• The SABC has appointed a new CEO almost six months after previous boss Madoda Mxakwe departed the public broadcaster.
• Nomsa Chabeli, a former MTN and MultiChoice executive, now replaces interim chief Nada Wotshela.
• Chabeli is a veteran marketer, with a 25 years worth of experience across many different industries.

The embattled public broadcaster, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has found a new chief executive after previous head Madoda Mxakwe departed the firm in June after his contract ran its course.

Now Nomsa Chabeli, pictured in the header image, will take up the reigns of the company, deep in financial turmoil after posting a R1.13 billion loss in its annual report for 2022/2023. Chabeli is a marketing veteran, having served as a marketing head at various major companies over the last 24 years, according to her LinkedIn.

This includes most recently as the general manager for brand and marketing at the MTN Group. A position she held for four years. She also spent four years at MultiChoice, from 2015 to 2018, in which was served as marketing director for SuperSport and eventually moved up the ladder until she was the general manager of marketing for the group.

Chabeli also served at SAB, Brand South Africa, GCIS and Edcon. She holds an MBA from Henley Business School and is currently completing a Masters in Digital Business at Wits Business School, the SABC have said.

“In her role at MTN SA, she has been instrumental in driving MTN to become the most valuable brand in South Africa and being named the 2022 Brand of the Year, by the Brand Finance South Africa 100 report. From envisioning groundbreaking marketing innovation to fostering a culture of creativity, Chabeli has not only elevated the brands she has nurtured but has also left an enduring impact on the industry,” SABC shares in an announcement about the new appointment.

“Some of her career highlights include leading the marketing and communications for the successful 2010 World Cup Bid that resulted in South Africa’s confirmation as the host country,” the announcement adds.

Clearly, the corporation is hoping to leverage Chabeli’s vast marketing experience to promote its brand and bring it into 2024. If this is the case, expect the SABC to receive major overhauls in the next few years, with fresher advertising and perhaps new logos or other branding materials.

“I am truly honoured and excited to join the SABC as its new GCEO,” enthused Chabeli, now stepping into her first group CEO position.

“Faced with the challenges of a rapidly evolving digital landscape, together we will embrace innovation, foster meaningful connections and ensure that our content continues to inspire, inform and resonate with diverse audiences in this dynamic media landscape,” she concludes.

Near the end of 2022, the SABC took over and rebranded streaming platform TelkomONE. It now operates as SABC Plus and offers the broadcaster’s catalogue, including livestreams of SABC 1, 2 and 3, via the web for free.

Chabeli’s history with sports broadcasting could have been the golden ticket for her to land the job, as the broadcaster struggled to secure the rights to showcase the games from this year’s Rugby World Cup, and only eventually secured 16 of the tournament’s matches.