by Veli Ngubane (@TheNduna) With impressive track records in mainline agencies, high-school friends, Sifiso Nkabinde (@Sfinch_oro) and Thokozani Mashigo, are working together again. They’ve formed DADKA — the Somali word for people — which focuses upon finding “creative solutions for everyday people”, with Nkabinde and Thule Ngcese [also Young, Gifted & Killing It!] as the art directors and Mashigo as the copywriter. Clearly young and gifted, they tell us how they’re killing it! with projects ranging from developing an e-commerce platform to a township-clothing brand.
Veli Ngubane: Where did you grow up and how did your parents react when you told them you wanted to be a creative?
SN: I was born in Soweto, Diepkloof Zone 6, and grew up in the East Rand in a place called Dawn Park. My parents never understood advertising; my mom’s idea of advertising was a person who paints wall murals in the townships — and, secretly, I still think she doesn’t know exactly what I do for a living — and my dad simply wanted someone who was going to contribute in the household. So, you can imagine how the conversation went when I told them about my career choice. They asked … how are you going make money? Are you going get a job? Why art? So you want to be an artist?
TM: I was born in Orlando West, Soweto, and grew up in a township called Vosloorus in the East Rand. My parents were not surprised at my career choice; I’ve always wanted to be in advertising, since I can remember.
VN: How did you a) get interested in advertising and b) break into the industry and land your first job?
SN: a) I got my first break in advertising industry while I was still in tertiary, studying graphic design. My lecturer managed to get me an internship at Ogilvy Johannesburg for a month.
SN: b) I used my notepad to capture my experiences at Ogilvy; mind you, I thought I was only going to be there for only a month. Until Gerry Human, who was the ECD at that time, asked to have a look at my notepad (this way my last day interning there). After paging through my notepad, he told me that I should come work for Ogilvy Johannesburg when I’m done with my studies — that’s how I got my first break.
TM: a) I got interested in advertising at a very young age. I used to live near one of the most-popular main roads in Soweto (Khumalo Street); adjacent is the famous Vilakazi Street in Orlando West. Khumalo Street would always be lined with huge billboards selling different brands. To me, it was like mini-Time Square. The big billboards and the big lights and the brands made me fall in love with advertising.
I started showing further interest when copywriting was included as one of the tasks in a Grade 10 high-school assignment; that’s when I started showing more interest in writing for ads.
TM: b) I got my break in advertising a year after I matriculated. It was during my final years of completing a certificate in creative process with the Imagination Lab. I interned at Ogilvy Johannesburg as part of my two-week internship programme. After completing my one-year certificate, I was split between taking a scholarship at Vega or a three-month internship at Ogilvy Johannesburg. I chose the three-month internship at Ogilvy. My plan was to always go back to Vega but that changed when one of the ideas I came up with while interning won me my first Loerie in 2005. I never looked back.
VN: What are your specialisations/creative processes/mos- important tools of the trade?
SN: I am an art director by profession: I have to come up with concepts and find the best way to articulate the concept visually, whether it be print or directing a TV shoot. Your brain needs be like a sponge to easily absorb what’s going on in the world. There are many different ways to articulate concepts that could be found on the internet but you need to train your eye to spot those opportunities. Adobe suite is one the key tools to have in your machine (laptop), and also [you must] do your research on past advertising work that has been done internationally; the Cannes archive is a good place to start.
TM: My creative process involves conceptualising an idea and putting it on paper and testing it on colleagues and then the final stage-making it come to life. To achieve this I need a reliable laptop; I prefer a MacBook Pro because it has all the program used in the industry. You need a reliable smartphone to stay in touch when you’re not at the office. Being mobile or having your own car is also an added advantage; a creative needs to be constantly out there attending gigs, events, concerts to stay relevant with the times. A bottle of tequila in the drawer always comes in handy.
VN: How did you meet?
SN & TM: We went to the same high school so we’ve known each other for a long time.
VN: Tell me about your company, DADKA?
SN&TM: DADKA is made up of three unique individuals — two art directors, Sfiso Nkabinde [and] Thule Ngcese, and copywriter, Thokozani Mashigo. The core focus for Dadka is “creative solutions” for everyday people. We don’t limit ourselves in the projects we take on — we can go from developing an e-commerce platform like Yumo to starting a township-clothing brand like VSLO; we just make sure that whatever we do or touch has some sort of impact on society.
VN: What inspired the name “DADKA”?
SN&TM: “Dadka” means people in Somali; we chose an African name on purpose because we see ourselves as a company for Africa, not just for South Africa.
VN: What characteristics do you need to have to succeed in the advertising industry?
SN: Research is key, fresh insight, ideas and, most importantly, execution! Execution! and love what you do! You can be a nice person and still survive in advertising but you need have thick skin.
TM: You have to know how to take criticism; being able to work in a team (being a team player); knowing how to manage time is also important. You also need to have an eye for good ideas.
VN: Any interesting hobbies/second jobs/bits of information that make you pop as individuals?
SN: I am a co-founder of a township-empowering movement called Bee Empowered (NPO) which has taught me a lot about humility and the importance of skills-sharing and the value of partnerships, especially for black businesses. I am also a contributing designer on the VSLO Clothing brand.
Hobbies: I ride motorcycles any chance that I get; that’s my “me time” and recently I have started collecting bonsai trees — don’t ask why J …Just find them fascinating.
TM: I run my own clothing company called VSLO Clothing; we do pop up shops in Vosloorus and at major events. Planning on opening up Vosloo’s first concept store next year. I am also co-owner of an alcohol delivery service called Phuza Patrol. You can call it the Uber of alcohol delivery.
I am also a mentor to a few young creatives from the township who are interested in a career in advertising.
VN: What advice would you give to youngsters wanting to break into the industry?
SN: We’ve all heard the saying ‘there is no new idea underneath the sun’; I somehow agree with that. So, for me, it’s about doing your research and finding a fresh insight usually leads to a great idea but, most importantly, execution can make or break your idea.
So you need to work hard, fight for what you believe in and stay hungry.
Remember you can be a nice person and still make it in advertising, so stay humble.
TM: Hard work always pays off. What you put in is what you will ultimately get out. Do not slack. Be the first to arrive at the office and the last to leave; always offer to help.
Personally, take what you do seriously; invest in your craft; try to read a book every month; subscribe to advertising and design publications; visit art galleries and other interesting places; and always, always have a notepad and pen handy.
VN: What is the South African advertising industry doing right?
SN: Just [an] observation: in the industry, some of the big agencies have started incubating small black-owned agencies in their infrastructure, which is great for the future of advertising. That means that now the little guys now have the opportunity to pitch for business and to work on big clients. What it also means that now black creatives can run their own businesses doing what they love and produce the work that is relevant to the market.
TM: Most agencies are starting to incorporate and sometimes make digital central to their ideas; this is a major shift in the way we reach consumers and, despite the slow internet and lack of infrastructure in SA, we have managed to come up with great digital campaigns that can compete on an international front. We still can do better.
VN: What needs to change?
SN: I have noticed that most TV ads that I see leave you unanswered questions at the end “like what is the idea?” I think we need get to thinking about the consumer and what is the key massege instead finding what’s cool and trending on the web and creating executions using that.
TM: For mainstream advertising, we need to go back to telling real stories, especially in the TV medium. Ads used to tell a story and connect with the consumer, and that made us fall in love with brands and that is what advertising is all about. Today, we see too much dancing and singing on ads and consumers getting offered free airtime at every turn. We need to go back to telling stories that will make consumers fall in love with brands again.
VN: What do you like most about advertising? What is most challenging?
SN: I like [it] that advertising teaches you to think and question things. Lessons learnt can be applied to everyday life as well. The challenging part is getting the work produced and going through obstacles, but it’s worth it, once done.
TM: I like how an idea can go from your thoughts, to your notepad, to reaching millions of consumers in places you’d never imagine. What is most challenging as a creative is having to wear different caps to communicate to different consumers.
VN: What is your favourite ad campaign, past and present, and why?
SN & TM: [Our] favourite ad campaign was the launch of Cell C back in 2005 or 2006. The campaign was fresh and I liked how one campaign was able to resonate with different target audiences. [We] still love the Vodacom “We’ve Been Having It” campaign. [Our] favourite ad campaign right now is the [“Inner Peace”] Chicken Licken campaign.
VN: Where and when do you have your best ideas?
SN: Ideas come from everywhere: I’m always thinking about ideas, at home, stuck in traffic at a street cookout… literally everywhere.
TM: Everywhere! I’m always thinking about ideas. I always take notes on my phone or notepad. Ideas are everywhere so you always have to keep an eye out and your ear to the streets, so to speak.
VN: What has been the most-exciting project that you’ve worked on?
SN & TM: So many come to mind; one that stands out was a campaign we did for Nissan when SA was hosting the AFCON tournament in 2012. The idea started out as a very small thought and it ballooned to a national campaign that got everyone from celebrities to politicians to look up.
VN: Do you have any new exciting projects you working on at the moment that you can share with us?
SN & TM: Most of the projects we’re working on are still top-secret. [We’re] currently working on a campaign for a new product that will be launching in South Africa mid next year, so that’s a big one right now.
VN: What do you consider the most effective current form of advertising in South Africa?
SN: TV is still the most effective followed by radio but, definitely, digital will be next big platform.
TM: TV is still the most effective for me, followed by outdoor and digital.
VN: Please can you supply two or three pieces of work you have been involved in?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hd0eIWqNWbI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYxGptrTDIM
Veli Ngubane (@TheNduna) entered the world of advertising with a passion after completing his BSocSci (law, politics and economics) at the University of Cape Town and a post-graduate marketing diploma at Red & Yellow, where he also currently serves as advisory board chairman. He is the chief creative officer and founding partner of one of the fastest-growing agencies in the country, AVATAR. A full-service marketing agency with digital at the core, its clients include Brand South Africa, FOX Africa, National Geographic, SAA and Chevron. Veli hails from Kosi Bay in the rural KwaMhlaba Uyalingana area of KZN. In his monthly column “Young, Gifted & Killing It”, he profiles award-winning, kick-ass black creative talent in South Africa.
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