Women in Marketing Africa proudly presents the first the Real Talk Debate Series - Is AI a Threat or Opportunity for Africa’s Creative Sector? This event will bring together AI industry leaders, data governance experts, innovators, and creatives to explore how AI is reshaping Africa’s marketing, advertising, and creative industries. Is AI the key to democratising access and unleashing unprecedented creative potential? Or does it risk deepening inequalities and diminishing authentic African narratives?
Accra, Ghana
13th March 2025
10.00 GMT
Is AI a Threat or Opportunity for Africa’s Creative Sector?
Join the Women in Marketing (WiM) Africa network in marking International Women's Day 2025 with our first event in Accra, Ghana.
AI is reshaping the creative industries at a pace that demands the attention of senior leaders in marketing, advertising, and creative professions. For Africa’s creative sector, AI represents a double-edged sword: a tool that can amplify our rich cultural heritage on the global stage or a force that could deepen inequities and stifle authentic narratives.
This debate offers a unique platform for CMOs, brand marketers, directors, and senior creatives to explore the real implications of AI for our respective industries. As decision-makers shaping the future of brands, you will have the opportunity to engage with thought leaders, innovators, and peers in a lively discussion that cuts to the core of Africa’s creative and technological potential.
Why attend?
As Industry leaders, senior marketers and creative professionals you play a pivotal role in shaping how AI is adopted and utilized. This debate will help you:
With live audience polling and Q&A sessions, this debate is your opportunity to shape the future of Africa’s creative sector in an AI-driven world. Join us and be part of this critical conversation.
The debate will begin with each party presenting their arguments for or against the motion. The moderator then leads the discussion, asking probing questions and encouraging deeper exploration of key points to spark debate. Throughout the event, attendees actively participate through live polls and Q&As to share their perspectives and pose questions to the speakers.
SPEAKER - Chief Director, Global Media Alliance
SPEAKER - Chief Director, Global Media Alliance
Emma Wenani is a Communications Professional (Public Relations, Digital Marketing, Project Management and Events Management) with over 16 Years’ experience working in different capacities at Senior Management Level.
She currently oversees the Communication and Consulting units at Global Media Alliance Group as its Chief Director leading her teams in providing strategic and objective advisory services to the clients they work with.
Ms. Wenani is passionate about communication, personal development, mentorship and coaching. She often engages in coaching and mentorship programmes with young people in areas of career and personal development.
Emma is the Chairperson of the Kenyans in Ghana Association. She is also an Executive Committee Member of the Executive Women Network (EWN), a non-profit organization of women in senior management and executive positions in private institutions/organizations as well as women entrepreneurs.
She is an avid reader, she enjoys watching football, and one of her favorite past times is travelling.
PANELIST - Founder & CEO, rAIma.oi
PANELIST - Founder & CEO, rAIma.oi
PANELLIST - Brand, Marketing & Fintech Consultant
PANELLIST - Brand, Marketing & Fintech Consultant
Mariam is a seasoned Fireball Marketer, Brand consultant and Fin-tech professional with over 18+ experience across multiple multinationals and sectors. She has developed and implemented novel marketing concepts through traditional, digital and experiential channels to connect with diverse customer segments.
Starting off in experiential marketing, she was able to work with brands in a way that customers and potential customers would get an authentic feel of the brand to drive sales, awareness, loyalty and conversion.
Her excellence in experiential marketing propelled her into the Telecoms Industry. She joined Telecom Giant Vodafone Ghana. Within two years she had risen to Head of Brand Engagement and Sponsorship.
Following success in Vodafone Ghana, Mariam made another change in Industry, this time to Banking. She joined Standard Chartered as the Country Head for Brand, Marketing and Sponsorship. She developed and executed ROI led concepts and campaigns that would make banking attractive to all segments and aid in the achievement of product awareness, revenue growth and business sustainability.
With a passion for Fintech and Financial Inclusion she transitioned to Retail Banking as the Head of Digital Banking, Financial Inclusion and Corporate Partnerships at Standard Chartered driving acquisition, engagement, loyalty and uptake of digital products (SC Mobile, Web Platforms). Through her passion for driving Corporate Partnerships, she curated 360 Product and Marketing Campaigns to drive incremental revenue and product brand affinity.
She currently works across Africa driving awareness, revenue and impact of financial products and solutions to engage the underserved, (Africas youthful population has about 60% under the age of 25 and a generation consisting of over 57% women).
She is passionate about Africa's creative economy and the potential it has to transform the continent by unleashing innovation, creating jobs, and promoting cultural diversity.
PANELLIST - CEO & Lead Consultant, Information Governance Solutions (IGS)
PANELLIST - CEO & Lead Consultant, Information Governance Solutions (IGS)
Sylvia Appiah is a seasoned expert in data protection, cybersecurity, and AI governance with over 25 years of experience across the UK and Africa. As CEO and Lead Consultant at Information Governance Solutions (IGS), she advises organizations on data protection compliance, privacy management, and AI governance, with a focus on aligning with Ghana’s Data Protection Act 2012, GDPR, and other African data regulations.
Sylvia holds an MSc in Cybersecurity and Management from the University of Warwick and is certified in IAPP CIPP/E, Data Protection Supervision (Ghana), and ISO27001 Information Security Implementation and Auditing. She recently expanded her expertise as an AI Governance Professional.
A respected trainer and speaker, Sylvia has delivered data protection masterclasses across Africa, including in South Africa and Uganda, and co-designed Ghana’s Certified Data Protection Supervisor/Officer programme. She brings a critical perspective to the debate on AI in Africa’s creative sector, focusing on responsible AI use, regulatory compliance, and ethical risk management in marketing and business.
MODERATOR
MODERATOR
Women in Marketing Africa proudly presents Real Talk – The Creatives Edition.
This marks the fourth instalment of The Real Talk Series, featuring open and honest discussions with senior professionals and industry leaders. This edition will focus on gender equality in the creative sector, delving into the challenges women face in pursuing and achieving leadership roles in creative fields.
Challenges facing Women in Creative Leadership
Get ready for an inspiring and candid panel featuring three dynamic female creative leaders who have carved out their paths in the fast-paced world of advertising and marketing. These trailblazers will share their personal stories, the hurdles they’ve jumped over, and the strategies they used to get to where they are today. It's all about real talk and empowering the next wave of women in the creative scene!. We'll cover:
??This isn’t just another panel; it’s a chance to spark meaningful conversations about gender equality in the creative industries. We’ll celebrate the progress made—like the jump from 3% to 29% of female creative directors in the U.S. thanks to the 3% Movement—and chat about the steps we still need to take for real change in Africa and beyond. Join us for an engaging discussion that’s sure to inspire and motivate!
Who is this event for?
This conversation is designed for professionals in the advertising, marketing, and creative sectors who are passionate about driving gender equality in leadership. It will be particularly valuable for women in mid-to-senior roles seeking insight into the challenges and triumphs of female creative directors, as well as for allies, HR leaders, and industry advocates working to foster more inclusive workplaces. Attendees will gain practical advice on navigating creative leadership, along with data-backed insights into the benefits of inclusive practices. The discussion aims to inspire, equip, and empower those committed to creating a more equitable industry landscape.
This will be a free event hosted on Google Meet.
Real Talk Series Overview
Since the beginning of time women have faced challenges in being seen and being treated as equals to their male counterparts. The effects of the COVID-19 global pandemic have in some ways worsened the situation and new challenges have arisen:
This series of conversations aims to allow women to share their experiences of the challenges they’ve faced and in doing so help others.
The discussions cover career progression; balancing work and home life; the impact of the global pandemic; the hard decisions and sacrifices they have had to make; and what has worked for them as ambitious professionals.
The conversation will be delivered as a panel discussion with audience members able to pose questions to the panellists.
PANELLIST - Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Think Creative Africa
PANELLIST - Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Think Creative Africa
Nkgabiseng Motau is a distinguished Chief Creative Officer and co-founder of Think Creative Africa, a leading through-the-line creative agency that blends authentic African creativity with data-driven insights to solve business challenges and impact society. With over a decade of experience in the communications industry, she has worked on both local and global campaigns for some of the world's most beloved brands at the helm of Africa's top multinational agencies.
Nkgabiseng's impressive portfolio includes a gold Pendoring Award for the branding design of the Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital in Johannesburg and a Gold Loerie Award in the Effective Creativity category for Coca-Cola. Notably, one of her campaigns for Coca-Cola became one of the few to be adopted in over 95 countries worldwide.
Under her leadership, Think Creative Africa has delivered award-winning campaigns for blue-chip clients such as Vodacom, Metropolitan, and DStv. Nkgabiseng is an active member of the Creative Circle SA EXCO Board and the ABInBev Braintrust. Her expertise is recognised globally, having served as a juror for prestigious awards including ADC, The One Show, Ad Stars, Dubai Lynx, and Cannes Lions. Recently, she has chaired the jury for the regional ANDYs show in Africa, The Pendoring Awards, D&AD Young Bloods and The Dubai Lynx Festival.
In addition to her professional achievements, Nkgabiseng is a sought-after speaker with experience on both local and international stages, sharing her insights and experiences in the creative industry.
PANELLIST - Co-Founder and Director of Strategy, Yellow Brick Road
PANELLIST - Co-Founder and Director of Strategy, Yellow Brick Road
Nnenna Onyewuchi is the co-founder and director of strategy of Yellow Brick Road, a full-service communications agency based in Lagos. She has over 20 years’ experience across a variety of creative disciplines including advertising, experiential marketing, film production and pay-tv.
Nnenna is a fierce believer in the power of stories to move hearts, change minds and shift the world. She started her career in New Business at McCann Erickson, New York and rose to the position of vice president.
She returned to Nigeria in 2004. Since returning to Nigeria in 2004, Nnenna has held positions at Chris Parkes Marketing Solutions, Small World Media, HiTV and TBWA/Concept. She joined ZK Advertising in 2007. In 2011, Nnenna and her partners took it over, rebranding it and growing it into one of Nigeria’s most respected agencies.
Nnenna is deeply committed to the progress of African people, communities and economies. She sits on the board of several companies and is chairperson of the board of WAVE, a non-profit working to solving youth unemployment in the West Africa.
PANELLIST - Managing Director and Chief Creative Officer, The Storytellers
PANELLIST - Managing Director and Chief Creative Officer, The Storytellers
After competing against over 700 applicants worldwide, Yaa was one of 15 women selected globally for the Cannes Lions See It Be It initiative in 2019, becoming the first Ghanaian and the only African representative that year. The program aims to inspire, support, and bridge the gender gap by accelerating the careers of the next generation of senior-level women in the creative industry.
Yaa began her career in advertising as a Designer at Landor Associates in the UK before returning to Ghana to join Ogilvy's creative team. She quickly rose through the ranks, becoming the first and only female Creative Director at Scanad, a J. Walter Thompson Company within WPP Scangroup.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Graphic Design from the Arts Institute of Bournemouth, alongside certificates in Leadership, Branding & Marketing, and Interactive Media & Digital. Her excellence in typography earned her recognition from the International Society of Typographic Designers (UK), granting her the title MISTD. Additionally, she had the honour of exhibiting her work at London’s D&AD New Blood show.
Yaa has served as a juror for Cannes Lions See It Be It (2020 - 2024). She was also featured in Cannes Lions Classic Reactions, a collaboration with Facebook that examined classic ads through a modern lens. In 2024, she served as a juror for the Art Directors Club’s 103rd Annual Awards, The Pitcher Awards, and the Gerety Awards, where she was part of the grand jury. She also judged the Loeries in 2023 and 2024 and was involved in organising the International Advertising Association’s 6th African Rising Conference.
In 2021, Yaa was a juror for the Ad Stars Advertising & Creative Festival and a panelist for Gerety Talks in 2022. She also spoke at the 3rd African Rising Leadership Conference organised by the IAA. Her keynote speaking engagements include Accra’s Social Media Week in 2018 and 2019, as well as the Pitcher Awards in 2020 and 2022. Yaa has also contributed as a juror for the Lagos Advertising and Ideas Festival (LAIF) and the 2019 Young LAIFers program in Lagos, Nigeria.
In recognition of her achievements, Yaa was nominated for Ghana’s prestigious 40 Under 40 Awards in the Advertising, Communications, Sales & Marketing category in 2018. Beyond her professional work, Yaa is an advocate for autism and volunteers at the Autism Awareness Care & Training Centre in Ghana.
MODERATOR - Global Creative Lead, Shell International
MODERATOR - Global Creative Lead, Shell International
Cynthia is performance-driven brand consultant with over 20 years of global experience in marketing communications, experiential event strategy, and brand development. Her expertise lies in maximising the impact of marketing campaigns, translating insights into innovations, and identifying commercial growth opportunities.
She has led significant initiatives across the creative, telecoms, and oil & gas sectors, including developing customer value propositions for emerging technologies, managing global event sponsorships, and overseeing company rebrands. Known for her excellent relationship management and strategic thinking, Cynthia has successfully secured and managed major partnerships with brands such as Sony, Nissan, the BBC, and Samsung. Her leadership and creative ambition are reflected in numerous awards, including her recognition in the 2023 Empower Top 100 Future Leaders list.
Women in Marketing Africa presents Real Talk, The Men’s Edition – the third in a series of open and frank conversations with senior professionals, industry leaders and business owners.
With the world celebrating International Men’s Day 2022 on the 19th November, this edition will focus on bringing men into the discussion around gender equality in the workplace, looking at the important role that men have and can play in balancing the playing field and, where there is resistance, examine the reasons why.
Historically, initiatives around gender equality and equity have been owned and driven by women. In recent years it has become obvious that by leaving 50% of the population out of the conversation we cannot really move forward. Men are key to gender equality and have the potential to be great allies in our quest for achieving gender balance. But has there been too little effort devoted to communicating the enormous benefits that greater equity offers including better business and organisational performance as all talent is better developed and deployed?
In this Real Talk Series we take a look at the role men play in the move toward gender equality specifically in the workplace. Some of the issues we’ll examine include:
Progress is slow with the prospect of regression ever-present. Persistent gender pay gaps reveal the uphill challenge we still face. Is there over-optimism on the rate of progress and the distance yet to be travelled? In this Real Talk we get the male perspective.
This will be a free event hosted on Google Meet.
Real Talk Series Overview
Since the beginning of time women have faced challenges in being seen and being treated as equals to their male counterparts. The effects of the COVID-19 global pandemic have in some ways worsened the situation and new challenges have arisen:
This series of conversations aims to allow women to share their experiences of the challenges they’ve faced and in doing so help others.
The discussions cover career progression; balancing work and home life; the impact of the global pandemic; the hard decisions and sacrifices they have had to make; and what has worked for them as ambitious professionals.
The conversation will be delivered as a panel discussion with audience members able to pose questions to the panellists.
Convened by UN Women the Unstereotype Alliance is a thought and action platform that seeks to eradicate harmful gender-based stereotypes in all media and advertising content. It brings together partners and seeks to collectively use the advertising industry as a force for good to drive positive change all over the world.
Kantar is the world’s leading marketing data and analytics company. They have a complete, unique and rounded understanding of how people think, feel and act; globally and locally in over 90 markets. By combining the deep expertise of their people, data resources and benchmarks and their innovative analytics and technology, they help their clients understand people and inspire growth.
A United Nations global solidarity movement for gender equality, HeForShe is an invitation for men and people of all genders to stand in solidarity with women to create a bold, visible and united force for gender equality. The men of HeForShe aren't on the sidelines. They're working with women and with each other to build businesses, raise families, and give back to their communities.
MODERATOR - Presenter; Executive Producer, On The Carpet with Bolinto; Executive Producer, Bolinto Media Company
MODERATOR - Presenter; Executive Producer, On The Carpet with Bolinto; Executive Producer, Bolinto Media Company
Future Award (2016) winner for “On Air-Personality” and documentary nominated filmmaker, Bolanle Olukanni is a TV host, a radio host and seasoned Compère. She was the host of the acclaimed interview show “The Juice” on Ndani TV. Most recently, Bolanle is also the host of the International Women’s Month special on Channels TV, the number 1 news station in Nigeria.
Bolanle landed her first TV gig as a co-host on “Moments with Mo” after being chosen out of over 400 other hopefuls to host alongside talk show host and CEO of EbonyLife, Mo Abudu, “Moments” which aired across forty-four different Africa countries and on TalkTalk television in UK. Bolanle has interviewed a variety of politicians and celebrities such as President Muhammdu Buhari , Naomi Campbell, Oscar nominated actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, Grammy award winning singer Brandy, Oscar winning actor Daniel Kauulya , BBC presenter Zeinab Badawi and many more.
Bolanle has compèred and acted as a panel moderator at a variety of conferences such as the 2022 Ports to Arms - Africa Responds : Equity, Delivery and Manufacturing hosted by the World Bank and Wilton Park. UK AID/DFID ‘Not for Sale’ launch , The Rebuild Borno Summit in partnership with UNICEF, United Bank of Africa CEO Awards, Social Media Week, Vanguard Personality of the Year Awards, 2022 Afro Ball. In 2015, as an executive producer, Bolanle co-founded Sage & Walls, a multimedia production company and began producing and hosting "On the Carpet with Bolinto" a red carpet show covering A-list events in Africa. “On the Carpet with Bolinto” has partnered with major international brands such as Cocoa-Cola, Uber, Samsung, Budweiser, Heineken and Martell to name a few. was also an official media partner for the acclaimed King Sunny Ade at 70 concert in 2016. In 2016, Bolanle was awarded the On-Air Personality of the Year (visual) from one of Africa’s most prestigious awards – The Future Awards.
In 2017, Bolanle founded the God’s Wives Foundation, an NGO that raises funds and provides funding for skills acquisition centres focused on the vulnerable groups - widows and single
mothers. Inspired by the determination and resilience of women she met, Olukanni wrote, directed and produced her first documentary “Gods Wives.” The documentary was used as a fundraiser for the women and went on to be nominated as “Best Documentary” by the African Magic Viewers Choice Awards. Bolanle developed “The Presenting Course “ which gives aspiring presenters an opportunity to learn how to harness their TV Hosting and Presenting skills. The course saw over 300 applicants but was narrowed down to 8 students. The course saw the successful placement of one student as a TV host on Spice TV a-the fashion channel for Africa.
Raised in Nigeria, Israel and Kenya. Bolanle graduated from Loyola University Chicago, in Chicago, America with Honours in a double degree, of BA Communications and BA International Studies. After graduating from Loyola University Chicago, she decided she wanted to do her own part in contributing to the development of Nigeria. Bolanle moved back to Nigeria to do her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), where she spent her service year working for a non-profit organization in Ekiti, Nigeria. During her NYSC service year, Bolanle and a fellow corps member started ‘Girls For The Future’, a gender based empowerment workshop for secondary school students aimed at teaching the girl child of their rights and providing mentorship for the students. Olukanni is the founder of the Olukanni Legacy Foundation, an NGO which focuses on social justice and creating a more equitable society. The foundation also provided free adult education classes across various communities. Bolanle is currently a board member of the Self-Worth organization- an NGO that provides empowerment classes and supplies assistance to widows and single mothers in Nigeria. She is also a board member of the Transformative Leadership and Sustainable Development Initiative a forum focused on Youth, Governance and Development.
PANELLIST - Business Lead, Unilever Homecare (SA)
PANELLIST - Business Lead, Unilever Homecare (SA)
Nathan admired Unilever and its iconic brands. Entrenched and loved by so many South Africans, Unilever brands played a pivotal role in his upbringing thus he considered it a privilege to join Unilever in 2006 through the graduate recruitment programme, having contributed to its journey and impact on the world.
Since joining the company, Nathan has worked across Southern Africa, Central Africa and held a global digital role in London for several years, driving & developing partnerships with Facebook, Google and Spotify. With experience across all three Divisions (Foods, BPC and Home Care), he developed a wealth of experience, insight and love of the people he serves.
What Nathan admires most about the company is its commitments to crafting a better world for all, revolutionising people’s everyday lives through products and services and investing in its people to achieve the impossible.
His passion points include digital marketing, ground-breaking creative content and connecting with people in their homes and communities.
Nathan is married with 2 boys and a girl and enjoys to keep fit and serve in his local church and community.
Purpose: To love and serve my fellow man
PANELLIST - CEO, Kantar's Insights Division (SA)
PANELLIST - CEO, Kantar's Insights Division (SA)
Ivan is the CEO of Kantar’s Insights Division for South Africa. A seasoned marketing practitioner, he’s driven by mining for insights from diverse sources, which are then used to develop differentiated and actionable marketing and communication strategies that deliver profitable growth.
His key expertise in insight and strategic marketing has been honed by a career that formally started at British American Tobacco (BAT), working across the entire marketing value chain. This was followed by an introduction to consulting at Added Value (now the strategic consulting arm at Kantar), where he worked on various strategic marketing projects for a list of blue-chip companies across diverse industries. Ivan has since held leadership roles at Lowe Bull, Yellowwood Future Architects and TBWA Hunt Lascaris, later founding the marketing insights and strategic consultancy, Co-Currency.
Passionate about business and societal growth in Africa, both at a personal and professional level, in helping develop the industry, Ivan has served as chairperson of the jury for the APEX Effective Awards (now Effies South Africa), chairperson of Brand Council South Africa (BCSA), and as vice-chairperson of the Association for Communication and Advertising (ACA). He is currently a committee member of the Effies South Africa and chairperson of the Marketing Achievement Awards (MAA) and has been on the judging panel of the Loeries for Creative Effectiveness, Service Design, Shared Value in 2021 and 2022. He is also a director on the board of trustees for the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund and chairman of the board for Heartlines.
PANELLIST - Chief Marketing Officer, Google Africa
PANELLIST - Chief Marketing Officer, Google Africa
Dr. Mzamo Masito, is a seasoned executive and currently the Chief Marketing Officer at Google Africa. Prior to joining Google, he held the position of CMO/Managing Executive for Vodacom Africa Group, a JSE Listed company. This was a position which Mzamo took up after his assignment as Global Head of Brand Engagement at Vodafone London during which time he was responsible for Global Brand Engagement Strategy.
He earned his stripes at Unilever where he rose through the ranks to become the Vice President Brand Building and an Executive Board Member. His talent and confidence earned him the position as Chief Brand Officer Nike SA, where he was responsible for developing and implementing the company’s successful brand positioning for the 2010 World Cup which won several national and international brand and design awards.
In 2006, Mzamo founded People’s Insights Consultancy and co-founded African Men Care (AMC) NPO. The consultancy advised local South African as well as global corporations on world class consumer behaviour, behavioural science and brand growth levers. The NPO focuses on democratising opportunity for every black child, as it believes that to be black, young, gifted and free, without opportunity is a devils gift and to deny that opportunity is evil.
Mzamo is a graduate of the University of Cape Town with majors in Statistics and Economics, a PhD Business Science (Marketing), where he also served as a Lecturer and Convener. Dr Masito was also a consultant and respected orator for the UCT Unilever Institute, an institute well known for brand innovative topics such as Black Diamonds. He’s presented around the country to SMEs, Large enterprises, and NGOs on wide ranging topics mainly focusing on diversity, personal branding, crafting brands for life, purpose driven brands, and the science and art of marketing . Dr. Masito also serves in various advisory boards: GIBS Advisory Board, Red and Yellow Creative Business School. Non executive board role with TiAuto.
Mzamo has three beautiful daughters and is an avid runner, having completed major local and international races: ultras and marathons like The Comrades, Two Oceans, New York and Amsterdam marathons.
Mzamo's purpose: To democratise opportunity and increase transcendence for everyone.
Values he lives by: respect, ubuntu and freedom.
Women in Marketing Africa presents Real Talk, The Founders Edition – the second in a series of open and frank conversations with senior professionals, industry leaders and business owners
Continuing the 2022 International Women’s Day theme #BreakTheBias, this edition will focus on women founders of high growth start-ups across the continent, looking at the challenges they’ve faced in starting and scaling their businesses.
According to the World Bank Africa leads the way in female entrepreneurship with it being the only region in the world with more female than male entrepreneurs. However, female founders’ experience is that the business world is not necessarily wired to support them. Women business owners face the most challenges when it comes to seeking funding and support to scale their business.
Real Talk - The Founders Edition will take a deeper look into these challenges; address the importance of representation and visibility in the start-up environment; and what successful female founders would advise others who have similar aspirations.
This will be a free event hosted on Google Meet.
Real Talk Series Overview
Since the beginning of time women have faced challenges in being seen and being treated as equals to their male counterparts. The effects of the COVID-19 global pandemic have in some ways worsened the situation and new challenges have arisen:
This series of conversations aims to allow women to share their experiences of the challenges they’ve faced and in doing so help others.
The discussions cover career progression; balancing work and home life; the impact of the global pandemic; the hard decisions and sacrifices they have had to make; and what has worked for them as ambitious professionals.
The conversation will be delivered as a panel discussion with audience members able to pose questions to the panellists.
Convened by UN Women the Unstereotype Alliance is a thought and action platform that seeks to eradicate harmful gender-based stereotypes in all media and advertising content. It brings together partners and seeks to collectively use the advertising industry as a force for good to drive positive change all over the world.
Inc. Africa is a pan-African platform on a mission to tell the stories of Africa’s entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, founders, innovators and business builders – and to provide a platform for them to tell their own stories.
Kantar is the world’s leading marketing data and analytics company. They have a complete, unique and rounded understanding of how people think, feel and act; globally and locally in over 90 markets. By combining the deep expertise of their people, data resources and benchmarks and their innovative analytics and technology, they help their clients understand people and inspire growth.
PANELLIST - Founder, Thinkroom; Managing Partner, Grindstone Ventures
PANELLIST - Founder, Thinkroom; Managing Partner, Grindstone Ventures
Catherine Young is an African entrepreneur with executive level experience across a number of businesses, including a successful corporate career, holding various senior and executive positions in companies including Deloitte, Chevron and SAP Ariba. She is the founder of Thinkroom and Managing Partner of Grindstone Ventures.
Her capabilities are underpinned by deep engagement and care for people across her work career, with an astute ability to build and grow businees. As the founder of Thinkroom, she is involved in entrepreneurial ecosystem development across Africa and currently expanding into Europe and the UK, as well as acceleration programmes through her co-ownership in Grindstone Accelerator and Grindstone Ventures. She is an SME ecosystem influencer in Africa and works with clients in the space of entrepreneurship development across the continent. Catherine also co-founded Grindstone Ventures, a post-seed, pre-series A fund for businesses in the Grindstone Growth Engine.
Catherine holds a B.Comm with specialisation in Marketing and National Diploma in Procurement from University of South Africa and Nelson Mandela University respectively.
PANELLIST - Founder and CEO, Take Note IT
PANELLIST - Founder and CEO, Take Note IT
Mamela Luthuli is a seasoned business professional, founder and CEO of Take Note IT, a company which provides cyber security and innovative IT solutions for its cliets.
Mamela is extremely passionate about mentoring young people and creating opportunities for them. She is championing Take Note's Cyber Security Centre of Excellence by training young people straight from schools, colleges, and universities and equipping them with the skill required for work opportunities within Take Note IT and its associated companies internationally. This is critical given the estimated 2 million vacancies in cyber security worldwide.
Mamela has been an entrepreneur her whole life, having started a number of informal ventures since the age of 14, to now being at the help of one of the few black, female-led cyber security firms in South Africa.
She has a number of qualifications including an MBA from Henley International School and has received numerous awards.
MODERATOR - Publisher & CEO, Inc.Africa
MODERATOR - Publisher & CEO, Inc.Africa
A former investigative journalist, advertising agency owner and growth hacker, Mathews founded and exited Idea Engineers, and worked to drive global scale with pioneering teams at Naspers and Tutuka.com. A part of Daily Maverick's startup team, Mathews has been published in Guardian and Rolling Stone Magazine and done investigations for AmaBhungane and the Centre for Public Integrity in Washington.
PANELLIST - Executive Director, Africa No Filter
PANELLIST - Executive Director, Africa No Filter
Moky Makura was born in Nigeria, educated in England and has lived in London, Johannesburg and Lagos. She has been a TV presenter, producer, author, publisher and a successful entrepreneur in her own right. She is currently the Executive Director of Africa No Filter, a donor collaborative focused on shifting the African narrative.
Moky started her media career as the African Anchor and field reporter for South Africa’s award-winning news and actuality show – Carte Blanche. She conceptualized, co-produced and presented a lifestyle TV series for the pan African pay TV channel MNet called “Living It”, which focused on the lifestyles of the African continent’s wealthy elite. She also played a lead role in the groundbreaking and popular MNet Pan-African drama series Jacob’s Cross.
Her book Africa’s Greatest Entrepreneurs with a foreword written by Richard Branson, featured on the top 10 best-selling business books in South Africa when it launched. Moky has since compiled and published a number of non-fiction titles under her imprint MME Media. Titles include South Africa’s Greatest Entrepreneurs, Going Global which tells the stories of South Africa’s most successful global companies and a biography of one of its top entrepreneurs; Herman Mashaba, called Black Like You. Moky started a fiction book series called Nollybooks aimed at getting young Africans to read, and then adapted the series for television co-producing over 21 television movies for the South African TV station etv. The books are available on Worldreader, and Okadabooks.
Watch Moky at:
The Women in Marketing Africa network presents to you The Real Talk Series – a series of open and frank conversations with senior professionals and industry leaders.
International Women’s Day in March 2022 - themed around driving a sustainable future through representation and visibility, and breaking the bias – will focus on the lived experiences of women in the tech industry.
Virtual via Google Meet
08th March 2022
Tuesday 8th March 2022
14:00 SAST
The conversation will be delivered as a panel discussion with audience members able to pose questions to the panellists.
Convened by UN Women the Unstereotype Alliance is a thought and action platform that seeks to eradicate harmful gender-based stereotypes in all media and advertising content. It brings together partners and seeks to collectively use the advertising industry as a force for good to drive positive change all over the world.
Members work towards creating a world without stereotypes, empowering women in all their diversity, whether that be related to race, class, age, ability, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, language or education and addressing harmful masculinities to help create a gender equal world.
MODERATOR - Global Racial Equity Programme Director, WPP
MODERATOR - Global Racial Equity Programme Director, WPP
Dr Stacie CC Graham is the Global Racial Equity Programme Director at WPP. The Racial Equity Programme refers to the $30 million commitment to antiracism that Mark Read, WPP’s CEO, made on behalf of WPP in June of 2020. Prior to joining WPP, Dr Graham worked as an independent management and strategy consultant and executive coach. She is also the founder of Colour Balance Images (CBI), a two-sided marketplace licensing images and footage that are representative of the global majority. CBI has it strongest presence in Africa, partnering with prominent cultural institutions, such as Market Photo Workshop in Johannesburg, South Africa, and Nubuke Foundation in Accra, Ghana.
PANELLIST - Head of Group Marketing & Fractional CMO, Alphawave
PANELLIST - Head of Group Marketing & Fractional CMO, Alphawave
Victoria is a B2B technology marketing and communications leader with almost 20 years’ experience. She is currently Head of Group Marketing at Stellenbosch based technology investment company, Alphawave Group, responsible for Group marketing and supporting the companies in the portfolio as a Fractional CMO.
Prior to joining Alphawave Group, Victoria was CMO at DataProphet – recognised as a World Economic Forum (WEF) Technology Pioneer and selected for CB Insights 100 most innovative AI start-ups.
Victoria spent most of her career in London, both in-house and agency side working with a range of start-ups and global tech firms including Symantec, VeriSign and Salesforce.
PANELLIST - Group Chief Marketing Officer, Liquid Intelligent Technologies
PANELLIST - Group Chief Marketing Officer, Liquid Intelligent Technologies
Ifeoma is Chief Marketing Officer of Liquid Intelligent Technologies. She was previously Director of Marketing and Communications for Sub-Saharan Africa at Mastercard, where she was responsible for the development of an integrated marketing and communications strategy that drove Mastercard’s business performance, brand salience, and reputation in the region.
Before MasterCard, she worked at Heineken for 17 years in senior marketing roles across multiple markets and regions in Europe and Africa.
Ifeoma has a law degree (LLB) from the University of Bristol and a master’s degree in international business (LLM) from Kings College London.
PANELLIST - Head of B2B Marketing SSA & Head of Marketing South Africa, Google
PANELLIST - Head of B2B Marketing SSA & Head of Marketing South Africa, Google
Asha is an innovative leader with over 17 years of experience in tech and media across emerging and developed markets.
Prior to Google, Asha spent 4 years at Standard Bank, where she established the group's web and mobile presence across 18 African markets. Before that, she spent 3 years at Primedia subsidiary, The Mobile Games Company.
Asha is a passionate diversity advocate and has been deeply involved in transformation from the age of 16 when she was appointed to the Junior City Council. She has been recognised as one of Mail & Guardian's Top 200 Young South Africans and as a One Young World Ambassador.
Asha holds degrees in Informatics, Honours Cum Laude in Business Management, and multiple Business Schools certifications.
Watch the full replay here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LGhn5RpMYw
THIS EVENT IS NOW CLOSED.
Harnessing one’s own power of influence and examining the myths, truths and longevity of influencer marketing
Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry Lion Match Office Park 892 Umgeni Road Morningside, Durban South Africa
22nd August 2019
18:00 - 21:30
Women in Marketing (WiM) Africa network in association with the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry Women in Business Forum, invite you to an evening of networking, knowledge sharing and discussion on the topic of INFLUENCE.
The event will examine the concept and complexities of Influence: harnessing one’s own power of influence, its use in business and professional situations. In addition, given the shift of power from large brands and corporations to entrepreneurs and individual consumers, the event will look at influencer marketing and its longevity as a valuable marketing tool.
The INFLUENCE event falls under the ‘Educate & Inspire’ pillar of Women in Marketing’s four pillar remit where we seek to share knowledge from thought leaders and inspire women to push forward in their endeavours.
KEYNOTE: Elizma Nolte - Regional Marketing Manager, Facebook Africa
PRESENTATION: Stéphane Rogovsky - Founder and CEO, R-Squared Digital South Africa
PANELLIST: Stacey Grant - Consumer and Market Insights Director Africa, Unilever
PANELLIST: Nneka Keshi - Client Partner, Facebook Africa
PANELLIST: Taweni Gondwe Xaba - Chief Marketing Officer, The Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry
PANELLIST: Andrea Opoku - Director and Africa Ambassador, Women in Marketing (WiM) CIC
MODERATOR: Amanda Onamandla Mathe - Founder / Director, Ndlovukazi Media Online
If you would like to pose a question to the panel please submit your question here. Only pre submitted questions will be put to the panel.
What is influencer marketing and how it differs from other segments of marketing
The growth of influencer marketing and why it's an extremely powerful tool - some important numbers!
Advertising using celebrities VS Influencer marketing VS Brand Advocacy
Reach VS influence
Key steps for a successful influencer marketing campaign
Addressing ROI - the important metrics
The power of women in influencer marketing
Cost: ZAR 300.00 / USD 20.00 + eventbrite fee
Cash payments (ZAR 300) can be made on the day, however YOU MUST REGISTER FIRST selecting to pay at the event and bring the correct cash with you.
ENTRY WILL NOT BE GRANTED TO THOSE WHO HAVE NOT REGISTERED.
Keynote
Examining the power of women’s influence in business, society, communities and politics.
Mini Masterclass: Influencer Marketing
Understanding influencer marketing and its uses as a valuable marketing tool. Busting some of the recent myths and truths around influencer marketing.
Women of Influence
A panel discussion and Q & A with three senior level women on the influence they hold, how they discovered it and how they use it to get things done.
Networking and Dinner
Thank you to all our partners for their involvement.
Event graphics designed by: Rejoice Kunene - behance.net/rejoice
Event photography by: Siphelele Nzuza - Journalism Student at Durban University of Technology, +27 76 918 6358
Demonstrate your leadership on diversity and inclusion in the industry and support the work we do. For specific event and corporate sponsorship opportunities contact us.
Keynote - Regional Marketing Manager, Facebook Africa
Keynote - Regional Marketing Manager, Facebook Africa
Elizma Nolte is Regional Marketing Manager for Facebook Africa. She is passionate about media, technology and Africa – and finding ways to connect the three for positive change.
Before joining the Facebook Africa team, she did so as Country Marketing Manager for Google South Africa and as media entrepreneur, journalist and publisher. She holds a B. Computer Science and BA Honours Journalism from Stellenbosch University, M.Sc Online Publishing from City University London and an MBA from INSEAD in France and Singapore. In her free time she is an avid trail runner and maker, whether with pen and ink, brush and paint or Maya and Unity.
SPEAKER - Consumer & Market Insights Director Africa, Unilever
SPEAKER - Consumer & Market Insights Director Africa, Unilever
Deeply passionate about people, Stacey Grant leads the Africa Insights Team and is a member of both the Unilever South Africa leadership team, as well as the Unilever Africa Leadership Team. In this role, she is ultimately responsible for showing the business where and how to win – through converting data into insights that inform solutions to the unmet needs of consumers across the continent. A strong believer in African creativity and solutions, Stacey has led her team to a number of major Global Unilever honors, including awards for Innovation and Communications excellence. Her biggest passion is centered on building sustainable businesses and Stacey believes that this is one of the key elements in unlocking the potential of the African continent.
In over 13 years of Unilever experience, Stacey has continuously leveraged her ability to empathise and advocate for the needs of the consumer, and combined it with her technical expertise to lead for innovation. This has included provocative research into gender narratives, as well as understanding the evolution of female identity in Africa. Insights from this work have directly fed into the powerful creative executions and purposeful brand messages which have seen Unilever rise as an industry thought leader and society shaper in areas like gender stereotyping and racial equality.
As a working parent with a busy household, 2 energetic sons, a couple of pooches, and a demanding job, Stacey is fiercely passionate about helping people advance in both their careers & personal lives.
Founder & CEO - R-Squared Digital South Africa
Founder & CEO - R-Squared Digital South Africa
Stephane is a 40 year old Belgian citizen. He grew up in Brussels, lived in Switzerland and moved to South Africa in 2014.
Authentic conversations with real people inspire Stephane, an entrepreneur with more than 15 years’ leadership experience, utilizing strategic foresight, analytical abilities, and trend spotting in diverse areas. He worked for 13 years in finance and reached Senior Management level in a Swiss Private Bank, before making a career move to marketing. He is now the CEO of R-Squared Digital, a leading Influencer Marketing Agency in South Africa, operating locally and internationally.
Experience defines joy. Cigars, food, travel and his pets are his life.
Client Partner - Facebook Africa
Client Partner - Facebook Africa
Nneka is a Client Partner at Facebook Africa managing some of the organisations biggest clients.
A global digital strategist and marketer, Nneka has over 11 years of highly successful digital marketing expertise, leadership, seasoned business development and client account management acumen to her credit. Her strength lies in focusing on the ROI and her engines rev best when she is in the digital realm, building an army of ambassadors to promote a company, clients, products, people or services. Nneka has extensive global digital marketing expertise meaning she can provide immediate value navigating the US, European, African and Middle Eastern markets.
Founder and Director - Ndlovukazi Media Online
Founder and Director - Ndlovukazi Media Online
Nicked named the digital matriarch and known to agencies as the Olivia Pope of social media. Amanda prides herself in building recognisable brands and providing support in the love of building a better community. She is a professional journalist, with years of experience in the news media, corporate social media management, and online development space
Director and Africa Ambassador - Women in Marketing (WiM) CIC
Director and Africa Ambassador - Women in Marketing (WiM) CIC
Andrea has been a founding member of the Women in Marketing (WiM) network since its creation in 2004 when it was part of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. In December 2017 she was brought on as a Director to support the activities of the organisation which had recently been formed as a Community Interest Company (CIC). Andrea has led onWiM’s global expansion strategy, specifically on the African continent, hence the launch of WiM Africa.
Andrea runs astrategic marketing and branding consultancy and was formerly Executive Director at BSP Media International, a UK-based market and industry intelligence provider – producing and delivering conferences and industry events on Technology, Media and Telecoms across Africa.
Andrea’s career began at a multimedia software publishing company in Paris and over a 10-year period moved into campaign management and communications roles in property, education, food retail, men’s fashion, office design and build, and outdoor adventure sports.
Andrea trains and lectures on marketing planning, social media and digital marketing strategy; she also blogs and writes about marketing, business and Africa.
| 18:00 | Registration - Networking, Food and Drink served | |
| 18:45 | Welcome Address |
Taweni Gondwe-Xaba - CMO, Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry Andrea Opoku - Director and Africa Ambassador, Women in Marketing CIC |
| 19:05 | Keynote address: |
Elizma Nolte - Regional Marketing Manager, Facebook Africa |
| 19:25 | Influencer Marketing: | Stephane Rogovsky - Founder and CEO, R-Squared Digital |
| 20:00 | Panel discussion |
Moderator: Amanda Onamdamdle Mathe – Founder and Director, Ndlovukazi Media Online Panellists:
|
| 20:55 | Closing Address | Andrea Opoku - Director and Africa Ambassador, Women in Marketing CIC |
| 21:00 | Networking and close |
THIS EVENT IS NOW CLOSED.
Female Representation and the Media - Who controls the narrative?
The first ever WiM Africa event on the continent takes place during the prestigious Loeries Creative Week with a focus on the role the marketing and advertising industry has to play in stereotypical representations of women in society and culture.
The stereotypical portrayal of women in the media and on our TV screens is nothing new. But with issues around equal pay, gender equality and global movements like #MeToo and #TimesUp, isn’t it time to look at the role the advertising and marketing industries have to play and which areas of the sector can effect the most change?
Globally only 3% of creative directors are female and out of the top 50 most influential CMOs only 18 are women (2017). Given these disparities in female representation and influence at the highest levels, what is the impact on the dynamics of marketing departments and advertising agencies across the continent? How does this influence the brand strategies and the creative produced; the portrayal of women in the media and resulting impact on society?
This event will focus on the impact this under representation of senior female executives at the very top of our organisations has on the portrayal of women in the media, and the effects on our society and culture.
Female Representation and the Media – Who controls the narrative? An exclusive gathering that will not only introduce a new network, resource and voice for women in marketing, advertising andcommunications, but will also seek to address some of the specific challenges faced by those in the sector across the continent.
Thank you to all our partners for their involvement.
Demonstrate your leadership on diversity and inclusion in the industry and support the work we do. For specific event and corporate sponsorship opportunities contact us.
SPEAKER - Consumer & Market Insights Director Africa, Unilever
SPEAKER - Consumer & Market Insights Director Africa, Unilever
Deeply passionate about people, Stacey Grant leads the Africa Insights Team and is a member of both the Unilever South Africa leadership team, as well as the Unilever Africa Leadership Team. In this role, she is ultimately responsible for showing the business where and how to win – through converting data into insights that inform solutions to the unmet needs of consumers across the continent. A strong believer in African creativity and solutions, Stacey has led her team to a number of major Global Unilever honors, including awards for Innovation and Communications excellence. Her biggest passion is centered on building sustainable businesses and Stacey believes that this is one of the key elements in unlocking the potential of the African continent.
In over 13 years of Unilever experience, Stacey has continuously leveraged her ability to empathise and advocate for the needs of the consumer, and combined it with her technical expertise to lead for innovation. This has included provocative research into gender narratives, as well as understanding the evolution of female identity in Africa. Insights from this work have directly fed into the powerful creative executions and purposeful brand messages which have seen Unilever rise as an industry thought leader and society shaper in areas like gender stereotyping and racial equality.
As a working parent with a busy household, 2 energetic sons, a couple of pooches, and a demanding job, Stacey is fiercely passionate about helping people advance in both their careers & personal lives.
Director and Africa Ambassador - Women in Marketing (WiM) CIC
Director and Africa Ambassador - Women in Marketing (WiM) CIC
Andrea has been a founding member of the Women in Marketing (WiM) network since its creation in 2004 when it was part of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. In December 2017 she was brought on as a Director to support the activities of the organisation which had recently been formed as a Community Interest Company (CIC). Andrea has led onWiM’s global expansion strategy, specifically on the African continent, hence the launch of WiM Africa.
Andrea runs astrategic marketing and branding consultancy and was formerly Executive Director at BSP Media International, a UK-based market and industry intelligence provider – producing and delivering conferences and industry events on Technology, Media and Telecoms across Africa.
Andrea’s career began at a multimedia software publishing company in Paris and over a 10-year period moved into campaign management and communications roles in property, education, food retail, men’s fashion, office design and build, and outdoor adventure sports.
Andrea trains and lectures on marketing planning, social media and digital marketing strategy; she also blogs and writes about marketing, business and Africa.
SPEAKER - Regional Director, Facebook Africa
SPEAKER - Regional Director, Facebook Africa
Nunu Ntshingila is Facebook’s Head of Africa, with responsibility for leading the team that engages with agencies and brands in Africa to help them make the most of the company’s products including Facebook itself, Instagram and related services.
She is passionate about the role of technology in driving social inclusion in Africa and about Facebook’s mission of giving Africans the power to build community and bring the world closer together.
Before joining Facebook, Nunu helped drive the creation of Ogilvy’s network in sub Saharan Africa, which spans some 34 countries. During a long career at Ogilvy & Mather South Africa, Nunu served as Managing Director of Ogilvy Johannesburg, Chief Executive Officer of the Ogilvy Group, Chairman of Ogilvy Africa and member of the Ogilvy Worldwide Board
A graduate of the University of Swaziland and Morgan State University in the US, Ntshingila has also held senior marketing positions at Nike SA and the South African Tourism board.
Nunu has served on a number of boards including Telkom, Old Mutual, Transnet, and the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront Property Group. Today she serves as a council member of the Women’s World Banking Council.
Nunu has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Financial Mail for her work in leading and transforming the advertising business in South Africa. In 2016 she became the first woman to be inducted into the Loeries Hall of Fame in recognition for driving creativity in Africa.
SPEAKER - Creative Director, FCB Agency Africa
SPEAKER - Creative Director, FCB Agency Africa
Suhana is passionate about the art of copywriting and loves parenting an idea well enough so that nobody molests it along its journey from birth to maturity. She believes that the best agency-client relationships are more marriage and less bondage. She entered the advertising industry in 2001 and has worked on some of the country’s much-loved brands at agencies like Ogilvy, Black River FC, NativeVML and Net#work BBDO.
SPEAKER - Marketing & Innovation Director, Diageo
SPEAKER - Marketing & Innovation Director, Diageo
Zumi Njongwe has been named marketing and innovations director for Diageo South Africa. With her appointment, Njongwe takes responsibility for further growth at Diageo locally.
Njongwe has spent the last two years in Ethiopia as marketing and innovations director at Diageo’s Meta Abo Breweries. She also led the establishment of ETEAGE (“queen” in Amharic), a women’s network within Diageo which drives coaching, mentorship and empowerment of women in order to contribute to the diversity agenda.
Njongwe has been with Diageo since 2005, working in various roles across Africa and in London. Prior to her role in Ethiopia, she held a number of roles in the Diageo business, from marketing manager on J&B to regional marketing manager for Guinness (Africa), responsible for Cameroon, Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana, until she was portfolio manager of whisky, leading the development of the category and strategies to deliver business results for the category. She was also an active member of the marketing leadership team driving the talent agenda and team training, as well as leading the Spirited Women of Brandhouse (SWOB) initiatives. She holds a BSC (chemistry and psychology) and honours degree in psychology.
Diageo owns the five of the top 10 whiskies in SA (Johnnie Walker, J&B, Bells, Vat 69 and Black & White) and is a market leader in vodka and rum with Smirnoff and Captain Morgan; and it also leads the fast-growing premium gin category with Tanqueray.
SPEAKER - General Manager Ice-Cream Southern Africa, Unilever
SPEAKER - General Manager Ice-Cream Southern Africa, Unilever
Based: Global citizen living in Durban
Growing up in pre-1994 South Africa, and with a dad who was diagnosed with Cancer when Shaadia was 16, and a mum who valiantly worked to get her and her brother through school and university, Shaadia has never been afraid of a challenge! And gets most joy from the challenge of turning around impossible briefs, challenging markets and segments. She has 20years business experience working across 4 different industries, 10 different categories, 2 different continents & multiple countries. She is currently the General Manager for the Ice Cream Business Unit in Southern Africa which she leads with a talented business unit team comprising of marketing, finance, CD, supply chain, factory, R&D, legal, media, HR & shopper.
She is a passionate member of the Unilever South Africa Executive Leadership team. She is proud to hold this seat, as she represents hope and belief for a younger generation of women who believe that they CAN have a seat at the table, and contribute meaningfully.
We are in the middle of a gender revolution! Global studies show that 40% of women DO NOT identify with the women they see in advertising! 3% of ads feature women in leadership/professional roles. In most of the ads women are confined to domestic chores! This is staggering, and we can something about it. Banishing stereotypes goes beyond the misrepresentation of women in advertising. This is about creating multi-dimensional people in our ads – ‘unstereotyping’ people, not just women. Advertising can be a real agent of change and a force for good, by inspiring people with positive and progressive portrayals. This isn’t only a moral case it is also a business case.
At home, the nest is kept frenetically busy with a 9-year-old daughter, who keeps her parents grounded, happy and in touch with all things slime and squishy.
PANELLIST - CEO South Africa, DStv Media Sales
PANELLIST - CEO South Africa, DStv Media Sales
Holding a variety of qualifications in media management, strategic marketing, business management and journalism, Cassim-Surtee began her career at City Press newspaper as both an advertising consultant and freelance sports writer. This extended to radio broadcasting and contributions to international publications. She joined the MultiChoice Group in 1998 and has since held a variety of positions within DStv Media Sales, the advertising and sponsorship arm of the business, rising to her current position as CEO of DStv Media Sales in October 2017. Nominated for SA Woman of the Year and SA Business Woman of the Year, she says of work, “I love it because I don’t treat it as a job. It’s integrated into my life. It’s different everyday. I like the opportunity to influence people in our organisation.” Never one to shy away from a challenge, Cassim-Surtee lives by the motto, “I can do anything even if it scares me.”
SPEAKER – Executive Director,
Free The Bid
SPEAKER – Executive Director,
Free The Bid
Emma Reeves has an extensive background as a Creative Strategist working across all aspects of cultural communication and new media in the print, digital and live space. Emma became the Creative Director of the highly influential MOCAtv in 2012, a part of the YouTube original content initiative funded by Google, radically changing the landscape of access to art in the digital realm while managing and creating digital engagements. Whilst at MOCA, Emma programmed and oversaw production on the game changing, interdisciplinary cultural event Step and Repeat in 2014 and 2015.
Previously, Emma worked in documentaries and TV production in London before joining Gorgeous Enterprises from 1996 - 1999 working with Frank Budgen on his seminal work for Playstation and Guinness as well as multiple award winning commercials with Chris Palmer.
After Gorgeous Emma joined Jefferson Hack at the Dazed Group in London from 1999 until 2007 working as photo director for Dazed she also helped found Another Magazine and Another Man. Emma then moved to New York to oversee the branding agency Li, Inc working with Patrick Li for three years prior to moving to LA in 2012.
Emma continues to live in Los Angeles.
Since January 30th 2017 Emma has been Executive Director of Free The Bid:
Free the Bid is a 501c3 non-profit initiative advocating on behalf of women directors for equal opportunities to bid on commercial jobs in the global advertising industry.
MODERATOR - Editor-in-Chief: Marketing & Media, Bizcommunity.com
MODERATOR - Editor-in-Chief: Marketing & Media, Bizcommunity.com
Leigh Andrews (@leigh_andrews) is Editor-in-Chief: Marketing & Media at Bizcommunity.com and Lifestyle contributor. Leigh is passionate about issues of inclusion, equality and diversity, and was the only South African finalist shortlisted for the Women in Marketing #WIMawards2017.
Responsible for keeping a finger on the pulse of the latest happenings in the marketing and media industry, Leigh writes top breaking news stories interviewing key people in the industry, as well as driving the daily delivery of fresh and accurate content, aligning editorial goals with the BizCommunity.com strategic direction. Having spent 12 years in the industry, working for companies such as Microsoft, Kagiso Media, Fleet Street Publications, the Mail & Guardian Online, Caxton Community Newspapers and Newsclip's publications, Leigh is at the forefront of all this marketing and media in South Africa.
SPEAKER - South Africa Ambassador, Free The Bid
SPEAKER - South Africa Ambassador, Free The Bid
Leigh has been directing professionally for twenty years.
She started her career in 1997 specialising in African music videos that saw her as four-time SAMA winner amongst other accolades.
In 2003 she transitioned into a multi award winning commercial director for a diverse spectrum of clients both locally and internationally, enjoying repeat business from brand giants such as Diageo, Jim Beam (US) Coca-Cola, Castrol, SAB, Virgin Money, Cell C along with Channel O, Metro FM, Nedbank, A1 (Austria) Ingdiba (Germany) and First for Women.
Locally Leigh is represented by Monkey Films and is the local ambassador for Free The Bid, a global initiative that asks clients and agencies to consider taking a pledge that one in every three way bid be a woman director.
PANELLIST - Manager - Advertisers Activists Collective, Accountability International
PANELLIST - Manager - Advertisers Activists Collective, Accountability International
Czerina Patel works for Accountability International (AI), an international civil society organisation that holds leaders accountable for their responsibilities to human rights, equality and transparency. Czerina manages the Advertisers Activists Collective (AAC) Initiative, which engages activists, advertisers, marketers and businesses in promoting equality, with a focus on LGBTIQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Intersex, Queer) inclusion in Africa ads. Czerina holds a BA in Economics and in Philosophy from Brown University, and a MSc. from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. Her journalism and broadcast recognitions include the George Foster Peabody Award and three Third Coast International Audio Festival Awards.
Female Representation and the Media: Who controls the narrative?
AGENDA
| 09:00 | Arrival, registration and networking | |
| 10:00 | Welcome Address | Andrea Opoku, WiM Africa |
| 10:15 | Partner presentation |
Emma Reeves & Leigh Ogilvie, Free The Bid |
| 10:30 | Keynote | Stacey Grant & Shaadia Vawda, Unilever and #UnStereotype |
| 10:55 | Agency | Suhana Gordon, FCB Africa |
| 11:25 | Brand | Zumi Njongwe, Diageo |
| 11:50 | Media | Nunu Ntshingila, Head of Facebook Africa |
| 12:10 | Panel discussion |
Moderator: Leigh Andrews, BizCommunity Panellists:
|
| 12:45 | Closing Address | Andrea Opoku, WiM Africa |
| 13:00 | Close |
