Ebony+Ivory thrives with Nombini Mehlomakulu at the helm. The women‑owned integrated advertising agency is reshaping South Africa’s advertising landscape. Pictures: Nigel Sibanda From the small village of Blikana in Sterk‑spruit, Eastern Cape, to the boardrooms of Johannesburg, Nombini Mehlomakulu’s journey is a story of resilience, discipline and creative vision.
Raised by entrepreneurial parents who instilled strong family values in their five children, she learned early that hard work and excellence were non‑negotiable. Those lessons remain the cornerstone of her leadership today. Entrepreneurship runs in her veins.
Her late parents were successful businesspeople in Sterk‑spruit and their example shaped her and her siblings. The pursuit of excellence became guiding principles. “Hard work is the cornerstone of my operational approach,” she says.
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At 52, Mehlomakulu is managing director of Ebony+Ivory, a thriving black women‑owned integrated advertising agency that has carved out space in a historically white‑dominated industry. She also serves as director at Lwazi Capital, which holds a 30% stake in Ebony+Ivory, guiding strategy and unlocking growth opportunities. Her rise places her shoulder-to-shoulder with South Africa’s leading advertising executives, breaking barriers for women in leadership.
“Our work must reflect who we are and who we want to become as a country. Progress begins with how we tell our stories,” she says. Why choose a career marked by obstacles in a country that still judges people by race and gender? For Mehlomakulu, the answer lies in creativity and strategic insight.
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