Marketer Spotlight: Behind the Craft with Khensani Nobanda

‘She truly makes creativity her competitive advantage in marketing the Nedbank brand.’

– Dr Pepe Marais, Co-Founder and Group Chief Creative Officer Joe Public

Where did it all begin for Khensani

Khensani joined Nedbank in September 2017, as Executive Head of Group Marketing, before being promoted to her current role, and the Nedbank Group Exco, in May 2018. Her more than 20-year marketing career has afforded her invaluable experience in several leading South African and multinational organisations. After starting out as an assistant brand manager at Unilever, she rose through the ranks to eventually head up the Skin Category for Unilever in Africa, Middle East, and Turkey. This was followed by various leadership and executive roles in Diageo, South African Breweries and Vodacom, before joining Nedbank.
She is passionate about brands and the potential they have to deliver tangible value to consumers, and more broadly to society, by being purpose led and using creativity to drive business growth.

Khensani has a BCom from the University of the Witwatersrand, an MBA from GIBS and Advanced Management Program from Harvard Business School, where she was voted as class speaker for that cohort. She is a member of the board of Effie Awards South Africa, sits on the board of Loeries, is a regular judging panel member for various awards, and a past Jury President for the Bookmarks Awards.

Kensi has amassed several accolades in recognition of her contribution to the industry, including top honours as winner of the Loeries 2021 “Marketing Leadership & Innovation” award the “Marketing Industry Leader of the Year” by AdFocus for 2021 and 2024, the 2022 and 2024 “Most admired Marketer in South Africa” award by Marklives.com and the 2023 Scopen Most admired marketer. She is part of the UN Global Compact CMO Forum on sustainability and has recently been appointed as a board member of the IAA’s Global Board of Directors.

Khensani Nobanda is the Group Executive for Marketing and Corporate Affairs at Nedbank Group. As both the executive in charge of marketing, and a member of the Nedbank Group executive leadership, she ensures the cohesive and consistent alignment between marketing messaging, brand positioning and business objectives across the group, while also providing strategic input into various Nedbank structures, committees, and partnerships. Her portfolio also includes leading the social impact agenda for Nedbank through overseeing the bank’s CSI and Transformation programs.

Q: Why is craft essential to driving impactful business results? Besides having great creative ideas that resonate with your audience, what motivates you to produce work that is well crafted?

Khensani: Craft ensures that every detail of a campaign is meticulously executed, creating a cohesive and compelling narrative that resonates deeply with the audience. I believe that great creative ideas are the foundation, but it is the craft that brings these ideas to life in a way that is both memorable and effective, and having the right partner also makes a difference. 

What motivates me to produce well-crafted work is the desire to create something that not only stands out in a crowded marketplace but also delivers real value to the audience. It is about pushing the boundaries of creativity and innovation to produce work that is not only visually stunning but also strategically sound.

Q: What was particularly special about Nedbank Youth X ‘The Class Of ‘76 Youth’