Sithembile Ntombela

Sithembile Ntombela is a consummate marketing and communications executive with over 25 years of experience spanning both the private and public sectors. Her career is distinguished by deep expertise in consumer marketing and nation branding, with a proven track record of strategic leadership, brand development, and reputation management. Over the past five years, she has served at an executive level, having spent more than 15 years in senior management, consistently building and leading high-performing, purpose-driven teams.

She honed her classical marketing expertise at globally recognised, brand-led organisations such as Unilever, Tiger Brands, Nampak, Foodcorp and Pioneer Foods. At Brand South Africa, the entity responsible for managing the country’s global image and reputation, she has spent the past 13 years in various leadership roles, including General Manager of Marketing, Acting Chief Marketing Officer and Acting Chief Executive Officer.

Sithembile has played a pivotal role in shaping nation branding initiatives both domestically and across the continent, sharing her experience with country brands including Brand Botswana, Brand Namibia, Brand Tanzania and Brand Madagascar. She serves as an advisory board member for the CMO Sub-Saharan Council and for City Nation Place (UK-based), a global platform for nation branding and place marketing.

As an experienced executive, Sithembile brings robust governance and strategic oversight to her multifaceted roles. Under her leadership as Acting CEO, Brand South Africa achieved three consecutive clean audits (2023, 2024 and 2025). Her leadership ethos centres on driving organisational performance, fostering a progressive culture, and promoting service excellence.

A Chartered Marketer (CM-SA) accredited by the Marketing Association of South Africa (MASA), Sithembile is also a member of the Black Management Forum and a Global Advisor member of G100, a global forum focused on women’s empowerment in sports. She holds a Master of Commerce degree and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA), further deepening her expertise in business leadership and nation branding.