Khensani Nobanda’s passion shines with another accolade
- Wits Alumni Relations
Seasoned marketer’s innovation, agility and impact praised at 2025 industry awards.
Nedbank’s group executive for marketing and corporate affairs, Khensani Nobanda (BCom 2000), discovered that “marketing was what I wanted to do”, while she was at Wits through the influence of Professor Steve Burgess: “That first lecture in my second year sitting on West Campus I knew that this is what I wanted to do. It’s funny, my other major was Information Systems, and most of my job offers were in this space, with more money. But I knew that marketing was what I wanted to do!”
More than 20 years later, this passion has not dimmed. She was awarded The Marketing Person of the Year Award at the 2025 Marketing Achievement Awards (MAA) at a prestigious marketing professionals’ ball in May 2025.
The award recognises an outstanding South African marketer who has delivered innovative marketing, impacted business results and used their influence to drive the industry forward.
The judges highlighted Nobanda’s ability to “blend data-driven insight, digital transformation and purpose-led marketing”.
They further said: “Her innovative approach to structuring an agile marketing function, consistent delivery of tangible results for Nedbank and commitment to industry-wide transformation and talent nurturing set her apart from her peers.”
The bank was awarded the Marketing Organisation of the Year Award as well as the Excellence in Brand Positioning Award, which demonstrated Nobanda’s impact and leadership.
MAA chair, Ivan Moroke, said: “I’m consistently reminded of the remarkable influence marketing wields in South Africa. This year’s winners and finalists truly exemplify how marketing transcends commercial objectives, driving business results, fostering economic growth and profoundly shaping our society. They stand as a testament to the fact that marketing in South Africa is not only globally competitive but also a vital force for nation-building and positive change.”
This award is one of the many accolades Nobanda has received for her contribution to the industry. At the 2021 Loeries Awards she received a Marketing, Leadership and Innovation Award and she was awarded the 2021 and 2024 AdFocus Industry Leader of the Year Award. In 2022 and 2024 she was named “Most admired Marketer in South Africa” by Marklives.com and Scopen’s Most Admired Marketer in 2023.
Nobanda joined Nedbank in September 2017 as executive head of group marketing before being promoted to her current role a year later. Her career started as an assistant brand manager at Unilever, progressing to the skin category for Unilever in Africa, the Middle East and Turkey. This was followed by various executive roles in Diageo, South African Breweries as well as Vodacom.
“I have been fortunate enough to work in world-class organisations, with bosses who’ve given me a lot of support and with exceptional teams,” she told Alumni Relations.
In addition to her Wits degree, she has an MBA from the Gordon Institute of Business Science and is an advanced management program graduate from Harvard Business School.
Some of her memories of her time at Wits include: “Staying at the Sunnyside Res, I made friends who I’m still connected to, to this very day. O-week was always a particular highlight, and I’ll never forget doing boat racing without realising what I was getting myself into. I loved being part of RAG and doing good for society. I was also chairperson of our Res com and the finance head for the Commerce faculty residence council. That level of involvement on campus meant I had a well-rounded varsity experience beyond just the degree.”