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The Lead Creative podcast hosts a series of conversations with great minds behind some of the leading brands, businesses, organisations and top ideas that we all love. From advertising thought leaders, forward-thinking brand leaders, innovative digital marketing minds to content creators - the podcast gives into what makes the world engage with some of the top brands. Founded and hosted by Mongezi Mtati, the podcast shares analysis, trends, and strategic intelligence.
109 Episodes
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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 agency, Chillibush. We unpack: • Why marketing must be treated as a core business function &nb...
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 Rogerwilco. The conversation unpacks the partnership behind GEOFF, their award-winning generative en...
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 marketers must actively represent consumers inside organisations, especially when budgets tighten and cho...
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 extractedBrave work needs trust, not egoHeritage brands win when they remember who they areRisk creates relevance when...
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, social media as a tool for connection, and how long-term thinking creates brands that last....
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 highlights Why long-term brand building is back in focus Why vanity metrics carry less wei...
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. Produced in collaboration with our partners, Soweto Media. ___________________________ ...
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 feels familiar and honest. ___________________________ Buy us coffee here to keep us fuel...
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 South Africa Co-Chair (2024 & 2025) and Loeries Jury President, he offers clear insight into wha...
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 deliver his “trifecta” of consumer impact, business outcomes, and fame. As an Effie Awards South ...
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. Conversation Highlights Emotion as a driver of marketing effectivenessHow Vaseline’s “Mntana ka...
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 already driving growth and creativity. “Marketing is business and business is marketing,” says Brian. “...
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 fuels creativity and commercial success.Why trust leads to braver, more effective work.Lessons i...
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 building takes time, but tactical work drives sales. You need both.” He also points out that “vani...
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 to think.” Pepe calls for a reset — fewer, better ideas, more time for strategy, and trust between...
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 purposeThe Loeries as a research benchmarkFewer awards, higher creative standardsTrust and bravery in creativityCollaboration drives better brand outcomes___________________________ The Lead Creative P...
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 humour and humanity connect with audiences, and why boring work is the most expensive kind. What y...
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 Creative Podcast is available on: AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow us on: LinkedInFacebookXInsta...
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 return to work that actually works. We also discuss: Why awarding creative excellence still ...
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: Findings from the Kantar Mzansi Consumer BarometerWhatsApp as an enabler of e-commerceTownship innova...
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