Pivoting my career from commercial metrics to community development

As a brand builder with almost ten years of experience across multiple categories and African markets, I’ve come to realise that my greatest achievements are not the market share gains, growth targets or equity awards I’ve contributed to. The true impact has been in how the brands I led influenced the communities they served.

To successfully share portions, you must first see WHO you are sharing with

I’ve seen firsthand what happens when people feel seen and when a brand reflects their identity back to them with dignity and possibility. When individuals feel recognised, they begin to create change that is sustainable and long-term. I believe the most successful brands are not only those that persuade people to buy, but those that mirror the dreams of their communities, inspire action, and build bridges to access the tools that help people walk toward those dreams.

Success has “us” in it

As a millennial - a ‘born free’ - my life has unfolded alongside South Africa’s young democracy. While global indicators show that our political freedoms have grown, they also reveal widening inequality. I am a product of that contradiction. I attended suburban schools and university, supported by parents who fell into the “missing middle”. My parents are not wealthy, yet they were determined to sacrifice for my future. I may be considered a success story, but after my mother, I am the second person to experience what access to education and opportunity can unlock.

The true impact has been in how the brands I led influenced the communities they served.

This reality forces a deeper question: Is success meaningful if it ends with one person? It isn’t enough for me to sit with privilege alone. The challenge is not for one individual to “make it out,” but for communities to rise together. The same principle applies to brands and businesses: impact matters most when it scales beyond the few to uplift the many.

Throughout my career, I’ve seen what it means to have a seat at the table and to use that seat as a mouthpiece for others. Leading purpose-led brands and working directly with communities has drawn me to unpack what it truly means to unlock South Africa’s potential. Through school-based programmes for one of the country’s most recognised heritage brands, and through reflecting on the doors that education opened for me, my advocacy now lies in widening access for children.

A career pivot that says; “This is where I should have started” 

It is not enough to be the exception; exceptions maintain inequality. If I have a seat at the table, the question becomes: How do I set the table so that more of us can eat?

impact matters most when it scales beyond the few to uplift the many.

This need to pursue systemic, equal and sustainable development is what compels my career to pivot into social responsibility. I still value having a seat at the table but now, that seat must serve a greater purpose. I have a voice, a story, and experience that can be used as a catalyst for wider access and shared opportunity. For me, a pivot into social responsibility is not simply a new career direction. It is a commitment to living a life of service where the return on investment is measured in the freedom, dignity and growth of our communities.

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Thinkerneur Sustainable Impact

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