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PODCAST

The Lead Creative

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.

business marketing

All Episodes

61:16

Marketing Leaders on the Impact of AI, Culture and...

The Lead Creative ·

2026/03/19

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 chance to win a ticket to the Nedbank IMC Conference taking place on 17 September, subscribe to our Li...

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65:44

Marketing Is Business: Building Lasting Brands and...

The Lead Creative ·

2026/02/25

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 • The difference

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54:17

Unpacking Client and Agency Relationships That...

The Lead Creative ·

2026/02/20

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...

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61:02

Marketing Leadership In Complex African Markets:...

The Lead Creative ·

2026/02/05

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...

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64:37

How KFC Thailand Builds A Culture of Brave...

The Lead Creative ·

2026/01/21

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 rooted

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53:39

Building a Loved Challenger Brand That Encourages...

The Lead Creative ·

2026/01/15

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....

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11:43

Creativity, Marketing Effectiveness and the Cost of...

The Lead Creative ·

2025/12/22

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...

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13:41

Building Loved Brands in an Age of Data and AI

The Lead Creative ·

2025/12/17

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. ___________________________ ...

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59:47

The Secret Behind Vaseline’s Advertising and Consumer...

The Lead Creative ·

2025/12/11

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...

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27:11

Most Advertising Is Afraid to Succeed: Chasing Trends...

The Lead Creative ·

2025/12/04

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...

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17:30

From Chappies to Cadbury: How Mondelez Builds...

The Lead Creative ·

2025/11/25

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 ...

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19:34

Marketing That Matters: Vaseline, Heritage and the...

The Lead Creative ·

2025/11/18

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 HighlightsEmotion as a driver of marketing effectivenessHow Vaseline’s “Mntana ka Gogo”

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18:25

Marketing Connects Business with People and...

The Lead Creative ·

2025/11/17

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. “...

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57:21

Pete Case on How Enduring Client-Agency Partnerships...

The Lead Creative ·

2025/11/13

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...

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12:31

Insights from 41 Years of Advertising and Marketing...

The Lead Creative ·

2025/11/10

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 “vanity

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30:01

Trapped in the Busyness, Not the Business of...

The Lead Creative ·

2025/11/05

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...

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11:15

The Loeries Measures More Than Advertising and...

The Lead Creative ·

2025/10/30

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 highlightsToo 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 Podcast is

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62:03

The Bookmarks and Why Boring Advertising is Costly

The Lead Creative ·

2025/10/27

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...

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18:01

Conspicuous by Design: Why Standing Out Wins in...

The Lead Creative ·

2025/10/23

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:LinkedInFacebookXInstagramSend us mail! Support

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75:30

Awarding Creative Excellence and Rewarding Effectiveness

The Lead Creative ·

2025/10/16

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 ...

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97 results

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