The incoming board is as follows:
| Wayne Naidoo: Chair | Duke Advertising | Chief Executive Officer |
| Karabo Songo: Exco | The Brave Group | Group Chief Executive Officer |
| Mathe Okaba: Exco | Association for Communication & Advertising | Chief Executive Officer |
| Monalisa Zwambila: Exco | The Riverbed | Chief Executive Officer |
| Thabang Skwambane: Exco | FCB Africa | Group Managing Director |
| Adeshia Singh (Cape Town Rep) | Singh & Sons | Managing Director |
| Aileen Sauerman | Duke Advertising | Managing Director |
| Alison Deeb | Metropolitan Republic | Group Chief Executive Officer |
| Andrew Brand | Ninety9cents | Chief Executive Officer |
| Ayanda Mbanga | Ayanda Mbanga Communications | Chief Executive Officer |
| Colett Naidu | Wunderman Thompson SA | Managing Director Integration |
| Enver Groenewald | Ogilvy South Africa | Chief Executive Officer |
| Gareth Leck | Joe Public United | Group Chief Executive Officer |
| Graham Vivian | Nahana Communications Group | Chief Operating Officer |
| James Barty | King James Group | Group Chief Executive Officer |
| Jarred Cinman | VML South Africa | Chief Executive Officer |
| John Dixon | Publicis Groupe Africa | Chief Executive Officer |
| Karabo Denalane | TBWA Hunt Lascaris Johannesburg | Chief Executive Officer |
| Lebogang Sethole | The Brave Group | Human Capital Executive |
| Leo Manne | Net#work BBDO | Managing Director |
| Louise Johnston | Grey Africa Advertising | Managing Director |
| Luca Gallarelli | TBWA South Africa | Group Chief Executive Officer |
| Mpume Ngobese | Joe Public United | Co-Managing Director |
| Nombini Mehlomakulu | Ebony + Ivory | Director |
| Sarah Dexter | MullenLowe South Africa | Chief Executive Officer |
| Sharleen James | King James Group | Group Director |
Wayne Naidoo who served as Chair in the 2019/20 and 2020/21 fiscals was re-elected to the position of Chair. The Executive Committee of the ACA now includes Wayne Naidoo, Thabang Skwambane, Karabo Songo, Monalisa Zwambila and ACA CEO, Mathe Okaba.
The Exco’s tenure runs in tandem with that of the board of directors, playing a key role in working closely with the board of directors in collectively directing the association’s affairs.
Wayne Naidoo opened the meeting by welcoming all attendees and followed with the 74th AGM Chairman’s Report for 2021. Noting that the past year has arguably been the most challenging period of our lives, gut feeling has allowed us to steer our way through these uncertain times. It is this intuition coupled with the remarkable collective leadership of the outgoing board that undoubtedly made the organisation stronger and even more purposeful than ever before. He continued to say that in all of the years during which he has served on the ACA board, he has never before seen the collective coming together of the leadership as has been the case in the past year and the resultant progress that was made across all portfolios and respective committees.
According to Naidoo, 2021 served up the ‘Brief of the Year’, and how faced with pressing issues and a mandate, that could have been conveniently ignored because of Covid, instead the ACA leadership stepped up and tackled it head on, creating magic, the highlights of which were:
- The most transformed board in the history of the ACA in terms of gender and race
- Transformation committee established to tackle key issues of diversity and empowerment
- A new membership package introduced to cater for the broader industry
- A brand refresh
- MDDA funding: Securing of R3.4m in bursaries for Red & Yellow learners and a further R1m in post qualification funding for Women in Leadership
- Inaugural Effie Awards South Africa launched to replace the Apex awards
- A tighter and more collaborative industry working in synch to promote the value of offered by the ACA
“All of this would not have been possible without your injection of passion and the ownership that you applied so rigorously to your respective portfolios, along with your engaged contribution on the board,” said Naidoo. He went on to thank the Exco and the Secretariat, and thanked the CEO for inspiring everyone to rise to the challenge and walk the talk with rigor.
A special mention was made to pay tribute to one of the ACA’s very own, Thandi Mhlongo, a colleague and friend who passed on suddenly on 12 August 2020.
In closing the 74th AGM, Naidoo congratulated and thanked everyone again for the opportunity and honour to serve the industry.
