'Babes Welocal' – Happy MaKhumalo Ngidi
"This is my ninth year at Proudly South African. I have grown with the brand, and I’ve built a team of incredible people," says the businesswoman and chief marketing officer.
Image: Supplied.
Happy MaKhumalo Ngidi is an accomplished marketer with years of experience in her field.
Tell us about your career in marketing?
It has surprised me. Just when I think I’ve done all I can or given my best to a brand, I surprise myself when I move on to the next chapter. When I left Metro FM, I thought it had been the defining highlight of my career. When I joined Proudly South African [chief marketing officer], nothing could have prepared me. I believe it’s a personal decision — spiritually, mentally, and physically — that determines my “why”.
That’s what drives me and keeps me going. This is my ninth year at Proudly South African. I have grown with the brand, and I’ve built a team of incredible people.
How has the business of marketing evolved?
Marketers have to be extraordinary. I am not satisfied with mediocre work and just ticking a box. I am completely over the top, steadfast, incredibly focused, and driven by one key question: What change am I going to make? I cannot leave a place the same way I found it. Marketing is evolving, and I have always been able to adapt.
During Covid-19, as the head of marketing, the board and CEO asked me, “How do we justify keeping six event coordinators in the marketing department when there are no events happening?” I couldn’t accept that retrenching people was the only solution.
I spent hours researching and teaching myself about webinars and how they could be relevant to our advocacy work. I realised we could perfect the world of webinars. I am proud to say that not a single person was retrenched or left without a salary.
Being an industry leader, what are the three things essential for every marketer?
First, I am big on kindness. People want to be seen and heard. I never respond just for the sake of responding; I listen. When people feel heard and valued, they give you their best. Kindness matters because everyone is facing challenges you know nothing about. Second is empathy.
You need to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. If you can’t do that, you can’t lead. Third, you can’t box in a marketing leader. The world is your oyster. It’s about pushing the needle, breaking boundaries when it’s safe to do so, and being incredibly innovative.
Building on the mantra of “local is lekker”, how have attitudes changed to locally made goods?
People are finally hearing what we’ve been saying over the years, and we are ecstatic. You often hear people say that local is not of good quality or too expensive. But when it comes to buying global luxury brands, we never complain or question the quality. So, it is heart-warming to see people start with just a single local purchase and their mindsets changing because they realise the impact of their purchasing decisions.
Which campaigns and projects had the greatest impact on Proudly South African?
During Covid, we had the legendary John Kani acting as the president in our ad titled “Game Time”, which encouraged locals to buy local, so we could rebuild the economy. Our flagship event, the Buy Local Summit and Expo, is the premier local-procurement campaign that enjoys the support of various government departments, state-owned entities, and leading companies.
It’s an annual, two-day gathering that attracts nearly 200 local exhibitors spanning various industries, over 1 500 delegates, 450 trade buyers, and 160 stakeholders from both the public and private sector. The Local Fashion Police campaign spotlights fashion and holds consumers accountable on how they spend their rands, encouraging them to consciously choose locally made garments.
What advice would you give your 18-year-old self?
Know who you are, be confident enough to take the lead. You’ll step into rooms you haven’t dreamed of yet. Take it all in, you will one day be your ancestors’ wildest dream come true, because the universe will align for you.
