-Founder and Group Chief Creative Officer of Joe Public, two years after our last conversation. He believes the industry remains “trapped in the busyness, not the business of advertising.” Agencies, he says, are producing hundreds of assets a month, leaving little time for ideas that last. “We’ve got the talent, but not the time t...

At the IMC Conference, Preetesh Sewraj, CEO of The Loeries, joined Mongezi Mtati to discuss whether the creative industry has too many awards, echoing the same sentiment shared by Chris Borain, CEO of IAB South Africa and The Bookmarks Awards. Conversation highlights Too many awards, not enough purpose The Loeries as a research benchmark Fewer awards, higher creative standards Trust and bravery in...

Award-winning creativity takes courage, trust, and deep insight. In this episode of The Lead Creative with Bizcommunity, Steph van Niekerk (ECD, TBWA\Hunt Lascaris) and Carl Willoughby (CCO, TBWA\Hunt Lascaris and Chair of Creative Circle SA) unpack what makes campaigns like City Lodge’s Save Our Stay (SOS) and Savanna #TryJanuary stand out. They discuss why brave client partnerships matter, how h...

 At the IMC Conference, Dean Oelschig, Founder and MD of Halo, discusses creative bravery, the rise of independent agencies, and how Halo’s new agency, Second Rodeo, bridges brand and performance. He shares how fear and process hold back great work, and why Out of Home still drives results.  This episode was produced in collaboration with Soweto Media .  ___________________________ The Lead Creati...

Great work still matters and it’s being recognised. Chris Borain, Executive Director of IAB South Africa, shares how The Bookmarks celebrate creative excellence that delivers real results. He also unpacks the challenges facing the industry: shrinking budgets, programmatic advertising wastage and the overuse of AI. As pressure mounts, he argues for smarter collaboration, sharper integration and a r...

Stacey Jayne Saggers, Commercial Growth Director at Kantar, shares insights from the Mzansi Consumer Barometer, recorded at the IMC Conference. We explore how WhatsApp has become a key driver of e-commerce by enabling real-time, personalised transactions. Stacey also shares how Takealot’s township personal shopper programme has helped to bridge access and trust in online retail. Look out for: Find...

From working on Super Bowl ads in the US to leading Nando’s as their newly appointed lead creative agency in South Africa, Melusi Mhlungu, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of We Are Bizarre, shares his global creative journey. Having shaped campaigns for brands like Instagram and Uber, Melusi reflects on what it takes to make brands truly interesting. We discuss: Why trust fuels bold creative wo...

 Dr Gillian Hammah, CMO at Aya Data, joins us at the IMC Conference to discuss balancing AI with creativity. She explains why agencies must price for value, how Africa can take ownership of its data, and the new skills marketers need to thrive.  ___________________________ The Lead Creative Podcast is available on: Apple Spotify YouTube Follow us on: LinkedIn Facebook X Instagram Send us mail! Sup...