Luthando Tyhalibongo
Senior Media Manager & Spokesperson
Panorama
Summary
I have more than 15 years of experience in driving public relations and communication activities for agencies, government and educational institutions. I am currently employed in the Corporate Communication Department of the City of Cape Town as a Spokesperson and Senior Media Manager for what is often recognised as SA's best-run metropolitan municipality. I have the privilege of leading and communicating daily with close to five million residents and more than 30,000 employees. I am passionate about my work, and would like to take what I’ve learnt and apply it to other organisations.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
20
20
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Senior Manager: Media (Communication)
CITY OF CAPE TOWN
3 2018 - Current
- I lead a team of 19 colleagues and am currently in the process of taking on an additional four staff members who will focus on multi-media production
- I oversee the distribution of all City communications via broadcast, print, social media, and online channels
- I proactively implement the City’s traditional media and social media strategies and ensure a consistent and positive two-way flow of information between the City and local, national and international media, the residents of Cape Town and its stakeholders
- Issues Management and foresight of potential reputational risks are part of my daily duties
- My responsibilities constantly include holding press conferences, doing interviews, writing and editing, as well as media reporting and analysis
- I also oversee communication projects and work produced by my team
- I manage relationships with the media on behalf of the City of Cape Town, while protecting and enhancing the City’s reputation
- I am also responsible for leading a team that puts together campaigns for various City of Cape Town Directorates and work transversely while managing budgets efficiently
- I am part of the POPI Incident Report Committee appointed by the City Manager and serve on Council, and I have several Mayoral Committee Member Meeting duties
- I have successfully implemented a Communication Handbook, Social Media and Media Policy, Social Media Guides and general processes that have led our office to be recognised as one of the most efficient government communication departments.
Communication and Media Manager
UNIVERSITY OF THE WESTERN CAPE
05.2007 - 02.2018
- Coordinating internal and external communication and maintaining relations with staff at all levels, to facilitate good communication on institutional matters and collate newsworthy information for external media
- These duties included: A strategic contribution to the development and output of official University publications
- (writing, photography, editing and design, and coordinating content of University portal/website.) Maintaining internal and external stakeholder relations management
- Performing media liaison functions as well as spokesperson duties for the institution
- Serving as an advisor to the Vice-Chancellor and the University Council on Public Relations (PR)/Media issues
- Serving on the University Marketing and Recruitment and Communicators Forums
- Strategic influence in the development of communication material for University Advancement projects
- Speechwriter and advisor to the Chancellor, Vice- Chancellor and Pro Vice-Chancellor
- Oversaw Branding, Events and Website Management, as well as Public Relations and Publications
- In 2012 I was appointed as an Acting Manager Communication & Media Liaison until my official appointment in 2013
- Managing and editing the official University non-profit organisation RAG magazine, mentoring students on how to produce publications
- Assisted the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Student Development and Support’s office by editing their newsletter
- I assisted the Director of Post Graduate Studies at UWC in coordinating Communications and Marketing for the Post Graduate Division
- In 2012 nine staff members and four interns reported to me as from February 2012
- (Communication & Media Unit and Web team) and in 2013 the Communication & Media Relations Unit was established to work on the publications, internal communication and media liaison work of the institution
- The unit had 11 staff members reporting to me and two student assistants
- I mentored interns who were contracted to our office through SETA and CPUT on a full-time basis in 2011, 2012 and 2013
- In 2014-2016, mentored postgraduate student assistants from UWC
- I grew the University’s Advertorial Value Equivalent and reach by more than 30% in three years despite a 32% budget decline in real terms.
PROJECT MANAGER/ EVENTS COORDINATOR
LIMANI MARKETING AND ALPHA COMMUNICATION
09.2004 - 03.2007
- Coordinated projects for the City of Cape Town, including the HIV/AIDS Campaign (Covered this Season Campaign, comprised of promotions, branding material and radio ads), the Servicing of Informal Settlements Project (researching for disaster management and informal settlements restructuring and using the information for the City’s publications), the Save Water Campaign (radio ad, promos, branding material and a TV advert.) and the Mayor’s IDP Campaign (posters, and radio ads)
- Made strategic contributions to the development and implementation of the City of Cape Town’s Hlonipha Amanzi workshops in informal settlements to teach people about water conservation (2006/2007), and in procuring promotional material for the City of Cape Town’s (Communications Office and Water Affairs) and also Western Cape Provincial Government
- I was part of an organising team that coordinated service delivery exhibitions across the city for the City of Cape Town’s Departments and the Mayor’s Office
- Employed at Alpha Communications on a part-time basis as an Event Coordinator, heading an account for Japanese Tobacco International (I was in charge of Blitz events in the townships)
- I was in a project team that coordinated a Distell account under the Viceroy brand with a national marketing campaign called Umcimbi weViceroy.
Education
Postgraduate Diploma in Futures Studies (Honours) -
Stellenbosch University Business School (SU)
02.2015 - 12.2016
BTECH degree in Public Relations Management -
Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT)
02.2011 - 12.2012
Post Graduate Diploma in Advanced Marketing Management -
University of The Western Cape (UWC)
02.2009 - 03.2010
B.Com degree at the University of the Western Cape, majoring in Industrial Psychology and Marketing Management -
University of The Western Cape (UWC)
02.2002 - 03.2007
Matric Exemption with a distinction in Xhosa -
South African College Schools (SACS) (Cape Town: Newlands)
01.1997 - 11.2001
MTECH degree in Public Relations Management (Cum Laude) -
Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT)
02.2018 - 03.2023
Skills
Stakeholder Relations
Public & Media Relations
Strategic Communication
Campaigns Management
Corporate Communications
Creative Team Leadership
Product Positioning & Branding
Web & Print Content Development
Market Research
Developing New Products
Budgeting / Forecasting
Proficient in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) Outlook, SAP
Fluent in English and Xhosa, Intermediate in Afrikaans and Zulu
Accomplishments
- Visiting member to the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and also to Emory and Georgia State University, USA 2009
- Enhanced training at CASE America in developing media strategies and press management training
- Part of a South African university sports delegation that visited the University of Minnesota, New York University, University of Chicago, Missouri Colombia and the University of Notre Dame (among others) for training in 2013
- Appointed by the Ministry of Communication to be part of the National Communications Task Team in 2014
- Presented at the South African Research and Innovation Management Association workshop in November 2014
- Presented at the Marketing Advancement and Communication in Education
- Presented at the National Communication SALGA conference in 2023
- PRISA member and Western Cape committee member in 2011, Deputy Chair Western Cape in 2012, PRISA-WC 2013 Treasurer, 2014 former Chairman of the Western Cape Chapter of the Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa
- Visiting member of the International Association of Business Communicators
- Successfully planned and implemented communication strategies for prestigious events such as former US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton’s address at UWC, the Desmond Tutu International Peace Lecture, Dullah Omar Memorial Lecture etc.
- Represented the Vice-Chancellor on the Records and Archives Management Committee 2013-2016
- Contributed to the establishment of a unit for media liaison, monitoring and coordination at UWC
- Contributed meaningfully to the development and implementation of a new corporate identity and rebranding exercise for UWC’s 50th anniversary and the Institutional Operating Plan 2016-2020
- Served on the Retention Strategy Committee (developing a retention strategy for UWC in 2013)
- Golden Key Recipient and member
- Citizen Leader Lab Alumni
- Former member of the Cape Town Press Club
- Former member of Marketing Advancement and Communication in Education (MACE)
- Former member of Black IT Forum (BITF)
- Former school board member at Hillcrest Primary School (2006-2014)
- Former member Western Cape Economic Development Partnerships Communicators Forum
Coursework
- Wired for PR Writing
- Media writing and Web Writing
- Development, Proposal and Report Writing courses at Stellenbosch University (2007 to 2010)
- Internal Communication Management Course with PRISA (2012)
- Registered as a Chartered Public Relations Practitioner (PRISA) (SAQA) (2012)
- Cape Higher Education Consortium development programme for Middle Managers (2014)
- Empowerment Institute training (2016)
- The Strategy of Content Marketing, University of California, Davis (2018)
- AMEC International Certificate in Measurement & Evaluation (2018)
- Leader Development, Citizen Leader Lab (2023)
References
- DR THABO MAKGOBA, Archbishop of Cape Town and Chancellor of UWC, 0861 001171 Ext 1323, 082 870 5811, archpa@anglicanchurchsa.org.za / archbishop@anglicanchurchsa.org.za
- PROF TYRONE PRETORIUS, Rector and Vice-Chancellor, UWC, 083 226 3014, tpretorius@uwc.ac.za
- PROF PAM DUBE, Rector and Vice-Chancellor, CUT, 083 956 0775, pzdube@cut.ac.za
- MS PATRICIA LAWRENCE, Former Executive Director, Advancement, UWC, 083 2653615, Pblawrence18@gmail.com
Timeline
MTECH degree in Public Relations Management (Cum Laude) -
Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT)
02.2018 - 03.2023
Postgraduate Diploma in Futures Studies (Honours) -
Stellenbosch University Business School (SU)
02.2015 - 12.2016
BTECH degree in Public Relations Management -
Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT)
02.2011 - 12.2012
Post Graduate Diploma in Advanced Marketing Management -
University of The Western Cape (UWC)
02.2009 - 03.2010
Communication and Media Manager
UNIVERSITY OF THE WESTERN CAPE
05.2007 - 02.2018
PROJECT MANAGER/ EVENTS COORDINATOR
LIMANI MARKETING AND ALPHA COMMUNICATION
09.2004 - 03.2007
B.Com degree at the University of the Western Cape, majoring in Industrial Psychology and Marketing Management -
University of The Western Cape (UWC)
02.2002 - 03.2007
Matric Exemption with a distinction in Xhosa -
South African College Schools (SACS) (Cape Town: Newlands)
01.1997 - 11.2001
Senior Manager: Media (Communication)
CITY OF CAPE TOWN
3 2018 - Current
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