Zibusiso Mkhwanazi

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Zibusiso Mkhwanazi
Zibusiso Mkhwanazi
Born (1983-06-10) 10 June 1983 (age 40)
South Africa
EducationUniversity of Johannesburg
OccupationEntrepreneur
TitleGroup CEO of M&N Brands, founder of Avatar
AwardsWorld Economic Forum Young Global Leaders (2010), Top Young ICT Entrepreneur in Africa Award (2008)

Zibusiso Mkhwanazi (born 10 June 1983, Soweto, South Africa) is Group CEO of M&N Brands and co-founder of Avatar,[1] Avatar won Financial Mail's AdFocus medium-sized agency of the year 2016 and were a finalist in 2017.[2] A World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, Mkhwanazi is now building an African owned agency network through his investment company, M&N Brands.[3][4]

Mkhwanazi is a Trustee of the National Economic and Education Trust (NEET),[5] which has provided over 4,200 scholarships to underprivileged ICT students.[6] Born in 1983, he is the founder of David's League,[7] a Christianity-based mentorship program to support young entrepreneurs.

Career[edit]

Mkhwanazi started his first business, Csonke, a web design company, at the age of 17 (in 2000). Csonke then merged with Krazyboyz in 2007 and Mkhwanazi served as Executive Chairman until July 2010, developing and overseeing growth, strategy and marketing for both the Cape Town and Johannesburg offices.[8] He then took on the role of CEO from July 2010 – December 2011.[9][10]

In January 2012, Mkhwanazi went into partnership with Veli Ngubane[11][12] to found Avatar, which has won numerous awards (AdFocus) including most digitally integrated agency (MarkLives)[13] and also the agency that has done the most to drive transformation in the SA industry (MarkLives).[14] Avatar opened their Cape Town office[15] in 2016 and have won numerous accounts such as H&M[16] and Chevron.[17]

He also served as Chairman of ARM advertising and design in 2009, as well as Chairman of The Red quarter Brand Design August 2010 – November 2013.[18]

Mkhwanazi is the majority shareholder in M&N Brands, with partner Veli Ngubane,[19] an investment company building an African owned agency network.[19] In 2017 they acquired Mela Events, a gold-Loerie award-winning events company with clients such as Standard Bank and Nando's.[20] In 2017, the 33-year-old Financial Mail ADFocus awards created the industry's first transformation award at Mkhwanazi's urging, which was sponsored by M&N Brands.[21][22]

Education[edit]

"Mkhwanazi’s story from the humble streets of Soweto"[23] is as follows:

Bramley primary school, Bedfordview High School, NDip Information Technology (2005) and Dip Corporate Law (2006) at the University of Johannesburg, Foundations for Leadership in the 21st Century (2012) Yale and Global Leadership and Public Policy for the 21st Century (2013) at Harvard.[24]

Awards and distinctions[edit]

  • BBQ Young Business Achiever in 2007[25]
  • 100 Young South Africans June 2007
  • Top ICT Individual in Africa and Top ICT Young Entrepreneur in Africa, both in 2008[25]
  • Men's Health Best Man Editor's Choice Award in 2009[26]
  • 200 Young South Africans[27]
  • IT Personality finalist for 2009 and 2010[28][29]
  • World Economic Forum Young Global leader[30]
  • Finalist for Best Individual Contribution to SA Digital Marketing, 2011.
  • Named Top 25 media game changer, 2012 and Media Rockstar 2013.[31]
  • Financial Mail Adfocus New Broom Award, 2014
  • Top 40 under 40s in The Media, 2015.[32]
  • Contender Most admired ad agency boss in South Africa 2016[33]
  • AALBA 2017 finalist[34]
  • EY World Entrepreneur of the Year 2018 Finalist[35]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Home of Avatar Agency - AVATAR". AVATAR. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  2. ^ "www.avataragency.co.za/2016/11/24/adfocus-medium-sized-agency-for-2016/". avataragency.co.za. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  3. ^ "Zibusiso Mkhwanazi | 世界经济论坛". 世界经济论坛. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  4. ^ "cn.weforum.org/people/zibusiso-mkhwanazi/". cn.weforum.org. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  5. ^ "National Economic Education Trust". Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  6. ^ "National Economic Education Trust: NEET Bursary in South Africa 2020". World Scholarship Forum. 18 March 2020. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  7. ^ "David's League". Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  8. ^ "BEE deal creates major digital agency". It-online.co.za. 26 January 2007. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
  9. ^ "Digital agency empowers". ITWeb. 26 January 2007. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  10. ^ "BEE deal creates major digital agency". IT-Online. 26 January 2007. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  11. ^ "www.avataragency.co.za/2017/11/01/veli-ngubane-cco-avatar-ad-agency-history-selling-bright-ideas/". avataragency.co.za. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  12. ^ VELI NGUBANE, A FOUNDING PARTNER OF DIGITAL MARKETING AGENCY AVATAR, retrieved 7 May 2018[self-published]
  13. ^ "#AgencyLeaders2016: Most digitally integrated ad agency in Jozi • MarkLives.com". marklives.com. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  14. ^ "#AgencyLeaders2017 South Africa: Agency diversity & transformation • MarkLives.com". marklives.com. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  15. ^ "www.avataragency.co.za/2016/02/09/avatar-invades-cape-town/". avataragency.co.za. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  16. ^ "Exclusive: avatar CT wins H&M • MarkLives.com". marklives.com. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  17. ^ "www.avataragency.co.za/2016/02/02/avatar-wins-the-chevron-sa-account-opens-cape-town-office/". avataragency.co.za. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  18. ^ "The Red Quarter – Brand Design". theredquarter.co.za. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  19. ^ a b Ayabonga Cawe, Power FM interview with Veli Ngubane, a founding partner of digital marketing agency Avatar, 5 April 2018, retrieved 7 May 2018[self-published]
  20. ^ "M&N Brands buys Mela Events • MarkLives.com". marklives.com. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  21. ^ "We're transforming the milky way - The Mail & Guardian". mg.co.za. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  22. ^ "What is Content Marketing? Interview with Zibusiso Mkhwanazi - Part 2 - AVATAR". www.avataragency.co.za. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  23. ^ "Zibusiso Mkhwanazi". BizNis Africa. 28 November 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  24. ^ "Yale hosts program for Young Global Leaders". 12 October 2012.
  25. ^ a b "Empowering our country". Leadershiponline.co.za. 20 April 2011. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
  26. ^ "Zibusiso Mkhwanazi: Young, Gifted and Taking Over". Kasi Times. 16 December 2010. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
  27. ^ "The M&G Online". Mg.co.za. 14 June 2010. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
  28. ^ Moyo, Admire (26 January 2011). "IT Personality, Visionary CIO named | iWeek Magazine". Iweek.co.za. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
  29. ^ "IT Personality/Visionary CIO of the Year 2009 | Brainstorm Magazine". Brainstormmag.co.za. 2 December 2009. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
  30. ^ "Zibusiso Mkhwanazi". Weforum.org. 16 September 2011. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
  31. ^ "Top 25 media game changers". theredzone.co.za. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  32. ^ "The 2015 hotlist: Top 40 under 40s in The Media". themediaonline.co.za. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  33. ^ "Agency Leaders 2016: Most admired ad agency boss in South Africa". Marklives.com. 13 February 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
  34. ^ "AABLA Awards | Press Releases".
  35. ^ "EY honours Southern African entrepreneurs who redefine convention and inspire change".

Further reading[edit]

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