Dynamic businesswoman bags glorious international marketing accolade

The multi-award-winning firm leads the financial literacy for Standard Bank delivered under the campaign name WalletWise for which they recently won in three categories at this year’s DMASA Assegai Awards for campaigns for Influencer Marketing, Experiential Marketing and Multi-Language. Running an efficient machine might be the secret ingredient because the company also won a Top 20 Award at the recently held 2024 South African Small Business Awards, where the company’s managing director, Buyi Mafoko, also got the winning nod for the National Woman in Business Champion accolade. 

Internationally, Mafoko recently won the agency the coveted Global Women in Marketing Awards (WiM) for Special Award for Outstanding Contribution to Marketing in London. The judges commented, “Buyi's agency has successfully unlocked a key target audience for South Africa's leading corporate and FMCG brands - the township market. Insight-driven, her agency’s work is consistently relevant and resonant, resulting in demonstrable growth for her clients. The achievements of Matte BLK are particularly impressive, considering the challenges of establishing a presence in this market.” Launched in 2010, the United Kingdom-based WiM Awards were established to recognise the economic, and social influence and impact of women to millions. The WiM Awards has given recognition to inspirational women and male equality advocates across the globe, from some of the biggest brands – Google, HP, Unilever, Burberry, SAP and Live Nation to name but a few. 

What could possibly be enough fuel to drive such an ambition in a businesswoman? Mafoko’s acumen and personal ambition seem more intriguing the more she details her journey. The dynamic businesswoman unconventionally found herself in the marketing and advertising space, leading a team of award-winning strategists and creatives. This is over a decade and a half after she co-founded the Johannesburg-based agency.  

Leaning on authenticity to validate dreams

Awards serve as a source of validation of dreams for many, knowing their own personal journeys and the path to the moment have been worthwhile.  

Mafoko says that the big win from such a globally renowned recognition platform makes her purpose even more tangible.  “There is vulnerability to dreaming boldly and this award is a culmination of that effort. I connected with this year’s theme ‘The Year of the Exemplar’ which affirms the exceptionality I've approached every personal or business interaction. Authentically leaning into who we are is the magic and our clients naturally connect with the creativity that flows from being more of ourselves. Therefore, being celebrated as an African businesswoman for positively contributing to the marketing discipline in my region amongst other exemplary leading women the world over has invigorated my energy to pursue more and contribute more.”

Stay authentic to who you are

The advertising and marketing space can be a pulsating setting, constantly challenging the creatives and executives to think out of the box – while engaging and captivating large audiences with valuable content and product/ service solutions. It requires consistency and creativity to stand out. In the digital space, where social media has blurred the lines between what’s real and what’s embellished with gloss, authenticity can set apart an agency and set it up for success. “The nomination itself was an achievement, in that one never sets out to win awards, but to start a business that would touch lives, within the organisation and externally with authentic intent”, she says. 

Identifying the niche

The human-conscious element of the work we put out has enabled the agency to carve out a niche for itself with its ability to engage segments of the markets that business usually neglects, including the rural and township segments across Africa.  

The consistency of entrepreneurship 

This year, only two WiM finalists out of the 38 listed on the awards’ site are recorded as being full-time African-based marketing executives, with a third being captured as operating between Africa and the UK. Being an entrepreneur in Africa remains an act of constant duality, a daily commitment to the vision you set out with that had no guarantee of success and the strong conviction to make others believe in the same. For us, we’ve kept it about getting the right people and delivering meaningful work that maintains single-mindedness in what we set out to do consistently; the clients we partner with are also validated by the partnership they have with Matte BLK.   

An unconventional journey

Mentorship means different things to different people. The overarching theme is to learn from forerunners in your space to be as effective as possible, not succumbing to the challenges they’ve already encountered and overcome. The isiZulu proverb that says “indlela ibuzwa kwabaphambili” directly translates to ‘the path should be asked from those who are already ahead.’ Mafoko’s path has been unconventional and as a result, shaped an interesting alternative to the conventional take on mentorship. She says, “I’ve personally never had a dedicated mentor and instead have benefited from different people whose own professional journeys have impacted mine positively and against whom I could model the traits I wanted to learn. As a result, I have taken a similar approach to avail myself proactively to anybody who requires mentorship at the time and for a specific purpose."